chapter five;
deep waters

—

KALLISTO Artem St. Auclain.

He wasn't really someone who was prominently shown in the novel. Halos iilang beses lang nabanggit ang pangalan na 'yon. Pero tandang-tanda ko pa rin sa mga panaginip ko ang hitsura niya at lalong-lalo na ang mga matang taglay niya.

He was taller than Azazel and his body was ripped but it wasn't as muscular as brutes. Unlike Azazel who was tanned, intimidating and beast-looking, this man was pale as snow, and he had that mysterious and entrancing air within him. Someone who wasn't easy to read, but also someone you wouldn't really notice in the crowd because of how placid and how concealing his aura was.

He was known for his eyes, because of how unusual it was in this world. It always gave off that enigmatic and inexplicable feeling whenever it'd gaze at you. They said that it was more dangerous looking than Azazel's crimson eyes.  

Pero hindi lang kilala sa kulay ng mga mata si Kallisto. Kung hindi dahil sa tawag sa kanya ng ibang Kingdom at ng Elysia. With his image you'd think that the man was on par with Azazel, but no.

Kallisto Artem St. Auclain. The Weakest Abyss.

Pero bago ko isipin ang kumplikadong background nitong lalaking nakatingin sa akin. Mukhang kailangan ko munang sagipin 'yong sarili ko sa kahihiyan. I closed my eyes and bit my lower lip.

Sabi ko na ba talaga may radar ang mga tao rito ng kahihiyan ko, eh! Feeling ko uso na ang CCTV sa panahong 'to pagkatapos ta-timing-an nila ang pagpasok dito para makikita nila ng live 'yong kahihiyan ko!

Masaya 'yon? Masaya 'yon?!

Halos takpan ko na ang buong mukha ko sa kahihiyan.

"What the hell are you doing?" He couldn't help but voice out seeing me.

I pressed my lips together and rolled over to one side and to another. "Hehehe. I was cleaning, you know. You need to keep things clean." Damn! Gusto ko na lang kainin ng lupa!

Pero dahil nga minsan wala sa hulog 'yong lakas ng loob ko. Gumulong-gulong pa ulit ako para i-demonstrate sa kanya 'yong sinasabi ko. Papangatawanan na natin 'yong kahihiyan, tutal nandito na ako sa gantong sitwasyon.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Uh, hehe," I laughed awkwardly.

"I was joking. I was actually learning how to swim," I said with a straight face. Pakiramdam ko tuloy bigla akong na-immune sa lahat ng katangahan.

I also showed him how I practicing swimming. I did some butterfly strokes, and was planning to show some backstroke if he didn't speak in a really threatening voice.

"Stand up."

Syempre, awtomatiko akong napatayo mula sa pagkakahiga. Napatungo ako sa kanya at hindi siya magawang tingnan dahil sa mga ginawa ko.

Oh, my gosh! Pwede na siguro akong bigyan ng medal ng kahihiyan dahil sa napaka-memorable na first meeting namin ng lalaking 'to.

He walked to the sofa and sat down as he crossed his legs. I remained standing still. I didn't know what to do, I just wanted to disappear in an instant. What the heck was I thinking when I answered him earlier like that? And when I freaking made some obvious unbelievable excuses?!

"What are you doing there?" Matalim niya akong tiningnan kaya't napalunok ako.

"U-Uh? Standing?" inosenteng imik ko sa tanong niya.

Wait? What if breathing 'yong tamang sagot, e 'di ligwak na kaagad ako?!

He looked like he was suddenly having a headache as he rubbed his forehead with his hand. He glanced at me sharply and using those galaxy-like violet eyes he signalled for me to sit in front of him.

I bit my lower lip, and kept my head down. I cautiously walked across the sofa from where he was sitting. Hindi ko na mabilang kung nakailang lunok na ako. Pakiramdam ko mabubusog ako sa sarili kong laway.

