"MirrenAcademyOfSpels"

wattpadstory

SYPNOSIS

Mirren Academy of Spells - Complete, First published Feb 20

Discovering an abandoned town in the middle of a forest, Odeth is

transported to a time when the ghost town was alive, but as
someone else--Olivia Valencourt.

***

Magic isn't real--except it is when Odeth wakes up as Olivia

Valencourt, a student of Mirren Academy, a school for spell users
like her. Well, like Olivia.

Determined to find her way back home, she discovers the truth
behind the once-alive abandoned town, and that she's not as much
of a stranger to the place and to the person she's pretending to be.
In finding friends, love, and herself while trying to change the
town's fate, she finds that maybe Mirren Academy is already home.
DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish.

©All Rights Reserved

© Credit To The Right Owner as well the Converter

MirrenAcademyofSpels-Welcometo
MirrenAcademy

by april_avery

"Mortal body,
timeless souls.
Lives woven
sparked by hope.
One was destined
a path to retrace,

where wish was born

to alter fate."

Welcome to Mirren Academy!

"Home of magical and forbidden."

Written by: april_avery

Genre: Fantasy

Converted by: ~cmlaf143~

***

Author's Note:

Hi there! Long time no see haha! I'm back with a new fantasy story,
my third academy story! Let me welcome you to another magical
journey and may you find magic in the most unexpected places.

Your author who miss you the most,

April

P.S. Announcement coming this Sunday. Watch out for it!

#MirrenAcademy

MirrenAcademyofSpels-Mirren
Academy:AnAnnouncement

Hi there! Before you proceed to a magical adventure, I want to

share with you my own story.

Mirren Academy was first posted on Wattpad in 2017 with only five
chapters before I completely removed it. I had no confidence in my
writing career back then or where it would lead me.

Fast forward years later, I came to realized that no matter what I

do, where I am, who I'm with, writing will always be a part of me.

Through the Wattpad Paid Program, I became an author lucky

enough to be paid for my hard work and I'll forever be grateful to
the opportunity and to the readers who continue to support me.

It's my great pride to announce that Mirren Academy will be under

the Paid Program starting June 30, 2021. All chapters of the story
will be posted on this date and there will be free chapters provided
for you so you can check if the story is within your alley before you
venture into this magical adventure.

To feel your support through the program would mean the world to
me and I hope you're proud of this achievement as much as I do.

June 30 is the start of a new adventure!

The rest of my stories are still available freely here on Wattpad and
if you have questions about the Paid Program you can visit:
www.wattpad.com/paidstories

Forever grateful,
April

Chapter1:TheAbandoned

I stared at the unpaved road ahead. The car Ms. Meredith had
rented wasn't doing a good job of bringing us to the outskirts of
this sleepy town dahil panay ang patay ng makina nito.

"Malayo pa ba, Ms. Meredith?"

I didn't know why we were here...or maybe I did, and I just couldn't
accept the fact that instead of enjoying the long weekend like
everyone else, I was in an unknown town in an unknown island.

Mula madaling araw nasa biyahe na kami. We took the bus for five
freaking hours to this unheard-of pier where we took a small boat
for another hour or so to this sleepy island.

Sleepy wasn't an understatement. It was seven in the morning

nang dumating kami sa isla at naghanap ng pwedeng kainan dahil
hindi pa kami kumakain mula noong umalis kami sa Clarence, but
the only open restaurant was a small eatery near the pier.

Naghanap kami ng sasakyan na pwedeng rentahan pero wala raw

nagpaparenta sa isla, kaya nakiusap kami sa may-ari ng restaurant
rentahan ang sasakyan niya.

At least there's one good thing about the island—madaling

pakiusapan ang mga tao rito. They let us rent the car until noon
and they gave us the keys without even signing an official
document. Kung sa Clarence ito, you weren't getting your car back.

But it was an island, and wala nang daan palabas dito other than
the pier, so I understood how they could easily vest their trust to
complete strangers like us.

But we weren't completely strangers. Kaya ako nandito kasama

ang secretary ni lola na si Ms. Meredith ay dahil may malaking
lupang nakapangalan sa 'kin sa lugar na ito.

But in this kind of place? I doubted kung may ibang kamag-anak si

lola na nakapunta na rito. Why would she have a piece of land here?

It was too far from the city of Clarence.

Halos mauntog ang ulo ko sa bintana ng sasakyan dahil sa lubak

na daan. Beyond the streets of the pier, wala nang makikitang
maaayos na daan sa isla. Maging ang mga bahay ay unti-unting
nauubos habang lumalayo kami sa pier.

"It's creepy," tukoy ko sa matataas na puno sa gilid ng daan. "What

are we even visiting here?"

Ngumiti si Ms. Meredith. She had honestly always been like this.
Pangiti-ngiti lang, like everything for her was an adventure.
Sinandal ko ang noo ko sa upuan at bumuntonghininga.

Makaraan ng halos isang oras na biyahe, nakarating kami sa

lupang tinutukoy sa mga documents ni lola. It was smack dab in
the center of the woods, a wide clearing where a huge cabin
resided.

Napakurap ako at medyo natulala. Yes, I never expected to see

something like this—dalawang palapag na cabin, may garahe at
shed sa gilid, may maluwang na bonfire pit sa harapan at mukhang
may nakatira sa loob.

"You sure this is the property?"

Tumatawa lang siya nang lumabas sa sasakyan, like she knew

about this all along. Sumunod ako sa kanya at naglakad-takbo
nang makitang nasa harapan na siya ng bahay at may kausap.
Kumunot ang noo ko. Ms. Meredith could be gullible and could
afford to give her trust to anyone but me. I was the more cynical
and cautious, the one who checked the facts first before
completely immersing myself into something.

"Ms. Odeth, sila ang caretaker dito."

Tiningnan ko ang matandang mag-asawa. They had gray hair,

wrinkled faces with smiles, and slightly curved backs from their
ages. "Good morning po," bati ko. They didn't look like people who
would cause anyone harm.

"Ikaw na pala 'yan."

"Nanggaling na po ba ako rito?" tanong ko.

Ngumiti ang matandang babae. "Hindi mo naaalala pero

nanggaling ka na rito."

Maybe years ago? I didn't know. I had a messed-up memory

because of an accident.

"So this is the place."

Nakatunghay si Ms. Meredith sa cabin at sa kalapit na kakahuyan.

Lola even hired caretakers for how many years to keep this place.

She must have had good memories in here.

"Mula rito hanggang sa dulo ng isla," sabi ng matandang lalaki.

"What?" I exclaimed. Lumingon ako kay Ms. Meredith. "Totoo?"

Nakangiti siyang tumango. "One-third ng isla ay nakapangalan sa

lola mo."

Oh my God.

So sa isang oras kaming nagbiyahe mula sa bayan, we basically

covered two-thirds of the island already. If the remaining one-third
was in lola's name, it was still a thirty-minute drive of land. A whole
town could fit in it.

I knew lola was filthy rich. I mean, she was this silent millionaire
type na laging nasa loob lang ng mansion niya. She barely had
family to visit her. But wasn't this one of her largest properties?

"Ilang taon n'yo na po itong hawak?" tanong ko.

"Mga sampung taon na."

"And she didn't do any improvements on the land?"

Umiling ang dalawang matanda. "Maliban lang sa cabin na

tinutuluyan namin."

Well, it was surprising. How could lola let something like this stay
idle? She was a good businesswoman. She could do a lot with this
piece of land.
"So, what are your plans?" asked Ms. Meredith.
Naglalakad kami palibot sa cabin para tignan ang lugar.

"I don't know. I just turned nineteen," I answered her.

"Bakit ako
bibigyan ni lola ng ganito kalaking lupa?"

"Madalas siya noong pumunta rito, alam mo ba?" tanong ni

Ms.
Meredith.

"Really?"

"Kapag umaalis siya para pumunta rito kada taon halos wala
siyang ibang kasama."

"Isn't that dangerous? She's, like, eighty years old."

Nakatunghay si Ms. Meredith sa kakahuyan habang nakasiklop

ang mga palad sa likod. "Wala itong pinagbago. Ganitong-ganito pa
rin ang pakiramdam. Your lola loves this place. She loves walking
in the woods. Lagi niyang sinasabi na may binabalikan siya rito, but
every time she does, mas nalulungkot siya."

Huminga si Ms. Meredith nang malalim, letting the crisp air of the
woods fill her lungs.

"Tuwing nalalaman ko na aalis siya nang ilang araw, alam kong

dito siya pupunta. At tuwing babalik siya, palungkot nang
palungkot ang mga mata niya."

"Seems like this is an important place for her."

Tinawagan si Ms. Meredith ang mga contacts niya na expert sa

lupa habang nakatunghay ako sa terrace at pinanood
ang
makulimlim na ulap na unti-unting lumalapit sa kakahuyan.

I wonder what was in this place that made it special. Kaya kami
pumunta rito ay para tingnan kung pwede itong ibenta—an ocular
inspection of the land's probability to generate income. After all,
pinangalan na ito sa 'kin.

But I had inhibitions.

Kanina sa biyahe, sabi ko mabilis lang kami. Titingnan lang namin

ang lugar, kakausapin ang mga caretakers, and check with Ms.
Meredith's legal contacts for zonal value or something. Pero
ngayon, hindi ko na sigurado.

Even the car we rented ay hanggang kalahating araw lang dapat,

pero hapon na nandito pa rin kami. Mabuti na lang at kilala ng mga
caretaker ang may-ari ng sasakyan at nagawa nila itong tawagan
para ipaalam na nandito pa rin kami.

I let Ms. Meredith handle the legal procedures. I wonder

kung
magtatagal kami rito. Kung hindi kami aalis ngayon, bukas na kami
makakaalis. Hanggang four lang ng hapon ang huling biyahe
palabas ng isla and it was nearly three in the
afternoon.
Magbabiyahe pa kami papunta sa pier, idagdag pa ang ulan na
tuluyan nang bumagsak.

Bumuntonghininga ako at pumasok sa loob ng bahay. Hinayaan ko

silang magusap sa sala. I didn't like handling business
matters,
especially when money versus emotions were involved.

Sinilip ko ang ilang kwarto sa loob ng bahay para hindi ako mainip.
At the lower part of the cabin was the living area, the kitchen, and
caretaker's space. Sa pangalawang palapag ay mga kwarto that
were mostly empty and dusty.

Pumasok ako sa isa na mukhang kwarto ni lola tuwing nandito

siya. There was a white canopy bed, vintage foot drawers, and a
tall mirror up on the wall. Tinanong ko habang nagbabiyahe kami
kung sa lugar na ito lumaki si lola, pero kahit si Ms. Meredith ay
hindi niya alam.

Lola had always been silent and mysterious—and good-looking, for

sure. She was this slender, elegant lady who wore vintage dresses,
gold brooches, and long necklaces. Kahit matanda na siya at
maputi na ang buhok niya, she still radiated the aura of someone
who retained grace and beauty from her youth.

Isang drawer ang binuksan ko para makita ang mga laman nito. I
was expecting to see vintage dresses with elaborate designs, or
boxes of old delicate jewelries, but there was nothing here other
than a strange dress.

Kinuha ko ang dress at tiningnan, but upon closer look, it was more
like a cloak with a white blouse and a long green skirt underneath,
like a school uniform.

Hinawakan ko ang magaspang na burda na nasa puting blouse. It

looked like a school logo. An old uniform of lola's? Binasa ko ang

nakasulat. Mirren Academy.

Mirren...was this a school somewhere here? In the island?

Pinatong ko ito sa kama. Since it was raining heavily at wala akong

ginagawa, sinubukan kong isukat ang damit sa harap ng salamin.

The uniform fit me perfectly. The blouse and skirt seem like they
had been measured and sewn for me. Magkasing katawan pa yata
kami ni lola noong bata siya. Umikot ako sa harapan ng salamin. I
always liked lola's style, and wearing her old uniform felt
like
knowing her and the past that I rarely hear from her.

Nakarinig ako ng ingay sa baba. Tila may bumagsak o kumalabog.

Sa gulat, hindi na ako nakapagbihis at nagmadaling bumaba
papunta sa living area kung nasaan ang caretakers at si Ms.
Meredith. But there was no one there. Walang tao sa cabin maliban
sa 'kin.

Where was everyone?

Kinabahan ako at nagmadaling libutin ang unang palapag, pero
wala talaga sila. Lumabas ba sila? Sumilip ako sa labas kung saan
patuloy ang pagbuhos ng ulan. Don't tell me lumabas talaga sila at
iniwan ako rito? Were they going to inspect the place in this
weather?

Lights beamed through the forest like small flashlights. Naiinis na

lumabas ako sa cabin para sundan sila. Good thing I was wearing
the cloak, preventing me from being soaked, but the heavy rain
faded the moment I stepped in the woods. The only problem...it
was dark, and there was no way I could make up a trail.

"Ms. Meredith?"

Tumakbo ako sa loob ng kakahuyan while the lights continued

moving beyond. Ilang beses akong nadulas hanggang sa bigla na
lang akong dumausdos pababa. Nagsisigaw ako nang tuloy-tuloy
akong nahulog at bumagsak sa lupa.

"Aray."

I grunted while standing up. I thought I would die in that fall. Para

akong binugbog ng sampong maton. Hawak ang namamaga kong

tagiliran, tumayo ako at tiningnan ang paligid. There was nothing
but more trees and darkness, pero tuluyan nang nawala ang ulan.
Something appeared behind the trees—a spark, a firefly. It was the
first time I saw such thing up close. Paglapit ko, bigla silang
dumami, isa-isang sumindi, making a trail.

Did I stumble upon a home of fireflies?

Maingat kong sinundan kung saan sila patungo. Bigla silang

nagsipulasan nang marating ko ang dulo ng kakahuyan. Nang
makita ko ang nasa harapan ko, nalaman ko kung bakit...hinawi ko
ang mga nakaharang na baging at halaman sa harapan ko...in front
of me appeared an abandoned town.

I clasped my hands over my mouth. I was at the edge of the forest

and in front of me were mountains and valleys full of abandoned
structures taken over by nature.

There was an eerie stillness in the air, like this place wasn't aware
that it was forgotten. There were no ruins, the structures were all
intact behind heavy blanket of foliage. There was a church tower in
the distance, houses on the valley, a town square with streets
covered in green moss, and an old magnificent castle against the
rocky side of the mountain.

