"what do you mean?" nagtatang tanong ko.

Lumayo siya sa akin. After ng ilang segundo ay may lumitaw na parang screen sa harapan ko.

There a vague scene in there. Isang buntis na babae na sa hula ko ay iisa sila ng overlady.

Lumapit din si Maximus para makita ang nangyayari. Maging siya ay hindi rin alam ito.

"Watch it carefully so you'll know how cruel your King is to you while you're still a fetus." She said at bigla na lang naglaho kaya naiwan kami ni Maximus dito.

Napakunot ako sa sinabi niya.

"what does she mean?" tanong ko kay Maximus na nakatayo sa tabi ko habang ako ay nakaupo pa rin dito sa kama.

"maybe we can find the answer to your question in this flashback of memories, my saintess." He said at finocus ang sarili don sa nasa harap namin.

Nagkibit balikat na lang ako at pinanood iyon.

Mas naintriga ako nang makita ang lalaki na medyo malabo noon sa memory ko na pinakita ng mythical tree.

They are arguing.

"you can't do this to us! Evander!" pagmamakaawa niya don sa lalaki.

"we're over, Morgana! Leave here in my palace and just give me that child once she was born!"

"No! Evander! I can't raise her alone! you promise me to make me your Queen!"

"that was before! But you're whole damn clan submitted to King Dion! If you can persuade them to submit to me, maybe I can still spare you!" sigaw ng lalake at tinulak ang babae na may kalakihan na ang tiyan."

Sapo-sapo ang tiyan at nanghihina na pumasok siya sa kaharian ni King Dion.

In a flash transition, nasa harap siya ni King Dion. Nakaluhod at iniinda ang sakit ng tiyan. Bilib ako sa bata na nasa sinapupunan niya. She's still hanging on even the mother endures so much hardship.

"I am begging you. Help my baby, your majesty!"

Medyo bata pa rito ang mukha ni King Dion pero mas seryoso at nakakatakot tumingin.

Walang pakialam na tingin ang iginawad niya sa babae na halos halikan na ang semento sa pagyuko sa kabila ng malaking tiyan.

"what are you planning again? Evander is cunning enough to send you here for your another purpose?"

Umiling-iling ang babae.

"Your majesty, I only want you to help my baby. W-walang kinalaman ang kung ano mang plano ni Evander sa gulo niyo. H-he already abandoned me the moment my clan surrendered to you." She said while crying.

"Then why are you here? you should go back to your clan and ask them for help since healing is your esxpertise."

Tumayo ang Hari at tinalikuran ang babae.

"M-my baby! My baby....already didn't have pulse! I am the saintess of my clan but I can't even save her! I can only let her stay and cling on my womb. B-because I am still hoping that you can save her. You majesty! I'm begging you!"

Parang hindi siya narinig ng hari. Ni hindi man lang hinarap.

Nagsalita yung lalaking nasa tabi ng Hari. Is he the former Knight? Lucius father?

"his majesty is not a god to revive a lifeless body. You better accept it. your child can't be save anymore."

"my child is still alive. she can still make it if his majesty can used his spirit core to save her! Please, your majesty! I'm begging you!"

"how dare you asked for his spirit core! you're just an ordinary woman and why will he give it to her!?"

"I am not asking the whole spirit core. I only need a tiny piece to save her! Your majesty! You claimed to protect all your people why can't you protect my child!"

"because that child is not my responsibility! Not even under my nose! go back and ask your husband, Evander, to help you!" sigaw ng Hari.

Another scene came through.

It's already midnight at umuulan ngunit nasa gitna ng kagubatan at tumatakbo habang hawak-hawak ang tiyan. At sa kabilang kamay ay may hawak siyang isang halaman. The ancient purple plant?

Tumakbo siya ng tumakbo, pilit na tumatakas sa mga humahabol sa kanya.

Itinakas niya ang over power healing plants na nasa underground ng Serendell. She's the saintess and she knows na bawal itong gamitin ng kahit sino kaya ito nilagay sa underground pero ginamit niya ang kanyang title as a saintess para makuha at maitakas ito. Nalaman ng mga elders ang ginawa niya kaya pinapahanap na siya ngayon.

