«Lunaria's P.O.V»

Huh? Nasaan ako?”

Ang dilim ng kapaligiran, wala akong makita kahit isang tuldok ng ilaw.

“What am I doing here?”

I thought while I was shivering in fear, sinubukan kong sumigaw pero walang boses na lumalabas sa bibig ko.

I felt like crying, but tears would not come out of my eyes.

Nakatayo lang ako, pero hindi ako makagalaw.

“Somebody...! Save me..!”

I screamed in my mind helplessly, but even if I do, wala namang makakarinig.

Tumayo ang mga balahibo ko nang may marinig ako na naglalakad.

“Who's that?”

My instincts said I have to run away. Fast. But I couldn't move my body.

Onti onting lumalakas ang mga footsteps, he's coming near me. It became louder and louder until a figure was in front of me.

“I have to run, I have to...!”

I tried forcing my body to move, but it really wouldn't.

I was shocked when the figure spoke.

“I'd really prefer it if you won't move.”

Nanlamig lalo yung katawan ko sa sinabi niya.

Lumapit pa yung figure sa akin hanggang sa naririnig ko na yung hininga niya, just the sound of his breath was bad news.

“I'm scared..! What is this person going to do...?!”

My body was screaming at me that I have to do everything to get away from this figure.

Inilapit niya yung mga labi niya sa leeg ko...

“No...! No!!”

I felt my eyes widening from fear, and shock from the view of it.

His lips touched my neck then....

“NOOOO!!!”

Napaupo ako sa hinihigaan ko, I inspected my surroundings then I sighed in relief when I was only in my room.

“Why do I always dream of that day?”

Tumayo ako sa hinihigaan ko, then proceeded to the bathroom. Luckily I had a bathroom next to my room.

I turned the faucet on the sink, at hinugasan yung mukha ko.

Pagkatapos kong hugasan yung mukha ko, I looked at the mirror then touched my face.

Long silver wavy hair and up-slanting white eyes.

“...Because of this face...”

I frowned, kung siguro I was less attractive then maybe hindi yun nangyari.

Pero syempre there's no use complaining about that.

Pagkatapos kong mag hugas ng mukha, lumabas ako ng kwarto at naglakad sa hallways ng mansion na ito.

“Pagkatapos ng panaginip na yun, I don't think I'd be able to sleep”

I checked my surroundings habang naglalakad, I don't know why but it felt darker and quiet today compared to other nights.

The sound of my footsteps echoed throughout the halls.

“My intuition says that something's wrong.”

Bumilis yung tibok ng puso ko, napatakbo ako papunta sa knight's quarters downstairs para makahingi ng tulong sa kanila pero...

The door is wide open, and I smell something unpleasant. Dahan dahan lumapit ako then took a peek inside.

I gasped harshly, the scene before me was horrid. I couldn't believe it.

They... are dead.

Hindi ko na alam gagawin ko, I just took off faster than lightning and looked for a place to hide...a place to runaway to.

Kaso... there was already somebody following me as I was running, and I can't outrun him.

Tears fell out of my eyes.

“Ayaw ko pa mamatay... Ayaw ko pa mamatay....!”

I just ran and ran, and before I knew it, I was already collapsing.

I fell into a void of darkness, and I'm still falling.

“Patay na ba ako? If so, then my life has been shitty as hell. How unfortunate.”

I had flashbacks of my entire life, so totoo pala na kapag mamamatay ka na maaalala mo lahat ng mga pinagdaanan mo. Masaya man o hindi.

I am named Lunaria Lumiere, I was born in the House of Lumiere, one of the few duchies in the Empire, as the eldest daughter 20 years ago.

Dahil nga ipinanganak ako as the daughter of a duke, my status was equivalent to a princess'. Of course expected ng marami na I'm spoiled, and pampered which is true, but I was never haughty.

My mother died giving birth to my sister, and I was 5 nung nanganak ulit siya. Wala ako masyadong matandaan tungkol sa kanya except for her features that resemble mine. Magkamukha kami, halos yung magkaiba lang yung kulay ng buhok namin dahil blonde siya. Oh, and I was told that she was an endearing woman, at mahal na mahal daw niya ako ayon sa mga tao dito.

My father, August Lumiere, wasn't a doting father, hindi siya katulad ng ibang mga ama na noble na patay na patay sa anak nila. He still cared about me, but only as a part of the Lumiere family. He provided me education and stacks of money kapalit yung pagiging responsable ko bilang isang Lumiere. Wala naman akong problema dun, although I kind of hope na sana kahit papaano he showed me affection, but he never did. Before he even showed me any kind of love, namatay siya sa war against vampires noong 13 years old ako.