Nakakamangha.

I could almost hear the church bell ringing, or the chatter of people
in town square walking to their homes, or the noise of the train
running through the forgotten train tracks. What happened to the
people living in this place?

I wasn't a curious person. I would rather be on the safe side of

things, pero nang may makita akong maliliit na liwanag sa loob ng
bayan, nagkusa ang mga paa ko na sundan ito. It was like seeing
hope. May nakatira ba sa lugar na ito?

Huminto ako sa tapat ng isang kakaibang structure...it was my

first time to see such thing...like a real castle. The top of the
towers glistened, and glass windows reflected the color of the
setting sun beyond the mountains.

I pushed the heavy wooden door. The place was almost empty
except for the plants na nakapasok sa mga siwang ng bintana at
pader. They crawled through the colorful symbolic tiles on the floor.
The moment I stepped inside, the patterns on the floor began to
glow like streams of gold.

Maging ang pader ay tila nabuhay. I followed the movement,

entranced by strange glowing patterns on the wall and on the floor.
The golden threads shaped themselves like letters, and for every
step I took, may mga salitang nabubuo.

Unti-unti kong binasa ang mga nakasulat.

"Mortal body,

timeless souls.
Lives woven
sparked by hope.
One was destined,
a path to retrace

where wish was born

to alter fate."

Sa huling salitang binanggit ko, bigla na lang akong bumagsak sa

sahig. Bumigay ang mga paa ko sa 'di malamang dahilan and my
breath caught in my throat.

What was happening?

Unti-unting nanlabo ang paningin ko hanggang sa tuluyang pumikit

ang mga mata ko. Hindi ko alam na sa muling pagbukas nito,
ibang mundo na ang aking makikita.

***

Chapter2:TheTown

www.wattpad.com

Mirren Academy of Spells - Chapter 2: The Town - Page 3

by april_avery

13 - 16 minutes

Chapter 2: The Town

I woke up with a startle, like I came from a bad dream. I sat up on

the bed, a little fazed, with a headache like someone just smashed
a hammer against my head.
Where was I?

I was laying on an uncomfortable bed wearing the same uniform

I'd been wearing since I messed around in lola's old
room.
Everything was white—the curtains, the walls, the bed.

Was I in some kind of hospital?

"Gising ka na."

A girl came into view from behind the curtains surrounding the bed.
She was wearing the same uniform as I was, with mid-length wavy
hair and large expressive eyes.

"Where am I?" I voiced out, mouth dry and scratchy.

A second girl brushed the curtains away and stared at me with her
eyebrow arched. She was slightly taller than the first girl,
with
longer dark hair.

"You're in the infirmary, Olivia," the second girl replied.

Olivia? "I'm not Olivia."

Nagkatinginan ang dalawang babae. The first girl bit her lower lip
in worry. "Anong ibig niyang sabihin?" bulong niya sa kasama.
"Hindi niya ba tayo nakikilala?"

Pareho kaming lumingon nang bumukas ang pinto at pumasok

ang isang doctor...or who I assumed was a doctor. She was
wearing a black turtleneck under her white coat.

"Looks like a spell mishap took place," she confirmed. Muli siyang
sumilip sa clipboard na hawak niya bago humarap sa 'min. "Ms.
Valencourt used an undeveloped spell which temporarily messed
with her memories."

The girl with the longer hair rolled her eyes and sighed. "Seriously,
Olivia? Undeveloped spell? You know how dangerous those are.
Gusto mo bang magising ka na lang sa ibang lugar?"

"Precisely," the doctor said with a smile. "Now, I will

brew a

cleansing potion to cleanse her system from the effect of the spell,
but don't stress the patient too much. She needs to rest from all
the side effects, okay?"

The doctor left us after reminding the two that they

needed to
follow eventually.

"Will do, Professor," said the two girls before glancing back at me.

"Let's hope your father won't hear about this," muttered the dark-
haired girl. "We'll be back later when you're ready to go. Just stay
here and rest."

The two eventually left the room. I sat back on the bed
with a
dragging sigh. What was happening to me? Why was I here? Who
were those people?

A movement inside the room caught my attention. From a corner,

the curtains swayed with the sudden breeze coming from the open
window. Nakabukas ba ito kanina?

I walked towards it with careful steps. A guy with an arm resting on

his forehead, eyes closed, was laying on the bed next to the
window.

Was he a patient too?

The guy slowly opened his eyes and peaked behind his arm. "Ah,
it's you," he muttered, uninterested. "You found me." Humakbang
ako paatras, careful not to disturb the stranger any further, but he
reached for my arm. Sa gulat, napaupo ako sa tabi niya sa kama.
He was fully awake and there was a snide smirk on his lips.
"What's a perfect student doing in the infirmary? Did you mess your
way in here, Olivia Valencourt?"

I shake my head, determined to stay away from him. He was the

complete opposite of the two. He seemed...dangerous. "I'm
not...Olivia."

He raised a thick eyebrow at me, took a candy from his pocket and
unwrapped it. He popped it into his mouth and cracked it open
between his teeth, smiling.

"Looks like you're in deep shit."

My attention shifted to the open window next to us. I rose from the
bed, staring at the view of a town below. My heart pounded inside
my chest.

Why...did the town look so familiar from up here?

I stepped away, confused and lost. My head was whirling, but there
was no coherent thought in there. I whipped my head towards the
door and before I knew it, I bolted to the corridor, aching to get
outside.

I ran through the carpeted floor with my bare feet, speeding

through corridors na may natataasang kisame at salaming bintana
which look like a church or a palace's chambers. Tumakbo ako
hanggang marating ko ang isang hagdan with steps so wide they
looked like ripples of melted chocolate.

Hindi pa ako tuluyang nakakababa nang mapansin ko ang mga tao

sa ibabang palapag. They were all wearing the same uniform,
talking and chatting while walking through the web-like hallways.
All around me were students. Some tried to greet me, but they
were all saying the same name.

Olivia.

I made my way out of the crowd of unfamiliar faces staring at me

like strange festival masks. I stepped onto the wide lawn. The sun
shone directly at my face as I stared around the courtyard and the
tall green hedges surrounding the place.

Lumingon ako sa lugar kung saan ako nanggaling. I clasped my

hands over my mouth. In front of me was the same building inside
the abandoned castle. Its towers and domes loomed before me,
hiding the sky.

Words were carved on the large brass sign above the double doors
of the castle. Mirren Academy.

"Olivia!"

Tulala pa rin ako nang lumapit sa 'kin ang dalawang babae mula sa
infirmary kanina. Hinila nila ako palayo sa mga estudyante na
nagtatakang nakamasid sa 'kin.

"What's wrong with you?" hissed the girl with the long dark
hair
nang makabalik kami sa loob ng kastilyo. "We told you to stay in
the infirmary, didn't we? Do you want those students to know you
messed up?"

Kahit sa hagdan panay ang tingin at bulungan ng mga

estudyanteng nasasalubong namin. Someone even approached us
to ask if I was okay, in which the two girls answered in unison, "She
is."

Wala ako sa sarili habang sinusundan sila kung saan. I tried

to
make sense of what was happening. I might be in lola's old school
inside an abandoned town.

Muli kaming nakabalik sa infirmary kung saan naghihintay ang

professor dala ang isang maliit na bote na may lamang purple

liquid. Binigay niya ito sa 'kin at pinaalalahanan na inumin ko ito

bago ako matulog to cleanse the effect of the spell in my
body...whatever that meant.

Umalis kami sa infirmary matapos magpaalam. Kasama ko pa rin

ang dalawang babae, and I learned their names were Alice and
Claudia. Alice was the wide-eyed, curly-haired girl, and Claudia was
the stern one with the longer dark hair.

Muli kaming lumabas sa kastilyo. I couldn't believe we were really

in a castle. "Where are we heading?" tanong ko sa dalawa. They
were so comfortable having me around while I wasn't sure kung
pwede ko ba silang pagkatiwalaan. Should I go somewhere else?
May mapupuntahan ba ako?

We walked through gardens with giant fountains splashing crystal

clear water under the midday sun and passed connecting
chambers and towers until we reached the front of a three-story
building with a thick vine spread across its brick walls.

"We're back in the dorm," sighed Alice.

This was a dorm? It looked like an old Victorian building
with
several small towers and long side porches. The lobby itself
looked like it belonged to a hotel—marble floor, gigantic
chandeliers, and a common area for students.

"I'll head to my room," muttered Claudia when we reached the

second floor. "Bantayan mo ang pasyente mo," paalala niya kay
Alice bago humarap sa 'kin na may nakamamatay na tingin. She
motioned her fingers before her eyes in a 'I'm watching you'
gesture. She could be really scary.

Binuksan ni Alice ang isang pintuan sa hallway and once inside,

she jumped straight on the four-poster bed. I stayed, lingering at
the doorway, unable to step inside. May dalawang bed sa
magkabilang bahagi ng kwarto, with matching vintage drawers and
desks. The walls were covered in old wallpapers.

"What a long freaking day..." mumbled Alice through the sheets

bago humarap sa 'kin. "Right, Olivia?"

Nanatili ako malapit sa pintuan. "I'm not...Olivia." Ilang beses ko na

ba itong sinabi ngayong araw?

Alice pulled her lips to a frown. "You'll remember who you are
eventually. You heard what Claudia and the doctor said earlier.
Undeveloped spells mess with your power and your memories,
that's why they're dangerous."

I took a few steps inside the room to ask her. "What do you mean
by spell?" Kanina ko pa kasi ito naririnig mula sa kanila and I had to
confirm if the absurd idea I had in mind was the same as their idea
of spell.

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay niya. "Spells, magic...the lifeblood of

Mirren Academy? The things we've been learning since we could
read and write?"

Magic? Despite the situation, hindi ko napigilang umiling. It

couldn't be real...right? Magic was fictional...something I only
watched in television or read in books.

"Don't force yourself to remember. You'll just get a headache,"

Alice said with a dismissive gesture of her hand. "I'll go change
first for dinner." She sat up in bed, yawned, and made her way
towards what seemed to be a bathroom.

Naiwan akong mag-isa sa loob ng kwarto. I turned to Olivia's desk

where her things laid around like she had been here just hours ago.
What happened to her? Pareho ba kami ng pinagdadaanan ngayon?
Did we switch places?

I stared at the pictures of her and her friends. There was Claudia,
Alice, and a guy. Hinintay kong lumabas si Alice sa bathroom bago
nagtanong tungkol dito. She now wore more laid-back clothes—a
purple shirt and sweatpants.

"Liam...your boyfriend." Hinintay niya ang reaction ko habang

nagsusuklay ng buhok. I didn't say anything. I was staring at her
quite seriously.
"I'm kidding," she giggled, patting me on the back several times.
"Akala ko pa naman hindi mo maalala, pero mukhang malinaw pa
rin sa 'yo ang status n'yo."

Patuloy siya sa nakakalokong tawa while I clutched my chest, like I

just had a heart attack. That scared me, honestly. I didn't think I
could handle such responsibility—like someone else's boyfriend.
Muli kong binalik ang tingin sa litrato before placing the frames
back on Olivia's desk.

It was just...strange. In the pictures were my face, lips beaming

widely, eyes smiling...but not my memories.

Alice insisted for me to change out of the green uniform before we

head to the dining hall for dinner. Doon ko nalaman na kahit ang
mga damit ni Olivia ay kasya sa 'kin. The clothes fit
me
perfectly—like they were made for me.

How could that happen?

Bumaba kami ni Alice sa dining hall, a wide rectangular room at the

ground floor of the building. Panay ang paalala niya na 'wag akong
magpahalata na wala akong maalala. But how could I do that? It
wasn't that I didn't remember any of them. I honestly didn't know
anyone or anything about this place!

She basically had to drag me inside the crowded hall full of

students where Claudia was waiting for us, seated at a table at the
far side of the hall. "Come on, Olivia. Gutom na ako," hila sa 'kin ni
Alice para puntahan si Claudia.

Dumaan kami sa harapan kung saan nakapila ang ilang mga

estudyante para kumuha ng pagkain sa isang buffet table. Claudia
had three trays on food on the table for us. "I've been waiting here
for thirty minutes so might as well do something productive." She
slid the two trays of food in front of us. Claudia was crude and she
talked with no filter, but I imagined she was like the 'mom' friend.

My attention was caught by the ceiling above us where I could see

the clear night sky outside. "Eat up so you can drink the cleansing
potion tonight. I don't want to deal with another day of Olivia with
no memories," Claudia muttered.

Alice squeezed my arm and rolled her wide, doll-like eyes at

Claudia. "You don't have to worry, Claudia. Things will be back to
normal tomorrow, right Olivia?"

Wrong.

I woke up the next day on the same bed, in the same room, with
Alice sleeping peacefully across from me. Everything that
happened yesterday was nothing but a dream. That was what I
wanted to believe, but why was I still here?

Lost on my next move, I stayed in bed the whole morning while

Alice sashayed around the room, ready to start her day. When she
noticed I barely made an effort to move, she sat on the side and
tapped my shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head under the sheets.

"Do you still feel sick?" she asked, a little worried. "You should rest
for the day."

Alice eventually left for her class. Once the door was shut closed, I
removed the sheet from my head, sat on the bed, and dried my
tears with my palms. I didn't want anyone to see how scared I was.
What if they realize I wasn't Olivia all along? I didn't know what they
would do to me.

***

Chapter3:Escape

Hinintay kong maging tahimik ang lahat bago lumabas ng kwarto. I

had to make sure the rest of the students in the dorm were already
in their classes. Bumaba ako sa tahimik na common room, floors
washed with light from the gigantic glass windows. I sneaked like
a rat out of the building.

I had a fair share of luxury views because of lola's properties, but

the academy was a whole other level of magnificence. It was like
living in a fairytale picture book where I was a background
character who ended up having the princess' face.

The sky was radiant this morning. Thin clouds rolled like cotton on
the clear sky. The tips of the castle's towers glimmered under the
sun. The campus was too wide for my short strides. Kalahating
oras din akong naglakad, walking through courtyards, passing
hedges and fountains habang naghahanap ng daan palabas.

Nakarating ako sa dulong bahagi ng campus nang hindi

namamalayan. I'd been too absorbed with the scenery to realize I
was in the secluded part of the campus. Isang maliit na gate ang
makikita sa dulo ng mabato at mabuhangin na daan, hidden by
untamed bushes and piles of mossy rocks.

