Abyss Extra

Four

ILANA

I feel like my heart is on fire, literally. Parang may apoy na nagliliyab sa loob ng dibdib ko nang balutin ako ng liwanag mula sa Terra Tree.

Hindi ko alam kung gaano na ako katagal na nakaluhod. Bukod kasi sa dibdib ko, nanghihina din ang buo kong katawan.

Ang dahilan kung bakit ko ito nararanasan ay dahil sa Terra tree's suddent outburst of mana. Ang pagliliwanag nito ang indication niyon.

Actually, ang nilabas ng Terra tree kani kanina lang ay Aether, the ancient source of power ng mga sinaunang nilalang sa mundo. But that Aether, after it entered this world's surface, nag-convert ito sa mana.

As a person na may problema sa mana, hindi ako dapat malapit sa puno nang maglabas ito ng mana dahil nga ganito ang mangyayari saakin. But I have to be here.

I raised my head and looked at the tree.

"Terra Efreale Aether de Venta." I called the name of the Creator's representative and to whom the tree's name came from.

I repeatedly called Terra's name. Kailangan ko nang matapos ang dapat kong gawin kundi ay baka may dumating ng ibang tao rito. Magicians are curious beings, kung nakita nila ang liwanag at naramdaman nila ang burst of mana sa lugar na to, tiyak na susuriin nila ito.

[ Why have you called my name, child? ]

I heard a mystical voice in my head. Hindi ko matukoy kung boses ito ng babae o lalaki ngunit napaka ganda nito sa pandinig. Hindi rin lenggwahe ng mundong ito ang ginamit niya but for some reasons, naiintindihan ko ito.

"I want to meet you, Terra, representative of the Absolute Creator." I answered the voice.

The voice didn't answered back.

Napakagat labi ako. I'm feeling uneasy dahil wala siyang reaction sa sinabi ko at hindi parin humuhupa ang init sa dibdib ko. Pakiramdam ko ay mawawalan na ako ng malay dahil sa halo halong nararamdaman ko ngayon.

[ Well then, come closer child. ]

Lumakad ako papalapit sa puno. Bahagyang humupa ang nakakasilaw nitong liwanag.

Then suddenly, an unknown force pulled me more closer to the tree. I closed my eyes as I ready myself to slam to tree. But to my surprise, hindi ako tumama sa puno, bagamat ay tumagos ako rito.

"Ilana? What the --?!"

I also heard a familiar voice bago ako tuluyang mahila papasok sa puno.

Dahan dahan kong iminulat ang aking mga mata.

Wow.

Inilibot ko ang paningin ko. Everything is white. Para akong nasa loob ng isang malaking space na puro puti lang. Maliwanag, malinis at I feel oddly comfortable. This place has a warm feeling.

And extremely wide.

Pero ang ikinahanga ko ay ang nag iisang bagay na nasa gitna ng malawak na space na ito.

At the center of this wide space, an enormous, gigantic but ordinary looking tree is stands.

Sobrang laki at taas nito na hindi ko makita ang tuktok.

[ Child ... Come closer ]

Naglakad ako papalapit sa puno gamit ang path na nasa harapan ko. Maingat akong naglalakad dahil pakiramdam ko once na ma-out of balance ako at madapa ay malalalag ako kung saan.

The tree was already look humongous from afar but when I came closer, even that word cannot describe its size.

[ Child of irregularity. An existence that comes from a faraway land .... No. The body was a child of this land but not the soul. ]

Patuloy na nagsasalita ang boses. The voice echoed throughout this wide space pero alam ko kung saan nanggagaling ang boses.

[ Child, tell me your name. ]

"My name's Ilana Morret."

[ No, child. Your real name. ]

Natigilan ako. My real name?

Wait, what is my real name? From my former world?,

I got confused. Hindi ko maalala ang pangalan ko bago ako maging si Ilana.

I thought deeply pero wala akong maalala. How is that possible

What was my name before?

What was it?

How ...

How could I ever forget the name I used for 2 decades?

"I ... I'm ..." I sighed in resignation. "I don't know."

Napatulala ako upon this realization.

[ Hmm..]

Yun lang ang sinabi ng boses. Mahabang katahimikan ang bumalot sa paligid.

I cleared my throat and started speaking again.

"Terra ...." I called the representative's name. "You have not abandoned this land nor sacrifice all of your power and your life for this land and its inhabitants."

