Kabanata I
Transmigrated

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Trigger warning: su*cide

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CLEOBELLE SAMANIEGO

Sinclair Emberwood is the Illegitimate daughter from the affair of Baron Emberwood with a lowly maid.

Isa lamang sa mga hindi pinalad na karakter ng librong "Shadows of Lumina". 

She's the quiet and timid Duchess of the north that everyone ignores. A powerless duchess, sold to the Northern duke for mockery.

Who'd have guessed she'd turn out to be one of the strongest villainess in the story? The wicked witch who killed the Emperor out of vengeance. 

She also destroyed the Baron Emberwood estate, where she was mistreated throughout her childhood.

Her only role is so the crown prince can sit on the throne.

Matapos nito ay hinayaan niyang mamatay siya sa kamay ng kanyang asawa. 

Isinulat siya para lang umikot ang kanyang buhay sa pang aalipusta at sa kagustuhan niyang maghiganti.

Just the typical secretly evil side character turns into a villain.

Walang nagmamahal sa kanya, maging ang kanyang ina ay mas nanaising iwan siya at kitilin ang sariling buhay kaysa ang makasama siya. At ang tanging lalaking minahal niya ay gusto siyang puksain.

That's just how horrible her fate is. . .

"Sinclair!" I heard a woman's voice outside along with the door banging.

'Sinclair. . .' That's the name of that pitiful character.

Umupo ako mula sa pagkakahiga sa tabi ng babaeng naliligo sa kanyang sariling dugo.

"Mommy Lauren. . ." I whispered, tears falling into my eyes while looking into her beautiful face that had lost its color. 

She looks exactly like my biological mother.

Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko sa nasasaksihan ngayon.

Am I in hell? Is this what the afterlife looks like? It's scary.

Sana ay panaginip lang ito. Sana ay magising na ako. 

Pilit kong sinasampal ang sarili ngunit hindi pa din ako nagigising.

Para bang totoo ang lahat. . .

Napahagulgol ako doon, desperadong magising sa bangungot na ito. 

"M—mommy. . ." I cried.

But what caught my attention is my voice, and when I looked down, I saw a pair of little hands that seemed to be mine.

Napaatras ako doon habang nakaupo pa din sa maduming sahig sa maliit na silid na kinaroroonan ko.

Napaatras ako doon hanggang sa may mabangga. Isa iyong basag na salamin at sa paligid nito ay napalilibutan ng mga bubog dahilan upang makaramdam ako ng hapdi sa aking palad.

Laking gulat ko nang paglingon ko sa salamin na iyon ay nakita ko ang aking repleksyon. . .

A bruised child wearing old rags, looking severely abused.

"Sinclair!" It's the woman outside, calling the name of that side character in the book I am currently reading.

Nanginginig akong tumayo at pilit na inaabot ang siradura upang makita kung sino ang nasa labas.

"Baroness! Stop! The Baron is coming!" I heard other unfamiliar voices.

"No! Vespera will kill Sinclair! I have to save my child!" she yelled.

"Enough of this Melissa!" Another voice interfered. "That child isn't yours, but Vespera and the Baron's child from their affair! The real Sinclair is long gone due to that very affair that has caused you to miscarry!"

"No! Please help me Duchess! Vespera will kill her!" she desperately pleaded.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa narinig.

Baroness Melissa, the same name of that unnecessary character in that book. She only got mentioned once or twice in the chapter, dedicated to the end of the ice witch.

Sinclair, Vespera, Baroness Melissa, Baron Emberwood. . . Every name stated was very familiar to me. As if I'm currently inside that book.

No way. . . Am I?

Tulala pa din ako at hindi na makapagsalita sa mga kaganapan.

Maya maya pa ay bigla na lamang may dumaloy na apoy sa paligid ng pintuan kasabay ng pagtupok nito.

"You're alive? How distasteful," an old man with emotionless eyes said while looking in my direction.

Hindi ako makagalaw kahit pa bigla na lang akong niyakap ng humahagulgol na babae.

"My child! You're alive!" she yelled like she's out of her mind.

'Pathetic,'  the old man said while fixing his neck tie.

I couldn't  understand how I heard him when he didn't even open his mouth. As if I could read his mind. . .

"Baron, Vespera is dead," a guy with a knight's uniform informed.

"Throw that woman in the trash for all I care," he hissed then walked into my direction, gazing at me coldly.

