Reborn: The Awakening

Six

Nandito ako ngayon sa tapat ng Krymmenos kung saan ako titira simula ngayon. Bitbit ko ang isang asul na maleta na ibinigay sa akin ni Vergel na kinuha pa niya sa karwahe ng Griffon na sinakyan namin papunta rito sa Magi Academia. I had to come here alone dahil may klase pa raw silang dalawa ni Trese. They just handed me a map and we all agreed to meet at the SSC Office after class hours.

The House is almost three kilometers away from the other buildings and offices that I felt thirsty after the long walk. Mabuti na lang ay sanay akong maglakad nang ganoon kalayo. But knowing a sea child like myself, madali kaming mapagod. That’s why I always bring bottles of water kahit saan ako magpunta, to at least replenish my energy. Unfortunately, wala akong dala ngayon dahil biglaan ang pagpunta naming dito.

Pinagmasdan ko ang notorious na House. Mukha itong isang mansyon sa laki ng bahay at lawak ng lupa—the kind of mansion that would scare the hell out of your fragile soul and that would make you piss your pants. Believe me, I have seen all the worst things in Terra City but this haunted mansion gives me the chills!

“That’s because vengeful souls linger around here,” rinig kong bulong sa tainga ko at halos mapatalon ako sa gulat nang may biglang umakbay sa akin. Nang lingunin ko ito, otomatikong rumehistro ang inis sa mukha ko. Nangiti siya sa akin nang malapad habang pinagmamasdan ang iritable kong hitsura. “Welcome to Magi Academia.”

I rolled my eyes. Remember the guy named Forest who first approached me at Miss Aviel’s clinic? It’s that annoying man! Another member of that pain-in-the-ass group, Seven Idiots.

Inalis ko ang pagkakaakbay niya sa akin at tinapunan siya ng isang masamang tingin. “What are you doing here—” Natigilan ako nang mapasulyap ako sa haunted mansion. “Don’t tell me, dito ka rin sa Krymmenos naka-assign?”

Humalakhak lamang siya at hinarap ang mansyon. Mabilis ko ring ibinaling ang atensyon ko roon. Umaabot ng tatlong palapag iyon na mayroong sampung balkonahe. Nag-itim na ang mga pader at napuno na rin ng mga gumagapang na mga halaman. Mayroon din itong malawak na hardin at palayan, but the thing was, lahat ng tanim ay puro patay na. Mayroon ding iba’t ibang mga nakatayong estatwa roon na nababalutan na ng mga sapot at tuyong mga dahon. Sa tabi ng mga iyon ay mayroong isang balon. Overall, the house is pretty good, but the ambience is eerily calm and peaceful. You know the feeling that you get when visiting an empty cemetery? It specially felt cold and lonely without seeing any living being around.

“Well, as a descendant of the earth, seeing a dead garden like this one is extremely heartbreaking. I’m so disappointed in this House,” nailing-iling na sambit ni Forest habang nakangiwing pinagmamasdan ang mga patay na halaman at bulaklak. And as a soft-hearted assassin who cherishes plants and trees, I couldn’t agree more. Gusto kong itapon sa tabi ang maleta ko at magbungkal ng lupa at magtanim.

But— Mabilis akong napalingon sa kanya. “Hindi ka taga-Krymmenos?” My face lit up at the thought.

He turned his face on mine, then he suddenly laughed nonstop and filled the air with his annoying  breath. “You dislike me that much?”

“Then why are you here?” I asked again. “Ha, I now remember! Sa Mortal House nga pala kayo, which is a lot farther from here. So anong ginagawa mo rito?”

Nang tuluyan nang humupa ang pagtawa niya, itinuro niya ang bandang likuran ng mansyon kung saan matatagpuan ang pinaka-malawak na kagubatan sa buong Magus, ang Forest of Life and Death. “I slept. It’s the most peaceful place that I could think of.”

“But not as peaceful as this House, I think,” I murmured before pulling my baggage and went straight to the door without looking back at Forest. I stopped when, suddenly, a series of images flashed in my head. It seemed like past memories, but I was sure it wasn’t mine.

