Reign's POV

Hindi pa rin ako umaalis sa kinatatayuan ko kahit ilang beses ko nang nakumpirma mula kay Achlys kung nasaan ako.

"I have no reason to deceive you," mahinahon niyang sagot pagkatapos ko siyang panghinalaan na nagsisinungaling sa'kin.

"Then how am I here?" tanong ko. "This..." My breath got taken away for a second time when I looked around the dark, but colorful realm of Chaos. "This is impossible."

Huminto ang aking tingin kay Achlys na iniyuko nang kaunti ang kanyang ulo upang itago ang isang namuong ngiti sa kanyang labi. Mahina siyang tumawa sabay iling at tingin sakin. 

"It is a mystery we have yet to unravel," sabi niya. 

Saglit na nawala ang aking pagtataka nang makita ang isang katulad niya na ngumingiti. She looked haunting, yes, she was colored in black and white, but in this realm, she seemed to reflect the glow of the stars, the skies, and the planets themselves.

Even though she was associated with the mist of death, misery, and sadness, in the realm of Chaos, where she belonged, she looked.... alive... and beautiful.

"Skyreign Young Austria..." sabi niya. "The daughter of the Scion of All Realms and the Invincible Rose..."

What she said next caught me off guard.

"A daughter of the crown..."

Nagkasalubong ang aking kilay. "How do you know that?"

Si Henri lang ang tumatawag sa'kin n'yan.

"I told you, I see everything from here..." aniya.

Sighing heavily, I gave her a tired look. "Please don't call me that again."

I don't even know what that really means.

Tila nabasa niya ang nasa isip ko nang sabihan niya ako, "Your mother is the crown of the realms, that is why."

"I'm sorry I forgot," sagot ko, kahit hindi ko naman talaga nakalimutan. "Thank you for explaining." I just don't understand why Henri calls me that. No one but him has ever used that title before.

"Your mother became the crown of the realms," she repeated, and I gave her a questioning look. "When she married your father."

"But you, Reign," Achlys said, her voice almost a whisper, as if revealing a secret. "You don't need to marry or be with anyone to become the crown."

You just had to be born, dugtong niya sa aking isipan.

"There are three of us who carry the same title, you know," paalala ko sa kanya.

"And just like any monarchy, only one child can inherit the crown," aniya. "The throne... the kingdom... the realm..."

My eyes slightly squinted.

"Fortunately, you and your siblings were raised lovingly." She sounded relieved. "Unlike others who are not afraid to kill their own kin..."

"What are you trying to say?" tanong ko.

"Among the three of you, you are the most suited to inherit the crown."

Kumunot pa rin ang aking noo sa labis na pagtataka.

The Crown?

"Power," she answered, her voice steady but carrying some weight behind it. "You are the one most capable of inheriting immense power—power that was once used by your parents to bring the realms back to life."

Dahan-dahang nagbago ang aking ekspresyon nang magsimulang mag-ugat sa aking isipan ang kanyang mga sinabi, tila katotohanang gusto kong tanggapin pero pilit ko ring tinatanggihan.

"Power you could use to rule the realms, if that is what you desire..." Achlys' voice softened, her eyes studying me intently, as though she was testing the waters, waiting to read my reaction.

"But I don't want to rule over anything," sabi ko, bahagyang nanginginig ang boses sa inis. "I just—" Nilunok ko ang bigat na bumabara sa aking lalamunan. "I just want to live."

And is that too much to ask?

Tahimik na lumipas ang sumunod na mga sandali.

"I just..." I hesitated to continue. Emotions were starting to blur my thoughts. My chest felt tight. I was struggling to breathe. "I want to live," sabi ko nang muling abutin ang tingin ni Achlys. "I want to live," ulit ko. "I just want to live..." I said, almost pleading.

The way she looked back at me hurt. It was only then that I realized what I had said—what it meant, and what I had shown her.

Weakness.

Napaatras ako ng isang hakbang, dala ng takot sa kung anong gagawin niya.

She can use it against me. 

She can kill me.

Isang banayad na ngiti ang gumuhit sa kanyang mga labi, may bakas ng pag-aalala. "My sweet child..." Umiling siya nang marahan. "I am not someone you should fear."

