The Underworld Prince Next Door

CHAPTER 14

Mula sa kwarto ni Crow, ay makikita ang isang bulto ng isang tao na may siyam na buntot. Mula sa ilalim ng bilog na buwan, nakamasid ito sa dalawa na magkayakap sa loob ng kwarto.

Pinagmasdan ng singkit niyang mga mata ang babae na dinadamayan ang lalaking nakayakap sa kaniya. Lalong naningkit ang mga mata ng lalaki sa ilalim ng buwan ng makita niya ang ngiti ng tagumpay ng lalaking kasama ni Harriet.

Alam ng lalaki sa ilalim ng buwan ang gustong iparating ni Crow sa kaniya. Pero hindi siya kumilos laban dito kahit pa gusto na niya itong pilipitin sa sobrang pagkamuhi.

Ilang taon na nga ba ang nakakalipas mula ng una niyang nakita ang dalagita? Ilang taon na nga ba siya noon?

Sampung taon pa lamang si Harriet ng una silang magkakilala. Si Harriet lamang ang naglakas loob na kausapin siya kahit pa sabihing wala siyang maayos na kasuotan sa mga panahong iyon. Si Harriet ang hindi tumingin sa kaniyang itsura para kausapin siya. Ang isang supot lamang ng prutas at inumin ang naging mitsa para hindi niya makalimutan ang ngayo'y dalawampung taong gulang ng dalaga.

"Master." Tawag sa kaniya ng lalaking may kulay pilak na mahabang buhok. Nakaluhod ito at nakayukod sa kaniyang likuran. Nakapikit ang mga mata nito na nakangiti anuman ang maging reaksyon niya. Nakapaskil lamang ito na tanda ng masaya niting buhay kapiling ang mahal niya sa buhay.

"Nagawa mo na ba ang mga pinagagawa ko sa'yo?" Tanong niya sa lalaki.

"Yes Master. We are just waiting for your signal to move." Sagot ng lalaki sa kaniya.

"I have faith in you. Take Sera's orders. I have an important business to do." Hindi nawawaglit kay Harriet ang kaniyang mga tingin. Tila ba nakadikit na ito sa dalaga saan man siya magpunta.

Ngayon ay lumabas na siya ng silid ni Crow. Na siya namang nakahiga na sa inayos ng dalaga na higaan para sa kaniya.

Masaya si Crow sa pakikitungo sa kaniya ni Harriet. Wala na siyang mahihiling pa kundi ang makasama ito habang buhay na kaniyang matagal ng pinapangarap.

"Do you mean, Master. Your business is..."

"Don't speak if you already know the answer. The nature have ears, Silver. I won't hesitate if you mess up my plans. Believe me, even though you take good care of her for the past fifteen years, I can easily slit off that neck of yours." Pagbabanta niya sa kasama.

Natahimik bigla si Silver at pinagmasdan na lamang mula sa malayo si Harriet.

May kakayahan sila na makita ang kilos ng isang nilalang mula sa likod ng mga pader o gusali. That is what they call X-ray vision. That ability is only inherited by their kinds...

"I am sorry to be bold, Master. But... She never forgotten you over these years." Silver said while he is watching Harriet having some difficulties with her refrigerator.

Sa hindi malamang dahilan ay nakikita niya ang loob ng ref kahit hindi pa ito nakabukas. Sinubukan niyang kuhanin ang mansanas mula sa loob ng masaktan lamang siya dahil sa pintuan. Kinusut-kusot ni Harriet ang kaniyang mga mata at sa pagdilat niyang muli ay normal na ang lahat.

"Siguro, pagod lang ako. Kung anu-ano na ang nakikita ko." Binuksan ni Harriet ang loob at nakita ang mga laman nu'n sa kung paano niya nakita ito nu'ng umpisa.

"Halah siya! Gutom yata talaga ako at pati ang laman ng ref ko ay kabisado ko na ang pagkakaayos." Napatampal sa kaniyang noo si Harriet at saka kinuha ang pudding na ginawa niya at nagsimula na namang magtrabaho sa sala.

"It's coming." Sabi ng lalaki na may siyam na buntot.

