Gilded Cage Velvet Chains

‎👑 ‎ ‎ ‎'Don't live with regrets...' ‎ ‎ ‎That voice is fading. ‎ ‎'Wait! I don't get it! W-Why?' I cried desperately. ‎ ‎The white space that surrounds me started to become blurry. I felt like I need to...that I needed to stop it. There's a strong urge deep inside me to follow that voice. ‎ ‎Where does it come from? I don't know. It keeps on uttering the same exact words, 'don't live with regrets.' ‎ ‎Yes I have! I have my own regrets in this life. But I don't have the time just to enumerate it all! ‎ ‎Why do I keep having this dream? Is it a vision? And it seems that this dream is quite longer than the previous episodes that I had. ‎ ‎I started to walk slowly. ‎Getting my pace up, I tried to run. As fast as I can. ‎Catching my breathe, I'm getting there. ‎ ‎Almost. ‎ ‎As I continue on running fast, the white floor started to crack and crumble. Everything happened so fast. I just found myself drowning in a pitch black water. ‎ ‎I stretch out my right hand. Trying to reach the surface. But something is holding me. Something heavy is dragging my body down. ‎ ‎Deeper. ‎ ‎And deeper. ‎ ‎And deeper. ‎ ‎And deeper. ‎ ‎And deeper. ‎ ‎And deeper. ‎ ‎It always ends up like this. ‎In my dreams. It's the same ending. I don't know what's beyond that white space. I don't know who am I chasing. ‎ ‎My intuition tells me, it is what I've been longing for. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎A loud gasp escaped my lips as I opened my eyes. ‎ ‎Inilibot ko ang aking paningin. ‎ ‎An unfamiliar ceiling, bedchamber, and unfamiliar people surrounds me. I also noticed that I am wearing a white silk night gown. The room is filled with period-accurate furnitures. ‎ ‎The people in my room where sobbing. Silently. Grieving as if the whole world befalls onto them. They were all facing down. ‎ ‎Sinubukan kong bumangon. Kinusot-kusot ko pa ang aking mata dahil medyo naging blurry ang aking paningin. ‎ ‎'Where am I? Who are these people? And why am I wearing a night gown? ‎Sa pagkakatanda ko, nasa shoot ako with Direk Mori and my co-actors! We're shooting the last scene for our film!' ‎ ‎Napapikit ako at napahawak ng mariin sa aking sintindo dahil sa biglang pagsakit ng ulo ko. Gumuhit ang sakit mula sa aking noo palibot sa aking ulo. Tumitibok na parang pulso. ‎ ‎Napangiwi na lamang ako sa di ko maintindihang sakit. ‎ ‎"Y-Your H-Highness?" ‎ ‎A girl spoke. Judging from the tone of her voice, she seems surprised. ‎ ‎"Y-Your Majesties, h-her highness woke up!" she announced with glee. ‎ ‎'T-Teka nga? Ako ba ang her highness na tinutukoy nung babae?' ‎ ‎I opened my eyes and peeked in between my fingers that's still on my forehead. I guess I'm right. ‎ ‎'And what's with their outfits? Third scene na ba? Ending na? Iniba na ba yung setting agad? Bakit hindi pa sumisigaw si Direk Mori ng "and...cut! Gorgeous!"' ‎ ‎That's his favorite line. ‎ ‎"Annelise, my darling girl, you're awake! Thank the heavens!" a middle-aged man exclaimed while hugging me so tight, pulling me back into my senses. ‎ ‎Hindi ko alam kung paanong bigla na lang napunta ang lalaking nakayakap sakin ngayon dito sa tabi ng kama ko. ‎ ‎I'm lost with my own thoughts. ‎ ‎My hands acted on their own, sa pagtaas ng dalawang kamay ko, I was about to hug him back, this man, but instead, I gently tap his back. ‎ ‎I just felt like it's the natural thing to do. ‎ ‎Looking at the person behind the man who's still hugging me while crying is a middle-aged woman, a gentle and relieved smile appeared on her lips revealing her perfect white teeth. ‎ ‎While tears are still flowing down on her face, it didn't hid her beauty. ‎ ‎Kumalas sa pagkakayakap ang lalaki at nagbigay daan sa babaeng kanina ko pa minamasdan. ‎ ‎He told me to get plenty of rest. I bowed down and didn't respond. I just