"We inherited our father's curse."

Sunod na dumako ang mga mata ni Red sa isang partikular na painting. Para bang kanina pa nito tinatawag ang kanyang atensyon. She passed by Acontes and walked closer to the large family portrait. 

The king and his twelve sons.

Just like the portraits she saw back in their palace, the painting depicted a royal family wearing their finest clothes. Regal and intimidating. Crimson curtains in the background. The shiny golden crown on top of King Lycaon's head.

Bumigat ang kanyang pakiramdam habang tinititigan ang mukha ng magkakapatid.

They looked like teenagers here. Agad niyang nakilala si Acontes, Linus, Lycros, Carteron, Helisson, Macednus, at ang bunso nilang si Nyctimus (wala pang takip ang mukha nito).

Twelve young princes who inherited their father's curse as a result of his own sin.

Nakakalungkot isiping nasira ang buhay nila dahil sa sarili nilang ama.

"I-I tried to replicate our last family portrait, based from how I still remember it...because I don't want to forget." Acontes' voice echoed inside the tower.

She can feel his presence behind her.

"I've already forgotten so many things, my empress... Ayokong kalimutan ang kaisa-isang imaheng buo pa kaming magkakapatid. Ayokong kalimutan ang katauhan namin bago pa kami sinira ng sumpa."

"That's why you're preserving it in a painting?" Red asked.

"It's the only thing I can do."

She understood.

He was an artist.

And artists pour a part of themselves into their works, because they know their crafts will outlive them someday. Para kahit mamatay o makalimot ang lumikha, mananatili habambuhay ang kanilang mga obra maestra.

Hindi na napigilan ni Red ang tanong na kumawala sa kanyang bibig. "Bakit hindi ninyo kasama ang nanay ninyo rito? Did you intentionally leave her out or is she...?"

Acontes smiled wearily at her. "They."

"A-Ano?"

Huminga nang malalin si Acontes bago ibinalik ang mga mata sa painting.

"Back in our days, it was acceptable if a king doesn't want to marry. Dahil dito, naging malaya si King Lycaon na makipagsiping sa sinumang gugustuhin niya para lang magkaroon ng tagapagmana. He slept with twelve women, and all got them pregnant. Imbes na mabahala, natuwa pa ang hari nang malamang puro lalaki ang kanyang mga anak. So he took in all twelve of us and raised us inside this castle. Hindi namin alam kung anong nangyari sa mga nagluwal sa amin... That's all I can remember." Base sa tono ng pananalita ni Acontes, ayaw na niyang balikan pa ito.

Red chose to stay silent. In a way, she knows how they must feel... To grow up without a motherly figure.

Ilang sandali pa, tinuro ni Acontes ang isang binatang hindi niya kilala. He had sharp features and neatly combed hair with a tinge of gray.

"He's Socleus, our eldest."

Eldest.

Nakaramdam ng kaba ang prinsesa kabasay ng pagbabalik ng imaheng ipinakita sa kanya ng Chamber of Chained Memories. She unconsciously took a step away from Acontes. Agad naman nitong napansin.

"What's wrong?"

Red met his eyes, demanding for the one truth she needed to know.

"Kung talagang mahalaga sila sa'yo, bakit mo pinatay ang mga kapatid mo?"

For Red Ridinghood, it felt like time stopped.

Bumilis ang pintig ng kanyang puso nang makita ang reaksyon ni Acontes. Nanatili lang siyang kalmado. Alam niya kung anong tinutukoy ni Red, pero hindi nito tinanggi. Noong mga sandaling 'yon, hindi nakita ng prinsesa ang halimaw sa Chamber of Chained Memories. Walang mantsa ng dugo o bahid ng kasamaan. Ang nakikita niya ngayon ay isang taong puno ng pagsisisi...

"You've probably seen that from Nyctimus' memories."

"So... It's true?"

Napayuko na lang si Acontes.

Red Ridinghood remained silent as she stared at his trembling hands. The alpha balled them into fists and sighed, as if he was tired of everything...

"I had no choice."

"What do you mean?"

"Nang inilipat niya sa'min ang sumpa gamit ang Tarot cards, pinaghandaan na rin itong lahat ni Miss Evelyn. With the twelve of us together, she feared that we'll find a way to break the curse faster... So she divided us. Wala kaming kamalay-malay na ginamitan pala niya ng itim na mahika ang lima sa amin. We just discovered everything when Corethon, Thyreus, Pallas, and Eumon tried to murder us in our sleep. Akala ko magiging maayos na ang lahat nang sinabi ni Socleus na siya nang bahala sa kanila. He's the alpha. We trusted him. Mula noong mga bata kami, siya palagi ang namumuno at gumagabay sa'min. Socleus had always been the alpha of our pack, even before we were cursed...but it was too late when we learned that he was evil, too."