He glanced at me again, and I avoided his gaze.

Sayang pagiging gwapo nito, mukhang sasakalin lang ako. Kainis!

Dapat nga natuwa pa siya kasi kakaibang skit 'yong pinakita ko sa kanya. Tss!

"What are you doing earlier?" he asked again with a serious tone.

Halos bali-baliktarin ko na 'yong utak ko para isipin kung anong sagot ang gusto niyang makuha. But, I seriously didn't do anything than to lie down and embarrass myself. I cringed as I thought of  it again.

"I was just resting, Your Highness. The carpet was soft, so I lied down, I may have fallen asleep because it was comfortable..." It wasn't entirely a lie. Seemed like I fell asleep because of the dream about being underwater, the lights, and that peculiar place.

Tingnan ako ng mga mata niya nang masinsinan. Even without staring at it directly, his eyes felt so deep and mysterious. It was like I'd be hypnotized any second now.

After weighing if I was lying or not. He sighed and looked at me from head to toe. Na-conscious ako sa kanya bigla! Jusko!

Pero teka nga! Si Kallisto Artem St. Auclain nga pala 'to! He was going to be the future King of the Seventh Kingdom. Someone would carry the burden even with his weak abyss. I couldn't believe that someone from my novel, that I recognized, was really in front of me.

It was beguiling to think on how he looked like this now. He seemed more alive than when I saw him in my dreams.

The one in my dreams had a dark aura within him, sunken eyes, and scarred face.

Pero hindi ko naman siya lagi nakikita no'n. I only saw him along with the other Kings when Juno and Azazel cooperated with them against the Avalon. And those usual meetings that they held for Cielo's peace.

"If I may be bold, Your Highness..." I started as I couldn't take the silence and how he was watching me like reading my whole soul.

He flicked one of his brows but didn't really stop me from what I was supposed to say, so I gathered all my courage to continue. "But I greet you, Your Highness, the Crown Prince of the Seventh Kingdom."

Syempre kailangan ko muna magpabango. Pwede niya naman akong kampihan kesa ro'n sa Second Prince na nagkulong sa akin dito.

"What?" he suddenly snapped.

"Huh?" Nagulat ako kasi mukhang galit at nagtitimpi ang boses niya.

Ako nga dapat nagtatanong no'n. Kasi bakit siya 'yong nandito imbis na 'yong kapatid niya. Kailan nga ba magpapakita ang isang 'yon? Daig pa no'n pinakaimportanteng character, eh.

"So after murders, you are now instigating treason?" he mocked.

"HUH?" Halos mamilog ang mga mata ko sa bigla niyang sinabi.

"Are you going to act in front of me? Really, Lady Baudelaire? Drop your act this instant."

Huh?! Ano'ng acting pinagsasabi nito! Eh, unang beses lang naman namin magkita—teka! Portia! It might not be the first time Portia's meeting this person! I panicked internally but I didn't show it.

"Your Highness..." I mentioned as I bowed down.

Why did he say treason? He was the future King, of course, he'd be the Crowned Prince! Why was treason involve now?!

Shit. Pakiramdam ko sumakit ang ulo sa pag-iisip.

I had no idea about Kallisto's past! I only saw him and heard him talk about those political shits before! Kaya naman biglang nablanko ang utak ko.

Bakit ganito kadaya?! Hindi talaga 'to Fatebound sobrang ibang-iba 'to ro'n sa sinulat kong istorya! I thought I had a cheat on this world, but this world really was the one who cheated on me!

Should I really just tell them that I had lost my memories? It was like the only way out that I could think of. And through it, I might be able to get more information about the whole situation so I could align it in the novel.

Further, I already planted the seed about losing memories the moment I ended up as Portia.

I didn't act like her, and just acted like how I usually does in my world. It would slowly make sense with them that I was telling the truth, because of how different I acted, unlike the usual Portia or usual villainess in every story.