A part of me refused to believe her. How could I not fear someone like her? Someone who could see through me, who could tear apart my defenses with just a look.

"You're already facing far greater threats than I could ever pose," patuloy niya. "Remember, Reign, the gods?"

Achlys' words hit me like a blow I wasn't prepared for. Memories of the gods and what they did came rushing into my mind.

Unti-unting nag-alab ang galit sa aking dibdib nang isa-isang lumabas sa aking isipan ang hitsura ng bawat Olympian na nakalaban ko sa digmaan.

"Achlys," sambit ko. "Pwede mo ba akong dalhin sa kanya?"

Nangungusisang gumilid ang kanyang ulo.

"I need to see Chaos," tugon ko. "I need to talk to her."

She straightened her neck. "You stand in Chaos. Anything you wish for him to hear, he will. He is both realm and deity."

"He has a form that I can talk to. A she. I've seen what she looks like," sabi ko. "My mom showed me once."

"Chaos takes many forms—"

"Just take me to them," pagmamadali ko. "Please."

Tinitigan ako ni Achlys ng ilang segundo bago sumagot.

"I can bring you to their throne, but I am not certain they will be there."

I wasn't sure if she meant it as a warning or a simple fact. Either way, I couldn't afford to waste any more time. Kinuyom ko ang aking mga palad at muling tumugon, "Please."

Achlys studied me for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. Her lips twitched into a small smile, but there was no warmth in it. It was a smile that said she knew something I didn't, and it made me feel a bit uneasy.

"Very well," sabi niya, paalis ng ilang hakbang. "Follow me, then, and do not touch anything or you might change the very fabric of reality."

Sinunod ko ang sinabi niya, at habang naglalakad, nagmasid-masid lang ako sa kapaligiran. Shadows and light twisted and moved like they were alive, and the stars... the galaxy-filled heavens... I could feel the energy pulsing at the very center of them.

The realm of Chaos... it was a living realm, and everything was constantly shifting...

Tumuon ako sa lupang nilalakaran ko. Lupa nga ba ito? Paiba-iba kasi ito ng anyo. The ground beneath my feet was confusing, sometimes solid, sometimes soft like liquid, randomly changing texture.

"You now owe me more than a candle offering in Tartarus..." Narinig kong sabi ni Achlys. "You will have to clean my entire temple."

A small smile curled on my lips. "I can do that."

Hindi na siya nagsalita pa.

"Thank you, Achlys," I murmured.

• • •

Huminto kami nang masilayan sa layo ang isang lumulutang na isla. It reminded me of the Academy, but instead of earth, the island was made out of black and violet stone, surrounded by a thin layer of mist. It glimmered in the dark, glowing enchantingly.

Ang ganda...

Muli kong inilibot ang aking paningin sa kapaligiran, sa bawat detalye, bawat piraso ng kalawakan.

"Your mother would've had the same thought if she could see what the realm truly looks like..." ani Achlys.

Napangiti ako. "I can show it to her through my memories."

"You can't," the goddess said. "Chaos is a realm that chooses its own. Those who are meant for it will see everything. But those who don't belong... they will see nothing, no matter how hard you try to show them."

Tahimik akong napabuntong-hininga sa dismaya.

"There." She pointed to the floating island I had been looking at earlier. "Chaos' palace sits atop that. Inside, you'll find their throne."

"This is as far as I can take you." Umikot siya paharap sa'kin. "You'll have to fly to the island from here."

"Why aren't you coming with me?" usisa ko.

"The mist around the island is there for protection," she explained. "Once you enter, you'll lose your powers."

"You've never been there, have you?" I realized.

"I do not want to know if Chaos gives back the powers of those who visit the island," aniya. "You could lose them forever, or worse... you might not come out at all."

Alam kong dapat akong kabahan sa sinabi niya pero mas nangibabaw ang aking pagkalibang. "Yan?" Pinigilan ko ang sarili ko na matawa. "Yan ang kinatatakutan ng mga deities na taga-rito?"

"Even the other primordials have never been to that island, Reign."

Mabilis na nabura ang aking ngiti.

What?

She raised her brows at me.

Dahan-dahan akong lumingon sa lumulutang na isla. "Is there anything I can do to make sure I get my back powers back?"

