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Binding Ritual

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I FELT the kiss of the sun's rays as light seeped in from the large, glass window. My body ached like hell.

"It's no use trying to move," Napatigil ako sa pag-galaw nang may nagsalita. I slowly opened my eyes to see that I was lying on the soft cushion next to the glass window of the room where I was cleansed by Delphine last night.

Last night.

Maliwanag na ang paligid, and I could clearly see the blue waters of the ocean a few feet from the castle.

Napakurap ako ng ilang beses bago tumingin kay Haisley, ang babaeng nagsalita kanina. She was kneeling beside me, soaking a towel in a basin full of water and fresh lavender.

"Anong ginagawa mo?" I asked silently, as she placed the towel on my forehead. Napansin kong may iilang mga dahon na nakalagay sa binti at tiyan ko.

"Sumama ang royal healer sa reyna't hari noong isang araw papuntang Castell kaya walang makakapag-gamot sa'yo. These herbal medicine will have to do for now." She said before grabbing a mug filled with a dark green substance.

"Drink this, it will help soothe the pain from the inside." She encouraged as I weakly sat up to hold the mug.

"I don't understand why you're being nice." I muttered, before sipping the tea she gave me. It tasted like boiled ginger with honey. "Your friend clearly doesn't like me."

Haisley shook her head before standing up. I could see that she was wearing a dark vintage dress with white frills. "Madison just felt that it was unfair."

I took another sip.

"Unfair na nakasama ako sa team without hesitation?" I scoffed, turning my back against her to gaze at the ocean. "I didn't want any of this."

At that same moment, a large bust opened the door. "Where is she?" A male voice thundered and I sighed, knowing that it was Royce.

"She's still not fully recovered." Haisley answered simply pero patuloy na naglakad palapit sa akin ito.

"Skylar, the next time you punch another member of yours on the team I migh—"

"She started it." I said coldly, before taking another sip from my mug. "Bakit ako pinapagalitan mo?"

Seeing his reflection on the window, I could see him run his fingers through his hair in frustration.

He was just about to open his mouth when I cut him off.

"Why don't you just kill me instead," The words came out sour as it rolled off my tongue, and I could feel a single tear begging to escape from the corner of my eye.

"Tumigil ka na nene." He grunted, placing his hands on his hips. "I'm not going to kill you off whether or not."

And then he stormed out of the room.

"You know—" Haisley starts.

"Leave me alone," I say, my voice cracking. Napatigil ng saglit si Haisley bago tuluyan na ring umalis, closing the door behind her softly.

The tears then flooded in by the instant, as I cried my heart out until it spilled onto my sleeves in splatters and teardrops.

"Live your life Eloise," I can faintly hear Lola Rosalina's voice again.

Ipinunas ko ang mga luha sa damit ko before setting the mug on the marble floor and standing up.

Tinignan kong maigi ang repleksyon ko sa salamin na kitang-kita sa malaking bintana. "Who are you really?" I muttered to my reflection.

Hindi ito sumagot at sa halip, tinalikuran ko ito at saka lumabas ng kwarto.

My legs were still sore as I wandered around the castle barefoot, gazing at the statues and peeking inside the rooms and chambers.

The floor was cold to the touch of my feet, but nevertheless I walked and walked, until I found myself staring in front of a large wooden door that smelled like freshly chopped bark.

Dahan-dahan kong binuksan ang mabigat na pintuan and was surprised to find myself in a room full of rows and rows of books. I was in the castillo's library.

And then it dawned on me.

If I was to live my life in a facade of privilege, then I shouldn't waste the opportunity of seeking my own identity. Sino nga ba ako bago ako natagpuan ni Lola Rosalina?

Walang tao sa loob ng library as I shuffled around the chamber. Aside from the several aligned bookshelves, rows and rows of books reached until the ceiling of the large room which bore a large painting of beautiful ladies in silk dresses dancing on top of the softest-looking clouds.

"Wow," I breathed, smelling the crispy pages and the musty ink as I caressed the spines of the books in one aisle.

Bigla akong napatigil. May isang libro na biglang pumukaw ng atensyon ko. It was on the third level of the bookshelf and had the title: The Unsolved Mysteries of Ethearia.

