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1870 Words
In the year 3020, the world has changed roughly. Bukod sa gobyerno at mga patakaran ay tuluyan nang lumala ang kalagayan ng mundo. This is the world where there's no hope left at all and survival is only for the fittest.
It now revolves around two kinds of people: the privileged and the not. The two kinds encircled each other like yin and yang. No one can exist without the other. They complete each other, but they serve different purposes. And to be able to fulfill that purpose, the two must cooperate. Dahil kung hindi, mawawala ang tinatawag nilang balanse.
Isn't it great to be a part of the people who maintain the balance? Isn't it great to implement an ordinance that could make the world a better place?
As the first-born daughter of this nation's rulers, masaya ako dahil malaki ang ambag ng mga magulang ko sa balanseng ito. They are keeping everything in place. Why wouldn't I be proud? Kaya ngayon palang, I am envisioning to be a great heiress.
Gusto kong maging katulad ng mga magulang ko. Gustong gusto.
Unfortunately, I am a woman. A girl, a lady. I wasn't the one to be the successor of my parent's position but my younger brother. Anyway, it's fine. A true leader doesn't need a title to lead, right? Tsaka marami pa namang posisyon na hands-on kagaya nalang ng head of Intel that I'm vying for.
Nilapag ko ang paint brush saka pinagmasdan ang pinipinta ko. It's the great landscape of Mellow Cliff, my favorite view in all of Sinridge. Napangiti ako na agad ding napawi because I felt like there's something lacking. Napaisip ako nang maigi habang pinaniningkitan ang halos tapos nang painting sa harapan ko.
"Silly, Heather. Where is the sun? The enticing colors of the sky?" sambit ko sa aking sarili at nagawa pang tumawa ng mariin. I reached for my brush once again pero napasapo ako sa sariling noo dahil hindi ko alam kung paano ipipinta ang bagay na 'yon.
Don't get me wrong. I know how to paint a sky but I don't know how to paint the sky in Mellow Cliff. Sure, pwede kong ipinta ito gamit ang sarili ko lang na imahinasyon but it wouldn't be realistic. Hindi pa naman kasi ako personally nakapunta sa lugar na 'yon eh. I was just able to paint this with Savannah's guidance. And speaking of Savannah, my friend, she just left dahil uuwi raw ito sa bahay niya.
Napabuntong hininga ako saka napagpasyahan nalang na iligpit ang mga kagamitan ko. Ginalaw galaw ko ang aking ulo because it has been stiff ever since I started painting a few hours ago.
You might be wondering kung paano ko nasabing paborito kong view ang sa Mellow Cliff kung hindi ko pa naman ito napupuntahan. Well, it's not like I've stepped out of the Hallow's Manor for me to have many choices. Kaya ko ito paborito dahil sa descriptions nito mula sa mga librong nababasa ko.
Alam kong balang araw makakapunta rin ako doon. I just know it.
"Lady Heather, the mistress required your presence." Binilisan ko ang ginagawang pagligpit saka nilingon ang isa sa mga house-help na nakatayo doon sa gilid ng aking pintuan.
"What happened?" sagot ko, bahagya pang nakakunot ang aking noo. As far as I know, there's no meeting scheduled today.
"Training," tipid na sagot nito bago lumabas ng kwarto ko.
Napapikit ako saka huminga ng malalim. Oh goddesses, how did I forgot? Pero bakit naman lumabas agad yung house-help? I'm not even done asking questions.
"Punctuality is a rare virtue that could define a person. Just by how punctual you are, marami na agad na mabubunyag sa'yo ayon sa sikolohiya. Tell me straight in the eye, Heather Aurora, that you will never do this again."
Nasagot ang mga katanungan sa isip ko nang bigla kong narinig ang boses ng aking sariling ina. Napalingon ako sa aking gilid at nandoon nga siya, naka-upo sa harapan ng aking vanity table habang naka-cross arms pa.
"I haven't noticed you, Mom." Nginitian ko ito ng tipid. I had a hard time concealing my amazement, much more suppressing my grin.
Tumayo siya saka naglakad papalapit sa akin.
"You could have if you paid attention in your surroundings. You still have to develop your intuition, young lady. Come with me," she said with pure authority. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko saka nilagay doon ang ilan sa mga blades na gagamitin ko sa training. Shurikens.
"Will I battle one of the military guards again, Mom?" kuryoso kong tanong while putting the blades in my sleeves, in between my fingers, and somewhere in my boots. I am also stretching my arms habang nakasunod sa kanya.
"Yes, child. But two of them. This time, I won't tell which weapons they're using and their skills," deretso nitong sagot na akin na tila ba alam niyang tatanungin ko ang bagay na ito.
I've always wondered how calm and collected my mother is all the time. She seemed to have a grasp of anything she's handling dahil hindi mababakas ang stress sa mukha nito even if she's one of the busiest people I know.
Habang naglalakad, iniisip ko kung ano ang gagawin ko mamaya. My Mom said that the key is a better intuition. I should plan while simultaneously battling with the guards. Hindi katulad kanina na masyado akong nakafocus sa ginagawa kong pagpipinta at hindi ko na napansing may dalawa na palang tao na nakapasok sa kwarto ko.
When we have reached the training grounds of the Manor, madali kong nakita ang tinutukoy ni Mom na dalawang guards. Napalunok ako saka blinangko ang aking mukha.
The first man looked tough while the second one looked flexible. Mabilis ko rin silang pinasadahan ng tingin from head to toe to assess them.
"What have you got already?" Sinulyapan ako ni Mom nang mapansin ang ginagawa kong pagmamasid.
