A Shadow of an Illusion

Chapter 14

Dahil sa sinabi ni Hemera sa akin, dali-dali akong pumasok sa palasyo para hanapin si Erebus. I don’t what the h*ck came into his mind to do something this evil again, but I know that I needed to do something so that I will be able to stop him.

Sinabi sa akin ni Hemera na narinig niya raw iyon sa mga kawal na napa-daan sa gawi niya nang maglinis siya malapit sa opisina ni Erebus. Narinig niya na nag-uusap ang mga ito tungkol sa pagsunog ni Erebus sa isang bayan hindi kalayuan sa Water Dimension dahil ayon sa mga kawal na ‘yon, may mga dating namumuno ang nagtatago sa bayan na iyon.

Erebus decided to burn the whole village in order to ‘punish’ them for hiding one of the royal families, and in order to kill those people. Wala itong pakialam sa mga taong naroroon at ang nasa isip lamang niya ay ang patayin ang lahat.

I know it is sound so absurd because he just decided to kill everyone just because of a rumor that a royal family is hiding somewhere in that village, and I am sure as h*ck that he was not sure if the rumors that he heard were true or not.

I scoffed because of that thought and I continued to enter the palace as fast as I could. Mag-isa lang ako ngayon dahil sinabihan ko si Hemera na huwag nang sumama dahil sigurado akong pagbibintangan lang ito ni Erebus na nagsabi sa akin ng plano niya.

Which is true, but I will not let him hurt her because of that. After all, I know that he would ask where did I heard that and I have to be prepared, I have to be smart, so that no one would get hurt.

Patuloy lang ako sa paglalakad hanggang sa makita kong naglalakad si Grim papunta sa direksiyon ko. It looks like he noticed me because he gave me that smile I could not explain, and he even bowed at me as he approached me slowly.

“Milady.” Pagbati niya sa akin.

Hindi ko na pinansin pa ang pagbati niyang ‘yon at tinanong ko na lamang siya. “Nasan si Erebus?” I asked him with my voice void of any emotions.

He stopped and straightened as he looked straight into my eyes. The smile on his face is now gone and it was replaced by a serious expression.

“The Emperor is on his room,” he said and I could see that he was contemplating if he will tell me something further than that, but then he decided to talk again. “It is on the third floor at the right hallway. It is the only room at the end of the hallway so I am sure that you can find it immediately,” dagdag pa niya.

I just nodded my head at him and I was about to go on the third floor to meet Erebus, but I was stopped when Grim suddenly grabbed my arm tightly.

Napatingin ako sa gawi niya habang tinapunan ko siya ng masamang tingin. “Ano sa tingin mo ang ginagawa mo?” inis kong tanong sa kaniya.

“Sa tingin mo ba mapipigilan mo siya?” tanong niya sa akin na para bang alam niya kung ano ang gagawin ko roon.

I know that Grim is intelligent. I already proved that when everything was still in peace and there was no chaos. Kaya naman hindi na nakakapagtaka na alam niya kung ano ang balak kong gawin sa kwarto ni Erebus.

“I will do anything if I had to,” I told him with resolve. “At hinding-hindi ko hahayaan na may gawin siyang masama sa mga taong wala namang ginawa sa kaniya. They are innocent, and they don’t deserve something like this.”

Nginisian niya ako matapos kong sabihin iyon. “Para sa isang tao na bigla na lang lumitaw sa kung saan, hindi ba’t nakakapagtaka na sora ang pag-aalala mo para sa mga tao rito?” he asked me.

I stopped struggling on his grip as I gritted my teeth and said, “Hindi ako katulod niyong mga walang puso. Hindi ako katulad niyong basta-basta na lamang napatay ng mga taong wala namang ka-laban-laban. Huwag mo kong igaya sa inyo na ganoon ang pag-uugali.” I glared at him as I continued to talk. “I have a heart, that is why I will do anything to save others even if I am just a nobody.”

Inalis ko ang pagkaka-hawak niya sa braso ko at tinalikuran siya para pumunta sa kwarto ni Erebus. Hindi ko na rin siya tinapunan pa ng tingin kaya naman hindi ko na napansin ang pagbabago sa expression ng mukha niya.

I got suspiscious of Grim, but I tried to remove him from my mind because right now, I have to do everything that I could so that i will be able to stop Erebus from killing innocent people.

I believe that no one deserves something like this. i believe that everyone deserves to live in a world free from worries and chaos. And as long as Erebus lives and undefeated, this world would not be able to get that freedom. This cycle will continue as long as he lives, and I promised to do anything so that I could save everyone from him.

With that thought in mind, I clenched my fist and continued to walk faster towards Erebus’ room. HIndi ko na pinansin pa ang mga katulong at mga tauhan niya na natigil upang batiin ako o di kaya naman ang pagbubulungan ng mga ito habang papadaan ako sa kanila. Patuloy lamang ako sa paglalakad hanggang sa maka-abot ako sa kwarto na itinuro sa akin ni Grim.

I took a deep breath before I knock on the door, just to be sure that he was really inside his room. I waited for a few minutes before the door of the room opened, at lumabas doon si Erebus na as usual, walang emosyon ang mukha.

