SAGE'S POV

The afternoon sun greeted us as we rushed toward the open courtyard. My eyes immediately roamed across the devastation, and my jaw tightened.

Holy hexes.

The place was crawling. Countless spiders swarmed the area, infesting tunnels, windows, walls, roofs, grounds, and corners, spreading like dirty cockroaches. Napangiwi ako sa nakita, a wave of revulsion washing over me.

Gross.

Hindi ito mga ordinaryong gagamba. They came in all sizes-small, midsize, and massive-each one more gruesome than the last, sporting angry red eyes and eight thick, furry legs. Literal na binaha nila ang lugar, overtaking everything.

"Oh-sh*t, this is bad!" sigaw ni Via nang walang humpay na dinudurog ang mga arachnid na nakapalibot sa kanya.

Around us, the other students kept their focus entirely on the endless onslaught, throwing spell after spell to keep the swarm at bay.

Itinaas ko ang aking punyal, at marahas na tinaga ang isang gagamba na sumugod papunta sa akin bago inilipat ang aking tingin sa kabila. Isang grupo ng mga estudyante ang papalabas sa mga pinto ng kastilyo, nagkukumpulan sa ilalim ng mga kalasag na pinag-summon ng mga guro.

"Move now!" sigaw ng isang guro, habang pilit na pinapanatili ang harang para sa mga tumatakas. The stone groaned above them, the intense heat from the defensive spell searing into their palms as the castle wall trembled, dozens of tiny fractures splintering outward like veins of ruin.

I fought to keep my composure. Delikado 'to. I'd be dead if I choked on some freaking spider falling down my throat.

Suddenly, the light posts circling the courtyard blazed a piercing red, signaling an emergency broadcast.

'The Consilium is mobilizing the East Wing. Headmaster Salem calling for extraction and rescue teams!'

"LOOK UP!"

Isang nakakabinging pagsabog ang umalingawngaw mula sa silangan, followed by sharp cracking noises. Thick smoke billowed from one of the four specialized towers-the classified halls of the Animoras-partially obscuring the structure from view.

"Freaking omens?!" sandaling natigilan si Geo, nanginginig ang kanyang boses. "Galing ata 'yon sa Alchymia! May nasira doon!"

I swallowed hard, scanning the horizon. The courtyard was in complete disarray. Dozens of students stood frozen in shock, staring at the rising smoke, while others frantically cast spells to fend off the smaller spiders bubbling up from the ground. Lumipat ang aking paningin sa pagitan ng apat na gusali ng Animora mula sa malayo—Elementum, Lychinus, Nocturnus. Lahat sila ay buo. Lahat maliban sa—

"The Alchymia!" puna ng isang estudyante habang tinuturo ang malaking usok.

"Don't tell me—kasalanan 'to ng mga Alkemi?!"

"Walang duda, doon nga sa Alchymia nanggagaling ang lahat ng 'to!"

"If that's true, there are still witches trapped inside!"

An eerie silence fell over the courtyard. The fighting ground to a halt as every witch locked their gaze onto the clearing smoke.

Slowly, the thick haze parted, revealing a strange silhouette rising from the debris. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

"EEEEEK! A MONSTER!"

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata.

Isang dambuhalang gagamba ang lumabas mula sa gumuhong gusali ng Alchymia. Umalingawngaw ang matinis na ungol nito na nakakapanindig balahibo sa leeg. Its spindly legs glistened with a viscous red substance, shifting the heavy rubble beneath its weight as it moved.

"Oh, COME ON!" pagrereklamo ni Geo, throwing his hands up.

A chaotic mix of screams and panicked protests erupted among the students. My mouth hung open as I stared at the monstrosity.

A s-spider that big?! Are the students in that building even okay? Paano kaya sila Cerise at Kane? Weren't they supposed to go there?! Sana ayos lang sila doon...

"We have to stop it before it hurts anyone else!" Ashriel exclaimed. He was breathless but steady, his eyes sweeping across the scattered crowd.

At that moment, the field shattered into a chorus of battle cries. Witches charged toward the collapsed building in a desperate surge. Bursts of wild, multicolored magick lit up the entire battlefield. Cloaks were cast aside, weapons materialized from bare hands, and the rapid murmuring of incantations filled the air. The ground trembled under the weight of stamping boots crushing the arachnids beneath them.

