NARRATOR'S POV

Deep within the depths of a forsaken realm, a desolate and shadowed domain of the abyssal shadows called Azure Isle. This is a dark place that is hidden in the unsure place, a forebonding fortress hidden in a realm of perpetual darkness. The place is covered in mist and has no light, creating dark and unsettling atmosphere.

Sitting on a shiny black throne decorated with mysterious symbols and surrounded by the forbidden plants that was recorded in the ancient history, it's a dark violet plants. It is the main source of energy of the abyssal shadows aside from absorbing negative emotions from the people. The Overlady commands attention. She wears long, flowing black robes that seem to move on their own. Her eyes are intense and glow like burning coals, contrasting with her pale skin and long, black hair.

With a voice that can be both alluring and dangerous, the Overlady effortlessly controls dark magic or sorcery. She can summon twisting shadows to do her bidding. Every movement she makes is a full of manipulation and cunning.

The Overlady of the Abyssal Shadow represent darkness itself, causing chaos and seeking ultimate power. Her quest for dominance spreads fear and despair throughout the realm. She has an army of shadowy followers who obey her every command.

She stands from her throne and absorb the negative emotions from the person she used as the host to gather negative emotions from the people who were blinded by hatred and anger. Tumawa siya ng malakas matapos niyang ma absorb lahat ng iyon. The more she consumes, the more her power grows, and the more she solidifies her hold over the realm. The overlady is cunning, she used the host to lure people outside where she feeds on their negative emotions, hatred, anger, and sorrow.

Nanghina ang host after she consumes the gathered emotions.

"go out and gather more dark energy!" she said as she throw the host outside the domain in one swift.

Tumawa siya ng malakas habang pinapakiramdam ang malakas ng enerhiyang dumadaloy sa kanyang katawan.

"Maximus." She called.

"Overlady." Mabilis na reply sa kanya ng isang lalaki who came out from nowhere.

"how's the thing I entrusted you to do."

"please spare my life, Overlady. I-I lost track of her."

"Imprudent!" malakas na sigaw ng overlady at isang hampas ng kanyang kamay ay lumipad na si Maximus at humampas sa bato na pader.

Nanghihina at pilit nitong binagon ang sarili at muling bumalik sa pagkakaluhod at nakayuko ang mga ulo habang tinatanggap ang galit ng Overlady.

"I told you monitor her! Track every places she would go! Clear every possible things that make her her way to meet the king of Izacaetopia!"

Huminga ng malalim ang Overlady at kinalma ang sarili. Tinalikuran si Maximus na nasa ganong pwesto pa rin.

"Genevieve, Genevieve" she said habang umiiling-iling.

She played the forbidden plants infront of her.

"I've been helping you to change your destiny, but what did you. Looks like it's not my subordinates fault to lost you. It's your destiny that is working to lure you in your doomed. But I still care for your safety, getting close to the King will only take your life again after being revived."

She laughed like a witch.

"I know you'll thank me one day by sealing your spiritual essence so no one can recognized you, even how much you look like the Queen. Your face didn't change, but your essence is just a normal living being. They won't recognized you as the Queen. As I sealed your spiritual essence, you past memories also dissipated. HAHAHAHA!"

Her laughs interupted when her another trusted soldier came out from nowhere to report.

"Overlady!"

"What!?" galit sa sigaw ng Overlady.

Tumingin muna ang bagong dating sa kanina pang nakaluhod na Maximus. Binigyan niya ito ng nang-aasar na ngisi. Sila ang dalawang kanang kamay ng Overlady, pero ni minsan ay hindi sila nagkasundo.

"Alam ko na kung nasaan ngayon ang Queen of Izacaetopia. Nakapasok na siya ng Palasyo at nagkita na sila ng Hari!"

"Another stupid!" pagalit na sigaw ng Overlady.

"Please calm down, Overlady! May good news pa rin akong dala hindi katulad ng isa diyan." Pag mamayabang niya kay Maximus.

"I found you the best dark energy to nourish your power. Nagawa kong makapasok ng palasyo, at ito ang nahanap ko."