I shoved my worries aside and decided to head for the gate. It was
my best option to at least get to somewhere. Dahan-dahan kong
tinulak ang kinakalawang na gate until it creaked open enough for
me to squeeze myself out.

Once I stepped outside, I was ambushed by thick thorn bushes and

wild trees. They pricked my skin and the leaves with ragged edges
brushed my face. Mukhang matagal nang hindi nagagamit ang
daan na ito.

I protected my face from the rough leaves at hinawi ang matinik na

halaman sa daraanan ko gamit ang maliit na patpat. It took me
several minutes of hiking down the slope hanggang sa narating ko
ang bungad ng bayan.
I walked a little bit more along the street lined with cottages and
charming gardens until I reached the town square. I stood in the
middle, surrounded by people...alive, walking, chatting, going on
their normal day. There was a fountain in the middle of the square
where kids were running around, chasing each other.

The town was alive.

Pero paano? Sigurado akong ito ang lugar na natagpuan ko sa loob

ng gubat. The towers, the buildings, everything...was supposed to
be abandoned.

"Miss..."

Isang lalaki ang tumawag sa 'kin mula sa fountain. His head was
covered in a cloak sewn together by different fabric. I couldn't see
his face clearly, but I assumed he was old.

"Estudyante ka ba ng Mirren Academy?"

He looked at the direction of the academy where the castle was

visible behind the top of the trees. The man had a raspy voice,
maybe from old age or bad habits. I managed to smile and walked
away nang hindi sumasagot. If there was one thing I learned from
my nineteen years of living, it was not to trust strangers. He could
be scamming me for all I know.

"Hindi ka taga-rito sa mundong ito..."

Tumigil ako sa paghakbang. As much as I wanted to keep my

composure and acted like I belong here, I failed. Muli akong
humarap sa lalaki. "How do you know?"

Sumilay ang ngiti sa labi ng lalaki sa ilalim ng kanyang hood. "May

barya ka ba, Miss?"

Barya? Pera? I didn't have money. I didn't even know what kind of
currency they used here. I bit my lower lip, trying to decide if I could
trust the stranger. He might have answers to my questions. Maybe
he could help me leave.

Someone stood between me and the old man and placed a candy
on his waiting hand. It was the guy from the infirmary. "Stop
scamming students, you old hag."

The man's shoulders shook in a chuckle before he removed his

hood to reveal...a not-so-old man. He actually looked like he was
only in his mid-twenties, with subtle stubble on his sharp chin.

"Ah, Santi Yvo, dumating ka rin. I got bored."

Bored? So all those comments about me was out of boredom?

Masamang tingin ang ginawad ko sa lalaki. He gave me a not-so-
sincere apologetic nod before lighting a cigarette that suddenly
appeared between his fingers. He sat on the bench with ease and
raised his foot on top of his leg.
"One of these days you'll get in trouble with that hobby of yours,
Marco."

"What?" He blew smoke into the air. "It's entertaining."

My jaw slacked, but no words came out of my mouth. Was I a joke

to this two? I rolled my eyes in complete annoyance before walking
away. Nakakainis. I knew I was stranger in this place, but they
could have treated me a little better.

"Hey, Valencourt."

Nakailang hakbang na ako palayo nang mapagtanto ko na ako ang

tinatawag. Santi Yvo...if that was even his real name. Hinabol niya
ako at hinawakan ang balikat ko para pigilan.

"What?" iritable kong tanong.

"Where are you going on a school day?"

"None of your business."

"Are you skipping class? The Olivia Valencourt?" mapanudyo

niyang tanong.

"Yes, I am, Santi Yvo."

He chuckled. A hearty, crisp chuckle with his head held back. He

was clearly entertained by this. Good for him. I marched away from
this condescending guy.

"Wait up!" he called, still chuckling. "Olivia Valencourt never skips

class."

I wasn't Olivia. 'Yon ang paulit-ulit na sagot sa isip ko, pero hindi ko
ito tuluyang masabi. Humarap akong muli kay Santi. "I need to get
out of here."

His chortle faded and his lips pressed into a thin line, as if he heard
something interesting. His smile came back with malice. "May
tinatakasan ka ba?"

"Yes." I stared back at him, eyes cold. He had dark eyes with
mesmerizing specks of gray. Umiwas ako ng tingin nang
magsalubong ang mga kilay niya. It might be entertaining to him,
but I was dead serious.

Santi took a step closer to inspect my face. Out of nowhere, he

raised his hand and placed his palm against my forehead. "May
sakit ka ba, Valencourt?"

I jerked his hand away. "I'm perfectly fine!"

"Wait here."

Bumalik siya sa fountain kung nasaan ang lalaking naka-cloak at

may sinabi rito. I didn't wait for him though. I had no reason to.
Instead, I walked away from them and asked the people around for
a way out of this place.
Pero isang lugar lang ang sinasabi nila. The train station—which
didn't make sense to me. I wasn't from somewhere far. I just
needed an exit from here and back to the cabin.

Isang matandang babae ang may sinabi sa 'king kakaiba. It was

about a place called the sentinel building. It was where
gatekeepers, which I assumed were guards, protected the borders
and every possible entryway in town.

"Pero mag-ingat ka, hija," warned the old lady. "Hindi sila madaling
pakiusapan."

I took the warning in my head at nagtungo sa direksyon na tinukoy

ng matandang babae. The sentinel building was located at the

edge of the town and could only be accessed by crossing a

wooden walkway surrounded by the chilling isolation of the forest.

Noong una hindi ko alam kung nasa tama ba akong lugar. All I
could see were trees along the wooden path and gigantic ferns,
and all I could hear was the sound of lone birds singing. Malinis
ang hangin at amoy berde ang paligid. Nang marating ko ang gitna
ng tulay, unti-unti kong nakita ang tinutukoy ng matandang babae.

It was a building, a horrible one, standing on the edge of what

seemed to be a cliff. It reminded me of dungeons. The structure of
the building looked like it had been a castle once with high gates,
thick stone walls, and low towers.

"Found what you're looking for?"

I blinked and stood up straighter. I plastered a cold face even

though there was nothing left in me but confusion and the feeling
of being lost. Santi appeared, sitting recklessly on the same tree I
was holding on for strength.

He hopped from the tree branch and landed, almost softly, on the
ground. I wiped a tear that unexpectedly fell on my cheeks,
refusing to face him.

"I won't head in that place if I were you," tukoy niya sa building sa
harapan namin.

Umatras ako palayo, dahil ramdam ko na hindi 'yon ang lugar na

kailangan ko. Nagpalinga-linga ako habang mabilis ang mga
hakbang. I needed to trace the path in the forest where I came
from. Maybe I could go back from there.

Nakalayo na kami sa sentinel building nang biglang hilain ni Santi

ang balikat ko. Tuluyan akong tumigil sa pagtakbo at humarap sa
mukha niyang magkasalubong ang kilay.

"What's your deal?" he demanded. "Why are you acting like you're
lost?"

I could tell my emotions were getting the best of me. My lips

began to tremble as well as my hands. It was the one thing I hated
about myself—when things get out of my control, I cry. But what

could I do? I'd been trying to act calm since I woke up in

this
strange place, but I was so scared.

"Wipe your tears," Santi commanded. When I didn't comply, he

brushed my cheek with his thumb to wipe them for me. "Olivia
Valencourt never cries in front of anyone."

"I'm...not Olivia," I replied with contempt. "I'm not her. I'm not from
here!"

Hindi nagsalita si Santi. For a moment, he just stared at me,

wondering what I was thinking. My eyes roamed around the place,
desperate. There must be a way to leave this town.

Tumakbo ako papasok sa gubat.

"Valencourt!"

Patuloy ako sa pagtakbo sa kagubatan. If I could retrace my steps,

makakabalik ako sa cabin. I was good with directions.
Natatandaan ko ang ilang mga bagay, the strange shape of the
trees, ang mga halamang nakaharang sa daan.

Tumakbo ako hanggang sa marating ko ang masukal na parte ng

gubat. Nothing was familiar. The trees and foliage looked
strangely looming, watching me make a mess of myself. Patuloy
ako sa pagtakbo with tears blurring my sight.

"Valencourt, you can't go any further."

Lumingon ako at nakitang sinusundan pa rin ako ni Santi. Ano ba

ang kailangan niya?

"There's a force field—"

Bago ko tuluyang narinig ang warning ni Santi bigla na lang akong

naitilapon pabagsak sa lupa. I gasped for air when my head hit the
ground. Halos mamilipit ako sa sakit.

Napatayo ako sa lupa, iniinda ang sakit. "What the fuck, Valencourt?
Nababaliw ka na ba?" Santi held me by the shoulder para tulungan
akong tumayo.

Hindi ako nakapagsalita. Nakatitig lang ako sa bagay na nasa

harapan ko. It was like staring directly at air on a summer
day,
waving and rippling with heat. There was a low buzzing noise
coming from it, live with electricity.

Inalis ko ang sarili ko sa pagkakahawak ni Santi. "I need to get out

of here."

"For what?" singhal niya. "There's nothing in there."

Umiling ako. "There are people waiting for me."
Bigla siyang natigilan. "Imposible ang sinasabi mo. Walang ibang
nakatira sa islang ito."
May kaluskos kaming narinig sa 'di kalayuan. Bago pa ako muling
nagsalita, two men wearing gray uniform approached us. Saan sila
nanggaling?

Santi cursed under his breath. Bigla niya akong hinila sa likuran
niya at nagsalita sa mahinang boses habang diretso ang tingin sa
dalawang lalaki.

"Kahit anong mangyari, sumunod ka lang sa sasabihin ko."

***

Chapter4:SentinelBuilding

The men's faces looked like stone, cold and uninviting. They
approached us with long strides of their boots scratching the
uneven ground. Santi held my hand in his in a tight grip. I could tell
we were in deep trouble.

"Who are they?" I whispered.

"Gatekeepers from the sentinel building. They guard the borders

and force fields surrounding the town."

One of them faced Santi and sighed heavily. "Sinasabi ko nga ba."

Santi gave a sly smirk, trying to act unbothered. "Long time no see,
Officer."

Bumaling ang gatekeeper sa 'kin. "At mukhang nagdala ka pa ng

kasama."

Nawala ang mapanudyong ngiti sa labi ni Santi. "Sinundan niya

lang ako rito," Santi answered, blatantly lying. "She's just a
nosy
school mate who tried to talk me out of my plan."

Napailing ang gatekeeper. "Hindi mo talaga alam ang limitasyon

mo, McCrain."

Something wrapped around Santi's wrist, like a thick thread made

of yellow light. The same thing appeared around my wrist like
handcuffs, forcing my hands together in a tight knot. I bit my lip,
silently wincing in pain. These things were hot, like coal.

"Kailangan n'yong sumama sa sentinel building."

There was a shift in the surrounding, like a mild earthquake. The

ground trembled below my feet and I had to shut my eyes from the
dizziness. When I opened them again, I found myself in front of the
horrendous building near a cliff.

Hinila ako ng isa sa mga gatekeeper and the other one dragged
Santi.

"I won't treat her roughly if I were you," Santi told the gatekeeper.
"You don't want to mess with the assemblyman's daughter, do
you?" ngiti niya.

Nagsalubong ang kilay ng dalawa bago kami hinila papasok sa

building. Inside were howling voices, echoing, like we were in
a
tunnel. May mga kumakalampag ng rehas, begging, crying for help.
There were several gatekeepers around us, but they said nothing.
Their faces remained steel cold.

Hindi ko magawang lumingon kay Santi. Shivers ran down my back,

making my knees tremble. We approached what seemed to be
their information office. "Pangalan," the gatekeeper barked at me
like a drill sergeant.

Wala akong maisagot. I didn't want to own the name, but it

seemed it was the only way to save both of us from this place.
"Olivia...Valencourt."

After they confirmed my identity to the officer on the phone, the

cuffs faded from my hands. I waited for Santi's to do the same, but

his hands remained shackled.

"You're supposed to free him too," I told them.

"Ms. Valencourt, we have protocols we need to follow, and Mr.

McCrain should remain in our custody for breaking the protective
field surrounding the town."

"I was the one who did it!" I turned to him, eyes watery with guilt.
"Please tell them the truth."

Instead, Santi leaned close to my ear and whispered, "You don't

want to mess your perfect records, Valencourt."

They dragged Santi to the dark corridor where the cries and
howling came from.

"Send Ms. Valencourt to his father at the assembly,"

the
gatekeeper ordered his companion.

"I was the one who break the field!" I insisted. "It wasn't Santi!"

I was cut off when a blurry light flashed before my eyes. The
ground shifted under my feet once again and I knew what was
coming. The rumbling was worse this time, and when I opened my
eyes, I nearly stumbled on my feet, dazed.

I was no longer inside the horrendous building with howling voices.

Instead, everything was silent, almost serene. I steadied myself
and roamed my eyes around the unfamiliar place. I was standing
on a white marble floor, and above me was a hallowed ceiling
supported by white gigantic columns. People walked to and fro,
looking crisp and professional in suits and pencil skirts.

Kasama ko pa rin ang gatekeeper nang puntahan kami ng isang

babae. She adjusted her dark eyeglasses upon seeing me before
turning to the gatekeeper. "Thank you so much for informing us. I
will handle it from here."

The gatekeeper gave a low nod before completely disappearing

from our sight. It seemed to be the norm in this place, because the
lady didn't even falter.

"Ms. Olivia, your father is waiting for you in his office."

Father...ironic how I had a father here but not a single parent in my

world.

I was hesitant to go with the lady. But after the mess I did, I was
left with barely any choice. We arrived in front of a room with a
thick wooden door.

Kumatok ng tatlong beses ang babae bago nagsalita, "Ms. Olivia

Valencourt is here." Then she opened the door for me and ushered
me inside.

I entered a large office, larger than that of lola's in her mansion. All
the furniture was wooden and brown, making the room look dark.

Mula sa tapat ng mataas na bintana, isang tao ang nakatayo rito.

He was watching the birds on the windowsill play with each other.
He was a big man, and his hands remained clasped behind him
nang magsalita siya.

"What were you doing at the border, Olivia?"

His voice reminded me of thunder—booming, almost rattling the

floor.

"Tama ba ang balitang nakarating sa 'kin? You were with Santi

Yvo?"

