ARAW na ng final performance ni Jasia. Maagang sinundo si Xibel at Imris ng babae upang hindi nila maabutan ang maraming tao mamaya. It was still seven and the performance will start at ten.

"I'll leave you two sa ibabaw," saad ni Jasia nang maupo na sila. Tanaw na tanaw ni Xibel ang kabuuan ng teatro. "Kung may kailangan kayo. Just tell May."

Tinuro nito ang sekretarya na nakatayo limang metro ang layo sa kaniya. Tumango ito bilang tugon.

"Galingan mo, Mama!" saad ni Imris at yumakap muna sa babae.

"I will." Bumitiw na ito sa yakap at naglakad na.

Nalilito si Xibel kung may dapat din ba siyang sabihin. After all, Jasia would perform. Should he wish her good luck? But he might curse her instead if he would do that. There would be no luck if the word came from a necromancer.

Paalis na ito kaya muli siyang napaisip. Tumikhim siya upang makuha ang atensyon nito. Nang mapansin niyang lumingon ang babae saka siya nagsalita.

"See you later," mahina niyang sabi bago tumalikod. Hindi niya ito nilingon at parang estatwa na tinuon ang atensyon sa tahimik na entablado.

Deep inside his head was a voice shouting, hoping that he said the right thing.

"Yeah. See you later!"

Doon lang siya nakahinga nang maluwag nang marinig ang tunog ng pintong nagsara. Her voice sounded cheerful, so it must have meant he didn't say something wrong. It was just--uh--enough.

"Papa, can you fix this, please?"

Napunta ang kaniyang atensyon sa kaniyang anak na nakaupo sa kaniyang lap. Hawak-hawak nito ang ribbon na nakapuyod sa buhok. Ito ang ribbon na palaging tinatali ni Jasia sa buhok. Binigay ito ng babae kanina.

Kinuha niya ang ribbon. Sinaklob niya muna sa isang kamay ang buhok nito bago inikot ang tali. Pagkatapos ay hinigpitan na niya ang ribbon sa buhok nito. Napangiti siya nang pantay ang dalawang pakurbang bahagi ng tali.

I improved, Xibel thought.

"All done."

Nilingon siya ni Imris. "Do I look like Mama now?"

"Yeah."

She giggled. Habang nagpapalipas sila sa oras, panay ang daldal ni Imris sa kaniya. Marami itong kinuwento patungkol sa pag-aaral nito hangga't sa lalaking nakausap daw kuno ni Jasia.

"Mama said he's a bad guy," sabi pa nito.

Tumango lang siya bilang sagot. Sa katunayan, puro tango lang talaga ang naambag niya sa kanilang usapan. Nakikinig naman siya pero hindi niya lang alam kung ano ang isasagot dahil bukod sa hindi niya alam ang ginagawa sa isang paaralan (dahil hindi naman siya nag-aral), inaantok na rin siya.

Binaling niya ang tingin sa entablado nang magsimulang umingay ang kaniyang isipan. Tiningnan niya ang mga upuan at marami na ngang mga tao. Ang iba ay mayroong dala-dala na maliit na kahon na kagaya no'ng nakita niya sa una nilang pagkikita ni Jasia.

Napahigpit ang yakap niya kay Imris.

"Are you scared, Papa?"

"It's too loud, Imris," bulong niya rito kahit alam naman niyang hindi siya mauunawan sa ibig niyang sabihin.

The gift had prevented him from getting into too many crowd. The more people surrounded him, the louder it got inside his head. There were too many unrecognizable voices; their agony were too loud than even closing his eyes would just worsen his feeling.

He expected this to happen, and yet, he still chose to come. The performance would only last for an hour anyway, so maybe he could endure it until then.

Xibel patiently waited until the performance finally started. The instrumental melody mellowed along the stage as the play introduced Prince Siegfried, Count Jester, and the prince's advisor.

However, instead of getting into the story of the show, he chose to play with Imris' hair because it was not of his interest to watch other than the one he knew.

Dividing her hair into two, he slid them up and down past each other until he formed a fish-like tail. Tinanggal niya ang ribbon na pinaikot sa tali at itinali itong muli sa dulo ng buhok.

When the song changed into a sweet entry, his eyes moved on his own before he could even think.

It was her turn.

Jasia became Odette, the prettiest swan the prince would fall in love with.

"Mama is so pretty!"

That was what his mind said too. The toned arms and legs of the woman were evidence of how she was so good. It was of her good strength that she could point her toes, and still looked as mesmerizing as the white swan.

And as she performed those turns, he was pushed as though he was in a magical show. The graceful fingers and the flexibility of her arms looked too unreal. Now Xibel had forgotten he was the fictional one.

There were dancers dancing along with her, but it was little in his knowledge as to why he could only see her. What curse did she do to make his vision narrow?

Natapos ang performance sa palakpak ng mga manood. Walang nangyaring abirya hanggang dulo kaya masasabi niyang isa itong tagumpay para kay Jasia.

Bandang alas onse itong natapos ngunit alas kuwatro na ng hapon sila nakalabas. Dahil na rin sa ang daming inasikaso ni Jasia na mga tao at reporters. Marami ang kumuha sa kaniya ng litrato at nakipag-usap.

Buti na lang ay dinalhan sila ng pagkain ng sekretarya nito. Subalit si Imris lang ang pinakain niya dahil hindi pa naman siya nagugutom.

Nasa loob na sila ngayon ng sasakyan ni Jasia. Puno pa ng palamuti ang mukha nito ngunit nakapagbihis na ang babae.

