chapter-1
836 Words
Pain.
Not the kind you ignore. Not the kind you shake off.
This was the kind that crawled under your skin, wrapped around your bones, and refused to let go.
I woke up slowly.
My breathing felt heavy. My chest tightened with every inhale. My body weak. Too weak.
This doesn’t feel right.
I forced my eyes open.
The ceiling above me was unfamiliar. Too high. Too detailed. Carved designs I had never seen before. Curtains hung like something out of a palace heavy, expensive, suffocating.
The air smelled clean. Too clean.
No blood. No smoke. No gunpowder.
…Where am I?
I pushed myself up—
Wrong move.
Pain shot through my entire body. My arm trembled just from supporting my own weight.
“…damn.”
I paused.
Even my voice felt different. Softer. Lighter.
I slowly raised my hand.
Slender fingers. Smooth skin. No scars. No calluses.
My eyes narrowed.
This… isn’t my body.
Silence filled the room.
No guards. No footsteps. No sound of movement outside.
Too quiet.
That kind of silence only meant one thing
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
I swung my legs off the bed, forcing myself to stand. My knees almost gave out.
Pathetic.
I steadied myself, gripping the edge of the bed. My breathing was uneven, but my eyes stayed sharp.
Always observe first. React later.
That rule never changes.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze
A mirror.
Across the room.
I walked toward it, each step careful, controlled despite the pain.
And then—
I saw her.
purple eyes. Pale skin. Soft features.
A face that didn’t belong to me.
“…what the hell…”
I reached up, touching my cheek.
The reflection did the same.
So this is real, Not a dream.
Not a hallucination.
I stared at the girl in the mirror.
She looked… fragile.
Breakable.
The complete opposite of what I used to be.
Annoying.
Then
It hit me.
A sharp, sudden pain exploded in my head.
My body froze.
My grip tightened on the table beside me as I tried to stay standing.
“—ah…!”
My vision blurred.
And then—
Memories.
Not mine.
Flashback
“Ang dumi mo talagang tingnan.”
A slap.
Loud. Sharp.
Flash.
“Prinsesa ka? Nakakahiya ka sa pangalan na ‘yan.”
Laughter.
Cold. Mocking.
A young girl—
kneeling on the marble floor.
Her hands trembling.
“Please… tigilan niyo na…”
Her voice weak, Barely holding on.
The memory didn’t stop.
It pulled me deeper—stronger this time.
Flashback
Malawak ang bakuran ng akademiya. Puno ng mga estudyanteng mula sa iba’t ibang kaharian. Mga anak ng mahaharlika—ang tinatawag nilang Royalties.
Tahimik pero mabigat ang presensya nila. Mataas ang tingin sa sarili. Walang pakialam sa iba.
At sa gitna ng lahat—
Siya.
Ang prinsesa.
Mag-isang naglalakad, yakap ang libro, pilit na umiiwas sa tingin ng iba.
Too defenseless.
Too easy to break.
“Princess”
Isang malambing na boses ang tumawag.
Napahinto siya.
Paglingon niya—
Nandoon si Princess Zytheria
Ngumingiti. Maamo.
Pero mali.
Fake.
Lumapit si Zytheria, maingat ang galaw.
“Pwede ba kitang makausap?” mahina niyang sabi.
Tahimik ang prinsesa. Hindi gumagalaw.
“Sandali lang naman,” dagdag pa niya, lalong lumapit.
Napaatras ng kaunti ang prinsesa.
At doon—
Biglang napahawak si Zytheria sa labi niya.
nagulat ang prinsesa dahil sinaktan ni Zytheria ang sarili nya.
“Ah!”
Napaatras siya, parang tinamaan.
“Bakit mo ako sinaktan?” nanginginig ang boses niya.
Natigilan ang prinsesa.
“Hindi… wala akong—”
“Huwag ka nang magsinungaling!” sigaw ni Zytheria, sabay iyak. “Sinampal mo ako!”
May dugo sa labi niya.
Sapat para paniwalaan ng lahat.
Well played.
“Anong nangyayari dito?”
Dumating ang ilang Royalties.
Napunta agad ang tingin nila kay Zytheria.
“At bakit may dugo yang labi mo?”- isang princesa
Napahawak siya sa labi niya, umiiyak.
“Wala… kasalanan ko… hindi ko dapat kinausap ang prinsesa…” - saad ni Zytheria na nag papaawa habang umiiyak
Mas lalo siyang nagmukhang kawawa.
Mas lalo siyang naging kapani-paniwala.
“Did she do this to you?”-isang prinsipe naman ang nag tanong
Tahimik si Zytheria.
Pero sapat na iyon, para akalain nila na ang prinsesa ang sumampal kay Zytheria.
Lahat ng tingin—napunta sa prinsesa.
Galit. Pandidiri. Paghusga.
“Disgusting.”
At doon Dumating sila.
Tatlong lalaki.
Pare-parehong malamig ang aura. Pare-parehong walang emosyon.
Mga kapatid niya.
So these are the brothers huh.
Lumapit ang dalawa sa kanya.
Ang isa—nakatayo lang, tahimik, nakatingin.
“What did you do?” malamig na tanong ng isa.
Mahina ang boses ng prinsesa.
“Hindi ko siya sinaktan…”
“Liar.”-sabat naman ng isa
"u-umamin kana prinsesa n-na sinampal moko"-sabi ni Zytheria na umiiyak
Walang babala.
Isang suntok ang tumama sa tiyan niya.
Napayuko siya agad. Nawalan ng hangin.
“Did you really think you can get away with this?”- sabi ng isang kapatid nya
- Writer
