FATAL BLOOM

Eira Ysabelle's POV

Bukas ang isipan namin ni Clyde habang nakasakay sa pegasus. Pinag-uusapan namin ang mga katagang sinabi ni Livo. It is clear that the flower he was referring to is a bomb. Just hearing the words fatal bloom, a bomb immediately came into my mind. I asked Clyde if there are literally flowers that can make a deadly bloom, he answered 'none'. So I suppose that it is really a bomb.

'The three places he is talking about are the dorms, the field, and the infirmary,' sabi niya na tinanguan ko lamang.

He's right. The dorms are where the students are most comfortable inside the academy. The field is absolutely the green blanket he was talking about, while the infirmary is where wounds are treated. The question is: where can we find the bomb inside the dorms, the field, and the infirmary?

'Maybe the numbers have something to do with it,' suhestiyon niya.

'Correct. Pero paano?'

1-2-3...0...4-5

'There are three sets of numbers given. 1-2-3, 0, and 4-5,' sabi ko.

'And there are 3 given places,' dugtong niya.

'Since the first spoken location is the dorms, let's assume that the numbers 1,2, and 3 are for it, the field is next, 0. The last one, the infirmary, 4-5.'

'The first set of numbers might refer to the first three rooms of the dorm of either the boys or the girls.'

'But the dorms have seven floors each,' kontra ko sa kanya.

'Let's take it this way. Boys' or girls' dorm, first floor, rooms 2 and 3.'

'You're really smart.'

Hindi niya pinansin ang sinabi ko at nagpatuloy sa pag-iisip. 'The next number, 0, goes to the field. But what is the connection of that number to that place?'

'The oval is in the field. The shape of the number zero is similar to the shape of the oval. It's kind of lame but it's the only thing that I can think of,' nakakahiya man, binanggit ko pa rin ang nasa isip ko. Kaming dalawa lang naman ang nakakarinig.

'No, it's not lame. You actually have a point.'

'So, the last one might be the cubicles number 4 and 5 of our infirmary,' pagtapos ko sa diskusyon. Tinanguan lamang niya ako kaya't ganoon din ang ginawa ko.

'He mentioned a fourth flower. What do you think is the meaning of that?' tanong niya.

'Anger. That's the most fatal flower which can bloom in all of us and cause harm to ourselves and to everyone around us,' sagot ko.

Tahimik lamang kami hanggang sa marating namin ang academy. Bumaba kami agad mula sa mga pegasus at tumakbo papasok sa academy.

"Hazel, go directly to the headmaster's office and tell him to tell everyone to avoid the oval, the dorms, and the infirmary. Tell him not to ask questions and just do what you told him to. Explain what's happening after the announcement," utos ni Clyde na tinanguan lamang ni Hazel.

Bumalik ang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko dahil sa kaba. Nalampasan na namin ang main building at ngayon ay nakabungad na sa amin ang field. Mayroong kakaunting estudyante ang nakaupo sa field at masayang nakikipagkwentuhan sa mga kaibigan nila. What is wrong with them? It's night time already.

"Students and staff inside the infirmary, the dorms, and the field are summoned here at the front of the main building. I repeat, students and staff inside the infirmary, the dorms, and the field are summoned here at the front of the main building," anunsyo ng headmaster sa speaker.

Mabilis na nawala ang mga estudyante sa field at may iilang estudyanteng lumabas mula sa dorms at sa cafeteria.

"Let's split. Gabriel, Rowe, Fred, to the oval. Khione and Celine, go to the infirmary. Julian, Aubrey, boys' dorm, first floor, rooms 2 and 3. Zoe, Pete, to the girls' dorm, the same floor and room number. Find something unusual. Be careful and go to the center of the field if you've found it already."

Naghiwa-hiwalay kaming lahat matapos tanggapin ang utos ni Clyde.

'How about you? Where are you going?'

'Our dorm, a bomb might be in there too.'

'Be safe.'

'Take care of yourself and my sister for me. Mag-iingat kayo.'

Tumakbo kami ni Celine at hindi na nagsayang pa ng oras. Anong oras mula ngayon ay nagbabanta nang sumabog ang mga bomba.

Walang tao sa loob ng infirmary nang marating namin ito. Mabuti naman at sumunod ang lahat sa anunsyo ng headmaster. Mas mapapadali kasi ang trabaho namin kung walang ibang taong sasagabal at maaring maapektuhan.