Sooner or later, I was really going to use this excuse anyway. I was just waiting for the right time. And looked like it'd be good just to drop the bomb now, than take the dragging road.

Habang nag-iisip kung paano sasabihin ang lahat sa lalaking nasa harap ko, the air remained eerie as he watched my breathing. Then, the door of the room opened and stepmother came in. Pakiramdam ko lumiwanag ang mukha ko nang makita siya. I was saved! I was finally saved!

"I greet, Your Highness, the Second Prince."

WHAT?!

What the hell?!

My jaw hanged open when I heard her say that while she was looking at Kallisto.

What the hell?!

How come?! How come he was the Second Prince when he was going to be the King in the future?! Don't tell me the current Crown Prince that was in the newspapers that I read earlier was the First Prince?!

Then why didn't the First Prince became the future King?!

This only meant that the First Prince died and Kallisto was the only person in line and he also has an abyss, although it was the weakest.

Damn! Kaya naman pala sinabihan ako nito ng tungkol sa treason, eh! Jusko!

Stepmother put teas on the table. Do'n na lang ako napatitig kasi hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko. Shit. I really screwed up.

I was on edge while watching how the tea was poured in a cup. Halos rinig na rinig ko na 'yong paghinga at pagtibok ng puso ko sa sobrang tahimik. Stepmother stepped back the moment she finished what she was doing.

I almost held her wrist and begged her to stay beside me like she always did when I was eating. But, when Kallisto looked at her and asked her to move out, she bowed down in full respect and went out.

My breathing was becoming heavy, I couldn't look at him at all.

I racked my brains out to allude plausible speeches to say to him, but in the end, cat got my tongue. Shit. How am I to drop the bomb on him? How am I going to start a conversation with him?

I felt like I was walking on a thin ice! Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko!

Parang awa mo na, Kallisto, ikaw na 'yong magsalita, mamamatay ako nang wala sa oras dahil sa sobrang tahimik mo!

Even his piercing gaze felt like thorns pricking in my skin.

"I told you to drop your act, Baudelaire." I almost hiccupped out loud if I didn't press my lips altogether. His voice wasn't soft, it was threatening and I could feel an invisible force that seemed to be holding my neck.

I closed my eyes to gather all the shameless cells in my body. I shouldn't be intimidated with this man, if I played by his hand, who knows what would happen to me?

"Then, how should I act, Your Highness?" Tingnan ko siya nang lakas-loob at nakita kung paanong naging matalim ang pagkakatitig niya sa akin. I wanted to bow down, but I didn't. I remained gazing at him.

I saw how the colour of his eyes seemed to shine in circles.

Abyss.

That shade of purple in his eyes that seemed to flow creating circular lights were surely the abyss.

"And you have the guts to look at me like that, Baudelaire?" He stood up from his seat and even with the table in between us, he went close to my face. Kaagad akong napaatras dahil sa matinding kaba.

Shit! Who would have thought he'd be this scary in reality?!

"Your Highness, please, let's talk calmly..." I said, and I was thankful that I didn't stutter.

"Please? Calmly?" he mocked like he didn't expect those words that came out of my mouth.

Damn, Portia was really a rude brat villainess, huh? Well, it was expected but it still made me feel so burdened. I didn't really like her, and it just cemented that it was the right decision to never act like her.

"So, what should we talk about?" If Portia was insolent, this man wasn't far from her! "Should we talk about your crime? How about its punishment?"

"How about we talk how rude you are?" inis na sabi ko sa isip ko—pero mukhang nasabi ko 'yon nang malakas dahil bigla niyang hinakawan nang mahigpit ang magkabilang braso ko.

"Forgive me, Your Highness..." Kaagad na sabi ko at tumungo. Nakaramdam ako ng sakit sa pagkakahawak niya sa akin kaya't binitiwan niya rin ako.

