Kabanata VIII
Curse

***

CLEOBELLE / SINCLAIR

Itinutok niya sa akin ang matulis at nagliliyab niyang espada.

"Were you the one who let that bastard escape?" pag-aakusa niya.

"Why would I interfere with you, mere lumins' business? Do not blame me for your incompetence." 

Masungit kong sagot.

"You're a witch. We all know how your race is born evil. Why should I believe your words?" 

Mariing sambit nito.

"That's racist. It might hurt my feeling you know?" I joked.

I don't blame him. Witches are indeed born evil. it's something we could not prevent as if it has already been engraved in our blood.

"Do not joke around with me. I do apologize for blaming you without enough proof, nonetheless you're still considered as this empire's enemy. Letting you go is like turning my back to the empire that I serve." His voice thundered.

Malakas akong napahalakhak doon.

"Are you a fool?" 

Ngumisi akong ikinahigpit ng kanyang paghawak sa espada.

"The empire you're trying to defend has long turned its back on you," I grinned. "They did not even believe in you to begin with. They simply wanted to throw you, waiting for you to die and rot here. What are you even fighting for? Now you're no more than an abandoned dog, wagging its tail to the very same people that tormented you!" I mocked.

Aslan knows what am I saying perfectly. 

Alam kong hindi siya ganoon katanga.

"It is none of your business."

Giit nito.

His eyes are dead, seeming like he had no soul at all. He had already lost the meaning of his life, and the only reason he's hanging on is because fighting in the war is the only role he had left in this life to fill. 

"You're not really fighting for the Empire's people aren't you?" I looked at him straight in his eyes. "Not even to bring honor to your Emperor, but just for you to merely have a purpose in this world."

Natahimik siya roon.

"Did I hit the spot?" I smiled.

Aslan didn't respond and just started attacking me. 

Out of all the characters I've fought, Duke Aslan is the strongest. Not holding back even the slightest.

In his eyes, I'm nothing but his enemy. The last witch; The blood of the woman that cursed him.

Napangisi akong inatake siya pabalik.

Using a gravitational force, I pressed him on the ground, yet somehow, he managed to escape.

"Impressive," I clapped playfully, and then quickly changed my expression into a serious one.

I unleashed a mist of ice that appeared as nothing more than a gentle breeze. To his surprise, the moment it struck him, he was thrown miles away from here.

Napangisi ako doon saka tumalikod na at tuluyan nang naglaho. Tapos naman na ang kailangan kong gawin dito.

***

"Let it go, let it go!
Can't hold it back anymore!
Let it go, let it go. . .
Turn away and slam the door!"

I playfully sang while walking in the snowy mountain. Natawa na lang ako sa aking sarili saka bumaba na doon.

I started listening to Lumin's thoughts and conversations about Aslan. So far, all I'm hearing is them bad mouthing him.

So I decided to just focus on the northern dukedom's direction.

"The Duke Bloodthorne's curse. . . What is it exactly?"

Natigilan ako nang marinig iyon.

"Hindi natin maaaring pag-usapan iyan!" pag saway sa kanya ng kanyang kausap.

"Well I'm just curious."

"Sige na, wala namang ibang tao dito," pakiusap pa ng isa.

"Hays!" the maid groaned. "Wag mong sabihing ako nagkwento sa iyo ha?" she whispered.

"Ang alam ko ay siya ang naging dahilan ng pagkamatay ng mga magulang niya. Lahat ng malalapit sa kanya ay namamatay. Kaya naman ay walang ibang nagtatangkang mapalapit dito sa takot na mangyari sa kanila ang nangyari sa iba pang mga Lumins na napapalapit sa Duke."

That's odd, I don't think I've gotten close to him once but I always die by his hands. What exactly is his curse? I think I need to do further digging into this.

So I came back to where I left him, to ask him directly instead.

"Hey Duke Aslan! I forgot to ask something!" I said casually, as if I was just talking to a friend.

However, he immediately fired an attack towards my direction, which I easily dodged.

"I'm just curious, what kind of curse that witch had bestowed on you?" I asked in a casual tone.

Dumilim ang mukha niya roong muli akong inatake.

"Ang sungit mo naman. Nagtatanong lang naman ako," sambit ko saka inirapan siya.

