"Parang nagsisisi na agad ako, ah," mahinang bulong sa'kin ni Exiquel habang nakatingin kay Zeke. His eyes were piercing right through her, and at some time, mine too.

Kakagising niya lang at medyo badtrip pa dahil hindi niya alam kung nas'an kami. Upon receiving the mission, we immediately flee from our hometown. Si Illeasalis ang nag-lead sa'min, dahil siya naman ang nakakaalam kung saan talaga pupunta.

"Who are you, child?" tanong ni Ezekiel. He tried so hard to sound intimidating, but the gentleness of his voice can't be erased.

Illeasalis turned back and created a bouncy effect with her short brown hair. She smiled sweetly at Ezekiel, and held out a hand. "Hi! I'm sorry for earlier! I am Illeasalis, a creation of Seraphin!"

At the moment, their hands met, Ezekiel suddenly screamed. Tila ba nasunog ang kamay niya, at kaagad din namang sumigaw si Exiquel. "Hoy! Anong ginawa mo sa Kuya ko?!"

"I just transferred some memories through our handshake. Tinatamad kasi akong i-explain mula sa umpisa. Don't worry! It won't hurt him naman— just a little lang."

Akmang susugurin na ni Exiquel si Illea, kaya't hinablot ko ang kamay niya. Her head snapped towards me, and she rolled her eyes afterwards.

"Trip na trip si Kuya Zekiel ng batang 'yan, ah. Batukan ko sana," singhal niya— more like, parinig niya kay Illeasalis. Napailing nalang ako. I'm sure she'll warm up to her soon.

Nang sa wakas ay umayos na ang pakiramdan ni Ezekiel, tinanong niya agad si Illeasalis. "There's a possibility that we might meet some enemies, right?"

"Wow, ang bilis niyang ma-gets ang sitwasyon," bulong sa'kin ni Exiquel.

I chuckled. "Well, he's not like you, Exiquel. But of course, I still like you more."

Sinilip ko ang reaksyon niya at napatawa lalo nang mamula ang pisngi niya— hindi ko mawari kung dahil sa galit o kilig.

Illeasalis cleared her throat before speaking, "Yes, that is why we need to be aware and observant. The reason why I also not discussed the plan to you verbally, is because some might be spying on us."

Spy? Napatingin naman agad ako sa paligid. I looked up a tree and saw a weird shadow. I'm sure it wasn't a shadow of leaves or branches, it does not take up its shape.

Napaatras naman ako nang biglang gumalaw ang puno. Exiquel was manipulating it, so she must have seen the weird shadow too. My eyes squinted when I saw no one, yet the shadow was still there, moving— escaping from us.

"Shadow manipulation," Ezekiel implied. Matapos niyang sabihin 'yon, nawala siya at naki-isa sa hangin.

"Nagiging damo ka ba, mi amore?" Masamang damo? She rolled her eyes as an answer, then sarcastically smiled at me.

Tumikhim namang muli si Illeasalis. "Hindi 'to ang time para mag-flirt."

"Can I kill, Illea?" tanong ko. She looked at me with a confused expression. Nginitian ko lang siya, at tumango rin siya agad.

"Just don't kill everyone. We need to have at least one or two of them alive."

"Roger."

The air suddenly crackled with force, as Zeke and the shadow man began to combat with each other. Napansin kong mas dumami ang presensya sa paligid, so I slowly formed a sword with my ice powers. At dahil hindi ko ganoong kontrolado ang mahika ko, napalaki ang gawa kong blade. Pinalagutok ko muna ang leeg ko bago tumakbo sa isang banda.

"Zero!" I stopped in my tracks when Illeasalis called me. Napalingon ako, ngunit hindi siya nakatingin sa'kin. She was looking up, so I did too. Napasinghap ako nang makakita ng napakaraming phoenix na papunta sa direksyon kung saan kami dapat tutungo. They were soaring with such brazen fire. Quiet yet powerful.  Their fires almost outshined the sun.

"Wipe them out! We have no time!" The corner of my lips lifted when she ordered that.

"Xiquel! Zeke! Back off!" sigaw ko bago ko tuluyang gawing yelo ang paligid. Nakuha naman nila agad 'yon, at umatras agad. Their enemies immediately followed them, but gladly, dalawa lang 'yon. That would be easy for them to finish and kill.

Pinikit ko ang mata at hinawakan ang lupa. A powerful magic energy surged within my veins. The moment I opened my eyes, an enormous wave in a form of ice was before us. It almost covered the sunlight, making the forest darker than ever.