It all happened so fast, he was suddenly standing up and he went to me to hold my arms. Halos hindi nasabayan ng mga mata ko ang ginawa niya. It was baffling but looked like he used his abyss because his eyes were really shining bright in the hue of violet.

Napahilot siya sa noo niya at nagtiim-bagang.

"You are not someone who should talk about rudeness when it runs in your blood, Baudelaire."

"Don't call me, Baudelaire," I snapped when I didn't mean to. Hearing Baudelaire made me feel like I was Portia, when I wasn't her, and didn't want to be her in a slightest bit.

"What do you want me to call you Miss Murderer?" Naitikom ko naman ang bibig ko dahil do'n. Napakatabil din talaga ng dila nito, pero mukhang may pinaghuhugutan naman, kaya hindi kaagad ako nakasagot.

"Just what did I do to make you despise me like this..." It was an answer that was also a bait. I wanted to know why even a little bit, but he only sneered at me.

"Are you playing with me?" he mentioned in a stern voice as he held both of my arms again. This time, he looked at me with brimming hatred and was ready to kill me in any second.

Fear crept up in my whole body as I shook a little. When he felt that, he tightened his grasp on me more. But, he removed his hands when he was near in exploding in anger. Tumalikod siya sa akin at huminga nang malalim para kalmahin ang sarili.

"I'm not playing with you, Your Highness..." I said in a small voice.

Humarap siya sa akin at kinuha ko na ang pagkakataong 'yon dahil mukhang hindi kami makakapag-usap nang matino hangga't hindi ko nasasabi sa kanya ang kailangan kong sabihin.

I dared to look straight into his eyes, it felt like it sucked my soul just to test if I would lie or not.

"I... I have something to say, and you might not believe it, but please try to listen." Napakunot-noo siya sa sinabi ko. It was a valid reaction because I made sure that I would tell it to him sincerely.

"Memory loss. I have a memory loss, Your Highness..."

His eyes glistened again in circle like his Abyss was working. He didn't say anything so I continued.

"After I woke up almost more than a week ago, my memory was blurry. I don't remember how I got into this room, and why I am confined here..." It was the truth anyway. Hindi ko naman talaga alam kung bakit ako napapunta rito at bakit ako nakakulong.

"I don't know what happened prior to all that..."

Napabuntonghininga siya at saka nagpakawala ng isang pagak na tawa. Halatang hindi makapaniwala. Sino ba naman kasing maniniwala? Syempre, sa una gano'n talaga, pero sa huli sigurong wala rin siyang magagawa kung hindi maniwala kasi totoo naman na wala akong alam ang mga nangyayari maliban sa alam ko na nangyari sa Fatebound.

There was a long silence as he went back and rested his back on the sofa across me. Napaupo rin ako no'ng tingnan niya ako nang masinsinan.

"You don't remember anything...?" he said in a cryptic tone.

I nodded eagerly. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Then why did you call me Crown Prince earlier?" he mocked.

"Because... I didn't know who you are so I assumed you are him..."

"Didn't the head maid tell you that I'll visit sooner or later?"

"She did... I was just out of my wits. So I just guessed who you are, it was my fault for assuming wrong things..."

"Oh, really?" kakatwang imik niya sa akin.

I felt belittled but, I didn't really have the authority to be rude again.

"You don't believe me...?" I expected this anyway. It'd be hard to process, but with how I acted the past few days, it should pull the trigger to consider that I wasn't lying about not knowing anything.

"Tell me more," he said more calmly and I obeyed.

"I know common sense and basic things about this world. But aside from that, I don't know a lot." Tumungo ako saglit at napabuntonghininga. I wasn't entirely lying to him. So, everything I was saying was from my heart.

"You are a stark raving mad, Baudelaire. I didn't think you'd stoop this low, just to escape all your crimes." He didn't even bat an eyelid as he sharply remarked those words.

"What crime are you talking about, Your Highness?" 

