Fear the Reaper

Chapter 25: Seven's Fate

Seven (Nine's impostor)

I am torn between serving my mistress and saving Green and her allies. As I walk on Earth after Mistress created me, my sole purpose is to watch everything while she sleeps.

It got worse when Neax was freed. Neax used to be my beloved. We were very much in love until the mistress hid her from her Father's eye. During her absence, I met Green. Hindi ko napigilan ang hindi pansinin ang kanyang kagandahan. Pinilit kong iwasan ngunit hindi ko pala kaya. I know Neax felt it. I know Mistress smells me.

I'm betraying them.

"Mistress told me kill you," sabi sa akin ni Neax noong minsan ay nagkita kami sa isang abandonadong building sa malayo sa mga mata ng mga bampira. "But I couldn't do it," aniya na para bang maiiyak.

I knew she's hurting because I confessed to her that between us, I can't feel anything anymore.

"I only want the mistress to see the bright side. These creatures deserved to live," sabi ko sa kanya.

"Try telling that to the mistress, Seven. The order is order. You can't convince a cat that the one you are feeding her is fish when she already knows that it isn't," aniya pa bago tumalikod. "I came here to warn you. Mistress already knows everything you are doing. She might send someone who will kill you. Just be careful," sabi niya na akmang maglalaho sana.

"Why don't you join me? And see for yourself what I'm trying to say," sabi ko sa kanya convincing her.

"Sorry, but my loyalty stays with the mistress. Though it hurts a lot, I can only stand in the safe zone watching your betrayal. And you know the mistress hated the most is being betrayed by someone whom she trusted most. I'm sorry Seven. You chose the path that you want to walk on. Goodbye," aniya at biglang naglaho.

Hindi ko napigilan ang huwag mapaluha. Mistress was the one who created me and yet why am I doing this?

Whenever I'm around with her, all I can see is the two huge elliptical red eyes staring at me. Observing and full of disappointment.

Hindi ko alam kung kailan darating ang araw na ako ay papatayin ng mistress. Gayunpaman ay inihanda ko na ang aking sarili. I need to know what kind of dimension that was used to imprison her. I want to send her back again there and sealed it forever

"Master, your visitors has arrived," sabi ng isa sa mga sumundo sa amin sa gate ng Celestia.

Nakita ko ang isang nilalang na mga apat na pakpak at bawat pakpak ay may mga mata. Tinanggal nito ang belong nakatabing sa kanyang mukha revealing it's eyeless face. Tanging ilong at bungangang punong-puno ng matutulis na ngipin. Animo'y isa itong kalansay na nagkaroon lamang magaspang at nangingitim na balat. Ang mga mata niya sa mga pakpak ay hindi mapakali at animoy nakatingin sa lahat direksyon. Ang apat na kamay nito ay nagsusulat sa isang parchment paper na hindi ko alam kung saan gawa.

"Oh..if it isn't the Queen of vampires, fallen celestial, and well, a traitor servant with their bunch of blood-sucker guards. What can I do for you? It must be so important that you come all the way here," sabi pa niya.

"We come here to know what is Death weakness," sagot ko sa kanya.

Bigla na lamang itong bumulanghit ng tawa.

"Weakness you say?" tanong nito sa akin. "She doesn't have any weakness other than her ecdysis process, I think. But since she's well aware that enemies know that that's the only thing she's weak of and use it against her, don't you think she will undergo that process again and sleep a billion aeons again?" anito.

"Which means?"

"She doesn't have any weakness anymore and she won't undergo ecdysis. You don't know anything about her don't you?" tanong nito. He obviously knew everything about her. I can say that.

"Just tell us. Tell us how Cherubim managed to create that dimensional prison which locked her up," sabi ko pa.

I'm desperate.

"Oh? You mean the Nether Dimension?" aniya.

"Yes that," sagot ko sa kanya.

"Oh all I know is that it was made by an Nether Archon that lives in Khestramore," sagot niya sa akin habang nagbubuklat ng isang libro ang dalawa niyang mga kamay.

"Where the hell is Khestramore?" tanong ko sa kanya.

I never heard about it nor the mistress told me about it.