Nanghihina siyang nagtago sa isang malaking ugat ng puno.

"forgive me. I can't think of any solution right now. Even the so called powerful and upright king can't even help me. I only have to do this chance. If my child will stay in my womb without pulse, I might lose the chance to save her."

She did some incantation ang gestures until she created a black magic. The purple plants reacted to it na parang mas nabubuhay ito dahil don sa ginawa niya. The purple plants gradually releases a dark energy.

She saws it at natuwa siya rito.

"finally! Finally!"

Walang pagdadalawang isip na inabsorb niya ang dark energy.

Napasigaw siya ng malakas habang nilalamon siya ng dark energy.

She's now carying a crying baby in her arms.

Tuwang-tuwa ito nang makitang nailabas niya ng buhay ang bata. "I will name you Genevieve Ashbourne."

Pero biglang naging itim ang mata ng babae at nakita ang future ng kanyang anak.

Pati iyon ay nagpakita sa screen na pinapanood namin. I saw a flash memories where she stabbed King Evander, her father to death. No, I might say, my father. So that baby is me? I killed my father?

Muling bumalik sa eksena kung saan biglang bumalik sa dating kulay ng mata ang babae. My mother?

"so you're destined to kill your own father huh? then I might give you to him. I believe you. I hope you can avenge your mother for me. You can avenge us. I'll get you back after I settled everything."

Bitbit sa braso na nasa harap siya ni King Evander.

"you told before that I will give her to you once she was born. Promise me to take care of her."

Kinuha ni King Evander ang baby. Pero hindi pa siya nakontento.

The moment he get the baby, sinaksak niya sa tiyan ang babae. "you're role is done. You're asking me before why I am abandoning you right? Because I didn't even think of being with you. I only want a descendant from the blood of a saintess of the Serendell clan. The powerful healers. But now that I got what I want, you don't need to live now. Since your whole clan is hunting you because of what you did, why not die today right? I am only helping you." He smirked.

She smiled bitterly and her soul slowly scattered.

But it's not yet her end. Her soul gradually gathered again in a cave where the purple plant are.

Because of the strong dark energy the plant is releasing, it helps her soul to regain her body again.

Tumawa siya ng tumawa. Mukhang planado na niya na lahat ng ito that's why she left a fragments of her core energy in the plants to be nourish by dark energy. So when the time that her body will perished, there is still a chance to regain it.

"My saintess, are you okay?"

Narealize kong lumuluha na pala ako.

"Maximus."

"my saintess."

"all of this means that I am your overlady's daughter? That means I am carying the blood of an Abyssal Shadow?" nanginginig na boses na tanong ko sa kanya.

"yes, my saintess. But, you do not entirely have the blood of abyssal shadow. Abyssal shadow is not inborn thing. It depends on the person of what he or she wants to be. It's a choice. It's not labeled by blood."

"you choose to be evil?" tiningala ko siya dahil nakatayo pa rin siya sa tabi ko.

Napalunok siya at umiwas ng tingin.

"Actually not every abyssal shadow is that evil. Can't you understand your mother who became evil because of the people who claimed to be righteous?"

Tumingin siya sa akin pero ako naman itong yumuko.

Huminga siya ng malalim at naglakad para medyo lumayo sa akin ng konti.

"I followed her since the whole Izacaetopia resurrected. I was still a boy back then when I almost fell into a cliff. Your mother is still recuperating in a cave near that cliff. She saved me despite of being weak because she consumed too much dark energy and she needs to refine it to regain her vitality. That day, I submitted my life to her. I owe her my life. I know she's doing evil things but as I grow older, I learned that she was just doing all of those things to save one person, not because of greediness and revenge."

Natahimik ako at maging siya. Nang maramdam kong wala na yata siyang sasabihin ay tumingala ako mula sa pagkakayuko.

"to save me? that one person is me?"

Tumango-tango siya.

I laughed bitterly.