I knew Portia killed innocent people, but those were people of Elysia, and if she'd be punished, it was out of the Seventh Kingdom's jurisdiction and it would be in the hands of the leader of Elysia—the Saint.

And, the Saint didn't know Portia's murders yet, so, even if the Second Prince have some evidence to prove it, the last words would still be from the Saint. And I doubt he'd punish Portia.

Portia was still a prophecy, and the Saint wouldn't recklessly do something about that. There was going to be a long process for it. Lalong-lalo na Baudelaire din si Portia. Hindi gano'n kadali ang lahat, at siguradong alam din 'yon ni Kallisto.

"If you keep fooling like that, I have no choice but to make you remember, right?" natatawang sabi ni Kallisto habang nakangisi nang masama sa akin. Napalunok ako ro'n at halos nagtaas ang balahibo sa batok.

"You killed my people, Portia Baudelaire."

"What?!"

Shit! Shit! Shit! Pakiramdam ko, kailangan ko na talagang tanggapin na mamamatay at mamamatay ako sa lugar na 'to!? Damn it! Sa lahat ba naman ng gagawing kabobohan ni Portia ito pa?!

Wala na akong takas! Paano ko lulusutan 'to?!

Kallisto cackled eerily and looked at me straight. "Just because you pretend not to remember anything, doesn't mean you're getting away with your crimes, Baudelaire."

"B-But, I—I..." Halos hindi ko na alam ang sasabihin dahil sa narinig. Pakiramdam ko sumakit lang ang ulo ko. How? How should I fix this? Should I really just jump from some lake and drown?!

"Those crimes are unforgivable... how should I be punished?" I didn't know what I should do now, so I should just accept it. Napahawak na lang ako sa noo ko at napabuntonghininga nang wala sa sarili.

Portia, damn you, damn you. I continued to curse inside my head.

"Haaaa. You... really..." I heard Kallisto lamented, probably conflicted with how things turned out now.

"You are to stay incarcerated in this room. Your punishment will be decided after I am done dealing with other things. And you should try to remember how you killed my people, Baudelaire. May your dreams be filled with them."

What a scary thing to say!

He stood up from the sofa and didn't even look at me as he left me alone in this place.

Samantalang hindi ko alam kung magpapasalamat ba ako na hindi ako namatay ngayon, o magmamaktol dahil sa mga nalaman. Pakiramdam ko mas lalo lang nagiging kumplikado lahat sa utak ko.

Hindi na rin ako magtataka kung ang parusa na ipapataw niya sa akin ay kamatayan.

Life equals to life.

"Haaaaa. Damn you, Portia." And that was all I could say. I really didn't know what to do now.

Mukhang kailangan ko na lang talagang intayin kung kailan ako mamamatay.

Teka nga, Evienne! Hindi ka pwedeng sumuko basta-basta! I convinced myself. "It wasn't my fault to possess this body. I wasn't the one that killed those people. So why was I carrying their sins and baggage?"

Did I choose the wrong path? Should I had just chose to tell him that I wasn't Portia, but Evienne Soleil Chui?

Even though this world was fantasy, there was still a limit to what was believable or not. It still had its own rules, and saying that wouldn't make any sense. 'Yon ngang memory loss hindi na pani-paniwala, 'yon pa kaya?

I just sighed. "Let's do this. Just keep being Evienne, and they'll see that I'm different from Portia, and this would give them benefit of doubt!" I cheered for myself, but I just slumped on the sofa again.

Aaaaaah! No matter how much I think of it, I was really doomed!

Habang problemado ako sa nangyari, bigla na lang may umupo sa may lap ko. I looked at it and saw Yule who was creating small snowflakes on his paw. I chuckled a little, and felt like I was finally able to breathe again.

"Everything will be okay, right?" I murmured and Yule nodded like it was going to be as easy.

Still, it was better to see someone agreeing with me that everything would soon be fine.