"Cubicles 4 and 5." Tumango lamang siya at pumasok sa room number 4 ng infirmary kaya't pumasok ako sa kasunod na room nito. Isang pamilyar na amoy ng ethyl alcohol ang sumalubong sa akin nang makapasok ako sa room 5. Walang kahit anong kakaiba sa room na ito. Sigurado ako dahil ilang beses na akong na-admit dito sa clinic. How can someone plant a single bomb in two separate rooms? Definitely the wall separating the two.

Binuksan ko ang bintana at sinilip ang pader na napaggigitnaan ng dalawang bintana ng room 4 at 5. Hindi ko ito makita nang maayos.

Sumilip din si Celine mula sa kabilang kwarto. "There's nothing unusual here," kibit-balikat na saad niya.

"Wala rin dito," tugon ko.

"Check if there's an opening to the ceiling there," utos ko sa kanya.

Maya-maya ay bumalik ito. Umiling siya sa akin tanda na wala siyang nakita roon. It is not possible to dig—No. It is possible. Sumilip muli ako sa bintana at tumingin sa lupa na nasa gitnang bahagi ng dalawang kwarto. Hindi intact ang lupa rito. It is a sign that it was dug. A faint blinking red light can be seen also in a certain part of it.

That's it.

"Hey, Cel. Found it!" nakangiting tugon ko.

Lumabas ako sa bintana at iniwasan ang parte ng lupang iyon.

"Let me borrow your sword."

Iniabot niya sa akin ang espada niyang sobrang kintab. "This will get soil on it," natatawang paalala ko sa kanya.

"Whatever. You can clean it later."

"Excuse me?" nakataas na kilay na tanong ko. Tinawanan niya lang ako at itinuro ang lupa.

I need to be careful. This might be a land mine. One heavy movement and we will explode. Dahan-dahan kong tinanggal ang lupang nakapaligid dito. Ilang sandali pa ay lumapit sa akin si Celine at tumulong sa pagbungkal ng lupa gamit ang mga kamay niya.

Thank God it's not a land mine. It is a time bomb.

"OH MY GOD! IT'S A TIME BOMB!" hysterical na sabi ni Celine na napahawak sa bibig niya at nanlalaki ang mga mata.

"Oh my God! My hands are dirty!" hysterical ulit na sigaw niya nang maalala na ginamit niya sa paghahalukay ng lupa ang kamay niyang ipinangtakip niya sa kanyang bibig.

Tinatawanan ko siya habang bitbit ang bomba papunta sa field. "Masarap ba ang lupa?" natatawang tanong ko.

"You can still laugh at this kind of situation?" nagtatakang tanong niya.

"Why? The bomb has still thirty minutes left."

"Thirty minutes and our lives will be over if we don't hurry."

Naroroon na silang lahat at nasa gitna nila ang dalawa pang bomba na katulad ng dala ko.

"Anyone here who knows how to defuse a time bomb?" tanong ni Gabriel.

"This is not like a normal time bomb. It is operated with magic," umiiling na saad ni Clyde.

"We cannot stop the explosion," dagdag pa niya.

"Shit," kinakabahang sabi ng kambal.

"What the hell? Look! Time's speeding up!" itinuro ni Zoe ang tatlong bomba na ngayon ay mabilis nang umuunti ang oras. What the absolute heck?

Tumigil ang paggalaw nito sa dalawang minuto.

02:00

01:59

01:58

Damn. Napalunok ang iba dahil sa unti-unting pagbaba ng numero.

01:30

01:29

01:28

Ysabelle, think!

Nakasilip na ang ibang staff at estudyante na nasa main building na halatang walang kaalam-alam sa nangyayari. The headmaster already knew everything. Ipinagkatiwala niya sa amin ang bagay na ito.

01:10

01:09

"What to do?" kinakabahang tanong ni Celine.

"I'm near to passing out," sabi naman ni Fred na nagkakamot na ng batok at halata na rin ang kaba sa mukha.

01:00

"We can't stop it but we can prevent its explosive power!" sigaw ko nang may maisip akong isang bagay.

"How?" sabay-sabay na tanong nila. Halata na ang desperasyon sa mukha ng bawat isa.

"Magic. First, a thick layer of ice," nanginginig na hinawakan ko ang tatlong bomba at ibinalot ito sa isang malaking bola ng yelo.

"A huge layer of water," dagdag ko pa.

'Let me do it.' Ibinalot ni Clyde ang bola ng yelo sa malaking bola ng tubig.

00:30

00:29

"Fred, a strong barrier, quick!" kinakabahang utos ko.

