XIBEL looked like a statue for not moving for almost a minute. After Imris hugged him and made him carry her, it was just then he realized what he said. For the love of the dead, how could he just own this child? He couldn't believe he took her under his care.

Hindi niya pa nga lubos na naiintindihan ang mundong ito at kung paano muling makikita ang system at ang Fictosa, nagawa niya pang kumuha ng isang responsibilidad.

"Heavens and curses, I shouldn't have let my emotions overtake me." He massaged his nose bridge. "Now, what am I to do?"

Imris just giggled and started poking his left cheek. Her focus was shifted on the dead flowers. The petals were endlessly falling, but there were no hints of them losing their numbers. Every flower that lost all their petals were then replaced with an already withered one. It was ironic to think it could still grow.

The curse he put on himself was never less dead than he was at the moment.

"Papa, why don't I have that?" Imris pointed his cheeks.

"Because you are not cursed. And please . . ." With his finger, he removed her hand poking his cheek. "Do not call me such names. Have I not told you? I'm not your father. I didn't say I will take you as my daughter. You are my follower, Imris. Not my daughter, understand?"

Imris tilted her head. "Follower?"

"Yeah. Follower." He put his attention back to the ruined building in front while thinking of what he would do. Pinangako na niya sa bata na hahanapin niya ang tunay na magulang nito kaya wala siyang magagawa kundi panagutan ang pangakong iyon.

Isa pa, ayaw na rin niyang ibalik pa si Imris sa orphanage. Kahit na binawian na niya ng buhay ang nanakit nito, hindi na niya ito ibabalik pa sa lugar kung saan ito nagdusa.

"Now, what must I do?" Before searching for her parents, he had to take care of her first. But how? He never had a child. What he did before was only bless them, not take care of them!

"Lord Xibel, why don't you give her a home?"

Napunta ang tingin niya kay Stone na nasa kaniyang tabi. "A home?"

"Yes, my lord. To build a family, you have to give them a decent house first." Naglakad ito papalapit sa sirang gusali. He then gestured his hand. "We, humans, first build our shelters to protect ourselves. That is also where we establish our bonds."

"A house . . ." he muttered and glanced at Imris who was now yawning.

Stone was right. Imris was a child who needed a place she could call home.

"Move aside," he ordered Stone. Tinaas niya ang isang kamay. Pinikit niya ang mga mata habang inilalarawan sa isipan ang nais niyang mangyari sa sirang gusali. "Strike thy art. Come fill my desires. Give me a place I can call home."

Tumaas ang init sa kaniyang katawan. Bumilis din ang tibok ng kaniyang puso habang nararamdaman ang agos ng kapangyarihan niyang nagtungo papunta sa dulo ng mga daliri. Opening his eyes, he snapped the fingers and watched how his Coriar turned his desired home into a real thing.

A huge amount of dark dust surrounded the ruined building, spiraling at a great speed, until it covered the whole area. It was less than a few seconds when the dark dust dissolved, and the building had now become a three-storey house. Just as how dark the color of his magic was, the building also represented it. All the green grasses surrounding the building dried up, showing a boundary of his area.

Napangiti siya sa kaniyang ginawa. Nilapat niya ang kamay sa ulo ng batang natutulog na habang hindi inaalis ang tingin sa kaniyang ginawa.

Now you have a home.

"Uh . . . my lord."

"What?" Napataas ang kaniyang kilay nang makita ang nababagabag na mukha ni Stone.  Napapakamot ito sa ulo habang pabalik-balik siyang tiningnan at ang bahay na ginawa niya.

"I don't think you can call this a home," mahina nitong sabi.

Kumunot naman ang kaniyang noo. "What nonsense are you spouting? How can this be not a home?"

Tinuro niya ang bahay na kaniyang ginawa. Ang bahay na may tatlumpong palapag at ipininta sa kulay ng kadiliman. Ang tuktok nito ay napapalibutan ng nag-aalburutong ulap, lumuluha sa dalawang paraan. Sa kanang bahagi, umuulan na may kasamang kidlat, habang ang kabila naman ay umuulan din ngunit purong niyebe ang binubuga.

