The death of King Ronan was still the number one gossip in their kingdom. 

Walang nakakaalam sa tunay na nangyari. Ang alam lang nila ay mula nang mabalitaan nilang namatay ang hari, palagi nang nakasara ang mga pinto at bintana ng palasyo. At first, none of them were alarmed. Some of them brushed this off as another one of those gimmicks whenever servants mourn for their fallen royals. Pero makalipas ang ilang araw, nababahala na sila.

Ang hinala naman ng ilan, mayroon na raw panibagong pinuno sa kanilang lupain.

A terrorist or a tyrant?

The guards kept their mouths tight, as if they were afraid or something...

...or someone. 

Walang nakakaalam. At ang kaisa-isang tauhang kayang kumpirmahin ito ay may nakabusal na tela sa bibig at mga lubid sa kanyang payat na pulsuhan. He was still in his sleepwear, hair matted and dirty.

"Hmph! Hmph!"

Elpidio's eyes were almost pleading them to free him. Isang mapang-asar na tingin lang ang iginawad sa kanya ng panibagong hari. And as much as he wanted to overthrow him, the former royal adviser doesn’t even know what to do! Kaya nang ibinalik siya sa kanyang selda, mabilis niyang sinimulang kalasin ang mga lubid gamit ang matalas na batong nahanap niya sa sahig.

He needed to put an end to this madness.

He needed to warn Red Ridinghood that her kingdom is no longer hers...

*

Her anxieties started a couple of hours ago.

Matapos nilang kumain ng pananghalian, kapansin-pansing nagbago ang mood sa dining hall. At sa kabila ng pag-aasaran at panggugulo nina Macednus (causing several plates to fly out of the windows), Red couldn't help but notice the tension between them.

An unspoken understanding and fear of what was to come this evening.

'Mukhang lahat talaga kami ay kabado para sa ritwal,' isip-isip ni Red habang naglalakad-lakad sa may courtyard. 

A few moments ago, she decided to have a classic afternoon tea. Something normal, for a change. But with how badly her hands trembled, Red Ridinghood doubted she can steadily hold the tea cup. 

Dumako ang kanyang mga mata sa kagubatan.

Mula noong inatake sila ng mga kalaban, pinalakas nila ang mahikang pumapalibot sa kastilyo. “The new enchantment will keep the enemies away.” In addition, Nyctimus said that it was for precautionary measures, to keep her safe during the ritual... pero alam nilang higit ito rito.

Matapos ng nangyari sa kanilang alpha, she knew the magician felt guilty. Aminin man niya ito o hindi sa prinsesa.

'Kung sakali bang nandito noon si Nyct, would Acontes still be alive?'

No.

She pushed that thought aside. It was a stupid question to begin with. Dahil nauunawaan ni Red na hindi nila hawak ang kanilang mga kapalaran. At kahit ano pang gawin nila, hindi nila mababago ang mga kaganapang nakaukit sa bato ng tadhana.

"It's a shame you wouldn't be able to attend the ritual, Acontes..." Malungkot niyang bulong.

Nang muling dumilim ang langit dahil sa nagbabadyang ulan, Red decided to head back to the castle. Bakas pa rin ang pinsalang natamo nito. Hindi niya sigurado kung gaano katagal bago nila ito maayos. Right now, repairing the castle wasn't their top priority.

Nang makapasok na siya sa loob, agad niyang nakasalubong si Lycros.

"Hey. Everything alright?"

She shrugged. "Just a bit...nervous, I guess. Hindi ko alam kung anong aasahan ko mamaya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako kinakabahan."

A sympathetic look crossed his face. "Is that so..." Maya-maya pa, para bang may bombilyang kumislap sa kanyang utak. Namalayan na lang niyang kinakadlad na siya nito sa kanang pasilyo. 

Sa laki ng mga hakbang nito, halos hindi na siya masabayan ni Red.

"Shit. Slow down! Saan ba tayo pupunta?!"

“It’s a secret!”

She almost rolled her eyes. “You know I hate secrets!”

“Exactly!”