Everything became a dizzying blur of light, steel, and spellwork as the witches answered the call. Ngunit sa kalagitnaan ng aking pagsugod, kusa akong huminto. My thoughts raced as I stared back at the giant arachnid.

Everyone is fighting... but why do I feel like something is completely off?

"OI, BLACK WITCH!"

Kunot-noo kong nilingon ang tumawag sa akin galing sa hindi ko naman kilala na estudyante.

"Ano?! Tumunganga ka na lang ba d'yan?!" he barked. "Is that how all Noxis witches are?! Laging delay?!"

He threw the criticism right in my face before rushing past to cast a spell, finishing off another group of spiders.

Pasalamat na lang siya dahil busy ako dito. If I wasn't, I would have hexed that attitude right out of him! Tsk.

Napailing na lang ako.

Sinimulan kong tumakbo sa kung nasaan ang direksyon ng pinanggalingan ng gulo at walang pag-aalinlangan na pinag-tatapakan ko ang mga gagamba.

I skidded to a halt, my focus sharpens as I spot another human-sized spider charging towards me.

Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga habang mahigpit akong nakahawak sa dagger. Nang biglang tumalon ang gagamba sa akin, I instantly thrust my weapon forward. The blade cut clean through the spider's abdomen with a sickening crack.

Blood sprayed red from its decaying body.

Too red. Not ooze. Not ichor. Just... blood.

Napatingin ako sa kamay ko. In my palm, the blood was sticky and dripping.

"Spiders don't bleed..." I whispered, recalling what I'd once read in Cerise's entomology book.

They only had haemolymph—pale and blue, nothing like human blood. And yet, the smell-metallic, warm-told me otherwise. It was thick, bright red, and hot to the touch, sizzling faintly against my palm.

I winced at the sensation. "S-strange..."

"TUMIGIL NA KAYO! PLEASE!"

Natigil ako sa pag-iisip ng makarinig ng isang desperadong hiyaw galing sa isa pang estudyante. Binalingan ko siya ng tingin. I didn't know him or his name, but he looked completely distressed.

Unlike the others, he wasn't fighting. He was shouting, violently struggling to push his way through the crowd. His voice was completely ignored, and several witches threw accusatory glares his way.

He grabbed another witch by the collar. "Stop attacking her!"

The other student roughly shrugged him off. "Rory, dude. That thing's not your familiar anymore! THAT'S A MONSTER!" he snapped back, bago niyang marahas itinulak ang lalaking nagngangalang Rory.

My lips parted in shock. What?! His familiar?! Muli kong nilingon ang gusali ng Alchymia. That giant thing is his familiar?!

Tila naghahabulan ang aking mga iniisip. I intensely scrutinized the colossal spider, which was still violently thrashing and tearing the whole area apart. It kept wrecking the building, growling loudly as it spat out bloody webs.

I frowned as I observed it. Bawat ungol na binitaw nito ay tila walang-hangganan. It was writhing in pain from the barrage of attacks the witches were throwing at it.

Huh... wala yata 'to sa tamang huwisyo ngayon—

Teka. Wala sa tamang huwisyo?

My eyes widened in realization. As I kept staring at the spider, shadows suddenly curled around the corners of my vision.Pagkatapos nito, isang mabigat at nakaka-suffocate na enerhiya ang lumabas mula sa direksyon nito.

I could feel it.

Ibinalik ko ang aking atensyon kay Rory. I wasn't entirely sure what to do, pero bumibigat ang enerhiya na nararamdaman ko sa kanya at lalong lumalakas sa bawat segundo.

If that's the case, then maybe... I just have to approach him? Something is deeply wrong here, and I need to find out what.

"H-hey..." panimula ko nang makalapit ako sa kanya.

He spun around to face me, tears streaming down his face. "Ikaw ba si Sythria? The Black Witch?"

Dahan-dahan akong tumango.

"Y-you can sense it, can't you?" he asked desperately.

Mariin ko siyang tinitigan sa mata. As I felt myself being drawn in, I detected absolutely no hostility in his gaze-only sheer, unadulterated pain.

