AN immortal who fell in love with a mortal. But the downside, he wasn't the male lead. The sound of the crickets at twilight sang proof as he committed his love to the girl he laid down his heart for. Even though the Holy Saints had warned him, he forbid himself from listening. He trampled all that he had and descended heaven to vow for the woman his string is entertwined.

"Celestialiana, my bounded soul." He fell on his knees. Hinawakan niya ang palad nito habang pinakatitigan ang babaeng nagmamay-ari ng gintong mga mata. Ang buhok nitong singputla ng isang niyebe ay kumakaway sa kaniya na hawakan ang mga dulo nito at halikan. "Have you been waiting for me?"

"I have. But I am always willing to wait for you, Xibel." She caressed his cheek. "You are, after all, my greatest treasure."

"And so you are to me." He kissed her palm as he stared at her eyes. "Forgive me, Celestialiana, for the heavens have hated your love for me."

"I can bear anything for you." Umalis ito sa pagkakaupo. Ang puti nitong gown ay nadumihan dulot ng pagluhod. Hinawakan nito ang magkabila niyang pisngi. "I will do anything to be with you, Xibel."

His eyes which held the color of the sea and gold shone as his lips formed a smile. "Then, would you accept me as I give myself to you? Would you keep me forever, Celestialiana? Are you willing to soar this life with me for eternity?"

Celestialiana was taken aback. Nagtaka siya nang bigla nitong tanggalin ang mga palad na nakahawak sa kaniya.

"What's wrong, my bounded soul?"

"I do want to spend my life with you, but . . ." Napaiwas ito ng tingin. "Can I ask for a condition?"

"Anything."

Tinuro nito ang kaniyang mukha. "C-can you do something with your face?"

He tilted his head. "Is there something wrong with my face?"

"Well . . . I am always overshadowed when I am with you." Muli itong umiwas ng tingin. "Beauty is suppose to be the pride of a woman, but when I am standing beside someone who holds an unearthly face, I can't be seen. You are more beautiful than me, Xibel."

Bahagya siyang natigilan sapagkat hindi niya iyon inasahan. And for a moment he felt bad for not realizing it. Celestialiana might have been feeling conscious around him. As he was a creature not from humankind, his face surpassed all standard. The pristine skin he had made every human felt envy. His hair swept with bisque portrayed a timeless and incomparable deity. After all, he was one of the remarkable guardians. He was the saint of spring, beauty, and good fortune.

"Forgive me, Celestialiana. It was stupid of me for not knowing your pain. In return, I will heed your condition."

And that day, he left. He promised her to meet him in the same place after tomorrow. After he would curse himself. Truly his beauty was one of his pride as a saint, but since he had already given up heaven for the sake of love, there was no point in hesitating to taint his pure face. If it meant being with the woman he loved, he was willing to be the most terrible-looking creature around the world.

Nang tuluyan niyang dungisan ang kaniyang mukha, hinintay niya si Celestialiana. He waited in the thought they would be together after this.

However, it wasn't what happened.

Celestialiana despised him after seeing his face.

"Get away from me, you monster!"

Isang malakas na hampas ang naramdaman niya dahilan upang maimulat niya ang mga mata. Bumungad sa kaniya ang isang higanteng puno. Hindi niya pa maimulat nang maayos ang mga mata dahil sa sikat ng araw na lumulusot sa pagitan ng mga dahon ng sanga.

Where are my dark clouds?

Mabilis siyang napabangon at tinakpan ang ilong dahil sa masangsang na amoy na sumusuot dito. Inikot niya ang tingin sa paligid. Kumunot kaagad ang kaniyang noo nang makita kung nasaan siya.

Why am I surrounded with garbages!

Marahas niyang winaksi ang balat ng saging na dumikit sa kaniyang damit. Tinulak niya rin palayo ang isang balde ng basura na katabi niya lang dahilan upang matapon ang nilalangaw nitong laman.