"What the heck is Khestramore?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"A planet just like Earth," sagot niya. "But instead of humans, Khisians are creatures who live there and fear the side by side of Archon's war. Unlike your beloved earth, Khestranore is far from being built again. It's because of the absence of death and her domain located there, and having a power, the planet is slowly being destroyed. And it is located a billion kilometres away from it. And the only way to get there is a dimensional way which the Death can only have access with," aniya. "Oh and the Cherubim as well since he stole Sin's dimensional key," aniya sabay sulyap kay Green at Keenan. "Oh my apologies, Queen and oh faithful servant of his. You heard something awful about Cherubim, also known as Apollyon."

Nakita kong umasim ang mukha ni Keenan. Of course kapag ikaw ba naman ang niloko at ginamit, sa tingin mo matutuwa ka?

"Tell me how can we meet this Archon?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Muling dumirekta sa aking direksyon ang mukha ng historian as if he can see me.

"To answer your question Seven, it's impossible," sagot niya. "As the Nether Archon is dead," aniya.

"D-dead?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko.

"Yes. She has been killed by Cherubim himself after being together as lovers," aniya pa. "He thought that the Archon would betray him one day and free Death. She is the only one who can reverse the Nether Dimension. If she dies, death will be locked up for eternity," sagot niya sa akin.

Napakuyom ako ng aking kamao.

"Then why the hell did death manage to escape? Who freed her?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"The Aether Archon," sagot niya sa akin.

"Aether what?" tanong ko. Naguguluhan na ako sa takbo ng lahat. Seems like the mistress hide everything to me.

"Counterpart of Nether. The only one who can reverse the Nether Dimension. She's the one who freed the death," sagot niya. "Someone Cherubims failed to notice of course," dagdag pa niya.

"Where is she? Where can I find her? Is she able to recreate a prison like that?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Seven, not all are against Death including Aether who created the Khestramore and gifted it to your mistress Lord. She is the only archon who didn't help when everyone fought and destroyed all Death's domain. It's only natural for Aerther to find Death since archon wars almost killed and destroyed Khestramore. And also to be able to enter a timeless prison, she sacrificed herself to free her. But as a reward, Death gave her back her life. Do you think she'll agree to what you wanted?" tanong niya.

Tumingin ako sa kanya.

"Is there anything else we could do to stop her?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"There's none. You come here for nothing," sagot niya. "Death is inevitable. It comes when it wants. No signs and warning," sagot niya sa akin.

"Lies," sagot ko sa kanya. "There must be something she's weak of," sagot ko sa kanya.

Sumulat muna ito at saka ipinakita sa akin ang kanyang sinulat.

...upon returning from their journey to Celestia, Seven, the traitor will never reach the Queen's palace as she will face the wrath of the one she used to serve. Blood will splattered, colouring the colourless water of Transient of red..

Napatingin ako sa kanya. I saw fear in his hundreds of eyes. Kaya ba hindi napakali ang mga ito?

"Go," aniya. "Celestia will be closing its gate. I don't want death knocking on my door," aniya.

Nagmamadali kaming umalis at sumakay agad sa barko na pag-aari ni Green.

"What the hell was that creature showing you a few minutes ago?" tanong ni Keenan.

"It's nothing," sagot ko.

"It doesn't seem like it's just nothing," sabi ni Green na halatang-halata ang kanyang pag-aalala sa kanyang mukha.

Ngumiti ako sa kanya. The sweetest smile I could give to her. Tinalikuran ko ang aking mistress para sa kanya because I saw the hope in her eyes.

"It's nothing actually," sabi ko pa.

"Listen, Nine. We cannot give up. Kapag nalaman na natin ang kahinaan ni Jormungandr, we will be living in piece again. You already helped me a lot. We gain a lot of information from you. Thank you. Thank you for choosing our side than Death," aniya sabay hawak sa aking kamay.

"Pfft."

Pareho naming nilingon ang tunog ng pigil na tawa at nakita namin si Samantha na pinipigilan ang tawa.

"What the hell is laughable?" tanong ng kasama nito.

Patuloy pa rin ito sa pagtawa hanggang sa hindi nito mapigilan ang tumawa ng malakas.

"Choose your side, you say," sabi niya at muli na namang humalakhak. "Funny isn't it? Once upon a time, Seven a.k.a Nine pledged loyalty to me when she first breathed air from the lungs and nose I gave her and then because she was infatuated with a pests' Queen, she chose to betray me," sabi ni Samantha.

