CALLISTA

Hindi pa ako pwedeng mamamatay, 'no!

I looked up and swam into the direction to the light. Who the hell was pulling me down? Wala naman akong nakita. Guni-guni ko lang ba 'yon?

"Four!" they panicked.

One of them dived down the water. At first, I thought it was Kuya, but then I realized it was Nicolas. He grabbed me by my waist with one hand and pulled me up. Tumingin siya sa baba, ngunit katulad ko, wala rin siyang nakita.

Patuloy lang kami sa paglangoy pataas. I felt my energy strengthen, and I managed to hold on to someone else's hand. Binitawan na ni Nicolas ang bewang ko, at agad akong naghabol hininga nang sa wakas ay makaahon na ako sa tubig.

Chastille pulled me up more, and finally I got out the water. Nanlalaki ang mga mata ko nang biglang matauhan sa nangyari.

"Ayos ka lang?" nag-aalalang tanong sa'kin ni Lein. Tumango naman ako pero agad kong sinilip si Nico. Nakaahon na rin siya, pero sinisilip pa rin niya ang hole.

"What the hell just happened?"

"H-hindi ko rin alam," sagot ko. "There was a hand pulling me deeper in the water. And I heard a voice of a woman-"

"We heard it too," pagputol ni Iris sa sinabi ko.

Napaawang naman ang bibig ko, "Y-you heard it?"

"Yes, she called you the fourth. Ang sinabi ni Zero na namatay noon. Are you really that person?" Halos mapaatras naman ako nang seryoso 'yon sinabi ni Chastille. Seryoso pa ang mukha niya at bahagyang nagsalubong ang kilay niya.

"I-" nagbuntong-hininga ako, "I really don't know. Huwag niyo akong takutin at i-pressure, please!"

"Then what do you know?"

Napalunok naman ako, "Hindi ko pa talaga alam, pero si Aurora Calytrix ang Fourth or Four noon. Then I don't know my relation with her, but she told me that I replaced her position."

"Huh?" takang tanong ni Iris. "Ang akala ko ba patay na, paano mo naman nakausap?"

"Horror mansion. I didn't know how I saw her, but she explained some things to me. Natakot ako kanina dahil nakakita ako ng red scarf. That red scarf eventually kills a peculiar, and even the snow. Ang boses ng babaeng narinig niyo kanina ay si Callista, the one who kills the peculiars."

"Callista?" pag-ulit ni Lein. "I think I know about her, pero hindi ko rin lubusang maalala."

"Isn't she one of the teachers before?" ani Nicolas.

Bigla naman akong natigilan. What? Teacher? "Sigurado ka ba d'yan?" tanong ko.

Bigla ko namang naalala ang sinabi ni Rory. Callista is erased in their memories. So even the people behind the virtual dimension might have forgotten her!

I shrieked when I saw snow climbing up in my hands. Napatayo ako agad at iwinasiwas ang aking kamay. Nawala naman ang snow, pero nagulat ako nang makitang tila nanigas agad ang kamay ko.

Then the snows collided, and made a form of a person. It slowly melted, revealing a woman. Callista? Her eyes were black, as well as her hair- or was it a shade of dark blue?

She smiled. Napaatras agad ako, at napahawak sa kung kanino sa kanila. Fuck, hindi ko pa gaanong gamay ang kapangyarihan ko.

"Why are you scared, little one?" Luh bobo. Ang tangkad ko kaya.

"I am Callista. One of the administrators of the Orphic dimension. I mean no harm." My eyebrow raised because of that? She means no harm? She harmed me earlier!

At anong one of the administrators? Paano naman nangyari 'yon? Did she fool the others? Or they really work together? It's more possible that she fooled them.

Or maybe she made way to the virtual dimension like Zero?

"I just wanted to welcome you back, Aurora Calytrix," dagdag pa niya.

Nagulat naman ako nang ngumisi ako?! "Callista, it is nice to meet you again," sabi ko?! What? It's like I'm being controlled by someone else. Is Rory controlling my body?