He shifted his feet slowly to face me. He looked exactly

what I
imagined—eyes that lacked emotions, bushy eyebrows, and a
patch of beard on his square jaw. His thick hair was like salt and
pepper, dark and silver.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to associate yourself

with a McCrain?"

Nanatili akong tahimik na nakatayo harapan niya. How could I find

the right words to say? I wasn't his daughter and I wasn't supposed
to be here.

Tumungo siya sa leather chair sa likod ng mahabang mesa.

"I always have to clean after your mess to keep your image, but
you always end up disappointing me," he grumbled. "Stay away
from troublesome people if you know better."

The secretary suddenly entered the office as if she heard a

command. She ushered me out of the room without so much of a
goodbye from my so-called father, as though I was just one of his
brief meetings or agenda for the day.
"I will have someone drive you back to the academy," offered the
secretary.

While waiting at the giant steps outside the white assembly

building, I realized how pretentious Olivia's life must be. I thought I
came into a fairytale-like place, but Olivia's life didn't seem to be
what anyone would dream for.

***

Author's Note:

Hey, guys! How's the story so far? Thank you so much for giving
this story a chance. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I enjoyed
writing it.

I'd loved to hear your thoughts about the story! Yes, I read all your
comments haha! What are your theories? You can also tweet me
@breatheapril or use #MirrenAcademy

Your author from a magical world,

April

Chapter5:BaneofExistence

"Where have you been?" Ito ang bungad ni Alice pagpasok ko sa

dormitory matapos ihatid ng sasakyan. "I left you for the day and
you came back in an assembly car?"

Alice had so many questions habang paakyat kami sa hagdan.

Tahimik lang na nakasunod si Claudia sa 'min. She must have
known something was up.

Alice sat on her bed with her arms folded, waiting for my answers.
Huminga ako nang malalim bago umupo sa opposite bed. I
couldn't sort out my emotions at the moment, let alone explain
everything to them.

Nakasandal si Claudia sa nakasarang pinto. "Did you tell your

father about the spell mishap?" nakataas ang kilay na tanong niya,
like she was challenging me.

"Did you?" Alice's doll-like eyes could hold so much emotions

unlike mine, which were just cold, and flat, and tired. "A spell
mishap isn't a small thing, Olivia. What if the legend happened to
you?"

"What legend?"

"You know, the incident that happened decades ago where a spell
user suddenly disappeared from the magic world after using an
undeveloped healing spell?"

"Exactly," said Claudia. "There's no way she would tell her father
about the incident to keep her good records. Tell me I'm wrong,
Olivia."
Good records. What was so important about it?

"I had just something to deal with..." I answered in a small voice.

"You're hiding a lot from us, Olivia." Claudia's words

were
straightforward, cutting me. "Just make sure it's something you
can handle on your own."

She then left the room. Mas lumalim ang buntonghininga ko.

"Don't take her words seriously," Alice assured me. "She's just
worried. There's a lot going on lately and we don't want any one of
us to get into trouble."

I stayed in the room until dinner. Nasa dining hall na ang dalawa
para kumain. They asked me kung sasabay ako kanina but I didn't
respond to them under the sheets.

Bumaba ako sa dining hall while everyone was in the middle of

their meals at busy sa pagk-kwentuhan. Habang nakapila para
kumuha ng pagkain, a specific topic from a nearby table caught my
attention. Pagpunta ko sa table kung nasaan si Alice at Claudia,
'yon din ang usapan nila.

"He's currently at the sentinel."

"Isn't this the second time this month?"

Umupo ako sa tabi nila at pinatong ang tray ng pagkain sa mesa.

But I already lost my appetite from guilt. "Is it about Santi?" I tried
to sound nonchalant.

"Sino pa nga ba?" Claudia muttered followed by a dragging sigh.

"The bane of everyone's existence. The thorn in everyone's throat
in the academy."

Alice pulled her lower lip into a pout. "He made a habit of getting
into trouble with the authorities. He's an excellent student pa
naman when it comes to high level spells."

"'Yan na naman ang wala sa lugar na paghanga mo," ismid ni

Claudia.

"I'm just stating a fact," Alice blurted out. "Can we just accept the
fact that he's skilled and also freaking hot? We're responsible but
we're not blind."

I had to agree with Alice's point. Santi was good-looking in

a
reckless, dark kind of way. He seemed to be the kind of person
who knew what he was doing. He was the total opposite of
me—lost, literally and figuratively.

"I don't think he's that bad..."

Pareho silang napatingin sa 'kin. The grilled meat from Alice's fork
fell back on her plate.
"Seriously, Olivia?" Claudia muttered. "Are you forgetting
something here? Aren't you the one who swore not to associate
yourself with someone like him?"

But it wasn't Olivia in this mess this time...it was me.

We were about to go back to our rooms after dinner when the

dorm keeper told me someone was waiting for me at the lobby.
Bumaling ako sa dalawa.

"Can people visit this late in the day?"

"It must be him!" squealed Alice, pinching my arm.

Claudia rolled her eyes and raised her hand to the lobby's doorway.
"Go to your prince."

Hindi ko maintindihan ang ibig nilang sabihin until I saw who was
waiting for me at the lobby. He was sitting patiently on one of the
brown couches in the waiting area. Claudia didn't lie. He looked so
much like a prince.

Matangkad siya, katamtaman ang katawan. He had soft-looking

sandy hair, a sharp nose and a kind smile. Kumaway siya nang
makita kami, smiling so radiantly, that even the other girls who
were on their way to the staircase had to stop and stare.

He was the guy in Olivia's pictures. Liam.

"Olivia!"

He stood up and jogged a few steps towards me. Alice and

Claudia's smiles had malicious intent lalo na nang bigla nila akong
iwan sa lobby kasama si Liam.

"Mauna na kami sa taas," hagikgik na bulong ni Alice bago umalis.

I didn't know how to act in front of Liam. What if I messed things

up?

"Hey," bati niya, nakangiti. He looked dashing. "I heard you got into
trouble." Pinagtitinginan kami sa lobby. Every girl seemed smitten
by him. "You should be more careful, Olivia. I'm no longer in
campus to watch over you."

I racked my brains para alalahanin ang mga sinabi ni Alice at

Claudia patungkol kay Liam. He's a senior student like us but got
accepted to the early internship program in the assembly that's
why he's rarely in campus.

"It was just a spell mishap," I managed to say.

Umiling siya. "I'm talking about the incident at the sentinel

building."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya. Even Alice and Claudia
didn't know about my involvement in the incident. Hinawakan ni
Liam ang ibabaw ng ulo ko. He patted my hair gently.

"I'm working in the assembly now, Olivia, so expect me to know."

I averted my eyes from him. "It was nothing, really. I got back here
safely."

"You were with Santi." There was a slight change of tone at the
mention of Santi's name. He took a deep breath, broad shoulders
rising. "Olivia, if there's something you need, anything, you have
me."

It took me a moment to get his point. "I'll keep that in mind...Liam."

Muli niyang hinawakan ang ibabaw ng ulo ko para guluhin ang

aking buhok. "I'm sorry I called you here this late. Nag-alala lang
ako. Magpahinga ka na."

Liam's words lingered on my mind hanggang sa makabalik ako sa

dorm room. Alice was in the bathroom changing to her pajamas.
Humiga ako sa kama at wala sa sarili na pinagmasdan ang mataas
na kisame.

What was with Santi? Why did people either detest his existence or
admire his recklessness? Why did everyone want me to stay away
from him?

***

Chapter6:Anti-Magic

Alice had run out of excuses. It had been a week since I woke up in
this place, and Olivia—me—hadn't attended any classes. The
teachers were getting suspicious of whatever reasons Alice had to
come up with every time they asked about me.

What could I do? I didn't expect to last a day in this place, what
more an entire week? Every time I opened my eyes in the morning,
I would wish to be back in the cabin. But instead, I would wake up
in the same bed, in the same room I shared with Alice.

"It's anti-magic day for the entire week, Olivia. Hindi na kita
matutulungan. Everyone's required to attend lectures." Nag-aayos
ng buhok si Alice sa harap ng salamin while pointing out my lack
of initiative to attend classes.

"Anti-magic?" I was remained propped in bed, reading one of the

notebooks Olivia had left behind. How strange. Even our
penmanship looked the same.

"You know, those topics and subjects of the normal world. Physics,
science, math, and their own version of world history and
geography which don't necessarily apply to us." Alice rolled her
eyes at her own remark.

"Then why learn about it?" I blurted out.

"Because it's the NMAS law?" She shrugged. "Don't tell me pati 'yon
nakalimutan mo, Olivia," she said. "We're going to be in deep
trouble if you do. Bakit ba wala pang epekto ang cleansing potion

sa 'yo?"

"That's why I'm asking you," I pointed out.

"Okay, okay," she tried to calm herself down. Alice was someone
who held half of the stress of the universe. "NMAS is the Non-
Magical Academic System, a law which basically forces us to learn
the ways and knowledge of the human world to have a common
ground or something, though I don't see why we're the ones who
need to adjust and hide our existence. It's not like we're interested
in their mundane world."

Mundane. That was my world just a few days ago, unaware of their
existence.

"Do they know we exist?"

"Most of them don't." Alice tamed her curls with a thin green ribbon
that matched our uniform. "They only read about us through books
or things called television. At least, that's what the teachers say.
They treat us as fiction to keep the order in their world. That's why
both governments have treaties and agreements for us to live
harmoniously with each other."

Humarap sa 'kin si Alice. "Have you seen their version of the world
map? It's only sixty percent of the real inhabited world. They aren't
aware of the existence of different magical nations around them.
That's why humans think so highly of themselves," she huffed.
"They have this silly mindset na sila lang ang nakatira sa mundong
ito and their government doesn't want to correct what they believe.
It's like trying not to tell a toddler that Santa isn't real to protect

their innocence. Well, news flash to them—we are real."

It was all new knowledge to me. I had a fair share of strange and
eerie encounters growing up, but magic was something fictitious
to me. It was nothing but silly idea, an escape from reality. But
people, real people, actually live in a world where magic
existed...and I happened to be in that world.

After breakfast, I had no choice but to come to class with Alice

who basically had to drag me to the school tower because I was
too apprehensive to go. She and Olivia were in the same section
while Claudia and Liam were in the other senior class.

After all the things I'd heard about anti-magic, magical worlds, and
governments knowing their existence, it just made me more aware
that this...all of this was real. I walked, talked, and had class with
people who could use magic.

Sure, they looked normal. They did normal tasks and routines, eat
familiar food, and even use technology like cars and electricity. But
it was like a perfect balance of magic and normal...which means in
here, I was the peculiar one.

Pumasok kami ni Alice sa classroom and the hushed

conversations immediately reached my ears.

"Okay na ba siya?"

"Sabi nila nagkasakit daw."

They tried to greet us with their forced smiles and asked if I was

already feeling well. Isolating myself in the dorm for days made me
forget Olivia was standing in this place. She was considered as a
star student, a part of the popular crowd, which made people with
different motives drawn to her.

Even the teachers treated her differently. I expected a lecture from

the homeroom teacher dahil ilang araw akong wala, but instead
they just welcomed me back and gave me the topics to catch up.
Was it a Valencourt thing?

The day dragged on, and my classmates became lesser and lesser
interested with the topics. Everything Alice had mentioned about
anti-magic was true—not that I doubted her.

The anti-magic day seemed infamous in the academy for having

dull and boring classes. Almost everyone was dozing in their seats
while the teachers discussed the same things I'd learned in my
normal school—algebra, physics, biology.

The shuddering part was that they had a different version of world
history and geography. Those places in the map that looked
uninhabited or just plain waters or seas, were nations that I didn't
learned about in the normal world.

Sa sumunod na klase, pinagusapan ang tungkol sa mga treaties

and agreements between two worlds and how they were made and
mandated. It was also where I heard about the forced fields and
barriers surrounding the town.

"The town of Cardiff is surrounded by protective barriers and

fields," the elderly teacher said, talking like he's giving a homily or
sermon. "These barriers exist not only to protect our town, but also
to hide our existence from normal people."

Hindi ako mapalagay habang nakikinig. It was only then I realized

the seriousness of my action that morning in the forest. Imagine if
someone randomly appeared in an uninhabited place...it would
cause an uproar in the normal world, like those videos I saw on the
internet where people appeared in the most unsuspected places
and the governments had to come up with explanations to
appease their people.

After our morning class, we waited for Claudia at the corridor para

sabay kaming tatlo pumunta sa cafeteria. We sat on the table

nearest to the glass window, which Alice mentioned was
specifically reserved for us.

Students lined up at the counter for food just like in the dining hall,
but the cafeteria was wider, noisier, with a dome ceiling and
towering columns.

"I wonder how people survived without magic," Alice pondered

while eating a handful of strawberries from her tray. "Even simple
things require magic."

"They call it technology." Claudia took a sip of her orange

juice.
"They depend on things such as machines to compensate for their
lack of magical abilities."

"But those aren't free right?" Alice muttered. "I heard they pay bills
for things such as electricity."

Claudia nodded gravely.

"Humans basically pay for everything they own. That's why there's
a theory going around for decades now, the Anti-magic Capitalist
System. They say non-magic people are bound to be obscured
from magic to stimulate their economy. If they knew magic existed,
they'd no longer be inclined to buy things to make their life easier.
That's what I heard."

I never thought of it until now...but Claudia had a point. If it would

only take one spell user to provide electricity for a whole town, the
economy that relied on the paying public would deteriorate. Maybe
that was why people in this world didn't need much technology.
What humans innovated, they could do better.

Alice rested her chin against her palms while thinking. "But I admit,
we also benefit from them. I mean, the train and cars are good
innovations, and those phones."

Claudia rolled her eyes.

"They're just parts of the basic knowledge we need to know. There

are certain levels we need to reach before we can apparate, vanish,
or use mind links. That's why we use their technology and combine

them with magic."

Alice tipped her head. "True enough. Remember our lesson last
time about world wars? Especially the one where our government
needed to intervene bago pa tayo madamay?"

Claudia scoffed. "The audacity of them to invent things such as

nuclear weapons and initiate worldwide chaos when they're the
ones who are powerless."

After lunch, bumalik kami sa kanya-kanyang classrooms.