[ That is correct child. ]

Right. Ayon sa myth, Terra died because they sacrificed their power and life but that is not true.

Terra gave up a part their power to the world to become the mana magicians of this day wield.

After that, they created a path to the crack between the Paradise, the Absolute Creator's domain and this world. The crack is this space. This wide, white space.

Terra then settled themself here, change their form so that even if they are in this space, they can still oversee the world.

After transforming to a tree, they branched out and using the path they created, they placed their roots to different parts of the world. Through those roots, they continue to give mana to humans and other worldly beings. Also Terra's roots became eyes for Terra to still be able to look over the world.

One of Terra's roots is our academy's very own Terra tree.

Also, Terra's roots that are in the world have different appearances so they were never connected to each other.

But a certain someone was able to discovered those truth about Terra and the mana emitting trees.

Yes, our munchkin protagonist Krion.

All of this information was discovered by Krion when he stumbled upon one of Terra's dying roots and eventually made a pact with Terra themself.

Well, that'll be a different story.

TINITIGAN KO ang malaking puno sa harapan ko. Who would have thought that the most powerful being, Terra, became a very huge tree? According to the myth, in their more humanoid form, Terra is a very beautiful being.

'But this tree is rather plain.'

Well anyways none of that is my concern. May kailangan akong itanong kay Terra.

"Terra ... I want to ask a question."

Hindi sumagot ang puno kaya nagpatuloy ako.

"You know all the wonders and secrets of this world for you have guarded and oversaw it since the beginning of time, right? You also knew from the start that I am not of this land, my soul that is."

I swallowed hard and inhaled deeply. For some reason, kinakabahan ako.

"Then you must also know why am I here? How did I come here? Did you brought me here?"

Hindi sumagot si Terra. Tanging katahimikan ang namayani sa paligid.

"Terra? ---

[ Child ...]

"Yes?"

[ To you humans and the other worldly beings, I may have been the most powerful of all. But I am nothing but a representative of the one true and Absolute Creator. ]

"What does that have to do with my question?"

[ The Creator cannot intervene with this reality but everything in this world must be done according to their will. ]

"You mean ... I was brought here by the Absolute Creator's will?"

[ That may be so. ]

"Why can't you give me a direct answer?"

[ I cannot for I also am not sure. What I am sure of is that, nothing can be changed in this reality as long as the Creator doesn't permit it. ]

In other words, the Creator may or may not be the one who brought me here, but they permitted me to be here.

In every fantasy novel I read with a transmigration as the plot, the transmigrated was either summoned by the beings of that world or summoned by their God. I asked because I want to know but if even Terra doesn't have a clue who brought me here.

"I have another question, Terra!"

[ As much as I want to entertain and answer your question but I'm afraid we do not have much time. The flow of time in this place and the time in your world is very different. You have to go back now for your family and friends are worried. ]

Then the familiar pulling force I felt earlier when I was suck in came back but this time, it's pulling me out.

"Wait, Terra!"

[ If the Creator permits, we will meet again child. And by that time, I will answer all your questions. ]

Wala akong naisagot sakanya dahil tuluyan na akong nahila palabas ng space na iyon.

TWO DAYS had passed since nakausap ko si Terra. At ayon nga sa sabi niya, malaki ang pagkakaiba ng time flow sa mundong to at sa space niya.

Ilang minuto lang akong nandon sa lugar na yon pero 6 na oras na akong nawawala sa reality na to.

Pagkalabas ko, pinaulanan ako ng tanong ni Krion at Laridgus na siya palang narinig ko bago ako tuluyang mahigop sa loob ng puno.

Mabuti nalang at nandon si Miss Mia at ang Head Mistress kaya nakatakas ako sa mga tanong nila Krion at Laridgus.

"It seems, Young mage Ilana is quite tired. Boys, mind if we take her and let her rest?" Saad ng maganda namin Head Mistress. Napatango lang ang dalawa at umalis na sina Miss Mia at dinala ako sa infirmary.

Maybe because of exhaustion and the huge amount of mana I was exposed to earlier but on our way to the infirmary, I fainted.

When I woke up, the healer said that I fainted due to exhaustion, lack of sleep and malnutrition.

It seems like the time difference between the two places caused it.

So the past 2 days, I was actually imprisoned in the infirmary by the Head Mistress's order.