He presents infront of the Overlady the purple energy on his palm. It symbolizes a deep negative emotions. The sorrows of a person who endures a lifetime of unrelenting isolation and abandonment. Who loses the person they cared and love the most. But this one, it's from a person who lost 5 person that is important to her from one after another, she's been blaming herself and accepting those insult from her mother and trying to reconnect with her even though she's been abandoning her. She has a younger brother. Tinutulungan pa rin niya ang kanyang ina na buhayin ang nakababatang kapatid kahit hindi siya nito tinanggap ulit sa pamilya. Her 3 sisters and 2 brothers died because of her.

Natuwa ang Overlady at para itong gutom na nakakita ng masarap na pagkain at bago sa kanyang paningin. Wala siyang sinayang na oras kaya inabsorb niya ito.

Tumigin siya kay Maximus at pinatayo.

"I'll give you another order to atone for your mistakes. You may leave for now, I will call you at any moment."

"masusunod, Overlady."

Nang parehong nakalabas ang dalawang lalaki ay nagkaroon ng tension sa pagitan nila. Napaclose fist si Maximus at kinompronta ang lalaki.

"what cunning tricks you did again, Victor!?"

Napangisi ang lalaki na tinawag na Victor.

"I just did some small tricks to enter in the palace. Ang just happened to saw her lurking around."

Maximus greeted his teeth.

"ipapaalala ko lang sayo, don't do stupid things to hurt her. Remember.." naglakad siya at mas lumapid kay Victor.

"She...is...the Saintess. She's still our Saintess, the daughter of Overlady. Harming her should not for you to do. If the Overlady wants to harm her, then she'll do it herself. Kung hindi man ay iuutos niya iyon. Pero hanggang wala parin siyang sinasabi. I'll keep my eyes on you, if you'll make a move behind the Overlady's back then ako ang makakalaban mo." Mahinang sabi ni Maximus ngunit may pagbabanta.

GENEVIEVE'S POV

Nilibot ko ang room na binigay sa akin.

Woah! Alam kong simpleng room lang na bakante ito sa palasyo pero ang gara na. Paano pa kaya kung room mismo ng mga royals.

I remember the fortress I saw noong bago ako nahuli ng mga kawal. I saw a fortress surrounded by flowers. Alam kong walang nagmamay-ari don dahil ang mga bulaklak ay tuyo na at wala nang kahit isang dahon. Kapag ito ay naalagaan ng mabuti ay siguradong lalabas ang tunay na ganda ng fortress. Siyempre hindi ko makalimutan ang pangalan ng fortress na yun, sa taas ay nakasulat ang Crystaline Hall.

Nabanggit ko iyon kay Lucius, I told him that I want to claim my own space here at the palace compound. Akala ko tatawanan niya ako pero seryoso siyang sumagot. "It's not hard for a gifted person like you to claim your own place here. But it's not that simple. You'll risk your life for that place you wish to have. You need to have the most dangerous expedition as your contribution in the palace to claim the place you want."

And those contribution he said is to help in subduing the abyssal shadows.

Nakarinig ako ng gulo at ingay ng mga kawal sa labas ng kwarto. Lumabas ako para tignan kung anong nangyayari. Saktong pagkalabas ko ay isang grupo ng mga kawal ang nagmamadaling maglakad, pinapangunahan iyon ni Lucius.

Lumabas ako ng kwarto saka patakbong sumabay sa kanya. Malalaki ang bawat hakbang at mukhang may masamang nangyari sa labas ng main palace.

"what are you doing here!?" pagalit na tanong niya sakin pero hindi ko iyon pinansin.

"anong meron?" tanong ko.

Hindi na niya ako pinagtabuyan kaya sumabay ako sa malalaking hakbang niya. Lumingon ako sa likod at nakita ang mga seryosong mukha ng mga kawal na sumusunod sa amin, I mean, kay Lucius pala.

"someone created a chaos in Pirouette Hall." Seryosong sagot niya.

Pirouette Hall?

Nang marealize ay patakbo na akong nauna sa kanila. Rinig na rinig ko ang malalakas na kabog ng dibdib ko. Pagkarating ko doon ay sa bungad pa lang ay mga wala nang buhay ng mga pamilyar mukha ang nakita ko. Parang napako ang paa ko sa lupa dahil sa nakita. Those dancers I was once associated with even for an hour in my life, lying lifeless in this ground.

