It was a surprising story.

She fell in love.

Did she really?

Hindi ako alam, at hindi ako sigurado dito.

Dahil kung totoong minahal niya nga ang taong iyon, then why is she looking away with obvious contempt and regret in her eyes? Filled with anger, hate...or is it grudge? So far, ito lang ang mga emosyon na napapakita niya sa akin.

Isang linggo na ako dito sa Mávro Island, pero hindi ko parin alam kung bakit siya napunta dito. Is it because she took the enemy side? But it wasn't enough for her to be thrown out in this place. After three years, Black Clan and Exodus are still famous, none in this world knows nothing about them, especially her. Saying her name is a taboo, it would bring death to anyone who does, but does the world really knows everything Napaka-misteryoso niya parin.

Caelesti.

Her name is Caelesti.

But before that infamous name, she was a girl named Adriana Claies, Lilliana Devon, Keila Willar, and finally her real name which has long been forgotten, Ke'ala Feyree.

Ano pa ba ang mga pangalang ginamit niya? Ano pa ba ang mga paghihirap ang dinanas niya? At ano pa ba ang mga bagay na hindi alam ng mundo tungkol sa taong ito?

Somehow, I thought all of that as I watch her suppressed her emotions back. Then she sighed. Tumayo siya mula sa kinauupuan niyang couch at tumungo sa pintuan palabas ng munting bahay na ito. She let out a smile at my direction, pero ngayong nalaman ko na ang kalahati sa storya niya, I don't feel as reassured as I was before.

Before she wasn't showing any particular expressions, but now she does. But I do prefer her not showing any smiles at all if it was fake in the first place. She changed. I wonder why and how.

"Why do you smile?" I asked her. I wasn't afraid as I was before, dahil ba ito sa nalaman ko na kung ano ba talaga siya sa umpisa?

"Why do you think?" She asked, her voice was cool and pleasant to hear, anyone who hears her voice would be startled, would keep wanting to hear it forever, but along those felt emotions, anyone would also fear it.

"Is it because you're trying to hide your real self, that's why you show fake and unintended expressions?

"For people who have suffered enough, faking is the only thing the keeps them from the pain, that keeps them from driving crazy, and which reminds them not to show who they really are."

"Then which one are you?"

"The third one. I don't hate pain, it reminds me about being human once. Neither do I dislike being crazy, it shows the rest why they should fear me." It was as if she's saying she is no longer human.

"Why is it the third one?"

"If I had stopped faking it, even the Gods would fear me. I'd become less human then."

"Don't you hate humanity despite what it did to you? Why do you still want to become a human?" If it was me...I would have regretted to be born as one.

She looked away, opening the door. A sudden strong breeze met her the moment she did, at umuulan ng malakas sa labas. Ilang araw na ang ulang ito, pero hindi ko ito napapansin kung kasama ko siya sa loob ng bahay.

"I never said I would like to become human, I just don't ignore what I originally am. And hate the humanity?" She let out a small laughter, and hearing it brought me shiver. "It's not humanity, it's the world, I despise it." My eyes widened, pero bumalik din naman sa normal.

Somehow, I can understand why. Kahit peke ang lahat ng ekspresyon na pinapakita niya sa akin, alam ko parin na may natitira pa siyang emosyon sa loob niya.

It's just that what remains inside her is nothing but anger and hatred. Even if there was an ounce of excitement, agad din naman itong nawawala like she never had it.

Wala akong ability katulad niya pero kahit sinong nakarinig ng kwento niya ay masasabi na ito talaga ang tunay niyang nararamdaman. Wala na siyang natitirang kaligayahan o kahit kalungkutan man lang, kahit isang patak lang ng pagmamahal at pakinabang, ang mga ito ay wala na talagang natira. Not even fear nor anticipation, they all left her.

Her life made me think about the lives of others.

Masaya ang buhay ng iba, puno ng kaligayahan at pagmamahal, pati pahahalaga. So they can't understand her pain, no one can understand how she suffered, no one does dahil hindi naman nila ito naranasan. Kahit maranasan man nila ito, hindi ito sapat para makarating sa lebel ng pinagdaanan niya.

Everything has fallen, her life was already ruined that even her emotions have left her. For her there's nowhere she could return to. The world has turned its back against her. The humanity despised her existence. And fate will continue to make her suffer, it's just as twisted as her life.

I remember her story, where people say her thoughts are often twisted, but no. She's just thinking like a proper human, she wasn't fake, she doesn't try to flatter people to get on their good side, she's just being her. Yet as I look at her now, I could only ask when did she get so fake and deceitful.