"Finally, natapos din!" If she could cross that lips to the ends of her ears, her eyes might have already disappeared. She was too happy.

"Congratulations," bati niya rito.

Nilingon naman siya nito, hindi pa rin nawawala ang mga ngiti sa labi. Iniwas niya ang tingin at pinokus sa itim na bintana.

"Let's go somewhere!"

"Huh?" He turned to look at her. "What do you mean? We're not going home?"

Umiling ito. "Don't worry. Walang mga tao sa pupuntahan natin. Let's celebrate!"

"Can't you do that just by yourself? Or if you want, you can just bring Imris." Turo niya sa batang mahimbing ang tulog sa kaniyang lap.

Pinagsaklop naman ni Jasia ang dalawang kamay. "Please, just this once. I ditch my team just to have you two celebrate with me. Please?"

Napasalubong ang mga kilay ni Xibel dahil sa ginawa nito. She was just like Imris. Doing that gesture again, he couldn't help but think they might have known about his weakness.

"Fine." He crossed his arms. There was no way of saying no with that pleading face.

"Yes!" Binalik na ni Jasia ang tingin sa manubela at pinandar ang kotse.

Hindi niya alam kung gaano katagal silang bumyahe dahil nakatulog siya. Saka lang siya nagising nang marinig ang boses ni Imris na tinatawag siya.

"Tara na, Papa. Mama already went out." Hinawakan nito ang kaniyang kamay.

Tumango lang siya bilang tugon. Binuksan na niya ang pinto at saka lumabas. Napakunot ang kaniyang noo dahil nasa gilid sila ng lawa.

Sa tabi ng lawa ay may higanteng puno. Napunta ang tingin niya sa paanan n'yon dahil sa isang babaeng abalang ayusin ang manta na dala. May dalawang basket din sa ibabaw nito.

Nang mapatingin ito sa kanila, kumaway ito. "Here!"

Tumakbo naman kaagad si Imris sa madamong lupa. Nadapa pa ito pero kaagad din namang bumangon at tumakbo ulit.

Napailing na lang siya bago sumunod.

He sat on the opposite of the blanket where the two seated. His eyes remained on the silent lake. "Here I thought the performance is already over. It seems you still wanted to be a swan."

Jasia's laugh echoed around the peaceful lake. "Can you turn me into a swan, mister necromancer?"

"Do you want me to turn you into one?" biro niya rin pabalik.

Muli itong tumawa na naging dahilan upang umarko rin ang isang gilid ng kaniyang labi. For some reason, it had been easier for him to talk to Jasia. Was it because they had known each other's fragment of the past? Or maybe they could really talk like this in the first place if he wasn't just so awful in treating her the moment they met.

The bird chirping above them, and the frogs jumping near the water to hunt some insects gave Xibel a free trip down to Fort Galron. The loud yet soft wind touching his face felt the same as when he was still a saint.

"Mama, look! Papa's flowers!" Biglang tinuro ni Imris ang kaniyang mukha nang buong pagkamangha. Ganoon din si Jasia kaya nagtaka siya.

"What's the matter?" He tried touching his eyes only to realize the petals that had been constantly falling were taken by the wind. Napasunod siya sa direksyon ng hangin dahilan upang makita ang mga bulaklak niyang lumilipad sa ere.

A sound of a little gasp escaped from his mouth. Even though they were withered, the petals looked alive while dancing along the wind. He didn't know they could still look beautiful despite being dead.

"Papa, you look so pretty!" Napahawak si Imris sa dalawa nitong pisngi habang puno pa rin ng pagkamangha ang mga mata nito. Lumapit pa ito sa kaniya para lang titigan siya.

"Stop fooling me." Hinilamos niya ang kamay sa mukha nito.

Nakarinig naman siya ng mahinang tawa.

"Totoo naman ang sinasabi niya. You look really pretty, Xibel."

Hindi siya nakasagot. Pakiramdam niya'y may umakyat sa mabigat niyang puso at dinaganan lang ito upang hindi siya makahinga.

"See? Even Mama agrees."

Muli niyang hinilamos ang kamay sa mukha ni Imris at ito na lang ang pinagtuunan niya ng pansin. Why were they suddenly saying such praises? Did they not realize sucks at receiving one? Xibel could only complain because he was too shy to tell them to shut up.

Even before he was still a saint, he couldn't just get used to their compliments. What more that he became a monster now? Receiving such words felt like lies.

Inilabas ni Jasia ang laman ng mga basket. Puro pala iyon mga tinapay at may inumin din.

"Nga pala, Xibel. Bakit hindi ko nakikita si Stone?" tanong nito habang binibigyan ng tinapay si Imris.

Inabot naman ito ni Imris sa kaniya na tinanggap niya rin. "I am trying to find Imris' parents, so I have him check this particular orphanage from time to time."

"Particular orphanage?"

"An orphanage on the a sea coast. Stone found him just around this city."

"Oh." Dahan-dahan namang tumango si Jasia. "Bakit doon?"

"I have the extent of my gift check on Imris' memories,p and it showed me an orphanage near a coast. That is where she was left by her parents so I want Stone to gather some clues. I will check the orphanage sooner too."

Napakurap naman si Jasia. "Imris was l-left near a coast?"

"Yes. That's what her memories showed."

Natahimik naman si Jasia. It took her a while before she replied, "And if you will get to find her parents, anong gagawin mo?"

"What else?" He looked at Imris with a sigh. "I'll give her back."