It looks like he was shock to see me because his expression changed, somehow, but it immediately returned as he look at me with a stoic expression on his face.

“What do you want now, woman?” he asked me.

Muntik na akong matawa nang sabihin niya ‘yon. Para kasing sinasabi niya na palagi ko siyang hinahanap sa tono pa lang ng pagkaka-sabi niya, pero pinigilan ko ang pagtawa ko dahil may kailangan akong gawin ngayon. At iyon ay ang pigilan si Erebus sa kung ano mang masamang plano niya.

“I think we needed to talk,” I told him, directly.

Hindi na ko nagpa-sikot-sikot pa at sinabi ko na agad sa kaniya ang gusto kong gawin. I thought that maybe I can talk some sense to him, or if it is not, then maybe I can threaten him to stop his plan on burning a whole village, just like the way he threatens me whenever he wanted me to do something.

He looked at me for a brief second before he turned his back at me, leaving the door open as if he was saying that he agreed to talk and we should do it inside his room, and I took a deep breath again before I stride towards his room.

He took a sit on a chair that was near the window, and he pointed at the chair across it as if he was inviting me to sit there. Pero hindi ko iyon ginawa at nanatili akong naka-tayo sa harapan niya.

I held my head high as I shook my head as if I am telling him that I am alright standing here, because after all, I don’t have a plan to spend a long time in here. Kapag napapayag ko siyang huwag nang gawin ang binabalak niya, aalis na agad ako sa kwarto niya dahil iyon ang tamang gawin. Dahil kung tatagal pa ako sa loob ng kwarto niya, sigurado akong hindi maganda ang magiging resulta nito.

“Why don’t you take a sit?” he asked me as his brows frowned.

Umiling ulit ako sa kaniya para sabihin hindi ko na kailangan pang umupo at diretsahang sinabi sa kaniya, “I came here to stop you from doing something bad on people who were innocent.”

I held my head high as I told him that. After all, telling him straight to the point is the only thing that could save us from fighting something non-sense. Atsaka pumunta naman talaga ako rito para sabihin sa kaniya ‘yon.

Wala na rin namang sense kung magpapa-ligoy-ligoy ako dahil sa isip ko, mas pinapa-tagal ko pa at mas pina-lalala ko pa ang sitwasyon, na maaaring gamitin ni Erebus para utusan niya nang palihim ang mga tauhan niya na gawin ang gusto niyang gawin sa bayan na sinasabi ni Hemera.

It looks like he stopped because of what I told him and he turned his head to look straight into my eyes, but I did not back down. Hindi ngayon na kailangan kong ipakita sa kaniya na desidido akong pigilan siya sa kung ano mang balak niyang gawin.

He starightened his back as he clasped his hands as if he was preparing to interrogate me. “What is it this time, woman?” tanong niya na parang wala siyang alam sa sinasabi ko na nakapagpa-galit pa sa akin lalo.

I clenched my fist as I let out a sigh as if I could not believe that I am hearing those words from him, and in our situation right now, I really could not believe that I am hearing those non-sense.

“Come on. Huwag ka naman nang mag-maang-maangan pa dahil alam ko na kung ano ang pina-plano mo,” sabi ko at lumapit sa kina-uupuan niya. “You planned to burn a whole village just because someone told you that they are hiding a royal family even if you are not sure wether it is true or not,” I told him and I could see that his eyes darkened because of that.

“Who told you that?” tanong niya sa akin.

I stopped for a second, dahil sa isip ko, hindi niya pwedeng malaman na kay Hemera ko narinig iyon dahil alam ko na parurusahan niya ito kahit na wala namang sapat na dahilan para gawin niya iyon.

“I just heard it somewhere in this palace,” I said as I straightened my posture and shrugged my shoulder.

I need to cover up for Hemera or else, this situation will get worse than this. Magkaka-gulo ang lahat kapag nalaman niyang si Hemera ang nagsabi sa akin. Siguradong hindi niya ito titigilan hanggang hindi niya ito napapa-amin na siya ang nagsabi sa akin. And I will not let that. Never.

“Do you think that I am dumb and will believe in you?” he asked me as one of his eyebrows raised.

“Kalat na sa buong palasyo ang plano mong gawin.” Ipinagdiinan ko sa kaniya iyon dahil nauubusan na ako ng pasensiya dahil sa kaniya.

Hindi ito dapat ang pinag-uusapan namin. Naririto ako para pigilan siya at hindi makipagtalo dahil lang sa taong nagsabi sa akin ng impormasyon na iyon. We are just both wasting our time because of this.

“Sa tingin mo ba hindi makakarating sa akin ang mga ‘yon?” I asked him as I scoffed.

I really could not believe that he thought that he could hide something this big to me when in fact, it looks like everyone in the palace knew about this, well except for me.

“I think I needed to know who gave you this piece of information about my plan,” he said and he was about to stand up but I stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

Napa-tingin siya sa akin nang pagka-talim-talim pero hindi ako umurong sa halip, mas hinigpitan ko pa ang hawak ko sa kaniya.

