"It's been almost a thousand years ago, when King Lycaon of Arcavia angered Miss Evelyn, the last witch descendant of their bloodline in the kingdom. Noong mga panahon na 'yon, talamak ang pagpatay sa mga mangkukulam. Naglunsad pa noon ang hari ng isang malawakang witch hunt at nagbigay ng malaking pabuya sa sinumang makakahuli sa mga mangkukulam. Dahil dito, naubos ang lahi ng Waite bloodline... Only one survived." 

Hindi na maalis ni Red ang kanyang mga mata sa gumagalaw na painting sa kanyang harapan. It was an oil on canvas depicting a scene of the witch hunt. Nakatulalang pinanood ni Red ang pagdakip at pagsunog nang buhay sa mga mangkukulam.

Sa kabila ng karumadaldumal na mga krimen, nagkakasiyahin pa rin ang mga tao.

At mula sa balkonahe ng kanilang palasyo, nakita ni Red ang haring nakaupo sa kanyang trono. Walang emosyon o simpatya sa kanyang mukha habang pinapanood ang kaguluhan.

A masterpiece giving visualization to a subject that was just too dark and bloody. If it weren't for everything she's been through, baka na-trauma na rin si Red sa painting na 'to.

'Nakakatakot isiping kayang talikuran ng mga tao ang kanilang moral para sa baluktot nilang mga paniniwala,' isip-isip ng prinsesa.

"So, Miss Evelyn is from this Waite bloodline?"

Beside her, Acontes nodded. Nakatuon lang din ang atensyon nito sa painting. "Ang Waite bloodline ang kinikilalang pinakamakapangyarihang pamilya noon. They're experts in the field of dark arts, so they've always been a formidable foe." Itinuro niya ang isang dalagang tinatangay papalayo ng ilang gwardiya.

"What did the king do to her?"

Sunod namang nakapukaw sa atensyon ni Red ang itim na paru-parong dumapo sa sumunod na painting. Nang lapitan niya ito, Red felt her breath hitched.

Beside her, Acontes narrated the tale behind the gruesome colors.

"King Lycaon planned to murder the witch himself and cook her meat as a sacrifice for the gods. Hindi nito inaasahan ang lakas ng kapangyarihan nito. Nang makakawala sa mga kadena si Miss Evelyn, in her anger, she casted the curse on him. Beforehand, she already gave him a warning... that if King Lycaon runs away from the curse, it will manifest to the next generation."

Wala sa sariling hinaplos ni Red ang imahe ng hari sa obra maestra. Acontes didn't even stop her. Nakatitig lang siya sa katawan ni King Lycaon. His spine was bent in an inhuman angle as he was frozen in mid-scream. Napuno ng dulo ang sahig na kinatatayuan nito habang tumutubo ang matatalas niyang mga kuko at pangil.

Now, the witch was floating above him. Her body emitted a pale red glow as she glared at the royal.

"King Lycaon was the very first werewolf in human history," Acontes explained and started guiding her to the next painting in his gallery.

Isang gallery na napupuno ng mga itim na paru-paro.

Pagkagising niya kaninang umaga ay sinundo na siya ng alpha sa kanyang silid. At first, Red was confused. Ang akala niya ay sa solar siya dadalhin nito para ikwento sa kanya ang lahat. Nabigla na lang si Red nang makitang dinala siya nito sa silid na ito. Of course she remembers this place. It was the same room with a door without a handle.

'So, this is what that black butterfly wanted me to see?'

The Tower Of A Thousand Artworks.

Or at least that was what Acontes called this room earlier.

A thousand paintings were displayed on the white walls of this circular room, framed in old bronze and gold. Ang nakakamangha pa rito, malinis na nakahilera paikot ang mga obra maestrang ito, paakyat sa pinakatuktok ng tore. Ni hindi niya maaninag ang katapusan! Mabuti na lang at may hagdan. The golden staircase was magically connected to the walls, elegantly taking on a spiral appearance that reminded her of those vintage staircases in other castles.

The fragrance of vanilla made her calm  as the entire room was bathed in the soft light coming from an oculus somewhere above.

A beautiful place keeping the ugliest secrets.

A lovely paradox.

Huminto sila sa tapat ng painting na itinatampok ang isang lobo.

Nasa loob ito ng madilim na kagubatang kamukha ng kagubatan ng Eastwood. Nang inakala ni Red na mas kaunti ang karahasan sa larawang ito, she was, again, proven wrong.

The ash gray werewolf was...trying to rip his own heart out.

"Hindi matanggap ni King Lycaon ang kanyang kapalaran, kaya sinubukan niyang wakasan ang kanyang paghihirap. He managed to die, but his heart was still beating when Miss Evelyn found it on the forest floor. Dahil dito, naipasa ang kanyang sumpa sa labindalawa nitong mga anak." Acontes avoided her eyes, pain flashed behind his gray orbs.

"Teka, i-ibig sabihin nito...?"

Hindi na maitago ni Acontes ang lungkot sa kanyang boses...

"We inherited our father's curse."

---

whose amber faces nod and shine
like a ring of lanterns
strung around her final flare--

but instead, she lives in this white room
gnawing on a plastic bracelet
as she is emptied, filled and emptied

---"At The End", Marilyn L. Taylor