I bit my lip. Medyo mataas and out of reach ang libro, even for my height. Without thinking, I stretched out my arm and stood on my tiptoes, pilit na inaabot ang libro.

"A-Almost there..."

Out of nowhere, an arm suddenly stretched out and grabbed the book from my reach. Napasigaw ako ng wala sa oras as I whirled around quickly to see the figure of a slender gentleman in a fancy suit with blue hair holding the book.

"Uh, Gabryle diba?" I asked hesitantly, pilit na inaalala kung Gabryle nga ba ang pangalan niya.

His icy blue eyes gazed straight at me before looking down to see my bare feet. Nakakahiya. Hindi ito umimik as he handed the book to me.

"Salamat." I said and without a word, naglakad ito papalayo.

"There will be a team meeting in about fifteen minutes." Bigla niyang salita at nagulantang ako.

"Fifteen minutes?!" I shrieked.

Sakto naman na biglang bumukas ang malaking pintuan ng library. A small faerie zipped by.

"Skylar!" Delphine shouted, grabbing me by my hand. "Asan ka ba nagsususulpot?! Meron kayong meeting sa Luna Chamber as in, right now!"

By the time Delphine had brought me inside the so-called Luna Chamber, naroon na ang dalawang mentor, si Chancellor Asteria, at yung ibang members. Mayroon ring ibang mga faeries na nakapalibot. It must be the members' personal faeries.

Gabryle stepped inside the chamber after I had walked to the center of the room.

"Delphine, why is Skylar barefoot?" Kunot-noong tanong ni Chancellor Asteria. "Please bring her a pair of shoes."

"Wait Delphine, palagay na rin sa kwarto ko, thank you." I told the faerie, giving her the book I got from the library. Delphine nodded before quickly flying away.

Nang nakaalis na si Delphine, saka ko lang napansin nang kabuuan ang kwarto. A large silver staute of a beautiful enchanting lady was built on the center of the room's northern wall. A balcony was found on the west wall and on the east, was a large map of Therron as a region.

As my eyes roamed around the chamber, I caught sight of Madison who had her arms folded, as if trying to compose herself. Saglitan kaming nagkatinginan before she smugly looked away.

"Welcome to your first day of training Luna Team." Royce Sargon says in a loud, clear voice the moment he hd caught everyone's attention.

"Though this is your first official day, we will not be training you physically; but rather your bond as a team." Tuloy nito, walking around the room with his hands behind his back.

At that moment, Delphine had re-entered the room without my book and a pair of white shoes on her little hands. Isinuot niya ito sakin.

"What do you mean?" Hugo asked Royce as soon as he stopped in front of the statue.

"Well, it has been a tradition for the past Luna teams to ask the blessing of none other than the goddess Luna herself. This will ensure the teamwork of the team and may mean more chances of winning." Sabi nito, gesturing towards the statue.

Ahh Luna, the goddess of the Luna Mages and the patron of the region of Therron.

"So, may I please ask the six members to circle around the moon found on the marble floor." Royce said and I looked down to see what he was talking about.

Lo and behold there it was, the insignia of the Luna Mages; the same symbol on the enamel badge pins crested on our outfits. It was the ever-familiar gorgeously detailed blue moon.

Hesitantly, the six of us encircled the moon as we were instructed.

"Para gumana ang binding ritual na gagawin natin, you must hold onto one another's forearm." Royce said clearly, folding his arms.

Napatingin ako sa kanan ko, breathing out a slight sigh of relief na hindi si Madison ang nasa tabi ko. Instead, it was Hugo.

I reached out my right hand to Hugo's and he did the same. But just as he was about to wrap his fingers around my wrist, napatingin ito sa forearm ko.

"Skylar, your tattoo," he mentioned in surprise, at agad kong ikinuwha pabalik ang kamay ko.

The other members looked at us in confusion. "What's up?" Tanong ni Damien na inililipat ang tingin mula kay Hugo pabalik sakin.

"I-I..." Hugo said in confusion. "She has a crescent moon as a tattoo."

I withdrew from the group, staggering a few steps back as I held onto my right hand.