"Yes," she answered. "Be the first to know."

Pinikit ko ang aking mga mata para hindi matapunan si Achlys ng naiiritang tingin. Huminga ako nang malalim at nang harapin siya, pilit na ngumiti.

"Salamat," sabi ko.

Hindi siya sumagot at tinitigan lang ako, tila hinihintay akong umalis.

Kinisap-kisapan ko siya habang nakangiti pa rin.

Eto na nga.

Hindi pa rin ako umaalis.

Pupunta na nga ako.

"You're sca—" Before she could continue, I quickly pushed my feet off the ground and used my ability to fly. 

I didn't bother looking back at Achlys and hurried straight to the island. I had to push through and show that I was in control, even though my nerves were beginning to betray me.

Nanghina na ako sa harap niya kanina kaya hindi pwedeng makita niyang natatakot ako.

Pagdating ko sa harap ng mist, agad naglaho ang aking kaba dahil pinalitan ito ng malalim na usisa, sa malaking istraktura na nakatayo sa gitna ng isla.

Lumipad ako paatras upang masilayan ang kabuuan nito.

A lotus.

Chaos' palace was shaped like a lotus. The island served as its leaves, and at the center, stood a flower-shaped castle made entirely of black crystals that glowed from within. And the way the castle walls caught light... nagsasasayaw ang mga anino at liwanag sa paligid nito.

Umawang ang aking bibig nang mabagal kong pinakawalan ang hininga na hindi ko namalayan ay kanina ko pa pala pinipigilan.

Hindi ko rin namalayan ang pagbaba ko sa isla, dahil malalim akong nakatuon sa palasyo. Unti-unting gumaan ang pakiramdam ko papalapit sa naglalakihang mga pinto, at nang makarating ako sa harap nito, sinubukan kong maglabas ng kuryente mula sa aking kanang palad.

Walang kahit isang maliit na kislap ang lumitaw.

Before I could worry again about losing my powers forever, I decided to push the doors open and to my surprise, they opened wider on their own.

The inside of the palace was the size of another realm. Wala akong pader na nahahagilap, at 'yong sahig na madilim pero kumikislap sa kinis, walang hangganan ang lawak.

Nakakalat din ang maiitim at makakapal na mga haligi, nagsisilbing suporta sa kisameng hindi nasisilayan. Maybe the ceiling wasn't even there at all, while the columns, shaped like those in Greek temples, stood towering.

And in the middle of it all, a throne made out black glass... obsidian.

Dahan-dahan akong lumapit dito.

"Lonely..." wala sa sarili kong bulong nang tumigil ako sa harap nito. "This throne looks lonely..."

Luminga-linga ako sa kawalang-hangganan ng palasyong pinasukan ko.

This entire place feels lonely...

The loneliness of the palace mirrored an emptiness I didn't know I had within me. The sad feeling of being isolated creeped under my skin. 

Yes, the power here was suffocating. It was heavy, like a presence that could bury me alive at any moment. 

But the emptiness... the void... it felt different.

"Chaos..." I called once, and then twice, but there was no answer. No presence other than my own. Nilamon lang ng kapaligiran ang aking boses, at nakakabingi ang katahimikang sumunod.

Sighing, I looked at the throne for one last time.

It was beautiful. Lalo na ang mga detalye nito: isang mahabang ahas na paikot-ikot ang humuhugis ng mataas na sandalan ng trono, at 'yong mga patungan ng braso ay hugis ulo rin ng ahas, nakanganga, nagpapakita ng matutulis nitong mga pangil, na mistulang handang umatake sa sinumang magtatangkang agawin ang trono.

Sa paanan, namumulaklak ang maiitim na mga bulaklak. Iba't ibang klase ito, at mula rito paikot na gumagapang ang mga tinikang baging paakyat sa upuan.

It was beautiful.

But it stood alone in the middle of an endless room...

"Say... what if I offer you a place in this realm?" A voice echoed around me. "And we can create new other realms from nothing... you will be worshipped as a god in this new reality..."

A familiar voice replied. "Gusto ko ang dating realms... ang realms na pinagmulan ko..."

Dahan-dahan akong umikot paharap sa dalawang babaeng nag-uusap.