"Arachne's pain?" his voice cracked completely on the question.

I pressed my lips together, unsure how to respond.

"She's not like this! Something's plaguing her-twisting her!" mangiyak-iyak pa niyang sabi. "She's not a monster!"

My eyes flew from Rory back to the giant spider. I felt my chest tighten as I stared at it. The sensation was suffocating, and for a fleeting second, I thought I saw a faint, black mist clouding around its massive body.

Mariin akong napapikit ng mga mata. I believe Rory.

That spider is Rory's familiar. And familiars... they don't just follow orders. They bond with us. They share what we feel-and what we want. So whatever that spider is doing... Rory knows. He might even know what it truly wants.

Tama si Rory. Killing that giant spider won't solve anything... but how do we stop this?

Sumulyap ako sandali kay Rory bago inilibot ang tingin sa buong lugar. Unknowingly, my gaze found Ashriel, who was fighting right at the forefront. At that exact moment, our eyes met across the battlefield. 

Then, without a single word, we both ran straight toward each other.

Hingal na hingal na hingal ako nang marating ko siya.

"You felt it?"

"Yeah, I do too. That's why I keep ordering them to just defend," kaagaran niyang tugon, gesturing toward the WICCA wardens. "The faculty and the others are doing their part. Evacuating the wounded, warding the walls, keeping the whole school from collapsing." He paused. "The Headmaster and a handful of high-ranked witches are near the source right now-trying to contain the surge that's feeding the spiders. They're cutting it off from the inside. The headmaster trusted us to hold the line until someone could stop this for good..."

At that moment, through the blur of flailing limbs and sizzling spells, I saw two professors limping out of the cracked Alchymia doors, supporting a coughing student between them. Nagkalat ang dugo sa kanilang mga uniporme habang umuulan ng mga kalat sa likuran nila.

"Then that giant spider's wrath is left for us to handle," pagkaklaro ko.

Ashriel nodded. "The more we attack, the more it shoots webs," aniya, sabay hinihila ang malagkit na sapot na sumabit sa kanyang uniporme. "The poor spider familiar is slowing us down."

Napangiwi ako habang nakatitig muli sa higanteng gagamba. Halos bumaliktad ang sikmura ko ngayong nakita ko na ito nang malapitan.

"That spider is someone's familiar," paalala ko sa kanya. "Something is suffocating her, Ashriel."

He pursed his lips. "And the only way to stop it is to take away what's keeping it mad."

Pero paano nga? I narrowed my eyes at the chaos unfolding in front of us. Hmm, Ashriel can't calm the spider... his fire magick would only make it worse. Cerise isn't here, and she can't heal animals anyway...

"Oh..."

A sudden idea struck. I involuntarily bit my lower lip. Bakit, sa dinami-dami ng mga witches dito... siya pa ang unang pumasok sa isip ko?

I mean, realistically, siya lang naman ang Lumen witch na kilala ko dito sa eskwelahan. Lumen witches are known for their white magick; they literally represent guidance, bindings, cleansing, and the essence of life. Right now, sila lamang ang may kakayahan na mag-heal o pakalmahin ang nilalang para matapos ang gulo na 'ito.

Whatever. Screw it.

"N-nasaan si Audra?" agarang kong tanong kay Ashriel.

He blinked. "Huh? She's currently on a mission-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because the spider suddenly let out a deafening screech. Its massive limbs twitched violently as it poised to lunge straight in our direction.

In one swift motion, natataranta akong humugot ng mga anino mula sa paligid. Dark tendrils began to coil around my fingers like living threads. I didn't dare pull from the allies' shadows; instead, I ripped them from the ruins. I muttered a quick incantation I had only recently learned, weaponizing the shadows directly from the battlefield.

"F-fila tenebrarum."

I wove the threads as fast as I humanly could. Shadows began to crawl from the crumbling walls, the severed limbs, and the twitching spider corpses. Every shadow stitched itself into threads of ruin and chaos across the space.

The afternoon sun was on my side today. Talk about luck.

I could have pulled another thread-I could have reached deeper, drawn more darkness, and stunned every single person on the field-but my arms were already screaming in agony.

"D-dammit-" I gritted my teeth, using sheer force as I kept pulling more threads.