Nadatnan ko ang mga kaklase ko sa corridor na hindi magawang
pumasok sa loob ng room.
"Anong mayro'n?" tanong ko kay Alice. Sumilip kami pareho sa
loob. That was when I saw him sitting on one of the chairs at the
far back of the room.

"Hindi mo sinabi na kaklase natin siya," I whispered to Alice, quite

frantic.

"How would I know na maging 'yon hindi mo maalala," she

whispered back at me.

People were piling up at the corridor and someone had to initiate

na pumasok sa classroom. Alice and I decided to follow. Hindi
nakapagtataka dahil araw ng pinagauusapan sa buong campus
ang nangyari kay Santi. He was detained at the sentinel building for
five freaking days.

Sari-saring bulungan ang narinig ko habang unti-unting bumabalik

sa classroom ang mga classmates namin.

"Nakabalik na pala siya."

"Puno na siya ng records sa sentinel."

Walang pakialam si Santi sa mga usapan sa paligid niya. He

ignored everyone, leaned on his seat, raised his feet against the
table and rocked the poor chair back and forth while staring up at
the ceiling, looking bored.

Tumayo ako mula sa upuan para lapitan siya. Nanlaki ang

mga

mata ni Alice nang mapansin ang balak ko. "Olivia!" she

hissed.
"What are you doing?"

I ignored her. Lumapit ako kay Santi na nakasampa ang mga paa
sa mesa. He offered me the candy he was unwrapping. Umiling
ako bago nagsalita. "About what happened last time..." at the
sentinel, hindi ko magawang idagdag.

Eyes watched us from different corners of the room, including

Alice's wide, frantic gaze.

"What about it?" prenteng tanong ni Santi, cracking the

candy
between his teeth.

"I'm sorry I got you into trouble."

Bigla siyang humalakhak na maging ako ay nabigla.

"Olivia!" Alice hissed in front of the classroom, stomping her feet in

frustration.

The rocking stopped. Santi removed his feet from the table and
stood in front of me. Mas matangkad siya sa 'kin and I had to stare
up to meet his gaze.

"Do you wanna get in trouble so bad, Valencourt?" He leaned close

to my ear. "Look around you. The Olivia Valencourt
never
apologizes because she never makes mistake."
I did...I looked around the room and everyone's attention was on
me, wondering why I was apologizing to Santi. Confused, I stepped
away from him.

Santi jeered as though he just proved something. "You're scared to

taint your image, Valencourt. So better keep your goody two shoes
act and stay away from me."

Muli siyang umupo sa silya and my knees almost buckled in front

of him.

***

Chapter7:Training

Masama pa rin ang loob ni Alice dahil hindi ko masabi sa kanya

ang dahilan kung bakit kailangan kong humingi ng tawad kay Santi.
The nerve-racking feeling didn't leave hours after my conversation
with Santi. Was this what other people saw in him? Was I starting
to fear him, too?

"You've lost your mind," Alice blurted out while we were heading to
the dining hall where Claudia was waiting for us at our usual table.

Maybe I did. I lost my mind there for a minute. Santi seemed to

care when we were at the sentinel building days ago, pero
mukhang mali ako.

"It's her messed-up memories," Claudia muttered matapos ikwento

ni Alice ang nangyari sa classroom. "She forgot who her friends
are and who are foes."

"Do you think we should send her back to the infirmary?"

suggested Alice, like I wasn't there.

"Kapag nalaman nilang hindi pa siya okay, they might report the
incident to the higher ups. You can't afford that to happen, can you,
Olivia?"

Silence swept our table after Claudia's statement.

"But what about training?" inquired Alice bago humarap sa 'kin.

"You remember how to use magic, right, Olivia? You can't skip
training days anymore."

"You can teach me," I blurted out without much thinking.

"Teach you what?" kunot-noo na tanong ng dalawa.

"What you can do."

I knew it was close to impossible. But there was no other option

but for me to stay until I learned what brought me here, at walang
ibang makakatulong sa 'kin kundi si Alice at Claudia.

Nabuhayan ng loob si Alice. "Right! Your body will surely remember

how to use magic, like a muscle memory or a reflex!" She sounded
optimistic, while Claudia's face was masked in doubt. It seemed
like she knew more than what she was showing.

The next day, Alice and I decided to skip our afternoon classes. I
had inhibitions sa balak niya. I didn't take her as someone who
would voluntarily skip class.

"Are you sure about this?" tanong ko kay Alice.

Sa halip na bumalik sa classroom, tumatakas kami palabas ng

school tower dala ang mga gamit namin.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "I would do anything to skip algebra. I

hate that subject," she said with passion. "Why add letters to
already complicated numbers? That's torture made by humans." I
couldn't agree more.

"Paano kapag hinanap tayo?" muli kong tanong habang naglalakad

sa likod na bahagi ng kastilyo.

"Just say there's an emergency or something. Madali lang lusutan

'yan basta nakapag-attendance tayo kaninang umaga," ngiti niya. I
didn't know Alice could be reckless.

Ilang courtyard at garden ang nadaanan namin bago narating ang

lugar na tinutukoy ni Alice. On a hillside within the campus stood a
peculiar structure. It looked like the opening of a cave with stone
columns surrounding it.

"Why is it all the way here?" I whispered.

"Training rooms use dimensional magic," Alice answered. "It would

be too dangerous if the rooms were exposed on high grounds and
in close proximity to the castle and dormitories."

We stepped into the path leading to the cave made of boulders and
stones. Isang maling yapak ay maaari kang dumausdos pababa sa
batuhan.

Pagpasok namin sa loob ng kweba, there was nothing but a

hollowed cavity between rocks. Dinala ako ni Alice pababa sa
isang makitid na hagdan kung saan isa-isang bumukas ang mga
ilaw habang naglalakad kami.

"Here we are."

We stopped in front of a thick steel door attached to the stone

walls. Tinulak ni Alice ang mabigat na pinto at walang babalang
pumasok sa loob.

My senses were immediately bombarded by the crisp scent of

greens and the sight of towering trees. I was standing in front of a
full-scale forest. Unti-unti akong pumasok sa loob ng kwarto,
nakatunghay sa bughaw na langit na tinatakpan ng malalagong
dahon.

"Where are we, Alice?" I whispered, unable to disturb the silence of

the trees.

"It's a dimensional room. Every room in this corridor leads into a

different training environment," she explained. "Pwede natin itong i-
adjust, but we need to have the approval of a training professor at
tumakas lang tayo."

"Are we in a real place outside?"

"Of course. We're only being transported by the rooms. These are
random places in the world that are protected by barriers kaya
hindi natin kailangang mag-alala."

Nagsimula agad si Alice sa pagbigay ng training sa 'kin. We started

with the most basic, which, according to her, was the foundation of
all things magic—spells.

"This is the most basic thing you should know. There are verbal
spells and non-verbal spells."

We were in a clearing, deep into the forest, and I tried not to be

distracted by all the natural noises and lights. I couldn't believe we
were actually outside.

"Verbal spells are used in two drastically different ways. They're

commonly used by beginners and people who create powerful
spells because they're very specific. They give higher control by
using carefully stringed words that direct the flow of energy to
create a proper spell." Her eyes glowed wickedly. "Let me remind
you how a spell feels."

"Will that be dangerous?" mapagduda kong tanong. Alice could be

unpredictable at times.

She giggled. "Just a simple casting spell, Olivia. It will be easier for
you to understand how spells work when you remember how they
feel," she pointed out.

I eventually agreed. Alice was quiet for a short second, trying to

concentrate.

"Walk."

The moment Alice said the word, kusang humakbang ang mga paa
ko.

Ngumiti si Alice sa nakikitang kawalan ko ng control sa sarili kong

katawan. "See? When I say 'walk' with no specific subject, everyone
within the spell's scope will walk, except for those with restraining
power."

"Restraining power?" tanong ko.

"The power of your body to fight against spells," Alice pointed out
with ease. Hindi ako tumigil sa paghakbang nang pabalik-balik na
parang pinaglalaruan. I had no power over my body at kusa lang
itong gumagalaw.
"Here's a good spell," she continued. "When you follow the flow of
energy, it would sound like this..." Huminga nang malalim si Alice
bago muling nagsalita.

"Feet on the floor

circles on track.

Keep the head out

of an everlasting trap."

My feet walked in circles aggressively, like I was being punished. I

wasn't dizzy, but I wasn't stopping either. "Alice," I called out. "What
the hell is this?"

"You're now under a proper spell," she answered, smiling. "You

won't feel anything from your head down to your waist, but your
feet would soon ache from strain. For worse cases, a normal
person with no restraining power might chose to amputate their
legs just to stop. That's the difference between crappy verbal
spells and spells with good flow of energy."

Sa wakas, huminto ako sa paglalakad. Napahawak ako sa tuhod

ko, hinihingal at pinagpapawisan. What Alice showed was terrifying
and fascinating at the same time.

"Non-verbal spells, on the other hand, are those you can use
without much control," patuloy na paliwanag ni Alice. "They are
mostly destructive spells, healing magic, protective spells, or those
that have larger scope."

"Do you know how many types of spells exist?" tanong ko.

Alice shrugged. "A new spell could be created every day, so it's like
asking how many species of insects exist. There's no way to know

until they appear."

Alice made things sounded so easy.

But the more I learned about them, the more I believed I shouldn't
be in this world.

***

Chapter8:Prince

I was left with more questions after my training with Alice.

Madaming bagay kaming napag-usapan, including the energies
that a person can control to make a spell.

"Energies...they're everywhere. Every space is occupied by energy,

whether it's thermal, chemical, light, radiant, motion, sound, gravity.
There's a lot of things you can control," Alice patiently explained to
me.
"How can you recognize them?"

"They sometimes have different colors depending on their

intensity."

Napansin ni Alice ang frustration sa mukha ko.

"Learning spells is like learning to read, Olivia. You need to

recognize energies first like letters in the alphabet before you can
string them into words...or in our case, weapons."

Bumuntonghininga ako at humiga sa damuhan sa ilalim ng mga

puno. "I'm a lost case."

"Not really," offered Alice. "I honestly don't get why you're trying too
hard. Just wait for your memories to come back. I'm sure your
skills would come along with it."

I doubt it, Alice. They weren't even my memories.

Alice and Claudia continued to go to class while I kept making

excuses to avoid training. I stayed in the dorm for the next few
days, reading Olivia's old textbooks about the basics of magic and
spell creation.

"People are starting to wonder."

Claudia was leaning against the open door of our room that night.
It was my third day of locking myself up in the room to study, I only
stepped out to eat meals at the dining hall after all the students
were back in their rooms.

"There are rumors going around that you're sick as fuck." Ah,
Claudia and her wonderful vocabulary.

"Am I not?" I was too focused on the book in front of me to turn to

Claudia.

She shrugged. "It's probably better for them to think that way than
to learn that you messed up a spell."

Kalalabas lang ni Alice sa bathroom at nagpupunas ng buhok nang

marinig ang usapan namin. "But it's still better for your memories
to come back the soonest, Olivia," she said. "The assessment test
is approaching."

"What assessment test?" tanong ko.

"It's held every semester to assess the students' skills." Si Claudia

ang sumagot.

"Do I need to take part in it?" Umaasa ako na hindi.

Bumuntonghininga si Alice. "Every senior student is required to

take part in the test next week. Ngayon palang naghahanda na ang
iba para dito."
Anxiety brewed like poison in my stomach.

"You need to prepare for it too, or hope that your memories would
be back by then."

Next week. That was basically five days from now. What was
I
going to do?

Hindi ako nakatulog maging sa sumunod na mga gabi. My head

was filled with thoughts about the assessment test and how I
would survive such thing.

Three days before the impending test, tumakas ako para pumunta
sa training room. I was confident na walang makakakita sa 'kin na
estudyante dahil lahat sila ay nasa klase, kaya laking gulat ko nang
biglang may tumawag sa pangalan ko sa paanan ng underground
staircase.

"Olivia!"

"Liam..." I breathed, trying to sound polite kahit pinagpapawisan

ako nang malamig.

"Skipping class?" He smiled, catching me red-handed.

"Training is part of the class, so not really," I replied with a tone of

sarcasm.

It was dark in the corridor but the minimal light coming from the
gigantic lamps attached to the stone wall made Liam's light hair
almost blonde and soft.

"Hindi pa ba bumabalik ang memories mo? Is that why you're here

to train alone?"

"How do you know?"

He sighed. "I've known you since we were kids, Olivia. You

do
things like train alone so other kids wouldn't see you mess up. You
didn't change at all."

Maybe Olivia and I did have something in common.

"Samahan kita."

Hinayaan ko siyang maglakad sa tabi ko hanggang marating

namin ang harapan ng isa sa mga training room. I thought Liam
would leave by then, but he was the one who opened the door for
me. I stepped inside a wide cave with high ceilings covered in
dripping stalactites and floor covered in large damp stones. For a
moment, nakatitig lang ako sa paligid. Never akong masasanay sa
iba't ibang lugar na nakikita ko tuwing pumapasok sa training
rooms.

Napansin ni Liam ang mga dala kong libro. "Para saan ang mga
'yan?"

"I'm learning to recognize energies."

Liam smiled, and I knew I was safe with him. He had his
eyes
focused on me, and his gestures were gentle. He took the book
and let it rest on top of a rock.

"Let me show you the real thing."

Hinawakan niya ang magkabila kong palad. "Ipikit mo ang mga

mata mo, Olivia."

Hindi ako nagdalawang isip. I knew I needed to rely on someone

this time. Humigpit ang hawak ko sa palad ni Liam at dahan-
dahang pinikit ang mga mata ko. Blinding lights appeared behind
my eyelids. It was like standing close to dozens of shooting stars,
flashing, disappearing before me.

"Now open your eyes."

A whole new presence appeared inside the cave. There were lights
all around. Red light surrounding Liam and I, white light on
the
empty spaces, blue light for the water trickling from the ceiling to
the small pool on the floor.

"What you see are the tangible forms of energies. Most of the time,

they go in different colors. If you concentrate enough, you

will
notice their presence."

The white light swirled around us towards Liam's hand like a tiny
whirlpool. Binitawan ni Liam ang isa kong palad. He held his hand
open to catch the energy until a small sphere swirled above
his
open palm.

"This is a weapon, Olivia. It can hurt you like a baseball going at full
speed."

