Kabanata V
Impression

***

CLEOBELLE / SINCLAIR

"What's wrong?" I asked coldly.

Dahan dahan siyang tumayo at pinagpagan ang sarili.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asked.

Aside from coming back earlier in this lifetime, I reawakened my power early. Now, I met Aslan earlier as well.

I'm supposed to meet him at sixteen, not when I'm seven.

"I'm Sin—I'm Cleobelle. I think I'm lost?" I replied in a lazy manner.

"From where I live, Cleobelle means freedom," he said, making me stop for a moment.

"From where I live, it means unlucky," I shrugged.

That's what Vespera said.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Aslan," simple niyang sagot.

"Kids like you, shouldn't be here," he commented.

"You're a kid too," komento ko.

Nagsalubong ang kilay niya roon. "I'm not. I'm fourteen," he hissed.

"That's still young," I shrugged.

"No," he again disagreed. "If I'm young, then why do I have to do adult duties?" Nakapamewang niyang saad.

Right, Aslan had a rough life as well.

"What do you do?" I asked.

"I kill demons," he stated.

"Why?" I asked again.

"Because I need to," he answered.

"Why?" muli ko pang tanong sa kanya.

"To prove that I'm worthy of my life," he again answered.

"Why?"

Nagsalubong lalo ang kilay niya doon.

It's just amusing that he's this honest. He always lies in my previous lives. He lies about how he feels and what he really means.

"Do you only know how to say why?" he complained.

"Bakit ba ang dami mong tanong? Hindi mo naman naiintindihan," ungos niya pa.

"I do understand. I just don't get why you need to prove yourself worthy. I think you're already worthy as you are now," I shrugged.

Nag-iwas tingin siya doon.

"Sinasabi mo iyan kasi hindi mo ako kilala," naiiling niyang saad. 

"Didn't you see all these demons I killed?" He hissed then picked up his sword. Afterwards, a ball of azure flames formed in his hands.

Ibinato niya iyon sa mga demonyong kanyang kinitil kanina saka sinunog lalo sila hanggang sa tuluyan nang maging abo ang mga ito.

Pyropolis is the land of fire, but I've never seen an azure flames as beautiful as his.

"What would you use that many demon cores for? Do you need that much money?" I asked.

Umiling siya doon.

"No. My superior asked me to bring him a thousand cores and he'll let me visit my parents' grave. . ." he stated.

Sumeryoso ang mukha ko doon. That cruel Emperor is at it again.

"Why can't you visit them yourself? Baka ikaw ang sumunod sa kanila sa ginagawa mong iyan," komento ko.

Hindi siya sumagot doon.

Nakapangalumbaba ako sa magkabila kong pisngi habang pinanonood siya.

Mukhang wala na siyang lakas at puno ng galos habang pinupulot isa-isa ang cores. Maybe he drained his aether after fighting off thousands of demons.

It's pretty impressive, considering his age. No wonder he's loathed but feared by the whole Empire.

"Where are you from?" I asked.

Although I already knew his roots, I just wanted to annoy him.

Hindi na naman siya sumagot.

"If I help you gather all of that core, will you tell me your story?" I asked.

"Why would I?" he asked coldly.

I yawned. "I'm bored," I answered.

I've always been entangled with Aslan, but I don't think I ever once asked him personally about his story.

The only thing readers know about him is that he's the northern duke loathed by everyone. 

His only role was to end the last witch; then if I remember correctly, he was never mentioned again afterwards.

"Ten seconds, no more than that," he stated.

I shrugged my shoulders. "You bet."

Tumayo ako doon saka itinaas ang isa kong kamay, kasabay nito ay ang paglutang ng napakadaming cores mula sa lupa.

Thousands of cores floated gracefully through the air like dancing leaves as I poured them all into his bag.

I looked at him and smiled. "Will you tell me your story now?"

He sighed in defeat.

Umupo kami sa damuhan, sa ilalim ng puno.

"I'm from the North," Aslan declared. "Even though it's in the complete opposite direction, my master specifically instructed me to kill monsters in the South," he explained.

"Your master seems like he want to kill you, if you were to ask me," I stated.

"I know, but I must visit my parents' grave, at any cost. It might be the last time I do," he murmured.

I halted. Thinking about it, it's almost time for war to break out.

"Why do you say so?" I pressed on.

"I'm heading to the great war next week," he said with a smile.

In all my past lives, Aslan has never smiled at me.

He's always been indifferent and cold. This was the first time I saw him smile, and it was tinged with sadness.

"What's so great about war?" I asked.