"Your other emotions...what happened to them?" Tanong ko which made her look at the dark skies, thunders rolling, and cries of monsters echoing from a distant.

"Ah I haven't told you that part, have I?" I shook my head. Standing up from my seat, my gaze was only focused on hers, hoping to see at least an ounce of expression, but there was none at all. "I killed them."

"What?" I couldn't help but ask. Ano ang ibig niyang sabihin?

"When my hair was cut off, I didn't know what to do with the pain. All the people's emotions in this world, one by one crept inside my body, generating into powerful forms of energy, but at the same time, both my mind and body couldn't handle it, my heart felt like exploding." Why is she telling me this as if all of those were nothing but memories? Wala na ba talaga siyang iba oang natitirang emosyon kundi galit lang?

"Ah that was probably the first time I ever felt so much fear, so much sorrow, and others. I couldn't handle them, so I learned to shut them off. I used my own emotions to generate into spiritual energy, that was the last time I ever felt such thing as 'emotion'. So until now, even if billions of emotions come to me, I won't feel anything but power alone. It's convenient."

"Convenient?" I clenched my fists tightly, I didn't know why I was so angry. "Killing your own emotions to be generated into energy...it's like...killing yourself over and over again until nothing's left." I feel so sad and at the same angry about it. "Tell me, what made you decide to still live after everything?" Kung ako ang nasa posisyon niya noon, siguro matagal ko nang pinatay ang sarili ko just to relieve myself from the pain.

Bakit kailangan niyang maranas ang bagay na yun? Ganoon ba talaga kasakit maramdaman ang ilang bilyong emosyon ng mundo? Is power even worth it to keep her pain hidden? Now I know why she's no longer human...because no human would do such a thing, no human can handle and survive everything she's been through.

"I still have, of course, some left of those emotions. Anger, hatred, regrets, those will never leave no matter how many times I make them. I also feel a bit of anticipation sometimes, but as expected they never last." She snapped her fingers, and suddenly in just a moment, the rain stopped pouring down, the skies returned to its usual darkness with thunders still rolling. But she stopped the rain in just one snap, she can do such things dahil sa sobrang enerhiya sa katawan niya.

"Do you know why they never leave? They won't because I still have memories. My memories, either happiness or excitement, love or enjoyment, they only brought me more anger which I had to contain every single second otherwise the world would have ended long ago."

"Instead of erasing your emotions, why don't you do so with your memories instead?" I didn't mean to say she should erase her memories, pero tinatanong ko lang kung bakit.

Another smile was plastered on her face then, as she stepped down the three-layered stairs, walking down the hardened ground. I followed behind her, ngayong nakikita ko na ang lahat, ni kahit isang halaman ay walang tumutubo sa islang ito. May mga sira-sirang buildings sa paligid, no one one knows how long they've stayed ruined there. The land here is barren and darkness will forever bless this island.

"Because my memories, I still need them. You ask why I still decide to live after everything? I didn't decide to live, I just can't die. Not with all these emotions from the world, giving me energy. I despised my existence to the point that I get up each day just revenge on life itself. That's how fate decided me to live."

"If you have problems with fate then why didn't—or why don't you change it?!" I raised my voice in ager, nagagalit ako sa kaniya. She's so strong....makukuha niya ang lahat niyang gusto sa mundo na ito, she has the world on the top of her palms! So why is she this pessimistic? It makes me angry...so, so angry.

"I can't change it. Even I am not that powerful to do something like that."

"Then I'll change it!" I exclaimed.

"Such eyes filled with so much determination. You're so straightforward, brave...you almost reminded me of someone." Napakunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. Someone? Sino? At unang beses ko nakita siyang tumingin sa akin ng ganoon...her eyes are set on mine but somehow I feel like they aren't really staring at me. "This is almost the first time I felt so nostalgic...it's been years since I last felt such." Nostalgia? Who could I have reminded her of?

"Who is she?"

"Perhaps she's doing great right now...finally achieving her goals and dreams, leading her people...and perhaps she's long forgotten about someone like me, along with the other one. Although I do wish they're still the same as they were once." She ignored my question, almost like she didn't hear it, she's stuck in repeating her memories inside her head.

"You know that's impossible, Caelesti." One voice attracted my attention at napatingin ako sa gilid kung saan may isang lalaki na tumalon mula sa kalangitan, and as he landed, the ground broke in half.

Its white cloak from behind him swayed along the winds, both daggers were held by each pf his hands. Nakasuot siya ng hood niya at may takip din ang ilong pababa ng bibig niya. Nagulat ako sa pagdating niya pero habang si Caelesti ay hindi manlang tumingin sa direksyon niya, she wasn't startled at all.