Katulad na katulad ito sa kaniyang Personal Setting kaya nalilito siya kung paano ito hindi naging tahanan.

"Well, I think it's too much." Napakamot ulit si Stone. "Humans don't build houses like this. Wala sa utak namin ang gumawa ng bahay na may kasamang ulap, kidlat at niyebe."

"Is that so?" Napaisip naman siya. Totoo nga namang hindi pa siya nakakakita ng bahay ng mga tao na kagaya ng sa kaniya o sa dating tirahan niya no'ng siya'y isa pang mataas na santo. He snapped his fingers together to remove the clouds, the thunder, and winter. "How's that?"

"Hmm." Stone held his chin. "Can you change the color of the house, my lord? It still looks so . . . uh . . . scary."

"What color?"

"Anything bright."

He glared at Stone. "No. I can't. I have been forbidden to make something pleasant, Stone."

"Then how about planting flowers around the house?" suhestiyon nito habang pilit na ngumiti.

"I still can't. I don't have the power to do that anymore." Iniwas niya ang tingin. "I can't make anything beautiful anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry for saying such things, my lord. Forgive my ignorance," kaagad nitong sagot at binawi ang sinabi kanina. "On the second thought, okay na pala ang bahay. Imris now have a place to call home."

Hindi niya ito pinansin at naglakad patungo sa bahay. Pasikat na rin ang araw at magsisimula na namang maging abala ang mga tao. Ayaw niyang makasalamuha ang kahit na isa sa kanila kaya pumasok na siya sa loob.

Pinagbuksan siya ni Stone at kaagad na bumungad sa kanila ang higanteng chandelier. Kumikinang ang mga itim na diamanteng nakakabit doon. Ang mga upuan na nasa salas ay hindi rin nagpatalo sa kinang. Kahit nangibabaw ang itim na kulay ng kutson, ang materyales nitong gawa sa buto ang naging dahilan upang maging kapansin-pansin. Pati ang handrail ng hagdanang papunta sa susunod na palapag ay gawa rin galing sa mga buto ng mga taong wala nang buhay.

"Now, what's next?" tanong niya.

"Clothes, my lord. You need to give your daughter clothes to wear."

"Right. I need clothes for my--" Napatigil siya sa pagsasalita nang mapagtanto ang sinabi ni Stone. Pinukol niya ito nang masamang tingin. "She's not my daughter. She's my follower just like you."

"But, my lord, she can't be a follower. She's alive," salungat nito.

"Who says only the dead can be my follower? It's up to me who I am going to choose." He snapped his finger while not removing his gaze at Stone. Mabilis na naglabasan sa ere ang mga damit na may iba't ibang estilo. Subalit iisa lang ang naging kulay--itim. Inikot niya ang isang daliri dahilan upang gumalaw ang mga nakalutang na damit at nagkumpulan ito papunta sa mahabang upuan.

"But she sees you as a father, my lord. You can't do anything about it. If you continue to insist, she might get hurt."

"Why would she be hurt?" Naglakad siya katabi sa upuan na may mga damit. Dahan-dahan niyang binaba si Imris sa katabing upuan.

He sighed in relief when he saw her still sleeping after putting her down. Ilang sandali niya lang kinarga si Imris pero nangawit kaagad ang kaniyang braso.

Tumayo na siya at maglalakad na sana papunta sa kaharap na upuan subalit biglang nagsalita si Imris.

"Papa?"

Mariin siyang napapikit. Nilingon niya ito habang nakakunot ang noo. "How many times do I need to tell that little head of yours I am not your father?"

Imris pouted. "But Imris doesn't want to be Papa's follower. Ayoko!"

"You don't have a choice."

"Papa--"

"Stop calling me that. You don't even know my name, so how can I be your father?" He rolled his eyes.

"You're my Papa!" Imris insisted. Umupo ito sa pagkakahiga at tinuro siya. "Papa! Papa!"