Napakamot ulo siya doon. "I don't know. It's just what they call it," he shrugged.

"Why do you have to go to a war? Why do you have to suffer on behalf of others?" I asked.

Hindi niya sinagot iyon.

"Are the people of Lumina worth fighting for?" muli kong tanong.

Aslan paused. "I'm not fighting for them. I'm fighting to redeem myself from my sins," he sighed.

He seems as tired as I am.

"You're still young. What could be your sin worthy enough for your life?" muli kong tanong.

"To be born. . ." He whispered. "That's my greatest sin," Aslan added as his fiery crimson eyes looked straight into mine.

Hindi ako agad nakasagot doon.

"Who made you think that way?" tanong ko.

Umiling lang siya.

"You're probably gonna think of me the same way in a few years," he uttered.

Natawa ako. "Paano mo nasabi?"

"Because I'm cursed. . . The last witch cursed me,"

That made me pause. 

I know he was cursed by my mother, that's why he always had the desire to kill me; Thinking that I'm Vespera.

I also never knew what kind of curse he had since it's not really my priority back then.

Vespera is the last known witch. She's the strongest witch in her prime, but she lost her power after I was born.

Nobody really knew my existence.

"Now go away, I know you'd hate me after hearing that," he hissed.

Umihip ang malamig na simoy ng hangin saka ako muling tumayo at inilahad ang palad sa kanya.

"Do you want to run away with me?" I smiled at him softly.

Nagsalubong ang kilay niya roon. "Saan?" taka niyang tanong.

Kibit-balikat akong hinawakan ang kamay niya saka siya tumayo. "Hindi ko alam."

Napanganga siya doon.

I laughed. "I'm a child, I also don't know where to go."

Wala siyang nagawa kung hindi magpatianod sa akin.

"What the—" iyon lang ang namutawi sa kanyang bibig nang lumipad kami sa himpapawid.

I controlled the breeze so we could fly in the sky, hiding in the clouds as we watched everything below us.

"Isn't it great here? I feel like I could just crush everyone," I stated while still holding his hand.

Tulala lamang siya sa akin, partikular sa aking mga mata.

"It's the first time I encountered someone like you," he stated.

"Of course we met just now," I hissed.

Nangunot ang noo niya doon. 

 "Saan ka nakatira?" tanong niya.

"You wanna know where I came from?" I grinned.

The cold breeze embraced us. The sky was filled with stars like they were about to fall on us. The bright moon shone beautifully as we were hiding behind the clouds.

"I'm from another world," I smiled widely, like it was a simple joke.

Natulala pa ito ng ilang sandali bago napailing.

"Stop joking around," he hissed.

Misteryosang ngumiti lamang ako saka dahan dahang kaming ibinaba sa parehong lugar kanina.

Tumingin ako sa direksyon ni Aslan na mukhang iniinda pa din ang sakit mula sa pakikipaglaban.

I wanted to heal his wounds, but he might get in more trouble, knowing the kind of bullsh*t the Emperor is.

So I just removed all his fatigue. At least he could still travel the long way to the Empire.

Mukhang nagulat pa siya doon. "Bakit mo ginawa iyon?" tanong niya.

"A reward for playing with me," I smiled.

"Aslan," I called his name. "You want to see my Aether?" I uttered.

"You have another?" he asked.

Umiling ako doon. "This is my real Aether, Aslan. . ." I smiled as ice immediately crawled into the ground, freezing the whole forest.

Sumeryoso ang mukha niyang itinutok ang nag aapoy na sandata sa akin.

Gamit ang hintuturo ko ay pinatay ko ang apoy ng kanyang espada.

"That aether belongs to that witch. . . " he uttered, seriously.

Ice is an aether that solely belongs to witches.

They were originally rooted from the north. After the empire hunted them down, they scattered around Lumina to hide.

"No Aslan, this Aether is mine. Not Vespera's nor anyone."

Taas noo kong sambit sa kanya kasabay nito ay ang unti unting paggapang ng yelo sa kanyang katawan.

"Vespera is dead. She's not the last witch. . . I am," I indicated.

"So calm down, I'm not the witch who cursed you, nor do I have any reason to. Remember that," I smiled.

As the ice crept up to his neck, I flicked my fingers, shattering the ice into countless shards. At that moment, I started fading along with the fragments.

"Wait!" Aslan shouted as he tried to reach me.

"I won't let you kill me this time," I mouthed as I finally vanished right in front of him, leaving Aslan behind as I teleported back into my room.

I'll probably meet him after a few years from now, but it's great to leave an impression.