EXIQUEL's POINT OF VIEW

Kabado akong tumayo sa harap ni Phoenicia. Nakagat ko pa ang dila ko habang iniisip kung pa'no ko sisimulan ang sasabihin ko. I knew she has contact with Zero's mother, Callista. Hindi ko gusto na makipag-usap sa kaniya, pero ngayon, kailangan na.

"What is it, Exiquel?" she asked, calmly, almost without any emotions.

Inangat ko ang tingin ko, at pilit na itinago ang kaba. "Callista, the one from the other realm. Puwede ko ba siyang makausap?"

"Callista...?" sambit niya na tila inaalala kung sino 'yon. "Ah, the one who told me about the other realms. Paano mo naman siya nakilala?"

"I heard," mabilis kong sagot. Nanlaki ang mata ko nang mapagtanto ang sinabi ko kaya't kaagad akong bumawi. "Before. She's Zero's mother."

She mouthed an 'oh' and smirked at me. "Bakit mo naman siya gustong makausap? You're gonna tell her about your lover? She probably won't care."

Marahas akong umiling, at pinigilan ko pa ang irap ko. Bakit ba 'tong babaeng 'to, assuming? Akala ata niya sa lOvE lang umiiral mundo ko. Duh. Siya lang naman ang gan'on.

Pero hipokrita ko naman, dahil totoong para kay Zero ang ginagawa ko.

"I think she can help me in practicing my spells," tugon ko. "Besides, she has experience of traveling from realm to realm. It would be best to talk to her."

Saglit na natigilan si Phoenicia at tumingin sa'kin. She seems convinced, but I'm still not sure. Feeling ko talaga isang maling galaw ko, deads na ako.

Pero joke lang kasi alam kong kailangan n'ya ako. Hindi niya ako pwedeng patayin, duh. Pero pahirapan, kaya n'ya— as if naman hahayaan ko.

"She's not easy to talk to," Phoenicia stated, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hindi ko rin sigurado kung willing siyang tumulong sa'yo. But why not? I'll set up a meeting for the two of you."

"Where?" I asked.

"Wherever she wants to," sagot niya. "I don't know where she is right now, but I guess I could reach her."

Nanliit naman ang mata ko. Nauuto ko na ba talaga si Phoenicia? O ako ang nauuto? She'll really do efforts to make me meet Callista. Not that I'm complaining... it's just so suspicious.

"I-I'll take my leave," ani ko, at hindi na hinintay ang sasabihin pa n'ya. Hinayaan naman niya akong umalis.

Kahit na gusto kong kausapin ngayon si Zero, mas mabuting hindi na muna.

Who knows? Phoenicia might hear my words.

°°°°°°

Two days after, I was instructed to go here. The Third Forest. One of the forests that lead to the Phoenix Well. Nasanay na ako sa init na dala ng mga Phoenixes kaya't hindi na bago sa'kin ang temperatura rito.

Napangiwi ako nang may dumaang Phoenix sa taas ko. Malakas akong napabuntung-hininga at pinaypayan ang sarili ko. If I were to be reborn, I would definitely not wish to be a Phoenix!

Napatingin naman ako sa baba, at nanliit ang mata nang may napansing kakaiba. I reached down and carefully parted the grass, so I can see what's beneath. Puzzled, I peer in to see ice mists on the grass. Then, it follows a strange pattern along the ground—almost like a line or symbol.

No... this is a spell, I suddenly realized.

Lumuhod ako, kuryos na kuryos sa ice mists. My finger brushes the mists and a blurry image comes into my mind. A lady casting spells. Glowing ice mists. Symbols. Skull. Blood.

Napadiretso ang tayo ko nang makaramdam ng takot sa nakita. I gulped the feeling of fear within me. Anong nakita ko? Bakit ko nakita 'yon?

Kahit na may takot, naglakad ako at sinundan ang pattern ng ice mists. Sa bawat hakbang ko'y tila umaangat ang mga ice mists. Nakalutang na ang ilan sa ere kaya't nasisiguro kong isa nga 'tong spell.

Callista did this.

I let out a slow, careful breath. "I am Exiquel, the witch who can chant spells without a grimoire."

From afar, I heard a soft chuckle. Pinikit ko ang mata ko, at dahil puro puno, nalaman ko agad kung nas'an siya. My head snapped towards her direction, and I saw her little smile. Napaawang ang labi ko nang makita ang resemblance niya kay Zero. They had the same aura— the cool and chilly aura.

"Callista," mahinang sambit ko. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"It is?" pag-uulit niya. "I don't think you've come here to exactly learn from me, Exiquel."

I stifle a grunt. She was intimidating, it looks like she knew what I was exactly for; nevertheless, I smiled. "I heard you're from another realm. Gusto ko sanang malaman ang spell para makapunta sa realm na 'yon. I've been practicing to open a portal, but I still struggle."