"As stubborn as ever, heavenly..."

"I'm sorry..."

My own mother's words stung my chest. I pressed a hand over my heart, trying to hold back the weight of them.

"Then you are still my enemy."

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced through my side. Napasinghap ako nang mapahawak dito. I stumbled backward, gripping the edge of an armrest. The pain wasn't physical. It was something deeper.

"You have not only destroyed order..."

My vision started to spin, and for a brief moment, I wondered if I was going to fall. My legs gave out, and before I could catch myself, I collapsed into the throne, gasping for air.

She felt hurt, Mom. 

Every breath was a struggle, my chest rising and falling under an impossible weight. 

"But you also managed to destroy the realms before I could, forcing chaos to appear before you..."

She was hurting.

A whimper escaped my lips when I sank deeper into the pain of loneliness. Humapdi ang mga luhang nanggigilid sa aking mga mata, mga luhang hindi ko magawang ilabas nang tuluyan kahit anong pilit ko.

I couldn't wipe them away. Not when I could feel the raw ache in my chest, the longing for something I don't know how to name.

Mahigpit akong napapikit sa sakit.

"And do you know why I only give it to the most powerful?"

Nanghihina kong ibinaba ang aking kamay mula sa kumikirot kong dibdib.

"Because Spectra, Cesia, is the connection, between the realms of Chaos and the other realms..."

My eyes felt too heavy to open.

"The gift of Chaos... the ability to use power infinitely..."

Kumunot ang aking noo sa malabong anyo na lumalapit sa'kin. Through the mist, I saw him. His body materialized from the shadows, his presence both familiar and foreign.

Pinilit kong umangat mula sa pagkakaupo ngunit sa huli bumagsak pa rin ako, humihingal.

"Henri." Kumirot ang aking lalamunan nang sambitin ito.

The atmosphere seemed to ripple around him, heavy with power.

Papatayin niya ba ako?

He said nothing, his gaze steady as he approached. There was no hesitation in his steps, no sign of the man I thought I knew. And yet, as he drew closer, there was something in his expression, a hint of emotion. Pity? Compassion? Something human.

"That seat is already taken," he said, his voice low and resonating.

I forced a weak smile despite the burning in my chest. "Isa kang duwag kung papatayin mo ako dito..."

His lips twitched. "You don't understand what you've done."

"Maybe not," I admitted, my breath still shallow and labored. "but I'm starting to understand you."

His footsteps stopped, and for a moment, everything stilled, as if the chaos itself paused to listen. Henri tilted his head, studying me with an unreadable expression.

"You do not want to understand me, Reign," he said softly, almost as if it were a warning.

Henri stepped closer, the throne shaking under the weight of his power. I felt it press against me, suffocating, yet beneath it, beneath the pressure, something stirred inside me. Something strong. Something that wasn't afraid of him.

He sensed it too. His eyes narrowed, and confusion painted on his face. Nahagilap ko ito bago niya mabilis na ibinalik ang kanyang galit na ekspresyon. 

Henri stood in front of me, reading my face intently, leaning down his face inches from mine. Samantalang, umangat ang aking tingin sa kanya, nilalabanan ang mapanakit na pagbabanta ng kanyang mga mata. 

A faint smile from my lips threatened him back.

His jaw clenched. "You do not belong here," matigas niyang sabi. "You do not have an ounce of primordial blood within you."

Mabagal ko lang na kinisap ang aking mga mata sa sobrang pagod.

"And you are not strong enough to stay," he said, straightening, a storm around him raging. 

"How do you know that?" tanong ko. 

He frowned at me, barely containing whatever he was feeling. 

"You do not want to sit here," sabi ko sa kanya. "It feels sad... and lonely."

He snickered, as if offended. "What would you know about loneliness?"

Kumirot ang aking dibdib hindi para sa'kin kundi para sa kanya. I didn't have an answer to his question. Not yet. But something told me I will find it soon. As soon as I find answers to everything else.

Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga. 

My breaths came easier now, the weight of the throne less suffocating.

He grunted and as he was about to grab my hand, one of the snakes hissed at him. Napaatras siya, hindi makapaniwala.

"Why—" he whispered in frustration.

And for the first time, Chaos wasn't the only force in the room.