Sa huli wala nang nagawa ang dalaga kung hindi umasang hindi siya dadalhin ni Lycros sa mapanganib na lugar. She was already tired, and the last thing she needed right now is get tangled up in another mess. Ilang sandali pa, nakatayo na sila sa tapat ng isang pader.

‘Mukhang maluwag na rin ang turnilyo ng isang ‘to,’ isip-isip ng prinsesa.

“Tsk! Don’t look at me like that. And no, this isn’t a normal wall!”

To prove his point, kinapa ni Lycros ang pader hanggang sa may lumubog na bahagi rito. Red Ridinghood watched in amazement as the small square portion of the wallpaper sunk. Kasabay nito, bigla na lang lumitaw ang isang maliit na lagusan. A small tunnel that was just half their height. It instantly reminded her of that Alice in Wonderland book she read at home. Maya-maya pa, nauna nang gumapang papasok roon si Lycros.

A silent invitation to follow him.

Huminga nang malalim ang prinsesa. Well, she had already experienced crazy things. So what’s a little more?

Red never imagined the journey to the other side would take them several minutes. At sa kabila ng dilim at paminsan-minsang pananakit ng kanyang ulo, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as she thought it would be.

“We’re here."

Lycros announced ahead of her as he opened a hatch on the small tunnel's ceiling. Kamuntikan nang nasilaw ang prinsesa sa liwanag nang sinundan niya ito palabas. Agad siyang inalalayan ni Lycros. He patiently waited until her vision adjusted to their surroundings. Soon, she gaped at the familiar room. Damn! Ano bang ginagawa nila sa lugar na ‘to?

“Lycros, this is Nyctimus’ tower!” She said as a matter of fact.

“Obviously.” He grinned.

Napabuntong-hininga na lang si Red Ridinghood. Kung hindi siya nagkakamali, pumunta sa Tatarus si Nyctimus para bumili ng paborito niyang grape juice. Nakakatawang isipin na sa kabila ng banta ng kanilang mag kaaway, the youngest werewolf would still cross a dangerous battlefield just for his grape juice.

If that’s not dedication, Red doesn’t know what is.

“Ano bang ginagawa natin dito? Kapag nahuli tayo ni Nyct, siguradong hindi matutuwa ang isang ‘yon.”

But, of course, Lycros wasn’t listening to her anymore. Sinimulan na nitong kalkalin ang mga cabinet at drawers ng kanyang kapatid. Dahil dito, itinuon na lang ni Red ang kanyang atensyon sa mga kagamitang nakatambak sa isang gilid. That’s when her eyes found an old spinning wheel. Agad niyang naramdaman ang nakahahalinang mahika nito.

Namalayan na lang ng prinsesang hahawakan na niya sana ang ito nang bigla siyang pinigilan ni Lycros. His hand yanked back her wrist, just before she can prick her finger.

“Don’t prick your finger on the spindle, kitten. Ayon kay Nyctimus, may nabiktima na ang enchanted spinning wheel na ‘yan.”

“Really? What happened to her?”

“The girl was cursed into an ‘eternal sleep’ or something like that.” He shrugged. “Legend says that only one creature can wake her up.”

Red Ridinghood shuddered at the thought of an endless slumber. She can’t imagine herself enduring that kind of curse. Mabuti na lang at piniglan siya ni Lycros. Speaking of which, dumapo ang mga mata ni Red sa hawak nitong lalagyang yari sa kupas na tela.

“Ano naman ‘yang hawak mo?”

Kuminang ang mga mata ni Lycros. Maya-maya pa, binuksan na nito ang lalagyan. He scooped a handful of sparkling dust and sprinkled it around them. Ilang sandali pa, nanlaki ang mga mata ni Red nang mapansing lumulutang na pala sila. When she finally realized what it was, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Pixie dust?”

“A replica! Nyctimus did some kind of trade with the Neverland pixies in Tartarus. Ibinigay nila sa kanya ang secret recipe sa paggawa nito.”

Ilang sandali pa, inilahad na ni Lycros ang kanyang kamay kay Red Ridinghood. “Do you believe in fairies, kitten?” Hindi nawala ang ngiti nito sa kanyang mga labi at mga mata. Napapailing na lang siya.

