SCIAS OF THE UNDERWORLD

ONE

The forest was dark. 

And it was even darker at night. She has always hated going inside that forest but tonight, she had no choice. He has to run. Or else, she will be like the others. 

Hindi niya alam kung paano nahantong sa ganito ang lahat. She wiped her tears and started to run faster. The thick roots of the trees made it very hard for her to run but she tried to maneuver herself over it as fast and swiftly as she could. The thick canopy blocked the moonlight and she was merely trusting her eyes who can barely adjust to the darkness. Her clothes were torn in several places. She got bruises on her arms and legs, probably on her chest. But that is the least of her concerns.

Someone is chasing her--no. It's not just someone. They are chasing her. Her village, the village which was built by her ancestors was set to fire. And everyone in the village--her family was all slaughtered without mercy. 

She yelped in pain as she dove into the ground. She could feel the pain on her knees but that she continued to run. Kailangan niyang makaalis doon. Kailangan niyang makalayo. Kailangan niyang mabuhay. She has to. Because if she doesn't live, mawawalan ng saysay ang lahat.  

Clutching the small box in her hand, she ran as fast as she could. The woods have many sounds. Ngunit ang mga hininga ng mga nilalang na humahabol sa kanya ang tanging naririnig niya. They are after her. Not because she's part of the clan. But because she has something that they need. Something that shouldn't have been in her possession in the first place. Ngunit kailangan niyang protektahan iyon.

She intended to hide it. Hide it para hindi nila makita. The curse was strong. Alam niya iyon. But she has to try. She has to stop it from happening no matter what. Walang kasalanan ang pamilya niya. They sided with what they think is right. And the gods are furious. The gods killed her family dahil doon. And she will never forgive them for that. She has spent all her life giving offerings to them, acknowledging their existence, and yet in a snap--just because of a single disagreement at magbabago ang lahat. 

She ran and the branches of the trees seemed like they were hissing at her too. And when she reached the edge of the woods, she instantly stopped. Dahil sa harapan niya'y isang bangin. And right down below is the violent splash of the seawater against the rocks.

Wala na siyang mapupuntahan. Panic started to build inside her at alam niyang delikado ang sitwasyon niya. She either jumps into the water and dies of the impact but at least she gets to save the box and have it buried underwater or she will be captured by those creatures who are chasing after her and have them do unimaginable things to her. 

Determinado siyang tumalon sa tubig ngunit alam niyang ikamamatay niya iyon. But does she have a choice? None. The gods brought it to her and her whole clan, ngayon, siya nalang ang natitira sa kanilang angkan. 

Akmang tatalon na siya sa bangin nang may pumigil sa kanya. It wasn't a hand. It certainly didn't feel like human skin. Sweat trickled down her cheeks and she was trembling with fear. She's only sixteen. At this age, she has envisioned herself just having fun with her life. Living in the village, surpassing those around her age about almost everything. Ang naiisip niya noon ay kung paano maging susunod na tagapamahala ng lugar nila. 

But now, she is on the verge of dying. She's minutes away from dying. Her torn dress swayed with the harsh wind and perhaps it was the cold and the fear that made her tremble. Hindi niya alam. What she knows is that she has to save this box that contains something so sacred. for as much as she can. She will die for it. Her whole clan died for it. 

Humigpit ang hawak ng nilalang sa kanya na tila intensyon nitong baliin ang buto niya. It didn't feel human. Rather, it was smooth yet dangerous.  Alam niyang ibang nilalang iyon. 

Then its grip went to her waist at bago pa man siya makapag-isip ay para siya nitong tinabunan nang kung ano na para bang tinatago siya nito sa kung ano.  

And then she heard something roared and another one. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang nangyayari. Ang tanging nagawa niya ay pumikit at pakinggan ang mga nangyayari sa paligid. She isn't entirely sure what it was but she could have sworn the creature who's holding her now is fighting off the others. She squirmed when she felt the tendrils of darkness tighten around her waist. Ngunit agad din itong lumuwag and she heard the creature growled softly. As if saying sorry. 

But with one brandish of its arms, she heard the others flying across the ground until they fell down the sea. She could hear the splash of water from down below. She was still closing her eyes hanggang sa naramandaman niya ang tuluyang pagkaluwag ng hawak ng nilalang sa kanya. Naramdaman niyang nakatapak na siya sa lupa at agad siyang  napatakbo sa kabilang direksyon ngunit agad itong humarang sa kanya.

The creature looked weak. 

No. It certainly didn’t look weak. It got weak. Maraming sugat ito at kitang-kita niya ang brutal na hiwa sa isang kamay ng nilalang sa harapan niya. Hindi niya alam kung bakit siya nito iniligtas. Hindi niya alam kung bakit nito kinalaban ang iba. Ang akala niya'y katapusan na niya kanina. But it saved her. And it got weak because of her. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

The creature was hideous. May sungay ito. Its face looked like it was burnt. And its arms were huge and the claws looked deadly. It could have killed her earlier but for some reason, it protected her. 

"Where is it?" 

Napako siya sa kanyang kinatatayuan nang marinig itong magsalita. Hindi niya alam anong gagawin at hindi niya alam kung anong ibig nitong sabihin. 

"I said where is it?" ulit nito at agad siyang napaatras. Darkness seems to be attracted to the creature. Darkness kept closing into him. She could see tendrils of darkness surrounding it. It moved as if it has its own mind and she knew they were the same tendrils who wrapped her waist earlier para protektahan siya sa ibang nilalang. 

"Who...who are you?" lakas loob niyang tanong. 

But the creature in front of her didn't say anything. All she could say was the creature is darkness incarnate. And when it stood at its full height, nalula siya sa laki nito. Her throat bobbed and thought about how easily this creature could rip her to pieces. Natakpan nito ang buwan, at wala siyang ibang makita kung hindi ang kabuuan nito.

He looked glorious. He looked powerful. And his eyes glowed red as if ready to devour her. But she knows he wouldn’t. They are bound. 

He didn't say anything. He didn't need to say anything. Her knees trembled when she realized who it was. Agad siyang lumuhod and tears started to stream down her face. Hindi niya alam kung anong sasabihin. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang mararamdaman. She wants to tell him everything. She wants to apologize. But nothing came out of her mouth except his name. 

"Scias," she said and the next thing she knew was darkness. Darkness surrounded her. The box disappeared from her hands. 

And the Scias that was in front of her was gone. 

Napaluhod siya sa lupa. The box is safe. Now it will be up to the future generation of her clan to break the curse. 

If they can. 

But one thing she knows for sure is that it will take a long time for someone to show up and break the curse. 

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