"No! Call me master or Lord Xibel instead."

"Papa!"

"Argh!" Inis siyang napatalikod. Kaunti na lang at mapipigtas na ang kaniyang pasensya. Huminga muna siya nang malalim bago muling nilingon ang bata. "Look, child. I don't go fathering kids. I collect the dead."

"Papa--"

"Shut up. I don't have a daughter nor will I have one. You are not my own blood! I will never accept anyone to have that title. Even you." Hindi niya namalayang tumaas na pala ang kaniyang boses.

Hindi sumagot si Imris at nanatili lang nakatingin sa kaniya. Ilang saglit, unti-unting namuo ang mga luha sa mga mata nito.

Napamura siya sa kaniyang isipan. "Hey, don't--"

Hindi niya natapos ang sasabihin nang tuluyan na nga itong ngumawa. Napahilamos na lang siya sa kaniyang mukha.

"That is what I meant, my lord. She will get hurt," saad ni Stone na nasa kaniyang likuran.

Nanatili siya sa kinatatayuan habang pinagmamasdan si Imris na patuloy pa ring umiiyak. Paulit-ulit nitong sinasabi ang katagang 'papa' at mukhang wala itong planong tumigil hangga't hindi niya babawiin ang sinabi kanina.

But why should he? Xibel had already given up the idea of him having a family, much more having a child. He took Imris not to be his daughter but just to be under his care. He didn't want to be a father. He and Imris were too different beings to begin with. She was a human while he was a necromancer. More than that, he was a fictional character, so how was he supposed to raise her?

At that moment, a memory flashed on his mind. It was the aftermath of his curse. Of how he was hated by the world for being hideous and . . . different. No one wanted him. And that made him realize about something.

He sighed.

Lumuhod siya upang magkapantay sila ng bata. Pinahid niya ang mga malalaking butil ng luha nito. "Hush now."

"Papa . . . y-you're my Papa," pahikbi-hikbi nitong sabi. Basang-basa na ang mahabang talukap nito. Her shut-black eyes plead, trying to get everything in her way.

"All right. Fine. You win. You can call me that so hush."

Tumahimik naman kaagad ito. Madami siyang katanungan tungkol sa bata pero isa ito sa mga gusto niyang magkaroon ng kasagutan. Bakit ang bilis nitong tumahimik kapag nakuha na kaagad nito ang gusto? Pinaglalaruan lang ba siya nito? Was she trying to use her tears on him?

"You're quite an actress." Napaismid siya. "I hate actresses, so don't be like that."

Hindi nito pinansin ang kaniyang sinabi at saka ngumiti sa kaniya. "You're my Papa, right?"

Hindi siya sumagot.

"You're my Papa, right?" pag-uulit nito.

Hindi pa rin siya sumagot. Nang mapansin niyang namuo na naman ang luha sa mga mata nito kaagad siyang tumango.

"Okay, okay. You're right. I'm . . . I am . . ." He rolled his eyes. He didn't want to say it. And here he thought being betrayed was the most frustrating thing he could ever experience. Hindi pala. Nagkamali siya. May mas lalamang pa pala. At iyon ay ang sabihing ama siya ng batang kaharap niya ngayon. And there was nothing more frustrating than losing to a child.

"Papa?" Imris tilted her head while waiting for his word.

Malalim pa sa banga ang buntonghiningang pinakawalan niya bago tumikhim. He didn't have a choice but to say it.

"I am your . . . " Iniwas niya ang tingin. " . . . f-father."

"Yey!" Imris put both of her hands up while giggling. Pati ang mga paa nito ay nagsasaya rin, sumasabay sa galaw ng mga kamay. Kaagad nitong tinapon ang sarili sa kaniya at niyakap siya.

Siya naman ay napahawak sa sariling noo. Pakiramdam niya'y bigla siyang nahilo. Hindi siya makapaniwalang may anak na siya.

Heavens and curses. How did I end up in this situation?