"What should we do, Master?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Silver.

"It’s time." Tanging sagot lamang ng lalaki.

Napangiti si Silver habang nakatingin pa rin kay Harriet. Masaya siya na sa wakas, magsisimula na ang plano na naudlot labing-limang taon na ang nakakalipas.

"Let us see who will win in this lifetime, Top." Bulong ng lalaking may siyam na buntot bago ito umalis mula sa tuktok ng kanilang kinalalagyan.

Napatingin si Silver sa dalagang matagal-tagal niya ring binantayan at inalagaan. Pinagmasdan niya din angbnilabasan ng lalaking may siyam na buntot. Napabuntong-hininga na lamang siya at napailing.

Dahil alam niya, anuman ang sabihin niya, anuman ang gawin niya, hindi na magbabago pa ang desisyon ng lalaki. Natatakit siya na ang katotohanang nakabaon sa kaniyang isipan at alaala ay mabaon na lamang sa limot magpakailanman.

The universe consists of three realms. The mortal, heaven, and underworld. These three realms were living in peace and prosperity before the calamity.

The mortal realms are still green, habitable and beautiful. The heaven realm is full of tranquility, peace and prosperity with spiritual energy. While the underworld realm is full of strong citizens with endless fights that can be used for strengthening oneself.

Everything is still balanced, not until when the princess of heaven realm was abducted before the mortal realm's calamity. The heaven realm sent a search party through the three realms to find their princess. But all they saw was the bloody dress that once wore by the princess.

The heaven realm and underworld realm were furious. Especially to the underworld prince who was betrothed to the princess who is still two years old in heaven and underworld's time.

One day in heaven and underworld realms are equivalent into one year in mortal realm. So the princess at that time was over seven hundred years old, yet she looks like five years old in one glance by the mortals.

The two realms didn't care about the calamity that the mortals were facing. All they care about is the princess who has the fate of the phoenix. Well, she literally a descendant of the phoenix.

But, the phoenix of her is still unknown.

Red phoenix symbolizes of rebirth. While the white or called 'jade phoenix' symbolizes of eternal youth and life.

Its descendant will be born once in a lifetime. That's why the two realms are in panic due to it’s rare and precious.

The underworld prince decided to search the mortal realm alone. But his subordinate and the heaven realm's princess' guard insisted to come along. One is for his safety, and one for the guilt of incompetence.

The prince have a clue. Yet he kept it to avoid war. Because if the war started, the princess may be in danger, if she is still alive.

His subordinate is a night cat. She transforms into a big cat like puma. She have golden eyes that glows in the dark.

The princess guard is a white tiger. He have white fur with purple stripes. He is bigger than any land animals in mortal realms. He is even bigger than the night cat.

While the prince, stayed as a human figure. He hid his true form to everyone except to his tail that is fluffy like a lion's mane.

Every night, they are travelling in different directions. Every area they visited is full of humans. Some are lucky to have kept animals. But among the 667 areas around the globe, there is an area that no one from the different areas can penetrate— the Area of the Devils or Area 666.

They became suspicious in that area and they started to disguise as lost citizens from other poor areas. Luckily, they penetrated it but... They made it years after the princess guard first came in.

The two underworld citizens finally penetrated the area, but everything changed.

The luscious green scenery became red and dark. The trees which were standing with all their might are now bowing to the heavens and kissing the ground. Rotten and lifeless. The fresh air that gave people life turned into a deadly gas that makes ones person's lungs wrinkle and die. And the lively children whom were running around and playing carelessly is playing their own toys inside their houses. In short, the Area 666 is more like a hell than the underworld realm.

The two newcomer's hearts thump so hard. They don't even know where to start. The scenery shocked them that made their minds confused for what they must do next.

The survival rate in here is so low. They also learned that the lifespan of a mortal in this area shortened to fifty. And all of the blame must be thrown to a man whom the prince know— Timothy Top.

He believed that this man who seek for help in the heaven realm once is the man who abducted the princess and also killed her. He may not kill her personally, but by bringing her in this hellish place, he is so sure that she will die miserably.

The prince swore that by using Top's daughter can vent his anger for killing his beloved girl.