SERAPHIN

We all managed to escape the inquisitors. Hindi lang namin alam kung nas'ang parte na kami ng mortal realm.

"Make sure you remove anything that can track us down," paalala ni Nicolas.
Kinapa-kapa ko pa ang sarili kong katawan, at ulo. Baka mamaya may naliligaw na something. Napatingin naman ako sa damit ko, at napahawak. Can they track us down using my shirt? Dapat na ba akong maghubad?

"Wala na naman ata. Damit nalang. Maghuhubad na ba tay-aw!" I pouted when Chastille hit me on my forehead. He also shook his head disappointingly.
Umirap naman ako at malakas na nagbuntong-hininga. Ni hindi ko alam kung pang-ilang buntong-hininga ko na 'to. Hindi namin alam kung s'an kami pupunta.

"If we go to a city, do you think it will be dangerous for us?" Lein asked.

Hindi ko alam, at lima nalang kami. Lourd isn't here, and how would he contact us? Bakit kasi nagpaiwan ang tangang 'yon?

Oh, baka para i-fucking punch ang kaniyang fucking father's face raw.

Though I wonder where I'll be able to find Zero. Rory told me that I need to unseal him. Hindi ko na nga rin naririnig ang boses niya sa utak ko.
If only I can hear him, it would be helpful.

"You can still hear me, mi amore." Napabalikwas naman ako nang marinig 'yon. Kahit si Iris ay napasigaw nang halos mapatalon ako.

"What's the problem, Four? Ginugulat mo naman ako!"

How can I hear him? Hindi ba't naririnig ko lang siya noon dahil sa virtual dimension?

"I told you. I made a connection with you."

Pero paano naman nakaabot ang connection na 'yon sa real world?
"It's one of my powers, to connect myself with others. Even if it is far. Though it requires a ki-"

"Hatdog!" sigaw ko bago pa niya matuloy ang word na 'yon. I heard him laughing inside my head. Napailing naman ako at tinakpan pa ang tainga.

"The hell, Four?" ani Nicolas. Nagmulat mata naman ako, at napansing nakatingin pala sila sa'kin. Gosh, nakalimutan kong narito nga pala sila sa tabi ko!

"Chill, mi amore. I can help you out."

Paano naman? Isip ko at tumalikod sa mga kasamahan ko para hindi awkward. I'm currently having a conversation with someone in my mind!

"Find Seraphin first. You know him, right?"

Seraphin? Inaalala ko naman kung s'an ko narinig ang pangalang 'yon. Aha! In my vision sa regenerating room! Si Seraphin ang tinawag nilang 'Father.'

"He can be found in the vast oceans. Where the seas are most pure and clear."

I cocked my head diagonally. The seas? Which sea exactly? At bakit naman siya d'on makikita? Ano siya? Shokoy?!

"He's a merman." My eyes almost popped out. Merman?! Woah. Hindi ko alam na nag-eexist pala ang mga gan'on! "Hindi ko lang sigurado kung anong dagat, but the one in the north. That must be the one."

Paano naman kami matutulungan ni Seraphin?

"Seraphin is not just a merman. He is the creator of the mortal realm. The one who created mortals and the peculiars. That is why we call him Father."

Napasinghap naman ako nang malakas. Seraphin ceeated mortals and peculiars. So, he's like our God or something? Right?

"He can help you understand everything, but on your way there, you might encounter obstacles."

"What kind?" natakpan ko naman ang bibig ko nang malakas kong nasabi 'yon. Napasulyap ako sa mga kasamahan ko at halatang nagtaka sila sa inasal ko.

"Sinong kausap mo, Four?" tanong ni Iris.

Umiling naman ako, "Wala, ah! Kausap ko sarili ko- uhm... what kind of utak kaya mayr'on ako. Ganon."

Lourd and I mentioned that Zero was the one who told us about the secret, and that Seiji and Zero are one. However, they all do not know that I can directly talk to him through my brain.

"You can tell them, Four," sabi ni Zero sa utak ko. Natigilan naman ako dahil d'on. Anong sasabihin ko sa mga kasamahan ko? Na may koneksyon kami ni Zero dahil sa ano.

"Pwede namang hindi mo 'yon sabihin. Unless you want to declare it," aniya at tumawa. I felt heat in my cheeks. Ayaw ko ngang i-declare!

"Four," mariin na pagkakatawag sa'kin ni Chastille.

Napatingin naman ako sa kaniya. I touched both of my cheeks. Nagulat naman ako nang hawakan ni Lein ang noo ko.

"Are you sick?"

"Mentally sick," sagot naman ni Nicolas. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin at umirap. Siguro dapat ko nang sabihin.

"Uhm, about Zero...," panimula ko at sabay-sabay naman silang napatingin sa'kin. Bumwelo naman ako para sabihin sa kanila.

Pero ba't nga ba ako natatakot na sabihin sa kanila? Lel.