"you okay?" hinawakan ako sa balikat ni Lucius nang makalapit dahil parang matutumba na ako sa panghihina.

"They are an innocent ordinary people." bulong ko pero alam kong narinig iyon ni Lucius.

"Search the whole area! Look for any survivor!" utos niya sa mga kawal.

Naluluhang lumingon ako sa kanya.

"Lucius. I thought the palace is the most guarded place. A safe place for us who can't defend ourselves." Naiiyak na sabi ko.

He eyes twitched. I saw how he bite his cheeks inside. Napahigpit din ang pagkakahawak niya sa balikat ko pero agad din itong kumalma.

Lumayo siya sa akin at tinuon ang tingin sa mga kawal na abala sa pagchecheck sa mga nakahandusay.

"There is no safe place in this chaotic world." He said shortly.

Pero sa huli ay bumulong siya.

"but as long as I am alive, I'll do every means to be as the safe place of the people I want to protect."

I smiled. He's the knight indeed. A knight who can exchange his life for the life of others.

I snap nang may naalala ako.

"Mariff!" I shouted.

Hinanap ko sa lahat ng mga bangkay na andito pero wala akong mahanap. I hope she's still alive. sana nagawa pa niyang tumakas.

"Genevieve!" sigaw ni Lucius mula sa malayo. Sinenyasan niya akong lumapit.

At habang papalapit ay nakita ko kung ano ang tinitignan nila.

Nang makita kung sino iyon ay nanghina ang tuhod ko. I almost fell on the ground kung hindi lang ako inalalayan ng isang pulang enerhiya na bumalot sa akin. I just realized who is it when Lucius and the others fix their posture and bowed. It's the King.

When I manage to stand again, the king effortlessly walk towards the body of Mariff.

Napatingin ako kay Lucius. He gave me an ekspresyon like he's telling something but I can't read what it is. Nang makita niyang diko magets ang gusto niyang sabihin ay hinila niya ako sa likod ng Hari papunta sa tabi niya.

Saka ko lang napansin na katabi ko lang pala ang hari at sa kanan ay si Lucius. And an ordinary person like me is not appropriate to stand beside the powerful king. Swerte ko na lang dahil hindi iyon pinansin ng Hari.

We check the lifeless body of Mariff. She's holding the dagger she want to give me. At sa dagger na iyon ay may tinta ng kulay berdeng dugo.

Hindi ko iyon pinansin dahil wala doon ang atensiyon ko kundi nasa maliit na papel na nakasiksik sa may dibdib niya.

The king used his power to lift the dagger with out barely touching it.

"It looks like she manage to hurt the killer before it killed her life. This is a blood from a person who was possess by an Abyssal Shadow." Saad ni Lucius.

Hindi na ako nakinig sa usapan nila nang nagsquat ako para kunin ang papel na kanina ko pa tinititigan.

May nakasulat. Binasa ko iyon.

"Alam kong hindi na ako makakalabas ng buhay dito. Kung may makabasa man ng sulat na ito, kahit itong huling kahilingan ko lang sana ang matupad. Maibalik man lang ang dagger sa aking ina."

Tumayo ako at hinarap si Lucius.

"Lucius--! Ay tipaklong!" sumalampak ang pwet ko sa lupa dahil sa impact ng pagkakabangga ko sa isang matigas na bagay. Este, sa dibdib pala ng Hari. Sheeet... bakit kasi siya nasa likod ko. San na ba si Lucius. Gusto ko pang mabuhay.

Pero parang ang mga tingin naman ni Lucius ang papatay sa akin. Mga nakamamatay na tingin niya with a 'what the hell did you do' look.

Walang ekspresyon na tinignan lang ako ng Hari. Naglakad siya at nilagpasan ako. Napatingin ako sa mga kawal na kasama namin, nakatagilid man ang ulo nila pero alam kong ayaw lang nilang makatanggap ng parusa kapag naki usyoso sila sa Hari. 

...........
Correction po. Azure Isle is the name of the domain of Abyssal Shadow. Pag may nabasa po kayong stygian citadel ang nakalagay please let me know para maedit ko agad. Thank you's!