Just as I thought, he didn't give me an answer, but at least I got him mad.

Well it's amusing. . .

He continuously attacked  me and when I saw an opportunity, I fired a mist again. This time he just stumbled after blocking it with his hands.

Before he could stand up, I raised my hand and magic circles quickly appeared behind me. From there, hundreds of sharp ice spears formed, floating behind me and ready to launch at him on my signal.

Ngumiti akong tumalikod sa kanya at ibinaba ang aking kamay kasabay ng tila ba bulalakaw na bumulusok sa kanya ang matutulis na yelong animoy mga sibat. 

Nakita kong naiwasan niya ang mga iyon at ang ilan ay nahati ng kanyang espada.

"Wait!" he shouted.

Ngumisi ako doon. "Don't miss me so much. This won't be the last time you'll see me," I winked at him as I vanished into thin air.

***

Bumalik ako sa Pyropolis nang walang ibang nakuhang sagot patungkol sa sumpa kung hindi ang lahat ng napapalapit kay Aslan ay namamatay.

Why would Vespera curse him in the first place?

I had already looked through Vespera's few possessions but found nothing.

So I did what a wise woman such as me would do.

Nothing.

I won't waste a lifetime investigating myself about a curse that I have no other clue about. To spare me some trouble, I just summoned some more spirits and asked them to investigate for me.

Spirits became my eyes and ears all over Lumina, not just because of Aslan but for other useful information as well.

***

Two years later . . . 

***

"For someone who wants nothing to do with the Duke, you're quite busy mingling with him. Are you chasing death?" Elsa frowned.

Napangisi ako doon habang inoobserbahan ang teritoryo ng Glacialis.

"I just like the freezing weather of Glacialis. It just happens that he resides here so might as well play with him," I shrugged as I looked around the place.

"Isa pa ay ako ang dahilan kung bakit tumagal pa ang gyera para lamang sa aking pansariling dahilan," dagdag ko pa.

Sa loob ng dalawang taon ay may mga pagkakataong dumadayo ako sa Glacialis upang makipaglaro kay Aslan na mukhang kating kati nang paslangin ako sa tuwing nagkakadaumpalad kami.

Should I spend this lifetime playing with him? That's also an interesting idea.

"No, I don't want to die yet. . ." I heard helpless pleads nearby.

I closed my eyes to observe and saw how monsters were surrounding some soldiers from the neighboring country.

Napataas ang isang kilay ko roon at sa isang iglap ay napadpad ako sa kanilang kinatatayuan.

"Tell me who you are!" they asked more like a command. He seems to be a general and all of them are heavily wounded.

"How arrogant." I shook my head in addition to my response.

Dinuro ako ng isa sa mga peste. "Sumagot ka ng maayos kapag kinakausa—" hindi nito naipagpatuloy pa ang sasabihin nang sa isang iglap ay naputol ang daliring idinuduro niya sa akin dahilan nang pagsirit ng dugo nitong tumalsik sa mukha ko.

Napasigaw na lamang ito sa labis na sakit.

Sabay sabay na kumilos ang mga halimaw. Napasigaw sa takot ang mga ito na lalo lang nagpairita sa akin.

Can't they just shut up? They're pissing me off more than the monsters do.

"If you don't shut up, I'll just feed you to these d*mn fungus," I said, irritatedly.

Mula sa aking paanan ay kumalat ang yelong, sa isang iglap ay tumapos sa mga halimaw na nakapalibot sa amin. Tila ba ay estatwang gawa sa yelo ang mga itong nanigas sa kanilang kinatatayuan.

"I—Isa kang mangkukulam!" giit ng mga ito.

This is getting old and boring. Obviously I am, and?

From my peripheral vision I saw how the monsters perished however, the fungus that possessed them managed to escape and started forming together.

"Hindi ko matatanggap na iniligtas ako ng isang mangkukulam! Mas gugustuhin ko pang mamatay!" giit ng isa pa sa mga ito habang nakatutok ang kanilang mga sandata sa akin.

Walang gana ko silang binalingan ng tingin.

"Then die," I declared, and right in that moment, the fungus completed its transformation and devoured them mercilessly.

Napasigaw ang mga kasama niya doon. "Dorimon!"

Napangiwi ako sa pangalan nito.

"I told you I'm gonna feed you to fungus if you don't shut up," I shrugged.