"They complement each other, Mom. They seemed to be invincible together but I'll use that advantage of theirs to be my advantage. I think, as long as I'll keep them apart, I'll be able to handle them. At sa paraan ng paggalaw ng kamay noong tough guy, it seemed that his weapon is a melee. A battle axe, I guess?" tuloy tuloy lamang ang pagsasalita ko, hoping that it would impress her.
Laking gulat ko noong humalakhak siya matapos kong magsalita. "Good observation. Pero nagkakamali ka sa ilang mga bagay," sambit nito na tila ba aliw na aliw pang nagkamali ako.
"Which part?" takang-taka kong tanong.
"It's impressive that you get to know that information within a short amount of time. That's all true. But the guy who's with the tough guy you're talking about isn't the other guard you're battling with. Look at his clothes. It isn't for training—"
"It's for guarding," tuloy ko sa sinabi ni Mom. Tinanguan ako nito, confirming that what I said is correct.
I squinted my eyes at saka ko lang napansin ang hawak nitong katana. That weapon is so familiar kaya hindi na ako nagtaka noong may naramdaman akong pamilyar na yapak mula sa pintuan ng training room.
"Sorry for being late, Lady Sera. Umuwi pa po kasi ako sa aming bahay just to get the weapon that I forgot. Hindi ko alam na may pinadala na palang tauhan dito para dalhin ang naiwan kong katana," Savannah said politely habang bahagyang nakayuko kay Mom. Saka ito nag-angat ng tingin sa akin para bigyan ako ng mapaglarong ngisi.
"You sly woman," natatawa kong bigkas saka siya lumapit sakin para yumakap.
"Oh, Heather. Wala akong sinabing hindi ako babalik, diba? I just told you na uuwi ako," sagot niya saka bumitaw sa maiksing yakap.
"Iniwan mo ko while painting. Ayan tuloy hindi ko natapos. I have no clue how the sky of Mellow Cliff looks like during sunset," pabulong na panghihimutok ko pa.
I noticed Mom cleared her throat kaya tinikom ko na ang aking bibig.
"Alright, girls. We better start the training. I still have an appointment to attend." Tumango kaming dalawa ni Vana sa kanyang sinabi.
Di kalaunan, I found myself na hinihingal habang tuloy-tuloy na pumapatak ang pawis mula sa noo ko. I was about to take a deep breath pero napansin kong ihahagis sa akin ni Ollie, the tough-looking guy, ang palakol niya so I back-flipped two times. While doing my third back-flip, kumuha ako ng shuriken mula sa boots ko saka ito hinagis sa axe, making it change it's direction.
Pagkatayo ko, nagpakawala ako ng ilan pang shuriken malapit sa kamay ni Ollie na amba sanang pupulutin ang hinagis na palakol. I felt someone kick my waist kaya tumalikod ako only to have a katana at my neck. Nakangisi sa akin si Vana pero mabilis ding napawi 'yon when I bravely held the blade of her katana. Sinubukan niyang galawin ito pero mahigpit din ang kapit ko so I used the opportunity to kick her knees dahilan para mapaluhod siya.
Mabilis kong nakuha ang katana mula sa kamay niya saka tinutok ito kay Ollie who's running to lunge at me. I disarmed him using Vana's katana saka ito tinapunan ng shuriken sa hita dahilan para bahagya itong mapayuko.
May pumisil sa kaliwang kamay ko dahilan para mapasigaw ako ng malakas. 'Yon kasi ang ginamit kong panghawak sa blade ng katana kanina.
Vana snaked her arms in my body as if caging me. Tumayo rin si Ollie saka muling pinulot ang axe niya saka ito tinutok sa akin.
Napabuntong hininga ako saka bumusangot.
"Alright, you won."
"Yes!" Napahiyaw si Savannah saka nagawa pang makipag-apir kay Ollie. We all praised each other saka ako naglakad patungo sa kinaroroonan ni Mom.
"You did well, Heather. But you're too softhearted. You could have beaten them if you aimed at their bodies. Isang beses mo lang tinapon ang blades sa mismong katawan nila, it's when you throw on the man's feet. Aside from that, all you did was punch and kicks which gave them the upper hand dahil short ranged ang mga weapons nila," pangaral nito sa akin.
"Apologies, Mom," simpleng sagot ko. Hindi na ako nagdahilan dahil tama naman lahat ng sinabi niya.
Pagkatapos ako nito pagsabihan pa tungkol sa ibang mga bagay, she stopped saka ako sinabihang ipagamot ang kamay ko. Umalis na siya after that which is a cue for Savannah na lumapit sa akin.
"Tara, ihatid mo 'ko sa labas. I'll go home for real. And about sa sunset ng Mellow Cliff, it looks just like the sunset doon sa painting dito sa manor on the second floor, fourth from the left," maligaling nitong sabi at tumango nalang ako saka siya hinayaang tangayin ako.
"Mom told me something about being softhearted earlier, and it kind of struck me. What if I am? Will I not be a great ruler? Do I really have to be cruel to have the upper hand?" I randomly said.
Nilingon niya ako pero hindi sinagot kaya nagpatuloy lang kami sa paglalakad hanggang sa tahimik kaming nakarating sa labas ng Manor. Natanaw ko ang sundo niya kaya bumitaw na ako sa hawak nito sa akin. Tinanguan ko lang siya in which she returned by a wave.
Nagawa pang mang-iwan ni Savannah ng mga kataga bago sumakay sa sasakyan.
"About what you have said earlier, Heather. I just want to say... welcome to the Sinridge Society, where ignorance is bliss but acquiring power is even more blissful. The choice is yours."
- Writer