—

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"YOUR Highness." Mildred, the personal and head maid greeted the Second Prince, Kallisto Artem St. Auclain in his office room. The prince just finished his visit from the Celeste, Evelyn Portia Baudelaire.

"Report," maikling sabi lang ni Kallisto sa halos naging nanay na niya.

"She remained in the room the whole time, Your Highness. Even with all the anti-magic that surrounds the room, I could still feel energy and flow from time to time." Tahimik na nakinig si Kallisto sa sinabi nito.

Mildred always reported everything to Kallisto, even the slightest change and odd behaviour. Mildred wasn't an ordinary maid either. She was a mage—a master-levelled mage at that.

Kallisto couldn't believe what he'd been hearing at first. On how the Lady who was vicious in his eyes, as he found her full of blood after killing his knights, was always caught by the head maid in a really peculiar behaviour.

Kallisto was feeling tormented about everything. It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense about the Portia Baudelaire that was within his palace from the one that he saw that night of her crimes.

The Portia that he knew was a real monster.

In addition to that, Portia was also a Celeste.

And a Celeste would flip a table if she wasn't attended in simple daily routines like bathing, dressing and eating. They were raised as prideful people, they were even taught that they were greater beings than royals. But Portia Baudelaire never even complained nor acted like she was displeased. The opposite of it was even the thing that happened.

The Lady always had a bright face smiling to all the maids. She even greeted anyone who came in the room warmly and sincerely. Her words of thank you, praises for the food, and even considerations for them to rest and eat, too, was baffling for everyone.

She was supposed to be doing something now to escape this place and go to Elysia to get away from her crime, but no intention of those things were reported to him, not even once.

Worse, she could even kill all the people who were going in and out of her room without a guilty conscience.

"But right now... it doesn't really make sense..." bulong ni Kallisto sa sarili.

Litong-lito siya sa nangyayari at napapakunot-noo na lang.

Still, he didn't believe any of it, because for him, it was all an act.

Portia Baudelaire was a remorseless being. She wasn't even human from all the killings that she did. She was beyond a monster.

Napabuntong-hininga na lang siya ulit.

"How about her essence? Is it still pure white?" tanong ni Kallisto kay Mildred. Napatungo ang head maid pero sa huli tumango sa sinabi nito.

Mildred, being a master-level mage was able to see essence from people. It was like a truth or lie radar of some sort. She'd use power in her eyes, and she'd either see blackness or whiteness in people's whole body.

But all she saw in Portia's body was nothing but white. The moment she attended her from being unconscious, the gray-ish colour turned to white. And not a slight change of black was seen from her up to this day.

"Did she really... lose her memories?" mahinang bulong ni Kallisto sa sarili.

"It was the only possible explanation for everything, Your Highness," sagot ni Mildred sa binata.

Hindi alam ni Kallisto ang iisipin. It was possible that it was really a memory loss like what Mildred agreed to, but somehow... Kallisto still wasn't settled. It was too much. Even with memory loss... how could a person change so much... and the change even happened overnight?

Nothing was adding up.

Unless it was all an act. But what a great actress she was.

"How about you, Your Highness, do you still feel ill?" punong-puno nang ni Mildred, sa prinsipe na ituring na niyang anak dahil mula ng ipanganak 'to ay siya na ang naging katulong nito.

Before Kallisto went to Portia, the maid remembered how he looked like.

He just came from Western part of the Kingdom, and he was near in passing out from all the pain that came from the Abyss. The maid felt pain in her heart knowing how his poor soul had been suffering from pain since birth.

"I'm okay now..." mahinang imik ni Kallisto sa kanya at ngumiti.

All the maids and the butlers carried him to his room and they changed him from his gruesome clothing to a decent one. When he was changed, even though he was running out of breath and was sweating like he had a high fever, he still went to Portia's room.

There was a smell in there that seemed to hypnotize him. He wanted—no, he needed to go there.