Narinig ni Red Ridinghood ang pagod sa boses ng kasalukuyang alpha. Nahihirapan itong balikan ang mga parteng 'yon ng kanilang nakaraan. As much as she wanted to console him, she just let him continue.

Because if she's going to break their curse, Red needs to know everything...

"Nyctimus managed to put them into a coma. Wala kaming ideya kung anong gagawin sa kanila, kaya't ikinulong namin ang lima sa dungeons ng kastilyo. When the spell worn off and they were awake, we tried to talk sense into them. Sinubukan naming tanggalin ang itim na mahika kay Socleus, pero sa huli, kamuntikan niya pang tanggalan ng braso si Helisson. They became too aggressive and sadistic. For decades, we managed to bind them until..."

"Until?"

"Until Lycros couldn't take it anymore."

Pigil-hiningang pinakinggan ni Red ang kanyang mga sinasabi. Somehow, she knew that Acontes was telling the truth. At nang maalala niya ang tungkol sa mga nangyari kay Lycros, the puzzle pieces finally fell into place.

"Just like me, Lycros trusted Socleus ever since we were children. Without Socleus' leadership, we felt like lost puppies. Kalaunan, hindi na niya nakayanan ang kamalasang nangyayari sa'min kaya nagrebelde siya. Lycros freed them from their binds. It was a nightmare..."

Red Ridinghood could almost imagine everything.

Nanindig ang kanyang mga balahibo habang iniisip niya ang sumunod na nangyari.

"The five of them took us by surprise and attacked. Hanggang ngayon, makikita mo pa rin sa ilang parte ng kastilyo ang bakas ng nangyari. Nakakagagong isipin na sinadyang piliin ni Miss Evelyn ang mga kapatid naming pinakabihasa sa pakikipaglaban. We drove them into the forest, but they still overpowered us. Hindi kami basta-bastang namamatay, kayang ginusto nilang pira-pirasuhin na lang ang mga katawan namin. They were so close to ripping off our limbs and feeding upon our flesh. They became cannibals. We were about to die. In that last moment, I made my decision... I attacked Socleus." He said and clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.

She felt his pain as Acontes recalled those traumatizing memories.

"Alam naming wala na kaming ibang magagawa. Pero h-hindi nila kaya...hindi kayang patayin nina Carteron, Linus, Helisson, Nyctimus, o ni Macednus ang sarili naming mga kapatid. Lycros never helped. In the end, I carried that burden. I killed them... I-I killed our brothers..." Acontes' voice broke at those words.

"So...that tragedy forced you to take Socleus' place and claim the title as alpha?" Mahinang tanong ng prinsesa makalipas ang ilang sandali ng katahimikan.

Hindi na kinailangan pang sumagot ni Acontes. Nang mag-angat ito ng tingin, lalong nadurog ang puso ni Red nang makitang umiiyak na pala ito.

Red Ridinghood found herself drowning in his gray pools.

Staring at the scar on his eye; at the cold exterior that nightmare left him.

Noong gabing 'yon, nakuha ni Acontes ang pilat na ito at ang bigat ng tungkuling pamunuan ang natitira niyang mga kapatid. Noong gabing 'yon, nagkasala naman si Lycros na naging dahilan para palayasin siya sa kastilyo. At ngayong narinig na niya ang buong kwento, hindi na magtataka si Red kung kusa rin siyang lumayas dito. Maybe that's the reason why Lycros looks depressed everytime they bring up the subject. The guilt must be unbearable.

But despite everything, Acontes still gave him a chance to redeem himself by searching for the maiden that will someday free them.

And here she is.

Namalayan na lang ni Red na humakbang na pala siya papalapit kay Acontes. She touched the scar that ran along his cheek, not minding the alpha's tears. If anything, she admired his strength even more.

"In order to survive, you did what you need to do." She softly spoke.

"P-Pero hindi ko pa rin kayang patawarin ang sarili ko..."

"Kung ganoon, hayaan mong patawarin kita."

Naramdaman na lang niya ang mahigpit na yakap sa kanya ni Acontes.

Hindi lubos maisip ng prinsesa kung gaano ito kasakit para sa kanya---para sa kanila. Yes, he suffered as much as the others. His body trembled as he silently cried on her shoulder. Embracing her as if he was pleading her to be his anchor in this sea of misery.

---

I keep the mysteries true,
the first of these
to name the living, dead;
I am the wine and bread.
I keep the law,
I hold the mysteries true,
I am the vine,
the branches, you
and you.

---"The Mysteries Remain", Hilda Doolittle

Notice: The next update will be on Saturday. Hindi ko man kayo ma-reply-an isa-isa, I'd like to thank you all for reading RRATBBW and making it this far into the novel. I really appreciate it. For now, let me just leave you a teaser for the next chapter/s:

"...Para mabasag ang sumpa, kakailanganin mo munang maglakbay sa nakaraan para hanapin ang limang nawawalang Tarot cards ng lima naming kapatid."

Until next time! Stay awesome.

-Nox