Abyss Extra

Five

3RD PERSON

SA GITNA ng madilim na kwarto ng abandonadong storage room ng Mephalia academy ay nakatayo ang isang lalaki. Sa paanan niya ay nakaukit sa sahig ang ibat ibang klase ng simbolo.

"Me to aíma mou os thysía, egó, o Radephon Keczna, kaló ton daímona pou tha ekplirósei tin epithymía mou. Éla na me ypiretíseis os aféntis sou."

Bulong ng lalaki sa sarili matapos niyang sugatan ang palad at patuluiin ito sa mga simbolo sa sahig.

Lumipas ang ilang minuto pero walang nangyaring pagbabago.

"It's still a fail, huh?"

Bumuntong hininga siya ay magsisimula na sanang linisin ang paligid nang bigla ay may itim na usok ang lumabas sa mga simbolo.

Napangisi ang lalaki nang ang itim na usok ay magsimulang maghugis humanoid.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A mesmerizing male voice echoed the room.

In place of the black smoke, stands a humanoid man with black wings.

A black demon. The man summoned a black demon.

"Demon, I called for you."

"Hmm." The demon eyed the man. "A descendant of Keczna, I see."

"My name is Radephon Keczna."

"What would a human with a demon's curse want with a demon?"

"Demon, I summoned you to serve me. Make a contract with me!"

Instead of answering, the demon laughed loudly. His laughter can be heard from miles away.

"What's funny demon?!" Inis na tanong ni Radephon.

"My my my. Pardon me for laughing at your foolishness, descendant of Keczna." The demon descend infront of him and looked at Radephon.

Radephon gulped at the threatening aura the demon is giving him. His peculiar eye color of black, red at gold is giving Radephon the chills.

"Hmm.. the curse is still strong, it seems." Tumalikod ang demon at naglakad lakad saa loob ng kwarto. "Descendant of Keczna, do you know why you Keczna family has red eyes, like the demons?"

Radephon looked puzzled at the suddent question of the demon.

"It is because you and your whole clan is cursed to be like demons but not demons. You get what I mean? You aren't descendants of demons but a descendant of a foolish human who summond our demon King and made him perish. As a result, your whole family will not be either human nor demon. You will not be a part of anything, isolated from the rest."

That is right. The Keczna family has the characteristics of demons but not their power. As a result, they are weak to divine powers. But they also cannot weild demon's powers. In short, they are neither human nor demons, as the demon said.

But Kecznas can use magic, sorcery and witchcraft if they want but with a prize, their life force. As a matter of fact, every powerful descendant of Keczna die of young age because of this curse.

"Do you understand, descendant of Keczna? I will not serve a low lifeform like you as my master. The grudge of demons still stands." At ngumisi ito bago naglaho.

The demon came back to the demon realm.

Radephon, though a student if Mephalia cannot do magic. Summoning a demon to make a contract and failing was expected. Pero sinubukan parin niya dahil yon nalang ang tanging paraan oara malagpasan niya ang pinsang si Laridgus.

"f**k!"

Now what? Hahayaan niya nalang ba na maging head ng Keczna ang pinsan niya without even fighting?

Though they are sharing the same curse, Laridgus was miraculously immune to it. In other words, wala lang kay Laridgus ang curse sa pamilya nila. Kahit gumamit ito ng magic ay hindi naapektuhan ang life force niya. The reason? Walang nakakaalam. Pinaniwalaan nalang na mercy ito sakanila ng Absolute Creator at ng Demon God.

"Radephon."

Mabilis na napalingon sa pinanggalingan ng boses si Radephon. Sa nakabukas na pinto, nakatayo ang isang maliit na babae na hindi mo paghihinalaang kaedad ni Radephon.

Madilim man ang silid, maliwanag naman sa labas dahil sa liwanag ng buwan kaya nakikita niya ng mukha ng babae.

"Anong ginagawa mo rito?" Naiinis na tanong ni Radephon. Tinitigan lang siya ng babae, walang pakialam sa nakamamatay na tingin nito.

"May iba pang paraan para lumakas ka."

"What are---

"Give up the 3 practices and focus on swordsmanship and archery." Aniya.

Natigilan si Radephon sa suhestiyon ng babae. Nawala din ang inis sa mukha niya, tanda na kinokonsidera niya ang sinasabi ng babae.

"The Keczna family was originally a family of knights. Nagsimula lang ang magic sa pamilya niyo after the 14th family head nang matuklasan niya na may talent siya sa magic." Naglakaad ang babae papalapit sa malalim na nag iisip na si Radephon. "Don't you think it's time to go back to the old ways? I'll help you if I have to. Afterall, I want tou to be the next family head, Radephon Keczna."

