Chapter Six: Aftermath
733 Words
First-Person POV (Liora Althain)
The moment we stepped back inside Astrae Academy, I knew.
Something had changed.
Hindi pa kami nakakapagsalita—hindi pa kami nakakagalaw ng maayos—pero ramdam ko na agad yung tingin ng mga tao.
Not curiosity.
Not just fear.
Respect.
And something else.
Concern.
“Well,” sabi ko habang naglalakad kami papunta sa main hall, “I think we made an impression.”
“Understatement,” sagot ni Kael.
“Good impression?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
“Who’s watching.”
Ah.
Politics.
Of course.
Pagpasok namin sa hall, tumahimik ang paligid.
Literally.
Parang may nag-pause ng buong mundo.
Students stopped talking. Some even stood straighter.
“Wow,” bulong ko. “I feel powerful.”
“You are,” sabi ni Kael.
I glanced at him.
That wasn’t sarcasm.
“Princess Althain. Prince Veyran.”
The Headmaster.
Standing at the center, hands clasped behind his back, expression unreadable as always.
“Report,” sabi niya.
“We located the source,” sagot ni Kael, formal na ulit ang tone niya. “A corrupted core. Guarded by a high-level entity.”
“And?”
“Neutralized.”
Silence.
Then—
A murmur spread across the room.
The Headmaster’s gaze shifted to me.
“And you, Princess?”
I shrugged slightly. “Same report. Mas dramatic lang yung version niya.”
A few students almost laughed—then stopped immediately.
The Headmaster didn’t smile.
But his eyes…
Sharp.
“Interesting,” sabi niya.
I sighed. “Again with that word.”
“You may go,” sabi niya. “But we will speak again.”
“Looking forward to it,” sagot ko—kahit hindi talaga.
As we walked away, ramdam ko pa rin yung mga tingin.
“Okay,” sabi ko. “This is getting annoying.”
“You’ll get used to it,” sabi ni Kael.
“I don’t want to.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
We reached a quieter corridor.
Finally.
No whispers. No eyes.
Just… silence.
I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms. “So.”
“So,” sagot niya.
Another pause.
“That wasn’t normal,” sabi ko.
“No.”
“Our magic.”
“I know.”
I looked at him directly.
“Explain.”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Classic.
“It shouldn’t align like that,” sabi niya finally. “Not between two individuals from opposing kingdoms.”
“Why?”
“Because our magic systems are different. Eryndor uses elemental amplification. Veyrath uses shadow manipulation.”
“And?”
“They should clash.”
I tilted my head slightly.
“But they didn’t.”
“No.”
Silence again.
“So what does that mean?” tanong ko.
“That’s what concerns me.”
I smirked faintly. “Concern doesn’t suit you.”
“And recklessness doesn’t suit you.”
“Bold of you to assume I’m not reckless.”
“You’re not,” sabi niya.
I paused.
“…You’re observant.”
“I have to be.”
For a moment—
Tahimik lang kami ulit.
But this time…
Hindi awkward.
“You trusted me earlier,” sabi niya bigla.
I raised a brow. “Did I?”
“You told me to trust you.”
“And you did.”
“Yes.”
I pushed myself off the wall, stepping closer.
“And that bothers you?”
“A little.”
“Why?”
He looked at me—
Really looked.
“Because I don’t trust easily.”
Something about the way he said that—
Calm. Honest.
Real.
“Good,” sabi ko.
“Why?”
“Because neither do I.”
Another pause.
“Then why did you?” tanong niya.
I held his gaze.
“Because I knew you wouldn’t fail.”
That did it.
For the first time—
He looked… caught off guard.
“…You’re confident,” sabi niya.
“Always.”
I turned away, walking past him.
“Don’t let it get to your head,” dagdag ko.
“It already has.”
I smirked. “Good.”
But as I walked down the corridor—
I felt it again.
That pull.
That connection.
And this time…
It didn’t feel like a coincidence.
It felt like the beginning of something.
Something powerful.
Something dangerous.
And maybe…
Something we wouldn’t be able to stop.
- Writer