"Let me borrow your body for a while, Four. Callista is not someone you can defeat," wika ni Rory sa utak ko. Tama naman ang hula ko. I didn't know how to respond to her because I completely lost control over my body. It's like I'm in a dream.

"Didn't expect that you'd be alive again," sagot ni Callista. She raised her hand up, and then nimbostratus clouds appeared.

"Ano ibig sabihin nito, Four?" tanong ni Lein sa'kin. Hindi naman ako makasagot dahil sa pagtake-over ni Rory sa katawan ko.

"Stay back, everyone."

"What? Bakit? Ikaw ang magstay-back! Hindi ko pa gamay ang kapangya-" hindi na natuloy ang sasabihin ni Nicolas nang wala sa sarili akong humarap sa kanila. My hand swished and they flew way back.

Kasunod naman n'on ay napalibutan ako ng mga niyebe. It was whirling around me, like it was building a snow tornado around me. I held my breath when my feet rose from the ground. My hands unconsciously raised too.

Rory controlled my hands to cross each other and then the snows became fire.

Callista scoffed, "You are getting stronger than before, Aurora."

Mabigat naman ang paghinga ko. Sa panahong bumaba ang aking paa sa lupa, malakas na yumanig ang buong paligid. What the heal. Ganito ba ako ka-powerful?

"I'm not letting you ruin us again, Callista," sabi ko. In my hands, a sword formed and I dashed like lightning to Callista's side.

Nanlaki naman ang mata ko nang bigla siyang mawala, ngunit tila na-sense ni Rory kung s'an siya sunod na pupunta at mabilis na umikot paharap. The sword became a spear instantly, and it launched towards Callista's direction.

My feet slid back and I put my hand on the floor for support. Ay walang hiya. Pinag-tumbling ni Rory ang katawan ko, at mabilis na tumalon papunta sa side ni Callista.

I smirked devilishly, and arrows launced on top and on the side of Callista. Nanlaki ang mata ni Callista nang wala siyang makitang open side for escape.

Pero mas nagulat ako nang bigla siyang ngumisi nang malapad. Then before Rory and I could even make an attack, she taunted us.

"How about your friends, Aurora?"

Napasulyap naman ako sa direksyon nila, at nagulat nang mapalibutan sila ng niyebe na unti-unting nagiging yelo. Halos hindi sila makagalaw dahil sa lakas ng hangin. I felt Rory lose concentration.

"Clearly, virtual is different that real. Whatever strength they had in the virtual dimension would be hard to adapt in the reality," dagdag pa ni Callista. "They wouldn't be as strong as they were in the virtual dimension."

I seethed my teeth in anger, and then she managed to escape in my side. Napahawak ako sa braso ko nang maramdamang nadaplisan niya ako.

"You weren't able to defeat me then, Aurora. Nothing changed."

Pinanliitan ko siya ng mata, at tumakbo na ako sa mga kasamahan ko. I heard Rory's thought in my head, "We can't let them die too, Four. Let me borrow your blood."

Huh? Blood? Bakit- "Ah!" I screamed in pain when the cut in my waist became deeper because of my own hands.

Droplets of my own blood fell to the snow, and my eyes couldn't believe it when the snow where my blood dropped turned to water- as if my blood melted the snow and ice underneath.

"Seraphin," mahinang bulong ni Rory.

Napuno naman ang tainga ko ng tunog ng dagat at kulog. At sa isang iglap, nawala lahat ng niyebe at naging katubigan. But the more surprising thing is that we, except Callista, stood on the waters.

Like a miracle.

"W-what did you do?" halos nanginginig ang boses niya at lumangoy.

"I summoned Seraphin with my blood, Callista. I'm sure he'll be alarmed the moment he knows that I am alive.

Just like that, a whirlpool formed in my side. The water splashed and it revealed a man with light green hair, and sea green eyes.

Napatingin naman ako sa baba niya, ngunit nadismaya nang walang makitang hawig ng buntot ng isda, at sa halip ay normal na paa ang mayr'on siya.

Akala ko ba shokoy 'tong si Seraphin.

The Orphic Secret
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Sorry guys. Lutang ako.

Thank you for reading!