Binitawan niya nang tuluyan ang magkabila kong kamay, and all
the colorful energies suddenly faded from my sight. "You should
try to recognize energies on your own. Use your senses, Olivia."

Senses. I'd also read it in Olivia's books. A spell user's first

connection to the energies is through the senses. I slowly closed
my eyes to concentrate. I listed all the things I could sense in my
head—the smell of wet stone, the sound of trickling water, the
chilly air inside the cave, the sturdy floor made of stone.

Please let me see them. Let me see energies.

I opened my eyes. Surrounding me were fainter, almost

transparent colors on the mossy stones, the trickling water, the
breeze. They were everywhere!
It lasted for a few seconds, and then they were gone.
"It's a start," Liam offered gently. "The more you practice, the more
it will come natural to you."

Pero wala na akong panahon para mag-practice. The assessment

test was in two days.

If I messed things up, it would reveal that I wasn't Olivia. Where

would I go if that happened?

***

Chapter9:RuinedTower

Two days before the assessment test, Claudia and even Alice
couldn't pull up an excuse for me. It was an important requirement
that every senior student had to be part of. But how would I survive?
I couldn't even use proper magic. All I could do was faintly
recognize a few energies.

"Protective spells." Claudia was hanging in our room when she told
me about it. "It's the safest thing you can do. Forget about offense
and attacks. The exam is in two days and you need something to
protect yourself. If you fail this, everyone will know that something
happened to you."

All the books about basic magic were spread on my bed while I sat,
browsing through everything as much as I could. "You sound like
the exam is deadly."

"Close, but not quite," replied Alice.

Naibaba ko ang librong hawak ko. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged while doing her own reading. It's prohibited to

practice applied magic inside residential places like the dorm, so
all we could so was read theories.

"Well, last year, we had a few broken bones and someone who
nearly lost eyesight."

Napanganga ako. "What?!"

"I broke an arm the other year," prenteng sabi ni Claudia. "That's
why you need to learn to protect yourself. The test is no place for
non-spell users."

I was panicking. I didn't know that the assessment could be deadly.

I had the foolish confidence that Mirren Academy was still an
educational institution and nothing could go wrong if there were
teachers around. I failed to take into consideration that it wasn't an
ordinary school.

Claudia and Alice were both serious in their test preparations, but
all I could do was to sneak, yet again, to the training room. But on
the day before the test, Alice informed me that they had closed the
whole training ground.
"They always do that every semester to prevent students from
taking unsupervised training before the test," Alice explained. I was
aching to train somewhere. I couldn't sit still and wait for my
embarrassment to happen. Yes, I already considered the test to be
a total embarrassment, not to mention the possibility of dying.

"Relax, Olivia." Alice was sprawled on her bed. "That's why they
gave us this day, you know, to ease our minds and body before the
test tomorrow."

I would relax if I were confident I would survive, but I wasn't.

"May iba pa bang lugar na pwede tayong magtraining?"

"Hmm..." Alice was busy with painting her nails a dark green color.
I don't get it. It's not like we're about to fight for our lives tomorrow.
Nope." She popped the p. "There used to be an old training tower,
but it's already ruined."

"Where is it?"

She paused from painting and glared at me. "I won't tell you. Kilala
kita, Olivia."

"I'm just curious. It's not like I'm gonna check a ruined tower," I lied.

She sighed in relief and went back to her work. "Yeah," she
mumbled absentmindedly. "It's super far and secluded, you know.
All the way to the east side of campus."

I smiled. "Yeah, super."

Alice was early to bed that night. Nang masigurado ko na

mahimbing ang tulog niya, kinuha ko ang coat ko sa drawer and I
tiptoed my way out of the dorm.

I managed to walk towards the darker side of the campus, away

from the bright streetlamps situated in every corner. I just wanted
to check something...so it wasn't exactly sneaking, right?

I reached what Alice referred to as the secluded part of campus.

And ironically, it was where I found the small gate that I sneaked
out of the academy for the first time. Nakatago ang tower sa likod
ng mga nagtataasang puno, behind old walls made of stacked
stones and boulders.

I'll only check it, I kept repeating to myself, because the air was
becoming chilly and I was suddenly aware of how far I was from
the dorm and the main castle. I trudged my way past the thorn
bushes surrounding the tower with glimpses of moonlight behind
the leaves guiding my way.

Huminto ako nang marating ang harapan ng tower. Ngayon lang

ako nakakita ng ganitong estraktura. It was a single tower
attached to the dilapidated walls that once surrounded the
property. I traced the crevices of the tower walls covered in ivy and
fern. I'd always found abandoned things lonely and mystifying.

I walked inside, staring warily at the ruined part of the walls. For
every step on the stone floor, my feet would stumble upon debris
of fallen stones and boulders. I stared at the staircase in front of
me and decided to climb it.

There was no door at the landing upstairs, only a circular room on

top of the tower. A part of the walls was destroyed, and the strong
wind howled loudly, creating an enchanting but unworldly noise.

Before I could take another step, something cold and sharp

touched my neck.

"This place is restricted."

I almost screamed...if not for the hand that clasped my mouth. All
the things I'd learned came rushing into my head, but the attack
was so sudden I couldn't even think straight.

Then he let me go.

"Ikaw lang pala."

I scrambled to the ground, away from the person who pointed a

freaking knife at me. "What the hell, Santi?" Really...I thought I was
going to die.

Santi walks back to the dark part of the tower...or wherever he

came from before he scared the hell out of me. What was wrong
with him? He could have told me he was here.

"You look funny when scared," was all his answer. Wow. This
asshole award contender was going strong. I tried to pull back all
my rational thinking and calmly faced him.

"Why are you here?" I demanded. "Students aren't supposed to be

here."

"Yeah?" He faced me, hands on the pocket of his pants, face shone
by moonlight. He looked positively alarming, like a villain about to
devour its prey. His dark hair glistened in the silver light, jaw
clenched as he glared at me.

I glared back. "Yes."

"Then tell me why you're here."

Cold wind danced around us, and the coat did nothing to prevent
the shivers that ran down my spine. "I was just...searching for a
place to train."

He raised an eyebrow as if mocking me. "You? Train?"

"You know what? Forget what I said."

I turned on my heel, ready to leave, but Santi pulled me out of

nowhere, dragged me against the nearest wall, and clasped my
mouth once again.
"What the heck—"
"Shh."

That was when I heard the heavy steps going down the staircase.
Shit. Were they guards? Were we about to get caught? I remained
silent in front of Santi, waiting for the people to leave. They didn't
seem to have intentions to climb the tower, but it looked like they
were searching for something...or someone.

"Are they gone?" I whispered to Santi once he released me from his

grasp. "Who are they?"

"Sentinel guards."

My eyes widened. "What? Bakit sila nandito?"

Santi only shrugged. "They can roam the campus, but they still
need approval to enter buildings. Even ruined ones." He stepped
and turned away from me. "Bumalik ka na sa dorm."

The wind was too strong in the tower to completely sense what

was happening, but I could smell blood from him, especially from
the hand he used to hold me.

"Sandali..." I walked to him, placed my hand on his shoulder and

gripped.

Santi winced and cursed under his breath. He took a step away
from me.

"What's your deal?" he snapped.

It was dark, his clothes were dark. But on the floor were drops of
blood.

"W-what happened to you?"

"Can you quit being nosy?" His statement caused a stab in my

chest. I was aware I didn't have the right to ask about his situation,
but I was worried.

"You need to go to the infirmary..."

Santi backed up to a corner, sat on the floor and rested against the
cold wall. "I can treat my own wounds. I just need to rest my body
for a bit."

"I'll wait then." I sat next to him on the floor. "I may not be a good
person but you can't expect me to leave you here bleeding to
death."

The scoff from him made the air between us lighter. "You're nosy."
"I know."

Silence swept over us. It was freezing in the tower and I had to pull
my coat closer to my body.
"You can go. Someone will come here soon."

I rested my forehead on top of my knee and blurted

out,
"Sasamahan kitang maghintay."

Despite the cold and howling wind, I found myself closing my eyes

and falling asleep. But after only a few minutes of silence, I opened
my eyes, startled.

"Santi, someone's coming."

I turned to him, but he was completely asleep. I stood up straighter,

trying to man up and face whoever the intruder was. Was I afraid?
Of course! I needed to protect an injured person and at the same
time protect myself. Could I even do that?

When the intruder took the last step at the landing, I was ready to
haul him, pero bigla akong tumigil nang makita ang isang pamilyar
na mukha. I pointed a finger at him. "You!" He was the guy from the
town square. Marco.

He stared at me, one eyebrow raised. He wasn't quite sure what I

was doing in this place. "Go back to your dorm, Miss. Ako na ang
bahala rito."

I gave him my most dubious look. This guy almost scammed me

out of boredom. I didn't think I could trust him. "I'm his guardian,"
he muttered, as if sensing my doubt.

"Are you his older brother?"

The man sighed. "No, I'm only his guardian. Go look into
your
school records, Miss."

I stared back at Santi. "Can you heal him?"

"I'm only here to take him to a safer place where he can

heal
himself."

"Ano ba ang nangyari sa kanya?"

Marco didn't answer me. He went straight to Santi, ripped open his
clothes and exposed the large wound that had been bleeding on
his chest. I took a step away, unable to stare.

Santi wasn't sleeping. He was unconscious.

***

Chapter10:AssessmentTest

It was the most crucial part of the game. Maging ang mga
manonood sa labas ng court ay hindi mabitawan ang laro. Injured
students filled the tent of the medical team. The energies around
us were in havoc, affected by the use of powers.
A whistle blew and the game resumed. For the next rounds, it was
member against member, leaving the leaders behind. An explosion
bombarded the center of the court. Hindi malinaw kung kaninong
team ito galing.

Naitilapon ako palayo. I clawed my fingers on dirt, pushing my

body foward to remain inside the court. Pagbaling ko sa mga
kasama ko, naitilapon palabas ng court si Alice, while the other
one was too injured to remain standing.

Gusto kong tumakbo para lapitan sila, but I prevented myself from
crossing the court line. Hindi ko na alam ang nangyayari.
Everything was covered in dust and dirt.

"Olivia!" Claudia called from outside the court. She must have
noticed how freaked out I was. "You can do this. It's up to you now
to win this game."

I was the remaining member in my court habang tatlo pa ang

natitira sa kabilang team. We both held equal scores, but I had

Santi's score with me.

"Last five minutes!" called the teacher.

Five minutes. We could win if I remained standing within those five

minutes.

The whistle blew and I was alone in my court. Students from the
other class watched us in interest. I set aside my fears and
concentrated my remaining strength in protecting myself. Five
minutes. 'Yon lang ang kailangan ko.

The opposing team had the upper hand. The ball launched into my
direction, slashing the air with force. A barrier erupted from where I
stood to my entire side of the court. I stared at my hands where I
could control the energies through my palms. Breathing heavily,
my eyes winced from sweat.

Paulit-ulit na tumatama ang bola sa barrier like a kid playing ball

against a wall. I bit my lip, feeling every tremble of the barrier on
my skin and hands.

Four minutes.

The barrier cracked and crippled against their continuous attacks.

Nakapasok ang lakas nito sa barrier at tumama sa braso ko, sa
binti, sa sikmura. I kneeled on the ground, gasping for breath,
drowned by the searing pain.

Around me, the cheers faded and people became more serious
with concern. I could hear their uneasiness, their whispers while
watching the game.

"Talaga bang kakayanin niya hanggang matapos ang laro?"

"Kahit umatake siya, imposibleng matalo niya 'yong tatlo. Sumuko

na lang siya."

I grabbed the ground with my hands and pulled myself up to stand.

Alam kong imposible na manalo ako laban sa kanila. But as long
as I remained standing, my team could win the game. Nakapasok
nang tuluyan ang bola sa loob ng barrier at tumama sa katawan ko
with the force of a raging bullet.

"Stop the game!" I could hear Claudia exclaiming to the teacher.

Umiling ako. No. Just three minutes more. That was all I needed. I
wiped the blood from the corner of my lips, stood straighter, and
recreated my barrier. I swayed a little, blinking to adjust my blurring
vision that was slowly being consumed by darkness. No. I couldn't
faint. Do not faint, Olivia.

Someone grabbed my arm to steady me.

"Looks like they gave you a hard time...Valencourt."

I recognized the voice, but I was too out of it to see beyond my

blurry vision and bleeding face. Kinapit ko ang mga kamay ko sa
taong nakatayo sa tabi ko.

"Gusto mo bang bumawi tayo?" I stared at him, and his lips were
curled up to a wicked smile. Santi...bakit siya nandito?

Marahan akong binitawan ni Santi para lumapit sa teacher na nasa

labas ng court. May sinabi siya rito and that made the teacher
pause the game.

"He can't join the game this late!" reklamo ng isa sa mga member
ng kabilang court.

"He won't," said the teacher. "But Santi Yvo's score is still inside the
court. He will not be allowed to attack using the ball except to
defend against it."

"Fine with me," Santi muttered, eyes focused on the other team, a
sinister smile on his lips. "A few seconds is all I need to get rid of
you. But my leader here is doing her best to finish the game, so
consider yourself lucky."

Bumalik sa tabi ko si Santi. The silence that swept the court was
crippling. That was exactly Santi's effect on everyone—dread and
alarm.

Before the teacher blew the whistle to restart the game, bumulong
sa 'kin si Santi, "Do anything you want. I'll have your back."

With Santi beside me in court, nawala ang takot ko na magkamali.

Tumayo ako nang maayos despite my body trembling in
exhaustion. I wiped my face with the back of my hand to see
clearly and concentrate.

The whistle blew just in time. Unti-unting winagayway ng hangin

ang buhok ko. Maging ang mga nanonood ay napahawak sa kanya
-kanyang palda at buhok. The other team aimed the ball at me, but
I wasn't creating a barrier this time. With Santi on my side, I wasn't
afraid anymore.

"Swirling wind, half cold, half heat.

Reach the ground, form a fatal spin."

People around us turned to the sky, and the clouds whirled above
us like a funnel. I shoved the piercing pain from the previous attack
out of my reverie and kept my focus on the spell. The opponent
launched the ball with the same strength of raging bullet.

"Now!"

A whirlwind formed in the air and touched the ground where the
wild grass swooshed and shrilled in the field. The bullet-like ball
came crashing against it. Two immense powers collided with one
another and exploded.