"System, what is this place? A new setting for my House Spot?"

Hinintay niyang may lumabas na hologram sa kaniyang harapan subalit walang nagpakita sa kaniya. Naghintay siya nang ilang minuto pero wala pa ring hologram na lumabas.

Tuluyan siyang nabalot ng kalituhan. Hindi niya alam kung nasaan siya ngayon. At hindi niya rin maipaliwanag kung ano ang mga bagay na dumadaan sa kalsadang nasa harapan niya. Nanibago siya sa bilis ng takbo nito. Hindi ito masundan nang maayos ng kaniyang mga mata. Nasaan ang mga kalisa?

Way back in the Fort Galron, the setting of his story, the transportation he had seen were all carriages. Now that he couldn't see even one, Xibel doubted this was another setting of his story.

Napapikit siya nang may isa pang dumaan. Dalawa ang gulong nito at humahangos ito sa bilis. May nakasakay roong isang tao. Kamuntikan na siyang matamaan dahil malapit na itong dumutdot sa gilid.

"Dear curses, where am I?" Nasapo niya ang noo. Bigla siyang nahilo sa mga bagay na hindi pamilyar sa kaniya. Sumagi sa isipan niya ang napanaginipan dahilan para lalong sumama ang pakiramdam. "Curse the woman in my dream. Curse all women."

Of all the things he would dream about, why does it have to be his horrid backstory?

Padabog siyang tumayo. Napunta ang tingin niya sa hinigaan kanina nang makitang may isang maliit at hugis rektanggulong bagay. Inabot niya iyon.

Basag ito subalit may mga sulat pa siyang nababasa. Nakita niya ang kaniyang pangalan dahilan para mapapilig siya.

This is my author's story.

Binitiwan niya ang bagay na hindi niya alam kung ano at inumpisang maglakad. Nanatiling nag-iisip ang kaniyang utak hanggang sa mapunta ang tingin sa kabilang kalsada. Maraming mga bata ang nandoon, tumatawa at mukhang masaya sa sari-sariling ginagawa. They looked like they were playing, but he couldn't understand what were those big odd shapes of metals do to them to make them laugh. He couldn't understand how a curved sement, resembling a waterfall could make a child smile just by sliding from it. How could a long piece of metal tied in the center could lift a child in both corners? What was so fun about getting lift in an alternative manner?

"This is an odd place." And he didn't like it. He didn't like the noise. Sumasakit ang ulo niya sa mga iba't ibang boses na pumapasok sa kaniyang utak.

Patuloy siyang naglakad. Hindi niya namalayang nasa gitna na pala siya ng kalsada. Naputol ang kaniyang pag-iisip nang makarinig siya ng isang matinis na ingay. Kasunod n'yon ang pagtilapon ng kaniyang katawan. Naumpog ang kaniyang ulo sa matigas na kalsada.

Napatigil ang nakabangga sa kaniya.

"Oh my god!" Two humans went out from the weird transportation while screaming.

Mabilis na nanginig ang kaniyang kamay nang makita ang dalawang tao na papalapit sa kaniya. In the fear that they would see his face, he immediately stood up like nothing happened. He covered his face and ran towards wherever his feet takes him. Hindi na niya inintindi kung saan man siya mapunta. Ang mahalaga ay malayo siya sa mga tao.

They should not see his face.

Tumigil lang siya sa pagtakbo nang tumahimik na ingay sa kaniyang isipan. Wala nang kahit ni isang tao sa paligid niya. Napunta siya sa isang gusali na tinubuan na ng mga higanteng damo. He sat below on the elevated platform of the entrace while panting. Parang luluwa na sa kaba ang puso niya.

Pinahid niya ang dugo na tumulo mula sa kaniyang ulo at ginamot ito gamit ang sariling kapangyarihan.

Kumulo ang kaniyang tiyan sa gutom kaya napahawak siya rito. He put one of his finger up while envisioning an apple. "Strike thy art. Come, fill my desires."