"Make it real strong, okay?" Tumango siya at itinapat ang kamay sa nakalutang na bola ng tubig. Unti-unting nabuo rito ang tila isang bilog na salamin.

00:15

00:14

00:13

Nakatutok na ang kamay naming tatlo nina Clyde at Fred sa bilog. Hindi stable ang kamay namin ni Fred ngunit ang kay Clyde ay hindi man lang gumagalaw.

00:10

00:09

'Eira...'

'Hmm?'

00:08

00:07

'If this is the last time we'd meet, I want you to know that I like you,' nakangiti si Clyde sa mga oras na 'to. Napakagat ako nang mariin sa labi ko. Now, my heart is not beating fast because of the ticking time bomb inside the sphere. This is not the right time to confess!

00:05

00:04

'Stop being cheesy. This will not be our end,' seryosong sabi ko kaya't nakarinig ako ng tawa sa isipan ko.

Three seconds left. My knees started to shake as a million volts of anxiety and worry struck through my nerves.

'Ignei?' inakabahan ko siyang tinawag sa isipan ko.

'Hmm?'

'I like—'

Natigil ako sa pagsasalita nang tila mabuhayan ako at nang makaramdam ng karagdagang lakas ang aking katawan. Mas lumakas na rin ang kapit ko sa yelong nasa loob ng barrier ni Fred at waterball ni Clyde. Lumingon ako at nakita ang mga puting linya na nakakonekta sa amin at sa kamay ng mga nakangiting support sa amin

"Compress the explosion!" sigaw ni Clyde.

00:01

00:00

Napapikit ako nang makaramdam ng isang masakit na sensasyon sa kamay ko. Tila nakatanggap ito ng isang nagbabagang piraso ng metal. Kahit sobrang sakit nito ay pinipilit ko pa rin na i-compress ang yelo na nasa loob ngunit tila bumibigay na ang katawan ko dahil sa pagod.

Nabasag na ang yelo sa loob ng sphere na ginawa namin at tila ba may isang bagay na tumama sa dibdib ko. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng pagkahilo ngunit nawala rin ito kaagad kaya't napahinga ako nang maluwag. Tiningnan ko ang dibdib ko ngunit wala namang kahit ano roon. Weird.

The remnants of the time bomb is now extremely circulating in the huge water ball. Halata na rin sa mukha ni Clyde at Fred na nahihirapan silang pigilan ang paglabas ng mapaminsalang pwersa na idinulot ng pagsabog.

Nang maging kalmado na ang tubig ay nawala na rin ang tensyon sa aming tatlo.

Nanginig ako nang makaramdam ng kaginhawahan ang katawan ko. Ramdam ko ang dugong tumutulo mula sa mga palad ko. That explosion is tough. Nakahinga rin ako nang maluwag nang makitang walang ni isang estudyante ang nasaktan.

It's done. The academy's safe.

My heart suddenly throbbed in pain. It was loud, making my ears suddenly void of hearing everything around me. Then, the familiar sharp sound pierced through my ears, but this time, sharper. I screamed but I couldn't hear my own voice. Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko nang tumibok ulit nang malakas ang puso ko. A thousand volts of pain seared through my head like it was being hit by a huge boulder.

I could only whimper in pain as I felt my body emitting faint light. My eyes are blurry so I cannot see anything clearly. The only one I can identify is the white-haired lad saying something to me, as I felt something drop from his face into my cheeks. Was it raining?

I screamed once more when the pain struck me harder. It went on for a few minutes, and then suddenly, my body felt light and numb. When I looked at my chest where the pain started, I saw a dagger with white and gold handle struck upon the center of my chest. My body continued glowing until I saw white butterflies flying towards me. They were beautiful...but don't the white butterflies signify death?

That's when I realized that my body was far from glowing, it was fading. Tears started to stream from my eyes when I felt scared. How can I bid goodbye to them, how can I leave them in such a state? I cannot see them clearly, not even hear what Clyde was saying.

This is only the best thing I can do. 'Clyde...please don't cry. I'm sorry I cannot bid a proper goodbye. But I think this might be my end. Please tell them I love them, and I'm sorry.' I stopped when my chest wound ached.

For the second time, I felt helpless, as I cannot even move and do anything, but I was thankful none of them was hurt this time.

One last tear dropped from my eye, as I was scared to leave. I was not yet ready to die. I faked a laugh at myself. It was only when I was dying that I was scared of it.

'I'm so sorry, Clyde. Please know that I also like you. I'll see you in another lifetime.'

♛