"I know that. I know nothing stays the same. None of my wishes ever came true anyway, so what difference would it make now?" She whispered, but because of the silence, her voice was clearly heard. Lumapit sa direksyon namin ang lalaki and stood in front of Caelesti as she looked at him without any emotions.

"Tell me anything, I'll make it happen." Seryoso niyang salita. Just who is he?

"I only have one order for you, and you know what is it. I can't wait any longer Theone, it has to be sooner." She touched his shoulder and walked passed by him.

"Ziandra, how's the world outside?" Tanong niya, it made me wonder to where she was referring that.

"Chaos never seem to cease. The Kingdom has made their move, and currently Magnus gained the Association as an ally. Umaatras narin mula sa borders ang mga Leos. Hindi din magtatagal ay matatapos na ang laban."

Another voice came from above a destroyed building. Katulad nung sa lalaki, naka hood at cloak din siya except that hers is black and her mask covering her nose down to her mouth. She slid down the wall, the dusts accompanying her every step down.

"What about the Clan?"

"A large number of them are on a move."

"Where are they heading?"

"Base on the direction, most likely their destination is Mávro Isle." Natawa si Caelesti sa sinabi ng spirit niya.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit siya tumatawa ng peke, as if forcing herself to be at least a human. I think everyone here knows how fake that laughter was, but still it was pleasant to hear. But I think I can understand why she does this, it's because she can no longer perceive such emotions that she can only fake ir, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like the natural way people laugh.

And yes, I realised late that they were her spirits, Theone and Ziandra. They were a lot different from her story, they looked so mature now that three years have passed. Nakita nila mismo ang mga nangyari sa master nila, enough that even them no longer show any emotions to sympathise with her, at alam niya ito but probably said nothing to them.

"Is he that desperate to bring me back? It's been three years, aren't they getting tired chasing me around in an unknown island which no one has ever really found? If that's the case I'll have Millard deactivate the barrier on the entire island."

"Ano ang binabalak mo?" Ako na ang nagtanong, at ngayon lang yata ako napansin ng mga spirits niya that both looked at me at the same time.

"Nothing complicated. I'm just accepting their request by meeting me, that if they could even reach to where I am."

Tinaas niya ang kamay niya sa gilid niya, red magic circles appeared on the ground, they one by one grew bigger and bigger until almost the entire area was covered by it. Sa gitna ng mga pulang magic circles na ito ay may mga lumabas na...halimaw. Wolves, warbeasts, cyclops, dragons...lahat ng iba't ibang klase ng mga halimaw ay lumabas mula sa mga ito.

Nagulat ako sa ginawa niya, she just summoned that many monsters at once! There are probably more than hundreds of monsters covering the entire area right now, pero hindi sila gumagalaw sa kung saan sila, nakatingin lamang sila kay Caelesti, waiting for her orders, as if her words are laws.

"Intercept any trespassers. Kill them, until not a single bone is left."

It didn't even take a moment for all of those monsters to process what she had just said. Her voice echoed through the far ends that even the farthest monster could hear it. Tumakbo ang mga halimaw sa iba't ibang direksyon, all were moving in a single motion, as if an army. Was she always this evil? Did she even consider her words? She didn't, she had no reason to.

"At sino ka naman?" Lumapit sa akin ang spirit niyang si Ziandra, both her weapons disappearing. "It's rare for someone other than us to be here."

"Ah meet my guest. She came to meet me." Wika ni Caelesti sabay harap sa akin.

"Isn't that suspicious Caelesti?" Tanong ni Theone.

"I got too used to it, so I didn't think it was suspicious. What could a mere kid can do in front of my presence anyway?" Ibig bang sabihin marami na ang pumunta sa kaniya simula noon palang? Is this what she meant when she said she sent them all to hell? Lumakad siya papunta sa kung saan ako, then she looked at my direction, looking straight at me in the eyes. "Now, isn't it my turn to ask questions." Somehow, it made me gulp.

"Questions?"

"How did you get here?" I blinked, then again. I looked away. How did I get here?

I don't know. I can't remember. Before I was even aware of it, I was on this island, with her in front of me. All I knew is that I travelled the world looking for her, searching traces, tracking information, dealing with monsters...pero hindi ko alam kung paano ako napunta dito.

Nandito lang ako para malaman kung sino talaga siya at kung bakit siya lang palagi ang laman ng mga visions ko. Pero kahit pangalan ko nga hindi ko maalala. Bakit ko ba siya hinahanap? It's because there's something about her which draws people like me. Why? And for what?

"As someone with strong precognition ability, you tend to forget your pasts the more you see the future. It's a small payment for knowing what others don't." She stood straight and walked passed by me, back to that house. "But I guess this is a sign that it's happening soon." What is she talking about?