And when he arrived in front of her room, all the maids were asked to leave as his heartbeat violently pounded in his chest.

Mildred also agreed as she felt something unexplainable inside the room. A flow. A silent flow of power that was pure. Its pureness was nothing to joke about. It was the purest feeling in her life as a mage.

And Kallisto, felt like he was starting to return to his normal breathing.

Mildred also left Kallisto alone when he grabbed the door knob.

When he was alone, his ragged breathing slowly stabilized.

The Abyss inside him felt so active, like it was playing inside him—excited and happy. The pain of its curse was slowly disappearing.

A Celeste. Even a failed one, a Celeste was still a Celeste.

When Kallisto opened the door to her room. He stopped. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"This... what is this...?"

That was all he could whisper as he stared at the puzzling scenery he was seeing.

The whole room was submerge in water.

It was like he was standing in front of an underwater place.

In the middle of that clear blue water was the body of Portia, who was floating. Her silver hair was flowing smoothly.

"What... in the world..."

Kalllisto blinked as he thought that he was in a dream. But he wasn't. He put his hand on his heart, and for the first time, in his life... he didn't feel the burning coldness in his body. It felt like he was free.

He hesitated with what he was about to do but the sweet scent that was coming from the woman floating in the middle of the room that was full of water, made his mind blank.

He stepped in the room, and he slowly floated in the water, too.

He didn't feel like he got wet, but instead, he felt at peace. And looked like he wasn't the only one, because his Abyss, suddenly went out of control, like it was a living being on its own.

The violet mana or aura was shaped into a small whale as it slowly swam happily in the room.

Kallisto was speechless.

What was this?

Nothing.

Nothing was taught to him about this behaviour of the Abyss, nor that it could take a form like that without his will.

Although he wasn't controlling it, it was the first time he felt like the power of the Abyss was finally his.

While the Abyss was swimming around like that, his eyes landed on Portia.

It was weird. Unexplainable. Bizarre.

But the woman in front of him felt like she wasn't the one he met from before as he confined her in this room.

However, he shook off that feeling and slowly went to the Abyss who was circling and swimming around the Celeste.

He was about to touch her, but his Abyss went back to his side and surrounded him, and without a warning, his Abyss sucked the water that was filling the room.

Shocked, he couldn't speak of any words.

Kahit gano'n, hindi makapaniwala si Kallisto sa kakaibang pakiramdam ng Abyss niya. Sobrang tuwang-tuwa 'to at hindi siya makaramdam ng kahit anong sakit mula rito. All he felt was its excitedness and warmness.

After the water in the whole room was emptied by his Abyss, it went to the woman's body and circled around it.

Perplexed, he just watched his violet-hue abyss returned all the water that he took to the Celeste's body.

And after all those happened, he couldn't help but exclaimed.

"What the hell?"

Napahilot na lang si Kallisto sa noo niya habang naalala ang lahat nang nangyari simula ro'n hanggang sa pag-uusap nila ni Portia. The woman he faced was full of warmness and sincerity unlike the first time he laid his eyes on her.

Sumakit ang ulo nito sa kaiisip kung ano'ng nangyari.

He allowed her requests of cakes and newspapers because he didn't want to deal with her tantrums. But, she didn't seem like a person who'd throw one even if you didn't give it to her.

She became a puzzle to him.

"Memory loss, huh?" he murmured.

This woman, would it be worth a shot to keep her? he thought. But his heart ached as he remembered the lives that was lost because of her.

But...

His abyss.

Pinakiramdaman niya 'to. He didn't feel any coldness from it nor any pain. It was like the stories of his father, when he met a Celeste for the first time. That addicting peace and the feeling of finally breathing and being normal.

The abyss was like sleeping peacefully inside him after having freedom of playing in that water earlier.

Things turned out far from what he was expecting... and he was left conflicted of what he should do next as he thought of the name Evelyn Portia Baudelaire.

—

ツ