"Be thankful for posessing the same beauty as that woman, or else, you'll be thrown together with your useless mother," he laughed. "I'll wait for you, my lovely daughter." He licked his lips when he said those words.

Bahagyang nanayo ang mga balahibo ko doon, kasabay ng tahimik kong paghikbi habang nasa bisig ng babaeng umaaktong pinoprotektahan ako.

Sigurado akong panaginip lang ang lahat dahil imposible ang mga nasasaksihan ko ngayon.

Marahil ay nasobrahan na ako sa stress gawa ng thesis namin o baka naman ay nakatulog ako sa sobrang kalasingan.

"Kalma Cleo, ano mang oras ngayon ay magigising ka na. . ." bulong ko sa aking sarili.

Plot twist? Hindi na ako nagising.

Nagdaan ang ilang araw at buwan na walang nangyari at nanatili lamang ako sa katauhan ni Sinclair Emberwood.

Everyday is hell, I felt like I was being pushed to the brink of insanity to the point that I jumped into the water multiple times, but I always survive. . .

'There is that bastard child again, playing in the water." I heard someone say, through my mind.

One thing I am sure of is that I could read minds. . .

Agad akong tumayo at tumakbo sa kinaroroonan ng mga maids upang tumulong gaya ng iniatas sa akin.

"Wala ka talagang kwenta! Hindi porke anak ka ni Baron Emberwood ay maglalaro ka lamang diyan sa pond, gayong napakadaming gawain! Katulong lamang ang ina mo, kaya basura ka pa din! Gawin mo nang maayos ang trabaho mo!" singhal ng isa sa mga katulong sabay bato sa akin ng timba at walis.

"Maglinis ka na ng kwadra doon!" dagdag pa niya.

Patago ko lamang na naikuyom ang aking mga kamao saka sinunod na lamang ang kanyang gusto.

In this world, I have no power. According to the story, Sinclair's real power was sealed by her mother and she only got awakened on the night of her wedding with the northern duke.

Hindi ako sumuko. Kailangan kong makabalik sa totoo kong mundo.

I tried hanging myself but the ropes always broke. I tried cutting myself but I always survive miraculously no matter how fatal the wound is.

I even tried jumping off a cliff, but I'm still alive and kicking. Is this because it's still the body of the hidden villainess?

I tried killing myself multiple times, in hopes that I would go back to my original world. However, nothing worked.

It just made me realize how nobody really cares for this character, because not even once, someone cared nor noticed.

Napahagulgol lamang ako roon. 

"I miss my parents, I miss my friends, I miss my old life. Am I really dead?" 

I feel hopeless.

"Am I really trapped in this world?" I sighed harshly while I'm all alone in this empty and dirty basement.

"If I am, why of all the characters in this darn novel, will I be inside Sinclair's body?! I could be just an extra with no line or even a worm! Why must it be Sinclair?!" I uttered, angrily.

Napatingin ako sa gawi ng sahig ng basement na bakas pa din ang dugo ng ina ni Sinclair. 

I'm still having nightmares about that scenario.

One thing I realized aside from how pathetic this character's life is, is that Sinclair will not die yet because simply, it's not her time to die.

Kahit ano pang gawin ko ay walang mangyayari kung hindi ko susundin ang kapalaran ni Sinclair.

I might be just guessing things, but there's no reason not to risk it. It's not like I have any other choice.

Susundin ko ang istorya para makabalik ako sa totoo kong mundo.

Kailangang mamatay ni Sinclair para makabalik ako. Iyon lamang ang tanging naiisip kong paraan na kaya kong gawin.

Matapos kong isulat and pagkakasunod sunod ng mangyayari ayon sa libro ay napatingin ako sa aking repleksiyon mula sa basag na salamin.

"I need to become you. I need to fulfill your pathetic role in order to go back. . ." I whispered.

I need to be Duchess Sinclair Emberwood. . . No, I need to be the Evil Ice Witch.

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Note: Hi guys! Thank you so much sa lahat ng nagbabasa neto! Sobrang namiss ko magsulat ng fantasy so balik talaga ako ng balik sa genre na to. 

It's actually my first time writing this kind of plot so I'm kind of nervous—If okay lang ba yung story ko, na'to.

It's fun since it's a collaboration with my friends and also three of the most amazing writers that I know! Might not be able to update fast, though, since I have a job as well.

Thank you so much for your support everyone! Love you all!