Tinitigan ni Radephon ang babae na hanggang dibdib niya lang ang taas. Walang emosyon ang mukha nito.

"You're right, ...."

Matamis na ngumiti ang babae pero wala paring pagbabago sa mga mata nito. Wala paring emosyon.

"Ilana."

MARAMING magicians ang naglalakad palabas at papasok sa office ng head ng Mages Association. Isa na don si Mage Hazina Zaffre, ang head mistress ng Mephalia Academy.

"Good morning, Archmage Llyr Kahn." Bati ni Hazina sa archmage. Iminuwestra ng lalaki ang upuan sa harap ng table.

Pagkaupo ni Hazina ay nagsalita na ang archmage.

"To whom do I owe this visit, Hazina."

Mahinang tumawa si Hazina. "Llyr, alam kong alam mo kung bakit ako narito."

Naningkit ang mga mata ni Llyr Kahn sa tono nito. Bumuntong hininga si Llyr.

"Alright. I have a vague idea. Is it about your two young mages?"

Tumango si Hazina. "Walang kinalaman sina Radephon at Laridgus sa Lemegeton. In fact, tumulong pa silang dalawa para mahuli ang Lemegeton."

"Hazina, ilang taon ka na?"

Kumunot ang noo ni Hazina sa biglang tanong nito.

"How rude of you to ask a lady's age!"

Llyr waved his right hand. "Magkaedad tayo Hazina. We're almost 60 years old. Sa edad natin, ilang beses na ba tayong tinraydor ng mga taong pinagkatiwalaan natin? We trust people who we think won't betray us unconditionally, that was our flaw, Hazina. Natuto na ako sa mga pagkakamaling yun pero ikaw, mukhang hindi pa."

"How insulting."

"I'm not insulting you. What I'm saying is, be open to other possibilities Hazina. Ikaw ang Head Mistress ng Mephalia at ng maraming young mages. Do try to be cautious of other people. Hindi lahat ay maganda ang hangad para sayo at sa tao sa paligid mo. Ang dalawang estudyanteng iyon, kung wala silang kinakalaman sa Lemegeton, I'll personally apologize but for now, I cannot clear all the suspicions I have for them."

"You're not wrong Llyr but as much as possible, I don't want to doubt my mages."

Bumuntong hininga si Llyr. 'There's no way of changing her mind. Well I have to hasten the investigation.'

'And Ilana Morret, that girl. I'll have to investigate her too.'

THE 2ND YEAR students of Mephalia Academy are currently having a visit on one of the ancient magic towers. This tower was once called the Eburnean tower.

Before mages became known across the world, Eburnean was one of the magic towers that protected young mages to those who don't believe them. It has a long history but upon the rise of the magic tower Amaranth, all the mages migrated there and Eburnean lost its people.

Now, Eburnean is only a historical site for everyone.

"Nabasa ko sa isang history book, dati ang Eburnean daw mas mataas ang level ng security kumpara sa royal palace, kahit sa imperial Palace ng Erhart Empire."

Noon, dahil bago pa sa mga tao ang concept ng magic, kinondena ito ng mga tao. It was classified as a demonic power acquired through unholy means. Lahat ng tao na gumagamit ng mana or magic ay pinapatay. Mages was purged at that time pero walang makakasisi sa mga tao dahil wala silang alam sa konsepto ng mana at magic.

To protect the young budding mages, the high mages of that time made the Eburnean a complete fortress. An impregnable fortress.

Ngayon, parte nalang iyon ng history pero mananatiling espesyal sa puso ng mga mages ang Eburnean dahil kung hindi nito pinrotektahan ang mga mages noon, baka wala pang advancement sa magic ngayon. It was all thanks to the Eburnean tower and the high mages of the old times.

Miss Mia clap to get the attention of the students. "Okay, Young mages. Please listen. Bago tayo pumasok, kailangan ko kayong balaan so makinig ng mabuti."

"Though Eburnean had long been abandoned, its a fact that it was once a fortress. Meaning, sa loob ay maraming traps bago tayo makapasok sa center. Magiingat kayo dahil hindi namin kayo kayang lahat bantayan. This will also serve as training niyong lahat. And remember, Eburnean is a tower created from ancient times, marami kayong matututunan sa loob so always be on alert and focus your minds. Understand?"

Sabay sabay na sumagot ang mga estudyante ng Mephalia.

Matapos non nagsimula na silang pumasok.

This will also be the start of the second main arc sa 2nd year nina Krion sa Abyss novel, the Ancient Tower Arc.

May the power of Terra bless them all.