“Are you kidding me? As a kid, I’ve always believed in fairies more than I’ve believed in werewolves!”

“Aray. Rejected again,” he joked.

After which, they laughed good heartedly and flew around the castle together. A momentarily break from all the tragedies in their lives.

Nagpapasalamat na lang si Red Ridinghood dahil sa kabila ng naging pag-uusap nila kaninang umaga, nagagawa pa rin nilang maging kumportable sa isa’t isa. It feels so…natural.

Or maybe it had always felt like this?

She didn't know.

*

Midnight doesn’t sound like a good time to be performing an ancient werewolf curse breaking ritual, but considering the gothic theme of everything, Red knew it fits the mood perfectly.

‘Ang mahalaga ay makakalaya na sila sa sumpa.’

Huminga siya nang malalim at sinulyapan ang oculus sa itaas. The colors of the stained-glass window glowed with the moonlight hitting against its surface. Tinitigan niya imahe ng chosen maiden at ng pitong werewolves na nakapalibot sa kanya. Bakit ba hindi niya agad napansing kahawig niya ito?

She should’ve known Eteilla had been trying to speak to her from the very beginning.

In that moment, she felt another headache. Mahinang napamura sa sakit ang prinsesa at pinilit itong isawalang-bahala. For some strange reason, she was still experiencing these headaches. In fact, it was getting worse. Hindi kaya may gustong ipahiwatig sa kanya ang Eteilla?

“Are you okay, Miss Red?”

Napabalik na lang siya sa kasalukuyan nang tawagin ni Helisson ang kanyang atensyon. His gentle smile lessened the anxiety she was feeling ever since she stepped foot inside Eteilla. Nahihiwagaan pa rin siyang isiping tila ba nakakapagpagaling rin ang mga ngiti ng kanilang pack doctor.

“Of course, I am. It’s just…”

“What is it?”

“I can’t really explain it. It’s like a gut feeling. Hindi ka ba kinakabahan sa mga mangyayari? Or maybe it’s just me overthinking? Nevermind.”

Marahan namang tumango si Helisson, “It’s normal to feel nervous, Miss Red. Hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay kailangan nating ikimkim ang mga nararamdaman natin. Pero anuman ang mangyari ngayong gabi, nandito lang kami ng mga kapatid ko. We’ll always be here for you, okay?”

“We’ll stay with you, my prose and poetry…
There’s no need to worry about anything, you’ll see!”

“Tsk! Sipsip lang talaga ang mga kapatid ko, ma cherié. But nothing’s gonna happen... Hangga’t narito ako, wala kang dapat ipag-alala.”

“HAHAHAHA! Nagsalita ang hindi sipsip, ah. Hypocrites were hanged in the late 16th century, ya know!”

Red Ridinghood scanned the room to meet the eyes of the other werewolves. Linus, Macednus, and Carteron. Tahimik lang silang nakapalibot sa kanya. Pinilit na lang niyang ngumiti. Just like her, they were illuminated by the flames coming from the golden wolf torch at the center of the room. Dumako ang mga mata ni Red sa labindalawang barahang nakapatong sa isang maliit na mesa.

She suddenly felt the black magic radiating from them.

Thankfully, they didn’t need to perform the ritual during a full moon.

Maya-maya pa, pumasok na sa chamber sina Nyctimus at Lycros. Agad niyang napansing para bang hindi mapakali ang kanilang bagong alpha. Maging ang kanyang mga kapatid ay napahinto nang mapansin ito.

“Anong problema?” She asked.

“Nawawala ang isang gamit sa ritwal. H-Hindi namin ito mahanap ni Nyctimus. We tried searching the entire castle, but it’s nowhere to be found…”

"But I thought we were already prepared for the ritual?”

Lycros sighed. “We are. Apparently, that one item we thought was still stored away in the solar is missing.”

That made her freeze on the spot. Fear quickly crawled under her skin. Hindi siya makapaniwala sa mga nangyayari. Agad na napuno ng tensyon ang Eteilla. Nagkatinginan ang magkakapatid, halatang hindi rin alam ang kanilang gagawin. Mabilis niyang binalingan ang salamangkero.