"Oh, talaga ba?" nang-aasar na tanong niya. Sipain kita d'yan, eh. "The realm that I came from is the realm of Souls— of the dead. Once you enter the realm, you cannot exit. Are you aware of that, Exiquel?"

Tumango naman ako. "I am."

"Then why do you want to learn?" tanong niya, ngayo'y nagtataka. Nagtaka naman din ako bigla dahil akala ko'y alam niya.

"I'm not exactly going to the realm. As I said to Phoenicia, I wanted to practice."

"The gates of Summerland doesn't open just to anyone. Kahit sa'kin, hindi na siya gumagana— one of the reasons why I cannot go back to my realm."

Pinigilan kong mapasinghap. Napalunok ako sa ideya na... maaaring hindi makabalik si Zero sa mortal realm. He'll forever be stucked in Summerland.

"Hindi rin sigurado kung kailan makakapunta ang isang tao sa Summerland. It may take a day, a week, a month, or a year. Even a decade," she added, making me tremble more.

"So, are you sure, Exiquel?" she asked, but there was sincerity in her voice. I could almost hear a hint of worry.

"I know you want to learn it for Zero," she added. "I was sent in the mortal world for a purpose, and I cannot escape my fate."

"But before I become a villain in your lives, maybe... maybe I can help you. Maybe I can do something for my son."

"W-what?" Hindi ko napigilang sambit. Before she becomes a villain in our lives?

"I was sent here to save my realm, Summerland. And the only way to save it is steal lives of mortals— which will happen if the Blood Fest succeeds. If it fails, then I would have to act on my own accord. Hindi rin ako makakabalik hangga't hindi ko nagagawa 'yon."

"Why don't you explain it to them? So they wouldn't hate you?" I asked.

She sighed. "It will be useless. Makakalimutan mo rin na nangyari 'to."

Napataas agad ang kilay ko. I took a step back when she approached me, so she stopped.

"Medeis Regno. Stellae de caelo, oculus universum. Immites potuit flectere praebueris in spatio et tempore. Ex chao et mundi. Ex realm veniebat ad auras. Portis regione producis animas," she suddenly spoke.

"What does the chant mean?" tanong ko.

She heaved a sigh before answering, "Magical Realms. Stars of the skies, eyes of the universe. Lend me the power to bend time and space. From chaos to cosmos. From realm to realms. Bring forth the gates to the realm of souls."

"Magical realms?" tanong ko.

She nodded and handed me a paper where the chant was written. "Remember the chant. I learned it from the Astrals and Celestials, the omniscient beings above us. They are also the people who can reach cosmos— the source of eternal power," paliwanag niya.

"Omniscient? So, nakikita nila ang lahat?" tanong ko. "And why are there people above us? Are they also above the creators like Lucifer, Red, Sinclair, Alpha, and Seraphin?"

"It is forbidden to speak of them, but I'm telling you this, since it will be forgotten soon," she answered. "Cosmos was the one who gave birth to the creators of every realm, and the one who gives us power. Our fate and purpose is determined by the Celestials. The Astrals are the ones who overlooks."

"Medeis Regno is the term for all realms created. I'm still unsure with the number of realms, but... we are all connected," dagdag niya. "Iyan lang ang alam ko."

Wala sa sarili akong napatingin sa langit. Are there really people... watching us?

"Cast the spell in this place, and lead Zero to the center," she said. "Hopefully, it will work and he'd be able to reach Summerland."

Tumango ako at nakuha na kung anong gagawin. Tumingin ako sa baba at napagtantong ang ice mists ay galing sa spell na 'yon. Hindi nga lang gumana dahil hindi na s'ya pwedeng gawin ni Callista. The Cosmos forbade her to do so.

"Is cosmos a person? And why would this be forgotten?" Huling tanong ko.

"The Astrals would probably erase this from your memory. About Cosmos, hindi ko rin alam 'yan, Exiquel. All I know is that it is the source of all power."

"I'm going to take my leave. May Cosmos bless you with power, and if it does, then I made the right decision."

The Zero Curse
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

:") I'm just teasing you about Medeis Regno which would be written after five years or less :") Medeis Regno is like the Avengers Universe, kaya masusulat ko siya after ko masulat lahat ng realms. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko pa rin sure kung ilang realms pa ba ang mayr'on HAHAHAHHA.

Skl, chronological order ng nangyari sa buong series:
1. Phoenix Academy flashbacks = The Zero Curse prequel parts
2. The Orphic Secret
3. The Zero Curse sequel parts (wala pa 'to, isusulat palang)
4. Phoenix Academy
5. Aerilon Academy
6. Discovering Summerland

Ayon, so I'm telling you, Academies of Realms isn't your typical Academy stories. Stories are all interconnected.

Thank you for reading!