My younger sister, Selene Lumiere, is an outgoing kid, mas matanda ako sa kanya ng 5 years. Kahit magkapatid kami, hindi kami magkamukha. She has cute rounded grey eyes and shoulder-length silver hair. She's the opposite of me, she's talkative, and sweet samantalang ako, quiet and intimidating (since I rarely smiled ever since I was a child). Siya yung naging favorite ng tatay namin, she was given everything including the affections of my dad. I have no hard feelings against her though, naiintindihan ko naman kasi favorable naman talaga siya personality wise. She's the epitome of kindness, and compassion, kaya naturally she's favored. Kung hindi lang ako mas matanda sa kanya, siya na siguro yung naging duchess. Now that I'm dead, she's high likely becoming duchess now.

Me and my sister were pretty close, we shared secrets together. I loved her as a family, I'm glad nung pinasok yung bahay namin, she was attending an expedition at the country of Valac.

Then THAT happened, hindi ko matandaan yung mga detalye pero what I do remember is that it was devastating, it happened when I was turning 18, noong debut ko. I find it odd that the details of that event is blurry dahil imposible namang makalimutan ko yun...especially since...

“Erase. Erase. Mamamatay na nga ako matatandaan ko pa yan.”

“Hayst, ang dami daming laman ng memories ko pero halos walang memorable...”

Halos kalahati ng buhay ko puro responsibilities lang inatupag ko, I only attended social gatherings para sa work related stuff, I never married kasi I thought it was unnecessary.

Then, isang napaka-random na memory ang pumasok sa isip ko.

It was when I was 11 years old, when I attended a tea party at the De Lune household.

Pumunta ako sa garden nila to breathe some fresh air dahil nanuyo yung lalamunan ko sa tea party na yun, ang daming satsat nung mga babae tungkol sa akin. Kung hindi ako pumunta sa garden nun baka pinag t-tape ko yung mga bunganga nila.

Pero that's not the highlight of that day.

Habang naglalakad ako nun sa garden, appreciating the beauty of the flowers growing there, I saw a pretty boy that I think was 17 and has silky black hair with emerald eyes sitting on rocks beside the garden fountain.

Nung nakita ko yung mga mata niya, I felt like he needed someone to reconcile to. I thought, “Ano kayang nangyari?”

Lumakad ako palapit sa kanya, tumingin siya sa akin. Halatang gusto niyang itanong kung sino ako at anong ginagawa ko dun pero hindi siya nagsalita at nagmukmok lang.

I sighed then sat beside him, looking at him with pity.

“I don't know what happened, pero if you feel sad, you can open up to me.”

I said to him, pero wala siyang sinagot. Naintindihan ko naman, siguro confidential yung problema niya kaya kung ganun mabuti nang tinago niya iyon sa akin.

Hindi ko alam yung gagawin ko nun dahil kahit kailan I never comforted anyone other than myself so I just started blabbering nonsense.

“You know, emerald represents healing, at may emerald eyes ka kaya sa tingin ko you'll heal in no time.”

Ngayon ko lang naramdaman yung kahihiyan ko, “ano ba yang pinagsasabi ko sa kanya?!”

Then he turned his head to my direction, this time, he was looking at me with softer eyes. I felt accomplished since I was able to comfort someone, I think.

Napangiti na lang ako sa kanya, it was probably one of the few smiles I ever had.

His eyes suddenly twinkled, I didn't understand why it did and I still don't. 

Nung sa tingin ko okay na siya, tumayo na ako then....

“KYA! Yung gown ko....!”

Napasigaw ako kasi nabasa yung gown ko, kahaba haba kasi.

“Pfft! I'll ask my sis to lend you a gown bilang kapalit.”

Ginusto ko siyang batukan nun eh, but I still knew he was thankful. Although, I immediately went to my carriage that time when he was away and left... Because I had to see the knights back at home training to see their abs.

“Maybe I did have a few okay memories.”

Pinikit ko yung mga mata ko, assuming that I'm already dying, then the dreams which haunted me every night came to mind.

“Ah.. I wonder what those dreams were for? Siguro warning pala yun sa akin...A warning that this day would come.”

I smiled sadly, ito na siguro yung pinaka huli kong tsansa para ngumiti so I'll take it.

—

“Wake up, duchess Lumiere.”

“Ha...?”

Then I really did wake up, in an unfamiliar room at that.

“Gising ka na sa wakas!”

I was startled to death nung may mukha na sobrang malapit sa pagmumukha ko tapos lalaki pa yung may ari nung mukha.

Dahil dun, napaupo ako bigla and we hit each others forehead.

He stumbled on the floor.

“Aray, aray! Haven't you learned any manners?”

Rinig ko yung reklamo ng lalaki, I looked at him and...

“Who the hell are you?!”

I screamed loudly, for some reason my face felt hot.

Because on the floor was a topless blonde man with yellow eyes, and he had an 8-pack.

TO BE CONTINUED