Lumingon ako sa kinatatayuan ni Forest. He looked awestruck, as if he saw some ugly creature, or a ghost—or maybe dark memories.

“You saw it too, didn’t you?” tanong niya habang dahan-dahang naglalakad palapit sa ’kin.

“Saw what?” painosente kong tanong. I definitely saw some past memories inside my head, and he obviously did, too. What the hell is going on?

Kumunot ang noo niya, tila may inaalala. “I saw you with your friends—or siblings, maybe. It’s exactly your face but a few years younger, I think.”

My eyes grew bigger. I also felt my chest thumping like a horse in a run. “Do you, by any chance, remember their names?”

Tumitig siya nang diretso sa mga mata ko. “Mara and Zalchad. I clearly heard you utter those names.”

Nanlambot ang mga tuhod ko at nabitawan ko ang maleta ko. Para bang lahat ng lakas ko ay biglang gumuho. Naramdaman ko ang pagbagsak ng katawan ko, buti na lamang ay nahawakan ako sa braso ni Forest—then muli na naman akong nilunod ng hindi pamilyar na memorya.

Puno ng dugo ang sahig, ang pader, at maging ang damit at ang punyal na hawak ng isang batang lalaki habang nakapukol ang walang emosyon niyang mga mata sa mga duguang bangkay sa sahig.

Maya-maya pa ay mayroong nagsidatingan na mga tao. Tatlo sa mga iyon ay naka-uniporme ng pulis. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, uniporme iyon ng mga pulis sa Terra.

“Sino’ng may gawa nito sa pamilya mo?” tanong ng isang pulis ng makalapit. Nilingon siya ng bata ngunit hindi mababakasan ng kahit na anong emosyon ang mukha nito.

Napaatras ang pulis nang bitawan ng bata ang hawak na punyal at naglakad palayo. “I’ll go have dinner,” sambit nito bago tuluyang lumabas ng bahay.

Bumalik lamang ako sa reyalidad nang bitawan ako ni Forest na tila ba napaso siya sa balat ko. It was him, wasn’t it? That child looked a lot like him. Did he murder his own family?

Nang lingunin ko siya ay nakatulala siya sa ’kin. “You can see through my darkest past that I have long forgotten,” I finally concluded. “And I can see yours.”

“You can see mine?” hindi makapaniwala niyang tanong. For a whole minute, I saw fear and fret in his eyes.

“Vividly,” I smiled bitterly. “So don’t come near me again, Forest.”

Pinulot ko ang maleta ko at hinila iyon hanggang sa tuluyan akong makalayo. Dali-dali akong umakyat sa hagdan hanggang sa makarating ako sa ikatlong palapag kung saan ko matatagpuan ang silid ko. Pagtapak ko pinakataas na baiting ng hagdan, tuluyan nang bumigay ang mga tuhod ko.

Hindi ko maintindihan ang sarili ko. Sigurado ako noon na gusto kong bumalik ang nawalang memorya ko noon, kaya kami lumapit kay Miss Aviel, upang tulungan akong gawin iyon. Ngunit ngayong mayroon nang paraan upang malaman ang past ko, I felt scared. Noong unang beses na may naalala akong kaunti—that was a few days ago—ay unti-unting umuusbong ang takot at pag-aalala sa ’kin. Pakiramdam ko ay hindi ko magugustuhan ang malalaman ko. Gusto kong tumakas. Also, I hate the fact that someone can see through me.

Zalchad, Mara, and Tatay Mario… Just hearing those names makes my chest ache a lot, which I haven’t experienced since I was ten. They really bother the hell out of me and it’s torturing me.

I walked around the campus to get some fresh air. Pakiramdam ko ay hindi ako makahinga sa lugar na ito, lalo pa at may katulad ni Forest na may kakayahang makita ang kinatatakutan kong mga multo ng nakaraan. I went to this garden where statues of the ancient gods were displayed in a circle. Dumaan ako sa gitna ng mga ’yon at sobrang namangha ako. They do not look really gigantic from afar, but they actually touch the sky.

