XIBEL almost got his heart ripped out if it wasn't for Isabella hugging him back. It was never in his mind that he would be this scared of losing his creator. He feared that he would be left alone unfinished. He feared to see no end of his story.

Most of all, he feared that Imris would see her mother pass away before her eyes.

"Isabella, how glad I am for you to be alive." Humiwalay siya sa yakap at pinagmasdan ang pagod nitong mukha. Pinahid niya ang luha nito sa pisngi.

"Ate!" Kaagad namang lumapit sa Imris at ito ang yumakap sa babae.

"I"m sorry, Imris. It might have startled you." Hinaplos nito ang ulo ng bata at niyakap ito pabalik.

"How did you end up in that situation?" he asked as he slid his gaze to the unconscious man lying beside them. Malakas ang kutob niyang may kinalaman ito sa nangyari kay Isabella.

"That guy. That's Drake, my ex-boyfriend. He's also Imris'" —she paused and mouthed the last word instead for Imris not to hear—"father."

"W-what?" Napakurap siya. Bumalik ang sinabi ni Jasia sa kaniya no'ng nakaraan, kung paano paulit-ulit na nilaspatangan ng lalaking ito ang kaniyang manunulat. Pero bukod doon, isa pang bagay ang nagbigay gulat sa kaniya.

"Do you already know that Imris . . ." Xibel hesitated for a moment, worried about what Isabella might feel. 

But Isabella seemed to know what he was pertaining to and nodded. "Yeah. I don't know how Drake knew about this, pero siya mismo ang nagsabi sa akin. May dala pa itong maternity test. Alam mo na rin ba ang tungkol dito?"

Tumango siya.

Namayani ang katahimikan sa kanilang dalawa dahil hindi mawari ang mga tamang salita na puwede niyang sabihin kay Isabella. What does he knew about this thing, anyway? He was never been confident in talking to people, what more of giving them comfort. Nevertheless, it was no telling she would feel better.

Nabasag lang ang katahimikan sa pagitan nila nang humiwalay si Imris kay Isabella at hinawakan ang kaniyang braso.

"Papa." Tinuro nito si Drake. "He hurt Mama."

"Did he?" He glared at the man.

Naluluhang tumango si Imris.

"Muntik niya na ring patayin si Imris." Isabella sighed. "I almost couldn't believe it."

"Ah. Is that so?" His eyes remained frozen at the moment. He couldn't even lift his lips despite his rising anger. He couldn't spare any emotion anymore. Tinulungan niya munang makatayo si Isabella. "We need to get out of here. Imris hold her."

Tumango naman ang kaniyang anak at hinawakan ang kamay ni Isabella. Pinauna niya itong maglakad paalis. Nang makitang pababa na ang dalawa sa hagdan, kaagad niyang nilingon ang walang malay na lalaki.

Tinapakan niya ang ulo nito. 

Knowing that the man was Imris' father, he wanted to vomit. He couldn't fathom to think that this disgusting man have birthed a precious child. Not to mention, he was even willing to hurt her. 

Indeed, the humans in this dimension were way more worse than from where he came from.

"You're not Imris' father. She doesn't deserve to know you." He gritted his teeth. And with that, he promised to annihilate this human without any trace.

He would make sure that nobody will see any of his parts from this house, from this dimension, and even to the next.

He deserve more than this even. There was no way he would let him die in peace.

There was no satisfactory, however, if he would lay his hand on an unconscious man. He could have done the same thing to Jasia's perpetrator, but Drake wasn't dead yet. He was still breathing.

The best thing he could do at the moment was  . . .

"I know you are starving, Schadeous." Glancing at his hands, his finger was burning with ebony fire. It grew large until it formed into a shape of a bear. The bear he once made for Imris, Elia.

Elia was made out from a part of his soul, rendering it his subordinate.

He watched the bear he summoned growled while looking at him. Letting out a sheepish grin, he kneeled on the ground and patted the bear's head. "Elia, why don't you have your first meal? He is all yours."