The impact threw my body to the ground. I gasped, blinking

through the dust and debris surrounding me. There was ringing in
my ears and everything else seemed silent.

I clawed my fingers on the ground and scratched my knees while

trying to stand up. What happened? Did I fail? Bumagsak ako sa
lupa sa kawalan ng natitirang lakas.

Before I completely slipped away, Santi walked towards me. He

placed his arms around my shoulders, helping me stand up. I saw
something rare from Santi that day. A genuine smile.

"You did it."

***

Chapter11:Beltale

I woke up days later with my body aching all over like I've been ran
over by a truck. Claudia and Alice were in the infirmary when I
woke up. Agad nila akong nilapitan mula sa couch nang makitang
gising na ako.

"Do you feel better?"

I sat up and placed a hand on my temple to ease the nauseous

feeling. "Did we win the game?"

Claudia smacked my arm. "That's the first thing you would say
after being unconscious for two days?"

Two days? "I want to know."

"Nanalo tayo," Alice told me, beaming.

I grinned widely bago bumalik sa pagkakahiga dahil masyado pa

akong nanghihina. Alice had her arms folded in front of her chest
and Claudia's eyebrow was raised.

"What?" tanong ko.

"Look," Claudia started. "What you did there was dangerous. You
can't just push yourself to your limit like that...though that
was
seriously awesome."

Alice nudged Claudia, who got way too excited to make me reflect
on my action. "What? The wind spell was a high-level magic, even
the teacher was impressed."

Alice rolled her eyes and sighed. "At least alam natin na nakabalik
na ang kapangyarihan mo," she muttered. "And good thing Santi

had showed up at the last minute of the game and decided to be

responsible for once."

Santi. I couldn't have done it without him. I was only confident

because I knew he had my back.

"Speaking of," Alice chimed in, "your prince charming was here this
morning."

For a second, I kind of expected someone else, but I knew who

Alice was referring to.

The jitters from the assessment test faded and my days were back
to normal. I recovered from my injuries and was back in the dorm
the following day. It remained a mystery to me how I acquired
Olivia's ability.

We were having dinner that night when Alice asked us with evident
excitement in her eyes, "So, are you two going home with me this
weekend?"

I picked the strands off the pasta with a fork, not really tuned into
the conversation. It had been a week since the assessment test,
but I hadn't seen Santi on campus. Was he really okay when he
showed up during the test?

Claudia dabbed her lips with table napkin before speaking, "I can't
go this year. You know how my ugly stepmother would react to
these things," she said with a roll of her eyes.

There were little things I knew about them. One, Claudia lived with
her stepmother and a brother who works at the sentinel building,
but they rarely talked to each other. Two, Alice lived in one of the
four towns farthest from the academy.

Alice tried to hide the disappointment in her eyes. "Are you going to
my birthday, Olivia?"

Birthday? "Of course," I answered, pulling my attention back to the

conversation. "I'll come with you."
Weekend arrived. I didn't really think much of it when I agreed to
Alice's invitation, but the night before our trip, I realized it
was
going to be my first time leaving the town. Since I woke up in this
place, I'd been wondering how I could find my way back to my old
world if I leave this town, but it seemed like it was still impossible.

"We're taking the train to Belltale," said Alice while packing her
things in a tiny bag.

"I didn't know there are magical towns nearby."

Umiling si Alice. "There aren't exactly any nearby. The train crosses
dimensions to arrive at the four towns—Belltale, Penshaw, and
Hailing Cove are at least five hundred miles away from Cardiff and
the academy."

"Oh." I knew I couldn't use the train to escape.

Maaga kaming nagising kinabukasan. We requested a service car

from the academy to the train station a day before. It was also
their way to monitor the whereabouts of every student.

The train station was located at the east side of the town. It was a
tall building with a ceiling completely covered in paintings and with
several granite archways supporting the structure.

We headed inside where people rushed to and from the building,

trying to catch their trains. There were only three available routes
in the station, one for each town.

We bought two tickets for the first trip to Belltale. Bakas ang
excitement sa mukha ni Alice pagsakay namin sa train. Hindi tulad
ni Claudia na sa Cardiff lumaki, Alice rarely got to visit her
hometown since she attended the academy.

I watched outside the window while the train passed by the forest
and mountain ranges of Cardiff. In a light thud, the train entered
what seemed to be a portal. The window was tinted from the
outside and Alice leaned comfortably on her seat.

"You better rest."

So I did. There was nothing in the window that could entertain me

anyway. Sumandal ako at umidlip. A few hours later, nagising ako
dahil sa tapik ni Alice.

"We're almost home."

Bumaling ako sa bintana. It wasn't blocked anymore. The train was

passing by a countryside with endless vast fields, low stone walls
surrounding several barn houses, and hundreds of cattle and
sheep everywhere. Ibang-iba ito sa Cardiff na pinapaligiran ng
bundok at kagubatan.

Huminto ang train sa isang maliit na station. Bumaba kami

kasabay ng ibang mga pasahero. The place itself didn't look like a
station. It was only a platform with a roof in the middle of a field
near a long gravel path.

"We're here!" masayang sabi ni Alice. Now I know where Alice got
her cheerful disposition. The place was sunny and everything
looked so laid-back.

Isang sasakyan ang naghihintay sa 'min sa labas ng station. One

thing I noticed about these magical towns was that they used
human technology which were pretty outdated. Most of their cars
were considered vintage in the normal world. Maybe because they
couldn't care less as long as things worked for them.

"Ali!" Kumaway ang isang lalaki sa 'min, a tall and lanky middle-
aged man wearing wide-rimmed glasses.

Alice beamed while waving back. "Papa!" Then she turned to me.
"You've met him before, right? He's pretty excited na may kasama
akong uuwi."

After a series of greetings and handshakes, pumasok kami sa loob

ng sasakyan. Patuloy ang kwentuhan nila buong biyahe and Alice's
dad would occasionally ask me about things. It must be nice to
have a parent like him who Alice could open up to anything.

After a short ten-minute ride, we arrived at a farm house between a

vast field and a running river. It was a tall brown structure with a
gray roof and white window shutters.

"Ang ganda..." I couldn't help but gush.

Alice's father chuckled. "It's a humble abode."

Sinalubong kami ng buong pamilya pagdating namin. There was

Alice's mother who looked exactly like her, but plumper and with
deeper smile lines around her lips. Then there were her younger
siblings, two grade school boys who chased each other around the
house, and a shy toddler wearing a nice pink dress.

"He-yow," the toddler greeted us.

"Pumasok na kayo sa loob," said her mother. "You must be very

tired."

Dinala ako ni Alice sa kwarto niya, a cozy little room which was
part of the attic. There was a slanted ceiling and large windows
that Alice opened to let some fresh air in. The view from her room
of the fields and rivers was breathtaking.

"If I lived here, I would come home every week," I told her.

"Sinasabi mo lang 'yan kasi hindi ka nakatira rito," ngiti ni Alice

habang nag-aayos ng gamit. "There's nothing much in Belltale
other than the endless fields, kaya maraming lumuluwas sa mas
malalaking bayan—especially Cardiff, which has the assembly and
the academy para magtrabaho."

Before dinner, we were called downstairs where the family

surprised Alice with a birthday cake, some balloons and a birthday
song I'd never heard before. Then we had a table full of festive
meals for dinner—whole grilled chicken, a wide bowl of mashed
potatoes and mixed vegetables, freshly baked garlic bread,
backyard grilled meat skewers, and a lot more.

I'd never seen Alice so happy, so carefree, laughing out loud and
eating until her tummy bursts. They were a loud family, jolly with a
lot of laughing and stories over dinner.

"I heard a lot about your father's project," Alice's father said to me
over dinner. "That's nice of him." He nodded, expecting me to know.
"Very beneficial."

I turned to Alice, having no idea what was being referred to.

"Yes, yes!" her mother chimed in. "A new healing spell, it could save
a lot of people." She admonished the boys from stuffing their faces
with too much mashed potatoes before she turned to me again.
"Probably inspired by your mother? Bless her soul."

"Mom..." Alice mumbled with a shake of her head. "Let's just eat."

We finished the dinner in a peaceful manner and had a slice of

pecan cake each while sitting at the balcony at the side of the farm
house. Alice was still beaming when we reached the attic late that
night after several more rounds of stories from the family.

"Sorry for the comment earlier about your mother," she mumbled
beside me as we were about to sleep. "They're just curious, you
know. Your family is quite known around here considering your
father is the head of the assembly."

"It's okay."

I stared at the slanted ceiling, to the open window and the sky
above. There were a lot of things I still didn't know about Olivia,
and it scared me that I was becoming used to her routines and
getting tangled in her world.

***

Chapter12:Rotten

We were back in the academy, back to the reality that I had to act
as Olivia once again. It wasn't that I didn't do it in Belltale—it was
just easier when there were no people waiting for me to mess up
or make a joke out of myself.

It was anti-magic week in the academy once again, which meant

another boring week for every student. But it was what I needed. I
didn't think I could handle another situation where I had to use
magic. I might die the second time.

After our morning class, the three of us headed to the cafeteria for
lunch. While in line at the counter for food, someone barged in at
the doors, startling everyone.

Napatingin kaming lahat dito. It was a woman who looked like in

her early thirties, wearing shabby clothes and dirty shoes with her
hair unkempt.

She completely stood out from the crowd of clean and pristine
students surrounding her with wide eyes. Even the staff at the
academy wore better clothes than her.

"Excuse me..."

She approached a group of students, but they stepped away from

her as though she was a filthy object.

"Don't touch me!" asik ng isang estudyante. "Where's the security?

Why is this person here?"

"Pasensya na...may hinahanap lang ako..."

The lady was shoved by the next person she approached. Muntik
na siyang masubsob sa sahig pero tila hindi niya ito alintana. Muli
siyang tumayo.

"May kilala ba kayong Olivia Valencourt?"

Alice, Claudia, and I exchanged glances. "Do you know her?" Alice
asked me, furrowing her eyebrows.

I shook my head, but the real Olivia might. I decided to approach

the strange woman.

"Ako po ba ang hinahanap n'yo?"

Her dark and deep-set eyes darted to the brass nameplate pinned
on my uniform.

"I'm...Olivia Valencourt."

The moment I said the name, her face became completely void of
emotions, followed by derange in her wide eyes. Her fist trembled
as she stared at me.

"Can I help you with something?"

I tried to hold the conversation, tried to understand why she was

looking for me—Olivia, but the woman thrusted her hand inside the
crumpled paper bag she'd been holding and without warning, threw
them at me.

"Halimaw ka! Kayo ng buo mong pamilya!"

Cracked eggs dripped all over my face. Sticky, vile, rotten eggs.
People around us were too shocked to react. Some of them
stepped away because of the smell.

Alice and Claudia were ready to lash out at the woman, but I raised
my hand in time to stop them. "Don't."
I removed the eggshells from my uniform and wiped my face
before facing the woman. Her glare was sharp and defensive with
tears in her eyes.

"Ibalik n'yo ang asawa ko...wala kayong karapatan na kunin ang

buhay niya..."

The security finally entered the cafeteria, followed by a few

teachers who heard the commotion.

"Oh, good heavens!" one of the elderly professors exclaimed upon

seeing my state. The cafeteria was filled with the rotten
stench
that no one could even continue their meal.

"I'll go change," I told Alice and Claudia and excused myself from
the crowd.

By afternoon, the incident had circulated the campus. According to

the kitchen staff, the woman used to be a supplier of goods in the
academy. She was known to be shy, patient, who barely raised her
voice. No one expected she'd cause a scene.

My thoughts lingered on the incident the entire day. The woman

claimed her husband was killed by Olivia's family...but in what way?
Why was Olivia involved?

"Your father is part of the assembly. Not everyone respects or

accepts his decisions," Alice tried to assure me. "That's how
politics works. Don't stress about it too much."

When we reached the dorm that afternoon, sinalubong kami ng

dorm keeper na si Ms. Evelyn, a short lady with dark hair and a
pointy chin. She informed me that my father had sent a request to
the academy for me to be home that evening.

Alice and Claudia instantly considered it as bad news.

"Damn," Claudia muttered. "I bet he heard about the incident."

Even Alice was hesitant. "I know how much you hate going home
and you'd rather stay in the academy during holidays, but you
should probably go this time."

It took only half an hour before a car arrived at the driveway to pick
me up. Alice and Claudia had to drag me out of the room because I
didn't want to go. I'd met Olivia's father once, and it wasn't
a
pleasant experience. I couldn't afford being tangled and drowned
neck-deep into Olivia's life.

Pero ano nga bang magagawa ko?

"Good luck." Claudia patted my shoulder. "Send a SOS flare if you

need help."

It was a joke. But I honestly considered needing one.

I was alone in the backseat of the car on the way to Olivia's house.
I'd been in Cardiff for more than a month, but I'd never had
the
chance to know where Olivia lived. After all, I'd never intended to
stay this long.

After a thirty-minute drive past the town square, the car entered an
exclusive neighborhood with gigantic houses and towering
mansions lining the street.

We stopped at one of the most breathtaking houses in the area

with an exterior close to a castle. There were even turrets and a
separate gatehouse.

An elderly woman greeted us at the entryway, "Good evening, Ms.

Olivia."

The driver called her Mrs. Norie. She ushered me inside the house
after the car left.

The house, though spectacular from the outside, looked bare and
overwhelmingly quiet inside. There were only few furniture and
fewer windows. It looked cold and unwelcoming. It reminded me of
art museums.

Sinamahan ako ni Mrs. Norie sa kwarto ni Olivia sa second floor.

Before leaving, she reminded me of the dinner with my father later
that evening. Once out of her sight, I gently closed the door, sat on
Olivia's bed and breathed out. Was this really Olivia's house? It
didn't feel like a home to me.

I stared around the room, taking it all in. It felt eerie, like sneaking
to someone's house and invading their personal space. I stood up
and walked around, brushing my hands on the things Olivia
owned—the white canopy bed, the drawers filled with her things,
the window overlooking the garden. I wondered where she was.
Did we switch places? Was she alive?

It was eight in the evening when Mrs. Norie knocked on my door,

informing me that father had arrived. I was dressed as Mrs. Norie
advised me to do. I needed to look presentable to avoid any slip-
ups.