The wind softly howled in my ears and gently brushed my skin as if comforting me. I was just about to exhale all my worries to give way to the newly-blowed air, when I suddenly felt my feet slowly floating into the air. I tried to look down but this only made my position worse! I was forcefully upturned and my head was pathetically hanging. I really was floating!

I calmed myself instead of unnecessary panics, but then, the wind blowed aggressively and pushed me upwards like I was some sort of New Year’s Eve firecracker. But there’s more! A lightning came flashing on the wide sky above and literally drew a couple of zigzag lines.

After those horrible experiences, the wind stopped and finally let go of me. My head was the first one to plummet onto the ground, then my body followed its lead. Fortunately, it was an artificial grass planted on the sea of clouds, but the impact was still unbearable. Few of my bones seemed to break a little while my gut felt like rotating that I needed to vomit. So those giant statues below were like doors up here—the extension of Magi Academia? Please don’t tell me I need to use that passage to come to class everyday; that it is also not the only way to go back down. Oh, mahabaging mga diyos! Ihulog niyo na lang ako sa malalim at mahalimaw na karagatan, huwag niyo lang akong paliparin!

Umupo ako nang maayos at kinundisyon muna ang sarili. Hindi gaanong mainit dito kahit na mas malapit kami sa araw dahil may protective barrier naman na nagfi-filter ng init. Magi Academia is purely artificial. Everything here is made of magians’ magaè.

Speaking of magaè, naramdaman ko na mayroong paparating na bola ng enerhiya mula sa kanan ko. Kahit na hilong-hilo ako at parang masusuka, nagawa kong dumapa upang makaiwas. Narinig ko na lamang ang pagtama nito sa protective barrier, ngunit walang naging epekto ito. Walang kahit na anong magaè daw ang makakabasag niyon.

Bumalik ako sa pag-upo at asar na asar na nilingon ang pinanggalingan ng magaè na muntik nang tumama sa ’kin. If I’m not mistaken, it was a mud ball surrounded with wind blades. Tiyak na makakatamo ng sugat ang tatamaan no’n. Unti-unting namumuo ang inis sa ’kin.

“How dare you dodge that!” sigaw ng isang pamilyar na boses. Pulang-pula ang mukha niya sa galit habang nakatuon ang pamatay na tingin sa isang babae na nakasalampak sa damuhan at mayroong pinupulot na mga garapon, halos pinalilibutannng apat pang babae. Ha, I’m pretty sure it’s that Laura b***h.

Ngayon ko lamang napansin ang kapaligiran. Isang ito malawak na field na tanging damuhan at mga puno lamang ang makikita at kaunting benches sa mga silong. Natatanaw ko rin mula sa kinauupuan ko ang mga gusali ng Magi Academia daan-daang metro ang layo. Doon ginaganap ang lahat ng pang-akademikong mga klase. May ibang lugar pa para sa physical training and all.

Tumayo na ako at pinagpag ang kasuotan ko. Minabuti ko na lamang na huwag pansinin ang problema ng iba. Sigurado akong kaya nilang solusyunan iyon nang mag-isa.

“Leave me alone,” narinig kong wika ng babaeng binu-bully ni Laura. Napalingon ako rito nang dahil sa tapang na ipinamalas niya. Walang bakas na takot sa boses niya.

Nagsimula na itong maglakad patungo sa direksyon ko dahilan upang magtama ang mga mata namin. I saw a glint of recognition in her eyes. Gulo-gulo ang buhok niya na nilalaro ng hangin. Yakap-yakap niya ang halos sampung garapon na walang laman.

I saw it. She recognizes me.

I was about to welcome her with open arms, except I will never do that, when Laura pulled the woman’s hair from behind and threw her on the ground. Nalaglag ang mga garapon sa hindi niya inaasahang pagbagsak niya. Instead of pitying herself, she continued to stare at me. It was clearly not to ask for help. She wanted to say something to me.

I just found myself walking into trouble that I never intend to be involved with.

Laura stepped forward and was about to hit the woman on the ground, but I was fast enough to stop her. Sobrang nanlaki ang mga mata niya nang makilala ako. Nginitian ko lamang siya at pabalang na binitawan ang kamay niya.