Nakita ko kung paano gumalaw ang mga maliit na bato sa lupa, napansin ko din ang biglang pag-iba ng ihip ng hangin sa paligid ko. At bago pa man ako makagawa ng kung ano, may isang matulis na bagay ang nakatutok sa leeg ko. It made me frown that I wasn't fast enough to dodge it.

"Millard, don't touch her." That icy cold voice belonged to no other than Caelesti, who was looking at the man behind me with such coldness. Sabay ng pagkasabi niya nun ay binitawan niya ako tsaka ko naman hinarapa ang ulo ko sa kaniya.

Unlike the other two he doesn't wear any mask, pero may itim siya na hood sa ibabaw ng ulo niya, but still I could see his black wavy hair. May mahabang espada siya sa likuran, then a dagger on his hip, and he was taller than me so I had to look up. He doesn't have any cloak but a long black leathered jacket which reached his boots.

"She actually noticed me." He said then looked back st Caelesti. "I already deactivated the barrier. The others will also arrive tomorrow." Others? Are there other more people than her spirits here?

"Then we'll move the plan to its second stage." She walked inside back to the house and as if waiting for me, she glanced at my direction. Agad naman akong tumakbo papunta sa kaniya then followed behind her once again. "Don't forget each of your tasks." Paalala niya sa mga spirits niya.

"Ah Kion should arrive anytime now, tell him to come meet me immediately." Kion? The latters only nodded then in a blink, they disappeared out of my sight.

Pumasok kami sa loob ng bahay at bumalik siya sa upuan niya. I leaned against the wall, eyeing her strangely. Wala akong alam sa mga pinag-uusapan nila kanina. Just what is this girl planning?

"There are those who stayed until the end and those who didn't. Don't you want to know who? But what do you want to do after you know all of it?"

She wasn't eaxctly looking at me when she asked that, bumuo siya ng maliit na magic circle sa unahan niya, then she carved an ancient language on top of the black magic circle. Tama siya, gusti ko ngang malaman kung sino sino ang naging kakampi niya prin hanggang sa huli. There are still names out there that I'm still aren't aware, I wonder who they were in her life.

"I don't know."

"I, too, didn't know what to do then. Though answers will be found eventually, they always do."

"What happened after that kiss?"

"Amidst all those chaos there was love, but in our case...there was never such thing. Chaos will engulf everything, even love." Was she saying they never really loved each other? Then...why?

Sa gitna ng magic circle niya ay may nabuong isang bilog, and inside of that ball was a scene of a guy leading an army of men in black cloaks. Ano ba talaga ang nangyayari? Napunta ang tingin ko kay Caelesti na nakatingin din sa lalaki, her gaze was colder, not a single emotion can be traced from that look, it's almost scary.

"If you have really fallen in love then...sa tingin mo ba magbabago ang lahat kahit ang sitwasyon mo ngayon?"

"It won't. No matter how difference my past self would have made, the future will still set as it is." She said that without hesitation, almost as if she already trued changing it herself.

"In my vision, you died...and you know that...why are you so calm as if it's inevitable?!"

"It is inevitable. Dying is salvation for people like me, you wouldn't comprehend how for you haven't experienced it."

I will change it. I will make sure I'll change it. Siguro dito ako dinala ng visions ko dahil sa kaniya. Maybe all my erased memories is worth it if I can save her...siguro lahat ng taong pumunta dito noon para sa kaniya ay nandito din para iligtas siya, pero pinatay niya ang lahat dahil ayaw niyang maligtas. Pero kahit anong mangyari, babaguhin ko ang lahat na nakita ko sa visions ko.

"I will find you, that's a promise of a lifetime." She startled me. "Someone told me that before, I realised then love could be a wonderful thing, only that it won't last last long."

Among this silence, only her voice dominated the entire space. The breeze opened the windows, welcoming her tones despite how emotionless it is. Her hand movement cleared the dark skies and the rollimg thunders, it became a home for countless sparkling stars and different coloured lights. And before this beautiful scenery, inside this house, once again, she continued her ugly yet there's something about it that makes it a beautiful tale.

AN: Really, really sorry for the late update. I was supposed to update yesterday but for some reason the internet hated me haha. If you saw in your notifications na updated na ang chap 100 unfortunately hindi pa.

At dalawang update sana ito, this and the chapter 100 pero mahaba ang final chapter kaya baka bukas o sa susunod na araw pa.

O sisiguraduhin ko na matapos ko ang edit sa next chap ngayong araw, diyan lang kasi ako natatagalan. Anyway happy reading!