Ang sakit. Mariin akong napakagat sa pang-ibabang labi ko. But there was no way in hell I was going to stop.

With a guttural breath, I arched my fingers, and the black threads exploded from my palms, scattering across the field like gnarled branches. They quickly latched onto the spider's limbs, coiling around its swollen body and tightening their grip with every twitch.

Sumigaw pabalik ang nilalang. It was a high-pitched pierce that sliced through my skull like a blade.

Bumitaw ka na. Pagmamakaawa ng katawan ko. 

Pero hindi ko ito pinakinggan.

"Tsk-ARGH!!!"

My hands trembled violently and my vision shook, but I stood my ground. As much as I hate to use my unstable powers, sa kalagitnaan ng sakit, I was secretly grateful that I had at least moved in time before the giant spider could flatten us. Kung hindi ko agad naabutan, patay na sana kaming lahat ngayon.

"S-Sythria-you're hurting-" Narinig ko ang paglapit ni Ashriel sa akin, pero agad ko siyang sinamaan ng tingin.

"Stay. Away." I hissed, my lungs starting to burn with every ragged breath.

At the same time, I shot a dark glare toward the others, who were staring at me in absolute shock.

"...Ashriel. Tawagan mo si Audra. NGAYON NA."

Muli na naman akong napadaing sa sakit. Ilang minuto na lang siguro, mamamaga na ang mga braso ko. I eyed the spider once again. Sa pagkakataong ito, mas naging malinaw sa akin ang enerhiyang inilalabas nito. There wasn't any rage left in her after all... just total confusion. She wasn't trying to kill. She was just trying to breathe.

Suddenly, the rhythmic click of boots against the shattered ground echoed through the area.

Tsk. Of course she just had to make a dramatic entrance.

"Well," Audra called out, surveying the ongoing chaos. "You really let things fall apart without me."

Wow. So kami ang may kasalanan? Anong inaasahan niya—mag-teleport siya rito tapos mamamatay na kami sa kakahintay? She is so unbelievably entitled!

Audra just stood atop a broken column like it was her personal stage, her cloak fluttering behind her without a single speck of blood on her uniform. Her silky blonde hair gleamed, perfectly illuminated by the flashing spell light. She was completely, utterly unbothered by the ongoing disaster. Samantalang, halos nababaliw na kami dito sa paghahanap ng solusyon para talunin si Goliath, eh isang bato at tirador lang pala ang kailangan.

"Took you long enough!" Damona smirked, wiping a smear of blood from her chin.

I heard Ivory let out a heavy sigh. "Stop showing off, golden girl. Get your ass down here and light it up—"

"Heal that familiar," pagpuputol ko sa sasabihin ni Ivory. Marahas kong hinila ang mga shadow threads upang pigilan ang nagpupumiglas na higanteng gagamba.

"Oh?" Audra blinked, looking thoroughly amused. Her eyes scanned my trembling form. "The noxious witch was actually here-"

"I said, heal that spider." Duro ko sa kanya at matalim ko siyang tinitigan.

Audra raised an eyebrow. "Why not just kill-"

"DON'T!" singhal ko sa kanya. "Don't kill it. Just reach it."

I tilted my head toward Rory, who was watching helplessly from a distance.

"T-that guy over there?" I said, sweat dripping down my brow as I wrestled the spider back down, the ache in my arms growing unbearably heavy. "He's pleading for the life of his familiar! Show some goddamn mercy!" Sa sobrang sakit na nararamdaman ko, hindi ko napigilang mapasigaw nang malakas.

"Something is suffocating the spider!" For a moment, my grip on the threads faltered as my strength began to wane.

There's no time left. Dammit, ang bagal pa niyang sumagot! Sana naman pakinggan niya ako kahit ngayon lang, you know? Lahat naman tayo ay nadadamay sa gulo na 'to eh, hindi ba siya concerned na mamamatay na tayong lahat dito?

"A familiar..." Audra murmured, staring directly at the massive form of the spider. "Corrupted, but still bound. Someone did this on purpose."

I rolled my eyes. Kung ang iba may mahabang pasensya, pwes, ako hindi.

"Yeah," walang ganang tugon ko sa kanya. "Enough talking and don't make us wait!"

Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to snap back, but I immediately cut her off with a darkened glare. "End this mess, bitch."

Almost everyone on the battlefield fell completely silent. Marami sa kanila ang nakatitig sa akin nang nakanganga, na para bang hindi talaga sila makapaniwala sa kanilang narinig.

"Oh, ano na naman mga problema nyo?" naiinis kong suway sa kanilang lahat bago ko binalingan si Audra. "At ikaw! Tigilan mo na nga 'yang pagiging hambog mo. Gawin mo na!"

From afar, I heard a loud, slow, incredibly dramatic round of applause. Napabuntonghininga nalang ako dahil alam ko na kung kanino ito nanggaling.

"BRAVO! YOU HEAR THAT ADI?! MAKINIG KA KASI SA BESTIE KO!" sigaw ni Via na para bang nakatanggap ng yaman galing sa langit.

Audra shot a withering glare right back at me. "You're really getting on my nerves, you... bitch."

I kept my sharp gaze locked onto her. Like I cared.

"Such language," Audra rolled her eyes and shook her head. Still, I could see a vein throbbing prominently at her temple. "You're lucky I'm feeling generous."

Itinaas niya ang kanyang dalawang kamay at kasabay nito ang pag-iilaw ng kanyang mga mata. A bright, white light flared in her palms, subtle as a cluster of fireflies at first. But the glow rapidly intensified, coiling into dazzling, spiraling rings of white magick that completely enveloped her.

The air turned much warmer than I was used to. Pagkalipas ng ilang segundo, the giant spider finally stopped moving. My hands shook violently as they fought to hold on, until the effort simply became too much. Slowly, reluctantly, my grip failed, and the shadow threads finally slipped free.

"Return to what you once were," Audra hummed, the phrase sounding like a gentle lullaby as she pressed her hands together in a prayer-like gesture.

The light exploded, shattering into a rain of glowing petals that washed over the spider's massive frame. It unleashed one final, agonizing cry, and the creature began to shrivel and shrink. Its bloated legs retracted rapidly, the monstrous body twitching gruesomely as it curled in on itself. Simultaneously, the thousands of remaining smaller spiders dissolved into quick puffs of ash and light.

The courtyard was suddenly, completely cleared. All I could do was stare as my woven shadows withdrew, slithering back into place like snakes retreating from the light.

Bumuntong-hininga si Audra at lumingon sa akin nang may kasamang pangungutya na ngiti. "You're welcome."

Ah, talaga? A part of me seriously considered hexing her right then and there, but I knew na hindi ko kayang gawin 'yon. Lalong-lalo na hindi ko na mai-angat ang mga braso ko.

Sandali akong napahinto nang dumako muli ang aking paningin sa courtyard.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang mapagtantong nangingitim ang kulay ng mga damo sa paligid. The once-lush purple field was now littered with brittle, darkened grass. Even the nearby vines looked completely wilted and cracked, as if something had violently drained the life right out of them.

Dahil ba 'to sa nangyaring gulo ngayon?

I was about to move closer to check, but another scream piercing through the air cut me off.

"Arachne!!!"

It was Rory. He charged toward the shrinking spider, pure desperation written all over his face-only for Via and the others to intercept him.

"Stop! You look way too sickly!" Via cried out, stretching her arms to block him.

"I-I need to-my familiar-" Rory rasped, only to collapse mid-sentence.

"And... he's out," Via pouted, watching as the others caught Rory's unconscious body.

"Looks like it's over," someone muttered nearby, but I could barely focus.

Tuluyan nang bumigay ang nanginginig kong mga tuhod. I was about to lose my balance and crash to the ground when a pair of warm arms instantly caught me.

"Got you," the words breathed right against my ear.

Ashriel held me close, cradling me gently as the rest of the battlefield dissolved into a blur of colors behind us.

"Let the others handle this," he murmured, his voice steady. "Magpahinga ka."

"P-paano ka?" I stammered. "You're covered in bites too."

"Ayos lang ako," he cut me off with a small, tired smile. "Don't worry about me."

He carried me away as the noise faded into the distance. I let my head fall against his shoulder, and before I knew it, a deep, quiet sigh of pure relief escaped my lips.

A/N: Audra's character visual reference.