A surge of heat rolled up inside his chest as he casted a spell. Rounds and rounds of dark powders crept out from his skin and encircled his fingertip. And like a cloak, it covered his hand until he felt a weight on his palm.

The dark powder disappeared when he hushed, leaving only the apple he imagined.

Mabilis niya itong kinagat. Muli siyang tumayo at handa nang maglakad ulit nang may boses na sumuot sa kaniyang isip. Sumisigaw ito ng tulong. Kaagad siyang napalingon nang maramdamang may pares ng mga matang nakatingin sa kaniya. One of his hands was ready to release his army, if by chance, the being had plans of hurting him.

Subalit wala siyang nakita.

"What?" He scanned the entire area but he found no one.

Was it just a false instinct?

Napailing na lang siya at tumalikod na. Kakagatin na niya sana ulit ang mansanas ngunit may bagay na biglang humila sa kaniyang sutana. Napababa ang kaniyang tingin.

His eyes widened and immediately jumped out of fear when he saw a child. Kaagad siyang napaatras palayo.

Pinilig ng bata ang ulo nito habang nakatitig pa rin sa kaniyang mukha. Gulong-gulo ang buhok habang ang damit ay sinabuyan ng dumi. Wala ring kahit anong sapin ang mga paa nito.

"Peasant," he murmured. The kid was from the kind he despised the most--female.

Hindi ito nagsalita at nanatiling nakatitig sa kaniya. Titig na titig ito sa kaniyang mukha dahilan upang mainis siya.

"Why are you not squealing?" He walked towards her while covering the left corner of his face--the hideous side most people were scared of.

Tumigil siya sa harapan nito. Magsasalita na sana siya nang bigla nitong tinuro ang kaniyang mansanas.

"Do you want this?"

The kid nodded.

Lumuhod siya upang magkapantay sila bago inabot ang mansanas. "Here."

Isang malawak na ngiti ang pinakawalan ng bata bago kinuha sa kaniyang kamay ang mansanas. He sat on the ground while watching her eat.

"To your regret, it is tasteless. That apple is made from my Coriar and not from a tree."

The girl just giggled and continued eating the apple. Bigla nitong tinuro ang kaniyang mukha kaya napakunot ang kaniyang noo.

"Are you laughing because of how I look?"

"Pretty!" Nilapat nito ang kamay sa kaniyang pisngi dahilan para matigilan siya. Kaagad niyang nilayo ang mukha nang may bigla itong dinukot sa kaniyang pisngi.

"What on earth are you doing!" he exclaimed.

Muling tumawa ang bata habang tinataas ang isang kamay. Nakita niya roon ang mga lantang bulaklak na hinablot nito galing sa kaniyang pisngi. Sinaboy nito sa kaniyang mukha ang mga bulaklak bago nagtatatalon sa tuwa.

"Pretty! Pretty!"

Hindi kaagad siya nakasagot. He touched his cheek while glaring at the kid.

What an absurd one. Old and young humans he had met were frightened to see his face, so how come a human in this odd place didn't seem to be afraid of him?

Tumayo na siya at napagpasiyahang umalis na. Why was he even talking with a child who knew nothing about how a hideous face should look like?

More than that, why should he care?

Naglakad na siya palayo. Tahimik siyang naghahanap ng lugar na malayo sa mga nilalang ng mundong ito nang may biglang yumakap sa kaniyang paa.

Napababa ang kaniyang tingin. Kumunot ang kaniyang noo nang makita ang batang babae. Nakangiti ito sa kaniya nang matingkad.

"Let go." Bahagya niyang ginalaw ang paa upang alisin ang bata subalit ayaw siya nitong bitiwan.

"I said let go!" Hihilahin na niya sana ang braso nito ngunit natigilan siya sa katagang lumabas sa bibig nito.

"Papa!"