"The thing is, nakakausap ko siya sa loob ng utak ko. We have some sort of connection-"

"Really?!" sagot agad ni Iris. "What kind of connection?" Halos nagningning ang mata niya. Napangiwi naman ako dahil d'on.

Nagkibit-balikat ako bilang sagot, "Hindi ko rin alam kung anong klaseng koneksyon, basta nakakapagsalita siya sa utak ko at paminsan-minsan ay umaabot ang mga naiisip ko sa kaniya."

"Woah, so you're talking to him now?" tanong ni Lein. "Kaya mo sinabi sa'min?"

Tumango naman ako, "Yes. He told me something about Seraphin-"

"Lolo ni Lein!" singit agad ni Iris. I turned to them. Lolo ni Lein si Seraphin?

"Anong mayr'on kay Seraphin?" kuryosong tanong ni Chastille. "He was basically claimed as the one who had the idea of that stupid dimension. Pinasa niya 'yong idea sa anak niyang si Ephraim."

"What?" I stammered.

"It was indeed Seraphin," Zero confirmed. "He was-" naputol naman 'yon nang biglang magtanong si Chastille.

"What is it about Seraphin, Four?"

Muntik na akong mapairal dahil nawala tuloy si Zero. "According to Zero, Seraphin is our creator. Siya ang gumawa sa mga mortal at mga peculiar. Kahit ang buong mortal realm. He said if we find him in the north seas, he can help us."

Nicolas scoffed, "Are you sure about that, Four? Sa pagkakaalam namin, matanda na si Seraphin, at-"

"Then the one you saw was just another form of Seraphin." Halos nabali ang ulo ko nang mabilis akong lumingon sa likod ko. Napasinghap ako nang makita si Zero, ngunit tila transparent ang katawan niya.

"Seiji?" gulat na saad ng iba.

"Zero?" sambit ko naman at nalaglag ang panga. "What... what are you doing here?"

He smiled at me, but it immediately faded when he looked at the others. "No, I am not exactly here. I only managed to show you myself through Four's creation powers. The one you're seeing now is just an illusion."

"Huh? Paano?" tanong ko. Ni hindi ko pa nga nama-master ang kapangyarihan ko.

'Connection,' Zero mouthed.

"What do you mean by other form, Sei-Zero?" tanong ni Nicolas.

Zero turned to him and replied, "Seraphin comes in many forms. Kaya niyang magshapeshift, ngunit ang totoo niyang form ay bilang isang merman. His hair is light green and his eyes are sea green."

"It is true that it was Serpahin's idea to create the Orphic dimension. And it is true that he is the one who made us," dagdag pa ni Zero.

"Kung gan'on bakit naman kami lalapit sa kaniya at hihingi ng tulong? When he's basically behind everything!" angal agad ni Iris. Her orange eyes turned red for a second.

Zero sighed loudly, "Originally, he was the one meant to create the dimension. Ngunit nagamit niya na ang kapangyarihang 'yon para sa paggawa ng mortal realm. So instead of creating the dimension, he made ten peculiars who can make the dimension."

Napakunot-noo ako. Created? If I am part of that ten, ibig sabihin creation din ako ni Seraphin? Does that explain why I'm an orphan? At si Kuya Nine rin?

"The ten are considered children of Seraphin, though hindi naman nila nabuo sa pamamagitan ng intercourse," paliwanag ni Zero at umismid. "They all aren't blood-related. Ginawa lang talaga sila para gawin ang dimension. And they go by the codenames one to ten."

Nag-iwas tingin naman ako nang tingnan ako ng apat. Siguro dahil sa pangalan kong 'Four.' Hehe, don't worry, guys, hindi ko rin na-understand.

"Then what happened? Bakit sa halip na dimension ang mabuo ay virtual dimension ang nabuo?" tanong naman ni Lein.

"That's because one of the ten died," sagot ni Zero at napatingin sa'kin. "An unknown creature killed the fourth. Kaya hindi naging matagumpay ang pagkagawa ng dimension."

"And I do not know the reason why they resorted creating a virtual dimension instead. That's why you must seek Seraphin's help about this matter."

Tumikhim ako, "Paano mo naman nalaman ang lahat ng 'to, Zero? Are you part of that 'ten'? Hindi naman 'di ba?" Pero nalilito pa rin ako. Tinawag niya ring father si Seraphin sa nakita ko.
He turned to me and smiled as he nodded, "Hindi nga ako kabilang sa sampu, pero isa rin akong anak ni Seraphin."

"I am his son by blood," aniya at nanlaki agad ang mata ko. "The zero. The beginning of his ideas."

Woah. Zero has the blood of the creator of the mortal realm?!

Cool naman pala netong lumalandi sa'kin.

The Orphic Secret
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

If you have read Phoenix Academy and Aerilon Academy, you must be familiar with Seraphin (or nakalimutan mo na HAHAHA). Btw, this story happened before P.A. and A.A. just to avoid some confusions.

He was mentioned in Chapter 20 of Phoenix Academy and Chapter 37 of Aerilon Academy. :)

Thank you for reading!