"Humanda ka! Sa oras na dumating dito ang kapatid ko ay tiyak na susugpuin ka niya!" ngisi niya.

Well that's the point. I need his brother to come to me himself—The man that I saved before, to extend the war.

Utang ko iyon at siya ang kabayaran. Ihahatid ko lamang siya sa impyerno.

"Can you just die quietly?" I uttered coldly.

Right at that moment, the fungus then started aiming towards them. They were so distracted that they didn't even notice.

Nakahalukipkip lamang akong pinanood silang kainin ng fungus. 

Nang papalapit na sa akin ang higanteng fungus ay iminwestra ko ang aking kamay ipinikit ang mga mata.

Using my power, I summoned my blade, crafted from pure aether—a large, curved blade with a very long handle. With my left hand, I gripped my halberd, aiming it at the fungus.

In one swift motion, I sliced through it as if it were a piece of meat, causing the fungus to perish.

"You damn witch! You killed my brother!" I heard an annoying voice.

There's a lot of pests today.

Wala siyang sinayang na pagkakataon at agad na inatake ako. Ngunit ni isa sa mga atake niya ay walang tumama sa akin.

If it weren't for his tremendous luck, he wouldn't have been alive until this time. He's weak as f*ck.

"Papatayin kita!" desperadong sigaw niya.

Delulu much?

"Kill me?" pagak akong natawa doon. "You're even far weaker compared to the duke of Glacialis," I shrugged.

It seems like I hit him right in that spot with that statement.

Lalo siyang naging desperadong tapusin ako, ngunit para lamang siyang langaw na hindi man lang ako kayang dapuan.

"Ice Witch!" a familiar baritone voice shouted, and I knew exactly who it was.

Napangisi akong sinalubong ang malamig niyang tingin.

Without breaking eye contact with him and without even sparing my enemy a glance; Using my sharp halberd, in one swift motion—I sliced his head off his body.

The last witch killed the leader of the enemy empire, ending the long, bloody war that killed countless of people for an empire that doesn't give a f*ck about them.

However, I am no hero. I'll never be one. I merely bestowed upon him the fate that he had brought upon himself.

"Cleo. . ." he called my name like a cold winter breeze.

The only man who's allowed to call me by that name.

So he remembers my name?

Gamit ang aking kapangyarihan ay naglaho ang aking sandata saka ako dahan dahang naglakad papalapit kay Aslan.

The war is over. I'm the one who freed him to the chains of this great war that he's been trying hard to hold on to.

"Aslan," I called his name with a warm smile. "You should go home now," I added.

He seemed stunned as he looked directly into my eyes.

"What? Did I make your heart skip a beat?" I joked.

Not letting him respond to my silly statement; I walked past him. I was about to leave when he suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"You confuse me. . . " sambit niya na nagpatigil sa akin.

There's this strange spark in his eyes that I don't understand. This is the first time I'm seeing him like this.

"So?" I answered, mesmerized by his crimson eyes that resemble fiery rubies.

He let out a lonely smile and shook his head.

As if he was being possessed, as if he isn't the same Aslan that I know of.

 "Maybe it's easier to love you Cleo. . ." I heard him whisper.

"That's the most ridiculous thing you have ever spouted," I frowned.

"You want to know my curse isn't it?" He smiled at me coldly.

The next thing he said isn't something I expected.

"My parents, my family, my closest friends; they all died in my hands," Aslan revealed, causing me to pause.

"Everyone that I will deeply love is fated to die in my hands," he smiled. "Maybe if I love you, I'll finally be able to kill you."

That made my heart skip a beat. Damn him.

"Then do me a favor Duke Aslan," mariing sambit ko saka hinila ang kwelyo niya palapit sa akin. 

"Never fall in love with me, don't even dare to think about me," I hissed. "Not in this life will I ever let that damn fate happen," I added.

I forcefully pushed him away and used my aether to vanish into shards of ice that freely flew into the sky. 

The shards teleported me back to my room, while I'm still stunned as that scenario echoed in my head like an annoying chant.

"F*ck him! F*ck this d*mn life!" I cursed as my heart just keep on racing.

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Anyways, here's an illustration I made for Sinclair and Cleobelle! That's just how I imagined the ice witch would look like. 💗❤️