"A half-moon tattoo?" Madison snorted. "So she's even weaker than the usual Luna Mage Weaver?"

Agad na lumapit sakin si Royce at Rome. "I've never heard such bullshit before," Rome said, shaking his head.

"Skylar, show us the tattoo." Royce told me and I snuck a gaze at their forearms. It was just like back in Drift Town. Everyone had full moons as their tattoo, signifying as a pure blooded Luna Mage Weaver. All, except me.

I hesitantly showed my forearm to them, hearing a few gasps here and there.

"What does this mean?" Haisley asked in confusion, her forehead knitted.

"It means she's out of the team, right?" Madison says in triumph, blowing on her nails.

Rome, who looked deep in thought, shook his head in disagreement. "Go back to your positions. We will continue the binding ritual."

"B-But—"

"NOW!" We scrambled back to the blue moon with Madison having a sour look on her face.

Once again, we reached for each other's forearms. Gabryle was the person on my left. He was looking at me na para bang ibang nilalang ako.

"The ritual will only work if the blue moon senses your genuineness and care for each other." Sabi ni Rome, who was kind of smirking as if he was sure the ritual won't work.

"How will it sense our genuineness?" Hugo inquired, emphasizing the word that mentor Rome mentioned earlier.

"Through your conversations. Open up to one another." Chancellor Asteria tells us.

"Okay, I'll start." Haisley said, breathing in deeply. "Hi, I'm Haisley. I have the dowsing ability. It means I can locate any object, person, animal, thing — you name it, as well as any information related to it."

"We already know that Haisles." Madison rolls her eyes. "Newbie here is the one in the dark. Why don't you tell us something about yourself?"

I look at her in annoyance. "I'm Skylar and I'm a drift, happy?"

Biglang umihip ng malakas ang hangin na nagmumula sa terrace.

"No second name? Last name? Just Skylar?" Damien asks.

"No." I lied and the wind seemed to surround us, getting stronger. We held onto each other tighter.

"Liar." Madison mutters under her breath, loud enough for me to hear.

"Okay, okay, it's my turn." Hugo intervenes, pilit na nilalakas ang boses niya para marinig namin siya against the strong wind. "I'm Hugo and I joined the team... because of my family's pressure on me."

The wind died down a little.

"I'm Damien and I have great abs." Damien jokes and I almost coughed out in disgust while Madison shot him a glare.

"Seriously, Damien!" Haisley shouted and the wind blew louder once again.

"Bakit? Totoo naman!" He insisted. Para na akong sinasampal ng hangin.

"I'm Madison and I honestly don't think you belong here," Madison cuts in and I feel my anger flare. Bakit ba ako lagi pinagdidiskitahan nito?

"Oh, well how about I'm Skylar and I think you're a privileged bitch?" I yelled above the winds.

"I don't think that's helping," Hugo shakes his head.

"Bryle, say something!" Haisley cries as the wind slowly carries all six of us above the ground.

A few seconds passed by and Gabryle was still silent and wordless. But I did feel something. Para bang mas lalong humigpit hawak niya sakin.

The moment was fleeting though and soon the wind dropped us harshly on the floor, breaking our human chain.

"Ouch," Narinig kong sabi ni Damien as I rubbed my sore elbow. Fuck, hindi pa nga ako nakarecover sa kung ano mang ginawa sakin ni Madison kagabi tapos may paganito nanaman?!

I looked towards the adults. Chancellor Asteria was palming her face, Rome Sargon was laughing, and Royce Sargon looked like a mix of anger and disappointment.

"Alright that's..." He sighs. "That's enough for today. Magpahinga na kayo, the real training starts tomorrow. Dito ulit ang meeting place. We might try again the binding ritual some other day soon." And with that, he left the room.

"Delphine, don't forget to show Skylar her new room later." Chancellor Asteria tells the faerie fluttering beside me as she and Rome followed Royce out of the doorway.

"So much for genuineness." Hugo chuckles and Madison looks at me haughtily.

"We'd be blessed by goddess Luna if we didn't have any outsider." She muttered, giving me a side eye before sashaying away as well.

I pursed my lips and gazed down at my half-moon tattoo.