looked at my hands. He planted a gentle kiss on my head. ‎ ‎I stayed silent. ‎ ‎Dinig ko ang paghakbang niya palayo sa akin at saka may kinausap. ‎ ‎"Call the royal physician, Annelise, my daughter is finally awake! Hurry up!" ‎ ‎'Annelise.' ‎ ‎A very familiar name, I maybe wrong or maybe not. ‎ ‎'I am not Annelise, I am Sera' ‎ ‎'My name is not Annelise, I am Sera' ‎ ‎'I am Sera' ‎ ‎'I am Sera' ‎ ‎'I am Sera!' ‎ ‎'I am Sera!' ‎ ‎'I am Sera!' ‎ ‎ ‎I shouted internally. I don't even want to hear my own voice. I can't accept this! ‎ ‎I didn't know that tears was already streaming down my face. Nonstop. ‎ ‎Until a very warm and gentle hand held my shaking hand and wipe the tears that's still coming. She tucked the loose strands of my hair that's covering half of my face behind my left ear. ‎ ‎Slowly and gently. ‎ ‎She squeezed my left hand that she's holding. On my right side is the middle-aged man earlier who's now holding my right hand. ‎ ‎I didn't notice that it's just the three of us. Right in this moment. ‎ ‎"Annelise, my sweet, lovingly and beautiful daughter, I'm glad you're back. Mamma is here." ‎ ‎'She says Mamma?' ‎ ‎'She's my m-mother?' ‎ ‎'Is this my second life?' ‎ ‎Doon ako mas lalong umiyak ng malakas. Para akong bata na inagawan ng laruan. Hindi iyak pang-teleserye kundi iyak na parang sabog ang boses. ‎ ‎Pareho nila akong kaagad na niyakap. Hinagpos hagpos ang likod at pinapatahan. ‎ ‎Mental breakdown. ‎ ‎I'm suffering this right here, right now in this unfamiliar place together with this two unfamiliar people beside me. ‎ ‎After calming down, none of us spoke. The two of them stayed beside me. Like a parent should when their child is having a nightmare and can't sleep. ‎ ‎Muli kong inilibot ang aking paningin sa mga bagay sa loob ng kwarto na natatanaw ko. Mula sa mga kurtina at sa bintanang bahagyang sumisilip ang liwanag. ‎ ‎Everything here has their own intricate designs and symbol. A symbol that's very familiar to me, the sigil of the royal family. The doors, ceiling, tables and every furniture varies from color gold to white, silver and cream. ‎ ‎Aesthetic. Regal. ‎ ‎Ipinikit ko ulit ang aking mga mata at huminga ng malalim. I keep on chanting that this is not real and that I will woke up in my own room, acting in front of the mirror, dancing and singing while cooking, binge-watching my favorite korean drama's and doing t****k. Having fun in my own world. ‎ ‎Ibinukas ko ulit ang aking mga mata. Wala. Ganon pa rin. Nandito pa rin ako. Reality slapped me hard. I bit my lower lip, keeping my teardrops from falling. ‎ ‎I sighed deeply. Gusto ko na munang magpahinga. Matulog. ‎ ‎"My parents" asked me earlier if I want something to eat. I shook my head. Wala eh, wala akong lakas para magsalita o umimik man lang. ‎ ‎I feel so drained. ‎ ‎The two remained silent. Somehow, I liked it. This. So quiet. ‎ ‎They keep on playing with my hands and fingers. Not saying anything. I suddenly felt sleepy. I yawned ‎ ‎The last thing I remember, was them "my parents" whispering their I love you's to me. And I fell to slumber. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎👑 ‎ ‎"What report?" I asked while studying the document I am holding before signing it. ‎ ‎"She's woken up, Your grace." ‎ ‎I stopped signing after hearing his report. I nodded. ‎ ‎"Right. Just continue what you were doing." ‎ ‎"Yes, Your grace!" ‎ ‎I put down the new document that I was about to sign on the table. I went straight to my own bar counter and pour some wine into the glass that I have now in my hand. ‎ ‎I groaned after tasting the wine. ‎"So bitter and bland." ‎ ‎I heaved a deep sigh and called the butler. "Leo," ‎ ‎"Yes, Your Grace," ‎ ‎"Get me a carriage." ‎ ‎"I will, Your Grace." ‎ ‎I wore my coat and get out of my office. I should come back before the sun sets.