“Nyct, ano ba ‘yong nawawala? Ang ibig sabihin ba nito ay hindi natin magagawa ang ritwal?”

Lumakas ang pintig ng kanyang puso nang maisip ‘yon. Hindi. Hindi sila pwedeng sumuko ngayon. They’ve already made it this far, and Red Ridinghood has no plans of giving up.

Thankfully, they were all relieved when Nyctimus shook his head. Mukhang hindi naman ito nababahala mga nangyayari.

"...."

“So, umm… we can still break the curse?”

"...."

He nodded.

Dahil mukhang wala na naman ito sa mood makipag-usap, si Lycros na mismo ang nagpaliwanag ng sitwasyon. “Ipinaliwanag sa’kin kanina ni Nyct na hindi naman ito direktang makakaapekto sa ritwal. It’s more of an ‘accessory’ for the chosen maiden. Ang nakapagtataka lang, hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit kakailanganin mo ng---”

“Then let’s break the curse already!” Macednus and the others cheered. Halatang nakahinga na rin nang maluwag nang malaman ito.

Indeed, she just wanted to get over this, as well.

"Macednus is right. Kung hindi naman ito makakaapekto sa ritwal, we should stop worying about it. Simulan na natin ito---or better yet, 'tapusin' na natin ito."

Napangiti na lang si Red at bumalik sa kanyang pwesto kanina. The determination rekindled in her eyes. The light of the fire emphasized her sharp and lovely features. At sa mga sandaling 'yon, hindi niya maiwasang isipin ang kanyang magiging buhay kapag nakabalik na siya sa kanilang palasyo.

Everyone will be safe.

Wala nang dadagdag sa bilang ng mga kakailanganin nilang ilibing sa sementeryo.

Other than that, Red Ridinghood will be the queen. At kung hindi man niya ito kayanin nang mag-isa, tiyak na gagabayan siya ng kanyang ama sa pagdedesisyon para sa ikabubuti kanilang nasasakupan. Then, she'll eventually get the hang of it. Of course Elpidio and the council will probably piss her off sometimes because of traditional "marriage", but unless she settles the matters of her heart, she'll prove herself capable of standing on her own.

She is ready.

Maya-maya pa, narinig na niya ang ibinubulong na incantation ni Nyctimus. His eerie voice filled the chamber, causing all of them to focus. Nanindig ang kanyang balahibo sa lakas ng mahikang pumapalibot sa kanya. Bumigat lalo ang kanyang pakiramdam. Bumalik ang pananakit ng kanyang ulo.

'Ano bang nangyayari sa'kin?'

The flames danced before her eyes.

Calling her...

"The cards!"

Lycros reminded at her. Doon na niya napagtantong hawak na pala niya ang mga barahang ito. Her amber eyes gazed at the Tarot cards... Death, The Emperor, Sun, The Hanged Man, The Fool, The Hermit, The Hierophant, Strength, The Chariot, Judgement, The Lovers, The Magician. Sumikip ang kanyang dibdib habang nararamdaman ang bakas ng kanilang sumpa.

She smiled in pain, the words slipping out of her mouth.

"As the chosen maiden of Eteilla, good spirits, I call upon thee. Vanquish the evil brought by mortal demons, break the curse and set them---!"

"KAMAHALAN!"

Red was pulled out of her trance. Bago pa man niya tuluyang itapon sa apoy ang mga baraha, bigla na lang sumulpot sa chamber ang isang hinihingal na nilalang. Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata nang makilala niya kung sino ito.

"E-Elpidio?"

Considering that he's the last person she ever wished to see again, Red Ridinghood was speechless. Lalo na noong nilapitan siya nito at nanginginig na sinabing...

"P-Patay na ang iyong ama! Kamahalan, kailangan mo nang bumalik sa palasyo...pinatay nila si King Ronan!"

---

The night whose sable breast relieves the stark,
White stars is no less lovely being dark,
And there are buds that cannot bloom at all
In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall;
So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds,
And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds.

---"From The Dark Tower", Countee Cullen