I matched his glare with my gaze void of emotion as I said, “Hindi ako pumunta rito para lang alamin mo kung sino ang nagsabi sa akin no‘n.” I gritted my teeth because I could not believe that we have come to this situation. “I already said that I came here to stop you, and I intend to do everything that I could to achieve that.”

He removed my hold on his wrist as he tightly grab my jaw until it hurts and I could not talk properly. Mukhang nagalit na siya nang tuluyan dahil sa sinabi ko at ramdam ko iyon sa pagkaka-hawak niya.

“You do not have the right to stop me from doing anything.” May diin ang bawat salitang sinasabi niya at pa-higpit nang pahigpita ang pagkakahawak niya sa akin. “You are just my wife. You are nothing and you do not have the right to tell me what I needed to do.”

Dahil sa sinabi niya, nagkaroon muli ako ng lakas ng loob para samaan siya ng tingin at tanggalin ang pagkaka-hawak niya sa akin. Hindi ko na pinansin pa ang sakit na naramdaman ko sa panga ko dahil sa sobrang galit na nararamdaman ko sa kaniya.

“Parehas lang kayo ng sinabi ni Grim, but I will gladly repeat what I told him earlier if that will make you happy,” I said as I tried my best to stay as calm as I could even if I know, I will fail. “I have a heart, and I will do everything that it takes to save others even if I am just a nobody.”

At totoo iyon, kahit na wala akong katayuan sa buhay, sigurado akong hinding-hindi ako magiging katulad nila. Mga katulad nilang walang puso, walang sinumang iniisip kung hindi ang sarili nila. And I know, even if I am just a nobody, I will still do this even if the one I am talking to is the most powerful person in the world.

“I will never be like you. A heartless man that only think of himself and his goals.”

Bawat salitang bini-bitiwan ko ay may kaakibat na diin dahil sa totoo lang, puno na ng galit ang puso ko dahil sa mga ginagawa niya. Hindi ko maisip kung bakit niya ginagawa ang mga bagay na ito. Hindi ko maisip ang dahilan kung bakit kailangang humantong sa ganito ang lahat.

“Do you really think that you can stop me?” he asked as if he is not believing that I could do that. “Do you think that you can come up with a way to stop me?”

“I told you that I will do everything that I could!” I shouted at him and it looks like he was taken aback because of that. “Mga inosenteng tao ang gusto mong patayin sa tingin mo ba mananahimik na lang ako isang tabi kapag nalaman ko ‘yon? Sa tingin mo ba susundin ko ang lahat ng gusto mo dahil lang sinabi ko ‘yon?”

Alam ko, kapag napag-isip-isip ko na ang mga bagay na ito, pagsisihan ko rin ito sa huli, pero sa ngayon, sa tingin ko kailangan kong sabihin sa kaniya ‘yon para matauhan siya na mali ang mga ginagawa niya.

“I know that you are heartless. I know that you are killing people even if there is not enough proof to do so, but don’t you think this is too much? Don’t you think that killing the lives of everyone in that village is too much?” tanong ko sa kaniya habang pataas nang pataas ang boses ko. “Wala na ba talagang natitirang konsensiya sa puso mo? Bakit mo ba ‘to ginagawa? Para ano? For fun? For you to be satisfied? You already have everything! The people of this world are now suffering because of you and now, you wanted to make it even more worse. For what? For your own desires?”

He looked at me in disbelief, at hindi ko alam kung bakit parang gulat siya sa mga sinabi ko. I could see many emotions in his eyes but above it all, I could see that he was angry and frustrated.

“Do you think this is only for my own selfishness?” he asked me in disbelief.

“Yes,” sabi ko sa kaniya dahil sigurado naman talaga ako na iyon lang ang dahilan kung bakit niya ginagawa iyon.

“Do you really think of that?” tanong niya pa ulit.

“Bakit may iba pa bang dahilan?” tanong ko sa kaniya at lumapit sa gawi niya na para bang interesado ako sa sasabihin niya. “If there is enough reason for this, then tell me. Come on. Tell me!”

Kung may dahilan nga siya para gawin niya ang ganitong bagay, bukod sa sarili niyang kagustuhan at kasiyahan, hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko. Hindi ko maisip kung ano ang sapat na dahilan para gawin niya ang bagay na ito.

“Bakit hindi mo sabihin?” Paghahamon ko sa kaniya. “Tell me!”

“Because this world made me do it!” he shouted at me that made me stop and look at him in shock. “This world made me an evil. This world pushed me to do those horrible things! They pushed me to do it when those Royal Family whom they thought that they are above everything killed my father! That is why I wanted to kill them all, and that includes those people who still followed them even if they knew about those things!”

My mind could not process anything. Parang hindi ko lubusang maisip na gano‘n ang dahilan niya kaya niya nagawa ang mga bagay na iyon. My mind went blank because of what he said.

All I could say after a few silence between us is, “What?”

“Do you understand now?” he asked me but I did not answer him. “That is why you cannot do anything to stop me from doing this.”

I shook my head because of what he said as I grabbed his arms because he tried to go out of the room again. “Hindi. Hindi ko hahayaan na gawin mo iyon kahit na gaano pa kalalim ang dahilan mo.”