Tumalikod na siya at nagsimulang maglakad palayo. As he stepped his feet forward, the sound of splattered blood and gnawed flesh pushed him to think of something gruesome. How pitiful for that human to sleep and wake up the next moment in his Cage of Darkness. There, it was even more torturous.

He would be eaten, again, and again, and again. Endlessly.

And he wouldn't feel any mercy. Humans like them doesn't deserve such words.

"ARAY ko . . ." Napadaing si Jasia at napahawak sa kaniyang baywang.

Kaagad namang lumapit si Stone sa kaniya. Tinaas niya ang isang kamay upang magpatulong sanang magpatayo subalit nagtaka siya sa reaksyon ng lalaki. Wala sa kaniya ang tingin nito kundi sa kaniyang mga paa.

Napasunod naman ang kaniyang tingin doon.

Nagitla siya sa sitwasyon ng kaniyang paa. Nagraragasa ang dugo mula roon dulat ng nasirang troso na tumusok. Doon niya lang din naramdaman ang sakit. Ni hindi niya man lang napansin ito kanina dahil nakapokus ang atensyon niya sa posibleng nangyari kay Imris.

Napasinghap siya nang sinubukan niya itong igalaw. Isa-isang pumasok sa kaniyang isipan ang mga taon kung gaano siya nagpakahirap para maging isang ballerina. Ang iniingatan niyang mga paa ay posibleng mawala sa kaniya dahil sa natamong pinsala.

"Miss Jasia, please don't move." Lumuhod si Stone upang tingnan ito. Nag-aalala siya nitong sinulyapan dahil nagsisimula na rin siyang maluha. Natatakot siya sa posibleg mangyari. "I know you are scared now, miss. But don't worry, I'm sure my lord can fix this."

Bubuhatin na sana siya ni Stone subalit napatigil nang may mga yabag na lumapit sa kanila. Sabay na napaangat ang kanilang tingin.

Kaagad na nagpanting ang galit niya nang makita ang nakangiting si Nevar.

"Oh, Jasia. Fancy to see you here. I was about to go out too." Pinilig nito ang ulo at pinagmasdan ang duguan niyang paa. "That's too bad. It might leave a permanent injury if not treated quick. But oh well"—he shrugged—"I don't have any healing abilities, so I can't help you. Sorry!"

Umigting lang ang poot niya dahil sa sinabi nito. Pansin niyang may nag-iba sa pananalita ng lalaki pero nilamangan iyon ng kaniyang galit at kaagad na dinuro. "You have the guts to show yourself in front of me after what you've done? Ganito ka ba talaga kadesperado? Na pati buhay ng iba ilalagay mo sa alanganin?!"

"Don't snarl at me, Jas. I don't really care about the sex tapes. What I just want is you." Tinuro siya nito. His condescending eyes gazed at her with insult. "If you had just agreed on the first place, none of this will happen."

"If you weren't just desperate, hindi ito mangyayari kaya huwag mong isisi sa akin ang kahibangan mo. Hindi ko kasalanan na pinagtatakpan mo ang kawalangyaan ng pinsan mo!" She glanced at the wooden debris beside her. Kaagad niya itong inabot.

"Miss Jasia, calm down," pigil ni Stone sa kaniya. Sinubukan nitong kunin sa kamay ang hawak pero kaagad niya itong winaksi.

"Huwag mo kong pigilan!" nangangalaiti niyang sigaw. Hindi na niya kaya pang ikubli ang lumulubong galit sa kaniyang puso. Hindi niya magawang matanggap na ang dating minahal niya ay isa pa lang demonyo. At hindi niya man lang iyon nakita dati.

"I should not have loved you!"

"Whoa! Wait. Are you going to hurt me?" Natatawa itong napaatras nang itaas niya ang hawak na kahoy.

Inipon niya ang natitirang lakas at handa na sanang ibato ito sa direksyon ng lalaki subalit napatigil siya nang may humawak sa kabilang dulo nito.