"Wow, wiped out nga!" Illea exclaimed with her eyes shining in astonishment. In a split of a second, her eyes turned serious again. She turned to both Exiquel and Ezekiel.

"Ezekiel, summon a horse or something fast that can lead us up there. Can you do that?"

Tumango naman siya, at sumipol agad. From above, a big eagle made from the wind appeared. Nang makababa 'yon, sinubukan siyang hawakan ni Illeasalis. "Oh, it's tangible!"

"Yes, of course. It is," tugon ni Zeke at umakyat sa air eagle. Halos magulo na ang buhok ko, ngunit napansin kong kanina pa palang inaayos ni Exiquel ang buhok niya. Napatawa nalang ako at hinawakan ang buhok niya para sa kaniya. I went behind her, and fixed her hair.

"Make a vine ponytail, so you won't have to fix it every now and then." Napalingon naman siya sa'kin at napangiti.

"Oo nga 'no. 'Di ko naisip 'yon. Salamat!" Then, from her hands a vine ponytail appeared. She handed it to me, so my eyebrow raised. After a while, I gladly took it. I just thought she would want to tie her hair on her own.

"Ano ba 'yan! May war tapos naglalandian kayo," narinig kong mahinang bulong ni Illeasalis. Zeke glanced at me with sharp eyes, and I just shrugged at him. After carefully tying her hair up for a bun, she turned to me and patted my back hard.

Pucha, ang sakit n'on, ah.

"Thanks ulit!" aniya bago tumalon papunta sa likod ni Illeasalis. Ako naman ang huling umakyat sa wind eagle. Napakaweird. Nakaupo sa hangin. Aish.

"How fast should we fly, Illea?" tanong ni Ezekiel habang nagsisimula nang lumipad pataas ang agila. It was slow and careful, and it flapped its wings loudly. From where we were lifted, a small wind tornado was formed.

"Fast enough to catch up with the Phoenixes."

"Noted."

Sumipol namang muli si Zeke, at tinapik ni Xiquel ang tuhod ko. "Kapit ka sa'kin, boi."

"Huh? Bakit nama— wHAT THE FUCK?!" mura ko nang biglang halos humiwalay ang kaluluwa ko sa katawan ko. Mabilis na nahablot ni Exiquel ang kamay ko.

"Sabi sa'yo."

I seethed my teeth because of the cold breeze and my hands shivered with Exiquel's touch. She chuckled when she noticed the wetness of my palms. Shet. Nakakahiya. Pasmado ako.

"I can see the Phoenixes, Illea. Can you see them?" Ezekiel asked. I ducked my head sidewards to take a look forward. But as expected, I didn't see it. Ezekiel has an exceptional eyesight, or maybe it's just because he can see through the clouds.

"No, I can't. You're so big kaya! Hindi ko masilip kung anong nasa unahan."

"Ano ba ang plano nating gawin? The Phoenixes are encircling something that I am not sure of. Para bang pinipigilan nila ang kahit sino na makadaan sa lugar na 'yon."

"Then they must be encircling the portal. We are currently outnumbered, so the best way to defeat them is by staying back for now. I'll call for reinforcements."

Exiquel scoffed. "There are still some people down below, guarding the center of this forest— or the portal."

Napatingin naman ako sa baba ngunit wala naman akong nakitang mga tao. Hetong magkapatid na 'to, hindi ko rin maintindihan 'eh. Bigla-bigla nalang nalinaw ang mata hanep.

"Well, that would be a problem," ani Illeasalis.

"Can't I just wipe them out like what I did earlier?"

"No. Masyado kang makaka-attract ng atensyon. It's safer to defeat them silently."

I sighed because of her answer. Ezekiel, then, turned the air eagle around and dived deep into the forest.

"We'll land somewhere distant from them. Then, I'll lure some people to our position. In that way, hindi masyadong maririnig ng ibang tao kapag nakikipag-away tayo." Naks, talino talaga ng brother-in-law ko.

"Wait. There's someone approaching us," saad ni Ezekiel at tumigil bigla sa pagpapalipad. Napansin kong naging tense ang kaniyang balikat, kaya naman napatanong si Exiquel.

"Ano 'yon, Kuya?"

We all heard his loud gulp. "More Phoenixes."

And in a blink of an eye, a large fire was already approaching us. From the distance, I could already sense the heat. It was so… unusual and powerful. Buong buhay ko, ngayon ko lang naramdaman ang gan'yang init! I bet this will be enough to burn us to ashes.

"What the Phoenix?!"

The Zero Curse
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Thank you for reading!