“I’m friends with her. So if you don’t mind, leave her alone.” Yumuko ako at sinabihan ang babae na tumayo. She was not injured or whatsoever, so I didn’t have to help her stand on her feet.

“What are you doing here?” asik ni Laura.

I turned to her. “Uncle Vergel enrolled me here today.”

“Uncle?” kunot-noong tanong niya. “This is annoying.”

“Oh, yeah?” Ngumiti ako sa kanya upang lalo siyang inisin. “I’m leaving with her,” I said referring to ‘my friend.’

Tumaas ang isang kilay ko nang makitang nangiti rin siya sa ’kin. I knew for sure that I won’t get along with this b***h. I’m the stupid one for trying my luck.

“No,” she finally answered. “The Terra criminal is coming with me. You may go.”

Akmang lalayasan na niya ako nang hawakan ko ang braso niya. “You left me with no choice, idiot woman.”

Sabay kaming umatras at lumayo sa isa’t isa, but our eyes blaring with hate and disgust were locked with each other. Inabot ko ang baywang ko kung saan ako madalas maglagay ng punyal, ngunit wala akong makapa! Na-realize ko na ang housemaids pala ang nagbihis sa akin kaninang umaga.

Shit. As much as possible, I don’t want to use my magaè and my spiritual weapon for it can cause massive destruction. Master Acius said that my ability was dangerous enough to kill a few magians with one blow, especially when my emotions are triggered. Plus, that weapon consumes a lot of energy, so I still work on it until now. It’ll be suicide to use it without a plan.

Nakita ko na inilabas na ni Laura ang kanyang armas. It was a whip-type weapon, but it surely slices like a blade.

Spiritual Weapons can be passed down from generation to generation, but they can only be summoned when the heir’s magaè fits its overall power. Once the magian and the weapon connects, the wielder could summon it anytime and anywhere. The bond between them lasts until the owner dies. But we should all be careful when using them because when the owner’s magaè and the weapon’s power collided, it’ll almost impossible to defeat them with ordinary blades, let alone with bare hands.

“How aggresive,” I commented.

Laura looked much calmer than she usually was, which made her energy naturally steady.

Napangiwi ako. Master once said that I am more than just a magian; I am naturally different from all of them, including him. So I guess this won’t be the end of me.

Inikot ko ang paningin ko. The woman that I helped and the other bullies were completely in awe while gazing on the transformed Laura. They can’t believe she’ll go this far.

“She’s insane,” sambit ko sa kanila bago ko kinuha ang punyal na nakaipit sa bulsa ng isa sa kanila.

I turned to Laura who was already charging towards me. Her weapon looks like a metallic thin rope that can cut anything that goes in its way.

I smiled. “Here I go, sweetie.”

Sinalubong ko ang atake niya at lakas-loob na sinalag ang armas niya ng punyal na hawak ko. Wala pang isang minuto ay nahati sa gitna ang punyal. Before she could whip and slice me into pieces, I managed to jump backwards. It can’t be helped; she’s strong.

Napatingin ako sa babaeng dahilan ng pagkadawit ko sa gulong ito. She was looking at me as if I just disappointed her about something. I scoffed in disbelief.

Muli kong naradaman ang pag-atake ni Laura. Ngayon ko lamang napansin ang mga mata niya. They were abnormally blank. I could only see a strong desire to kill, which was actually strange.

So I prepared myself for that attack. I gathered all the waters within my body, which was really enormous because a sea child is eighty percent made of water, and tried to surround my body. I also readied these waters to protect those who were behind me that would be affected by the attack.

Laura jumped as high as she could, then whipped her spiritual weapon towards my place—but then in a blink of an eye, I saw her lying on the ground unconscious. What the actual f**k? It was like time stopped for a moment and something occured then that we didn’t witness, even though it happened right before our eyes!

I calmed my body, and it went back to normal. Then a pair of red running shoes appeared beside the unconscious body of Laura.

Unti-unti kong itinaas ang tingin ko. Gray shorts. Magi Academia uniform. And an intimidating smile.

“Primo Klausser,” I uttered.