"just to save me, she needs to kill and absorbs innocent people energy? Just t save me she needs to sacrfice a hundreds life just for one life!?"

"everyone has their own difficulties, my saintess. if there is a person who can sacrifice one life for a hudreds life, your mother can sacrifce that hundreds of life for one life. Every humans has a difficulties even evils and innocents."

Umiling-iling ako.

"but difficulties can't the reason for wrongdoings!"

"there is no right or wrong, my saintess. only the different perspectives of one's mind."

Natigil ang discussion namin nang may isang nilalang ang humahangos na dumating. His not an ordinary human. His ears are long.

"What's wrong?" tanong ni Maximus.

"si Victor! Nagwalala sa Infernal Asylum!"

"wait!" paghihinto ko kay Maximus nang paalis na sana siya.

"my saintess. Stay here."

Umiling ako.

"I want to come with you. Since you're planning to cage me here in this isolated palace, I want to know more about this place." The moment I entered in this place, alam kong hindi na nila ako papalabasin. Idagdag pa na hindi ko magamit dito ang kapangyarihan ko. Something is blocking vitality to use it.

"Bahala na! listen my Saintess. Victor is the cunning one who wants to kill you and he's the one who bribe those two abyssal shadow in the main gate to torture you. He's been wanting to kill you. Be conscious if you saw him. Let's go!"

Nagmadali kaming pumunta sa Infernal Asylum dungeon. Pagkarating namin ay nagwawala nga siya.

Nang makita si Maximus ay ngumisi siya.

"The overlady ordered to release me this day. How can you go against her words! Are you really planning to betray her!"

Napatingin siya sa akin na nasa likod ni Maximus at tinitigan.

Mas lumaki ang ngisi niya at tiningnan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa saka tumawa ang malakas.

"you're still alive?" pang-aasar nya.

Lumingon siya kay maximus.

"you managed to save her huh? of course you're afraid that the ovelady might blame you if something will happened to her. Since i was lock up here, she won't think of me hurting the saintess. Ikaw lang naman ng malaya sa ating dalawa. HAHAHA"

"Right. And you'll never be free again. Just stay here and cherish your life until you lost your breathe." Pang-aasar din ni Maximus sa kanya.

Palipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa kanilang dalawa. Hindi ba talaga sila magkasundo?

They work for one person but they are fighting behind of their master's back.

Nagngalaiti sa galit si Victor at halos gustong sirain ang bakal para sugurin si Maximus pero steady lang siya na nakatayo.

"I will kill you the moment I will be release here! I will kill both of you!"

Maximus step forward to face him more.

"kill me first before you can kill her. But before that, be sure that you can escape from this bars!"

"damn you, Maximus! I will surely kill her first before you! HAHAHA----ualakhksdnj!"

Nagulat kaming lahat nang bumalibag siya sa sementong pader at isang nag-aapoy sa galit na overlady ang nakasakal na kanya.

"Ovvherlkladdyyk" halos hindi na siya makahiga.

Napalunok ako.

Mas dumikit ako kay Maximus at mukhang napansin niya iyon kay lumingon siya sa akin.

"don't worry, my saintess. she's your mother and she won't let anyone hurt you not even hurting you herself."

Hindi ko pinansin ang sinabi niya nang dahan dahang naglupasay sa sahig si Victor sa pagkawala ng hininga.

The overlady is gradually absorbing his dark energy.

"n-no.." mahinang sabi ni Victor habang nawawalan siya ng hininga kasabay ng pagkaubos ng kanyang enerhiya. Hanggang sa tuluyan na siyang naging parang bula na unti-unting naglaho.

Pinapanood lang namin ang nangyari. Yung isang kasama namin ay halos nanginginig na sa takot.

She didn't turn her face to face us. Tanging likod lang niya ang nakikita namin hanggang sa natapos niyang i-absorbs lahat ng dark energy ni Victor.

"spread this, Maximus. Everyone must treat her well while I am recuperating or they will end up like Victor." Malamig na pagkakasabi niya.

Bigla siyang naglaho. She didn't even face me.