Her blue eyes suddenly change into red. Her slit pupils are the only color black. Some eyes that I knew who owned it. She may be copying other faces but I know who is.

Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kaba lalo na noong nasa dagat transient na kami. Ito ang nakasulat sa librong hinaharap ni Historian.

"Stand back," sabi ko kina Green at Keenan.

"What the hell are you saying Samantha!" galit na sigaw ni Green instead of listening to me.

Ipinilig ni Samantha ang kanyang ulo at tumingin kay Green.

"What a nuisance," nakangising sabi ni Samantha before moving faster than a blink of an eye. Halos hindi ito nahabol ng aking mga mata at biglang itong himinto sa harapan ni Green kasabay ng pagpalagay nito ng kanang kamay sa dibdib ng babae. Nakita kong unti-unti nitong hiniguhot ang puting usok mula sa katawan ng hindi nakahandang si Green.

She's killing her now!

Keenan leaps from the air and he swings his sword aiming at Samantha's neck. But Samantha sees it coming. She then took her hand off to Green and stopped the blade using her two fingers. Green escaped in the process panting and deep breathing at the same time.

Samantha twisted her fingers and broke the sword's blade in the process while Keenan is still floating up in the air giving his sword a pressure to reach Samantha's neck.

Pumikit lang si Samantha at saka ngumisi.

"Too slow," aniya bago binigyan ng malakas na sipa si Keenan na hindi niya napansin at hindi ko rin napansin.

Damn it. I never saw mistress fights.

Tumilapon sa malayo si Keena at nahulog sa tubig.

"Keenan!" sigaw ni Green.

"Go! Save him!" sigaw ko sa kanya bago bumaling kay Samantha. "Fight me instead, mistress," sabi ko sa kanya.

"Ohh," aniya na bumaling sa akin. "I intend to do that, Seven. Historia showed you the part of history where you will die, didn't he?" nakakalokong tanong niya.

"I know. At least I will die trying to fight you!" sigaw ko sa kanya as I charge.

I kick and punch her but to no avail she will just dodge it while her eyes are closed.

"Too slow!" sabi niya sa akin before landing a punch on my stomach.

The punch was too strong that I couldn't breath for almost a minute habang nasa ere ako patilapon sa labas ng barko kung nasaan kami. Awtomatikong sumuka ako ng dugo sa tindi ng pressure na inilagay ni Samantha sa suntok na iyon.

Nas ere pa ako ay naramdaman ko ang sunod-sunod na sipa at suntok mula kay Samantha na lumitaw na lang bigla sa aking harapan.

"Did you think that helping those pests will help me get imprisoned again huh, Seven?" galit na sabi ni Samantha sa akin. "I will not allow you to let me go back to this wretched place again. Not now or ever," galit na galit n galit niyang sabi habang patuloy sa pagsipa at pagsuntok sa akin putting pressure more as both of her attack landed on any part of my body. "I was the one who created you, who gave you powers but what did you do? You betrayed me, Seven. Now endure how to be weak, no power, no magic to help you. I'm taking it away from you. Everything! Including your pathetic life!" galit na galit niyang sigaw. She punched me again on my stomach, this time pabulusok akong nahulog sa dagat.

Hindi pa ito nakuntento. Pumatong siya sa aking tiyan at napabikis ang aking pagbulusok sa tubig.

As soon ay my back collided to the water, nahati ito. Hindi matatawarang sakit ang aking nararamdaman hanggang sa nasalo ng lupa na dati'y kinaroroonan ng tubig ang aking katawan. Hindi napigil ang pagbulwak ng dugo sa aking mga labi. Ngunit piniliti ko paring ngumiti sa nakatunghay na galit na galit na mukha ng mistress na siyang lumikha sa akin. But I saw tears in her eyes. When I was born from the womb inside of her old shredded skin, she was happy seeing me. She treated me special along with the others. Back then she was still a huge snake. A snake that never stopped growing that needed to shed skin.

"I only wanted you to show the light for you, m-mistress," nahihirapang sabi ko sa kanya. My human body cannot hold any longer. She took everything that she gave me as a gift.

"There is no light, Seven. This was supposed to happen and you know it. We cannot change it. But you chose to side with the enemy rather than me," aniya. "There's no place for a traitor in my domain," aniya bago ako tinapunan ng tingin at tumalikod.

Ah.. in the end I still failed.