Napaangat ang kaniyang tingin.

"Xibel?" Kasunod noon ang mga ingay ni Imris at Isabella sa kaniyang likuran.

Inagaw ni Xibel ang hawak niyang kahoy. "Don't hurt him. You're just wasting your energy."

Nagsalubong naman ang kaniyang kilay. "What do you mean?!"

Xibel slid her a glance before looking at the man. "That guy is not Nevar anymore."

"Huh?" Tuluyang napakunot ang kaniyang noo. Anong ibig nitong sabihin?

Muling napunta ang atensyon niya kay Nevar nang marinig itong tumawa.

"Boo, Xibel! You're so boring. Why did you blow my cover?" The man who looked like Nevar pouted.

"Enough with your plays, Rasheed. You have crossed the line." Pabagsak na tinapon ni Xibel ang hawak na kahoy.

"Wait, mister necromancer. I don't mean any harm." Tinaas nito ang dalawang kamay habang ang mga labi ay nanatiling nakangiti.

Xibel scoffed. "You kidnapped my daughter and my creator, and you almost killed them. Now, you are telling me you don't mean any harm?!"

Napaigtad si Jasia dahil sa lakas ng boses ni Xibel. Ito na yata ang pinakamalakas na tunog na nagawa ng lalaki. Ang umaapoy nitong kamay ay nagsilbing indikasyon na hindi na ito natutuwa pa. Bigla rin siyang nakaramdam ng biglaang pagkahila dahil sa presyon na pilit siyang hinihila pababa. Napalingon siya sa kaniyang mga kasama at ganoon din ang kaniyang nararamdaman. 

"My lord, please, calm down. You do not want to destroy this place." With his shaking knees, Stone tried to stand up beside Xibel. 

Kaagad siyang napalunok nang mapagtantong galing kay Xibel ang nakakakilabot na presensyang ito. What made her more frozen was the fact that the moments she witnessed Xibel getting mad was not even the tip of this devouring aura. 

He was truly in rage.

However, the only one unfazed by this pressure was none other than the guy who had Nevar's face.

"Your follower is right.  As a compensation, I killed Nevar for you. So will you forgive me?" Pinagsaklop nito ang dalawang kamay. "Cut me some slack, mister necromancer. I even warned you about the kidnapping before, so it is obvious that I am not you're enemy."

Nagitla siya sa narinig. Si Xibel naman ay nanatiling tahimik ngunit nawala na ang nag-aapoy nitong mga kamay. Dahan-dahan na ring nawala ang mabigat na presyon sa paligid nila.

Is he calm now? Jasia wondered. He couldn't see Xibel's face clearly.

Seconds later, Xibel asked. "What exactly are you planning, Rasheed?"

"Who's Rasheed?" bulong niya sa sarili.

Narinig ni Isabella ang kaniyang sinabi kaya binulungan din siya nito. "I'm not sure about my idea, but if I am correct, that Rasheed must be a fictional character too."

"What?" gulat niyang sagot.

Tumango si Jasia. "Rasheed is a character I read from one of my high school's textbook. He is a cunning shapeshifter and loves taking advantage of people. But we really can't tell his goal."

"My plan?" Rasheed looked down and stared at Xibel's chest. "Oh no, mister necromancer. Your character restoration progress is already at ninety."

Napaatras naman si Xibel dahil sa sinabi nito. "H-how did you—"

"How did I see it?" Rasheed put one of his fingers on his lips. "Not telling. Let's just say I got really, really friendly with the system." Tumalikod na ito bago pa man makasagot si Xibel. "Anyway, this will not affect you. And I have already done my part here. Goodbye, mister necromancer!" He waved his hand and walked away.

Tiningnan niya si Xibel na nakatayo lang sa kaniyang tabi. "Hindi mo ba siya susundan?"

"No." Napakuyom ang mga kamao nito. "I just got a warning from the system that I should not lay a hand on him."