It was close to bedtime, but I was wearing a powder blue dress and
had my hair in a tight ponytail. I went down the dining room where
the servants spread plethora of food fit for formal dining. Father
was seated on the far side of the table, waiting. Once all of the
food was served, the servants left the room, and I was left with him
and the crippling silence between the two of us.

"I heard what happened to you this morning." Claudia got it right. It
was about the incident at the cafeteria. "I had the woman
imprisoned at the sentinel."

"What?" I blurted out.

He cut a steak on his plate, like he didn't just send someone in jail.
"For what...Dad?"

He raised an eyebrow. "For trespassing, causing a scene in an

education institution, harassment."
"But I'm okay."

He placed the fork and knife back in the table with a thud. "This
isn't about you, Olivia. This concerns the image of our family.
Empathy would do you no good."

I couldn't believe the things I heard.

"You're a Valencourt. Never show weakness in front of other

people, or they will devour you alive."

"Did you know what the woman told me?" I mumbled, failing to
match his voice.

"I don't have to know. People like her would blame anyone for their
misfortune."

I stood up from my seat. "I'm starting to believe she's right."

Before he could say anything more, I left the room, hands

trembling, voice quivering. I now understand why people hated this
family so much and why Olivia, wherever she was, would rather
choose not to come back to this place.

***

Chapter13:ApprehensionVisit

I came back to the dorm the next day with no breakfast. I

just
wanted to leave the Valencourt mansion so bad. Sinamahan ako ni
Alice sa dining hall para kumain.

"Was is that bad?"

"Horrible," I muttered. "The whole place was covered in thin air, and
it was hard to breathe. Mas gugustuhin kong hindi umuwi para
hindi siya makita."

She frowned. "But he'll be at the apprehension visit this

coming
week kaya makikita mo pa rin siya."

My eyebrow creased. "What visit?"

"Olivia," Alice sighed, hindi makapaniwala na nakalimutan ko ang

tungkol dito. "Next week is the foundation week. That means
senior students will have to work our assess off to impress
the
families who will visit the academy."

"Like an open house?"

"I don't know what that means but yes, and we will be graded by
the parents based on our performance, activities, presentation,
tours, whatever."
"Hindi ba katatapos lang ng assessment test natin? Can't they give
us a break?"
"Well," Alice muttered. "Our break is breathing and sleeping
and
that's it."

Every senior student in the academy was busy for the next few
days, considering not everyone's happy that their parents would
visit the campus. After the conversation with father, I kind of
understood why. There was a long line in the school phonebooths,
and students already looked frustrated.

"Hindi man lang natin ma-enjoy ang foundation week," reklamo ni

Alice. "Every student is enjoying the holidays except for us. Ngayon
alam ko na kung bakit ayaw ng mga senior students
ang
foundation week."

Tapos na ang klase namin, but the whole class remained in the
room that afternoon to discuss the possible plans for
the
upcoming foundation week.

"Hindi ba isa ito sa basehan ng internship program?" inquired one

of our classmates.

"I can't even look forward to the dance this Friday," another one
muttered.

"For sure, I would look stress in my gown."

I tried to raise the class' morale dahil maging si Alice hindi gustong
gumalaw. "We'll have the tour in our list of activities and hopefully,
it would take the entire morning. By afternoon, we just need
to
present the achievements of this year's senior students. We can do
it without any hassle."

"Yeah," they mumbled halfheartedly.

We no longer had time to enjoy the festivities. We were busy

compiling achievements, checking the tour paths, creating
presentations and speeches.

The day before the visit, I was alone in the classroom making a
speech for the presentation. The task somehow landed on me
because Olivia seemed the perfect student for it.

Tumigil ako sa ginagawa nang marinig ang katok sa pintuan. Liam

stood at the doorway with several coffee cups and his ever-
pleasant smile.

"I brought some coffee."

He placed them on a nearby table bago lumapit sa 'kin. There were

times when it still baffled me how Liam looked so much like
a
prince in those silly fairytale books.
"You're lucky you get to skip this one," I muttered, scratching
a
phrase on the paper.

"Internship benefits," he chuckled. He sat on a chair opposite mine

and watched me stress over writing.

"Where's everyone?"

"Checking the tour grounds. Do you know our tour can't collide with
the other section's tour and we learned about it only this morning?
We had to rearrange the entire tour and Alice is losing her mind." I
leaned against the chair.

"Want to grab some fresh air outside?"

"A little stretching would do." I smiled.

We went out of the classroom to the courtyard surrounding the

school tower. We walked slowly around the garden to the fountain.
I breathed in the crisp smell of greens surrounding us. If not for the
circumstances and people, it wasn't that hard to fall in love with
this magical place.

Liam watched me the entire stroll. "What?" I faced him and finally
asked. "You didn't visit the academy to watch me stroll and breathe
air, did you?"

My statement caught him off-guard. Humalakhak siya. "You know

me well."

We sat on a bench near the foundation with the sound of flowing

water behind us. Liam cleared his throat. Kanina ko pa napapansin

na hindi siya mapalagay.

"Are you okay?"

"Olivia, I'm asking you formally. Will you be my date to the dance?"

I didn't remember how I answered him, but somehow I accepted

his invitation. Since I became Olivia, Liam was one of the few
people who'd been constantly on my side, and I just couldn't say no.

"Liam asked you to be his date?"

Alice scooted closer to me on the bed. Mukhang mas excited pa

siya sa balita kaysa sa 'kin. We just had our dinner, changed to our
pajamas, and though both of us were exhausted the entire day, she
managed to find time to interrogate me.

"I have this feeling na magco-confess na siya sa 'yo sa dance."

"Don't be silly," I muttered, trying to extinguish the thought.

"Come on, Olivia. Everyone knows you two are perfect together.
Kahit ang mga parents n'yo sinasabi 'yan. Liam has his eyes only
on you," Alice said in a singsong voice.

I didn't like the notion of it. I wasn't so sure what he and Olivia had.
What if he actually confessed and I make the wrong decision for
Olivia?

Every senior student on campus was up early the next day. Finally,
it was the day of the apprehension visit. We were a mixture of
worry, anxiety, and professionalism all at the same time.
The hall had been prepared for the presentation and the tour was
coordinated with the other section. We were all in our pristine
academy uniforms and students started greeting family members
from the long line of cars entering the driveway.

There were parents, guardians, and even siblings who marveled at

the sight of the castle. Even the farthest families like Alice's from
Belltale were present.

I double-checked the number of attendees opposite to the name of

the student on the list. There was an empty space opposite Santi's
name. I didn't see him on campus for an entire week. Was a
member of his family coming today?

The tour started mid-morning. The assigned guides made their

best impression, guiding adults and young ones around the
courtyard and main castle.

There was also another group of high-profile parents like Olivia's

dad and Liam's, and important assembly officials. They insisted on
a different tour and I ended up being their guide given that no one
wanted to take the task.

Mabuti na lang kasama ko si Liam. He helped me with the tour,

explaining things and places in the academy like the main castle,
the training grounds and the school tower, and answering their
endless queries.

The visitors had their lunch with the school officials at the main
hall specially decorated and prepared for the occasion. We came
across Claudia in the cafeteria for our lunch and asked about each
other's activities.

"I'm sure we look like zombies touring live humans to their graves,"
Claudia muttered, talking about her lack of enthusiasm during the
tour. "Can't blame the others though."

After lunch, we ushered the visitors to another hall for the

presentation. I guided my group to a special table in front of the
stage, like they were judges. I hated the special treatment.

Father didn't grill me with questions during the tour and I hoped he
would do the same for the presentation. Siguro ay masama pa rin
ang loob niya sa sagutan na nangyari noong umuwi ako sa bahay.
People either looked up to him or loathed his existence, and I didn't
know which side to believe.

In the normal world, people often used computers and projectors

for presentations. But by using magic, we compiled memories of

different people and they flashed before everyone's eyes and on

the surrounding walls of the hall.

The hall changed depending on the memories shown, like a visual

museum. The visitors were not only watchers, as the presentation
made them feel like they were part of the event. They experienced
the chaos during the assessment test, learned few human
knowledge on anti-magic days, watched some training and
witnessed our preparation for the apprehension visit. There was
also the part where we listed the achievements of this year's
senior students which included the list of honorary students like
Liam, who passed the early internship program of the assembly.

Instead of worrying for their kid's lives like normal people would,
the families gushed and marveled at how students in the academy
took their training and exams seriously to the point or risking their
lives. It was an honor for them to used and be used by magic.

One quick scene caught my father's attention. It was during the

assessment test where Santi had to step into the game to help me.
His face looked like he'd rather see me hurt than to have had Santi
by my side.

The day ended. The families and visitors left the academy with
such satisfaction and pride from their kids being part of such
prestigious institution. By late afternoon, the last car pulled out,
and the academy driveway was finally empty. We couldn't even
celebrate the success of the event. All we wanted was to head to
the dorm and sleep our exhaustion away.

"I'm gonna take a beauty rest for tomorrow's dance. Walang sino
man ang i-istorbo sa 'kin!" warned Alice before she threw her shoes
off and fell dramatically into her bed.

We woke up at noon the next day. Alice's alarm clock had been
ringing nonstop for the past thirty minutes, but no one wanted to
peel ourselves away from the bed.

"Hey, Alice," I mumbled, eyes still half-closed. "Aren't we picking

our gowns this morning?"

Alice kicked the sheets off her body while I placed my hand on my
chest in shock.

"I almost forgot!"

Alice removed her pink sleep mask and was fully awake. She then
went around the room, throwing clothes and shoes around. "Why
didn't you remind me yesterday?"

"Walang istorbo, remember?"

"Our dresses must have been waiting the whole morning." She
went inside the bathroom, grunting, trying to fit herself into her
jeans. "Are you going to match with Liam?"

"Match...what?" I called from the room.

"Your outfits!"

Alice was brushing her teeth when she came out of the bathroom. I
lazily went to my drawer to find a pair of jeans and shirt. "No," I
muttered, picking a black shirt with print.
She went to the sink to
the bathroom doorway,
confess to you tonight,
And listen to this,
the
exact time as the first
finish brushing, and then faced me from
hands on her hips. "Look, he's gonna
okay? Consider yourself already a couple.
they say if someone confesses to you at
firework, your love would defy time."

I burst out laughing. "Yeah, right."

Love? I didn't believe in such thing. The more I learned about magic,
the more I knew that emotions, just like energies around us, could
easily be manipulated or controlled.

By noon, Alice, Claudia, and I headed to the town's favorite dress

shop to pick up the gowns we'd chosen days before.

Claudia chose a classic violet gown with gold details, while Alice
had the gown of her dreams—soft pink with rose petals draped all
over the fabric. Then there was the gown I chose, made of black
fabric fading to silver and showered by crystal-like sparkling stars
from the waist to the hem.

"How perfect!" the seamstress gushed, seeing us fit into our

chosen gowns.

That evening, after hours of making ourselves look presentable by

fitting to our gowns, putting makeup on our faces, and styling our
tangled hair... finally, we were ready.

"Thank God, I thought you were going to take forever," Claudia

groaned from the doorway of our room. She hated doing makeup
and Alice couldn't convince her otherwise. Yet, she was a natural
stunner in her classy dress.

"Are you ready for tonight, Olivia?" nudged Alice as we made our
way to the dance at the main castle.

"It's not going to happen," I tried to assure myself more

than I
assured them.

"And when it does?" Claudia arched an eyebrow. "Do you even

know what you want?"

The statement hit me like a hammer in the head. How could I know
what Olivia wanted?

***

Chapter14:Dance

I'd been to a few dances before, given that lola was such a fan of
balls and social gatherings, but I'd never been to a dance with such
a breathtaking scenery.

We stepped into the hall filled with ladies wearing their best gowns
and gentlemen in suits and tuxedos. The ceiling reflected the night
sky glittered with stars, the walls depicted tall, haunting shadows
of trees during winter, and several feet above us were hundreds of
floating lit candles.

"They did a good job with the decorations this year." It was a rare
compliment coming from Claudia who was basically a critic of the
academy's decisions.

Thin sheet of glittering snow fell down like cotton to the floor.
Instrumental music was playing in the background, and drinks and
snacks were served in floating trays. Nothing could exceed this
kind of celebration in the normal world.

"Hey."

Liam greeted us from the center of the hall. He walked towards us

looking dashing, like a prince in a winter land wearing a white suit
and silver tie. It made me more nervous hearing the snickers and
gushes around me.

Alice nudged me. "Here comes your prince charming."

People stared, and I couldn't blame them. Olivia and Liam indeed
looked perfect together. Nakangiti si Liam nang batiin kaming tatlo.
Then he faced me, cleared his throat and bowed before offering
his hand.

"May I have this dance, Ms. Olivia Valencourt?"

Someone literally squealed from the crowd. People stopped,

stared, and waited for my reply. I didn't have the heart to keep Liam
waiting so I said, "Why not?"

My heart beat fast as Liam held my hand. Alice gave me a wink

and Claudia watched, her words lingering in my head. Do you even
know what you want?

Liam and I walk to the center of the dancing crowd, my cold hand
on his. We tried to hold conversation while dancing, but the
pressure was too heavy. All I could feel was his hand on my waist
and mine on his shoulders.

"You're being quiet," he whispered in my ear. We danced a minute

more while slowly being surrounded by other people dancing, Alice
being one of them.

"Do you remember what I asked you when the semester started?"
Liam asked me softly. At first, I thought it was another attempt to
break the ice, but Liam's eyes remained serious while staring into
mine. "You said you'll give your answer tonight."

No, no. It was Olivia he was referring to. Olivia should be the one
here before I messed things up. My feet stopped from taking
another step. I strayed my gaze away from Liam and mumbled,
"I...need a drink."

I excused myself from him, flustered, my cheeks on fire. I didn't

know what I was thinking, but backing away seemed like a very
good choice at the moment.

Ignoring the stares around me, I searched for Alice or Claudia in

the crowd. I found Claudia drinking champagne in a corner, more
focused on her drink than the two guys attempting to ask her to a
dance. Classic Claudia.

"Why did you leave your date?" she asked with a mysterious gleam,
like she knew something was up.

"I don't know," I breathed.

"Do you know what else is there tonight? Death."

"What are you saying?" nakakunot ang noo na tanong ko. I think
Claudia was a bit drunk.

"Santi Yvo's parents died six years ago today." Claudia tipped her
drink to the bottom and glared at her empty glass. "But here we are,
celebrating."

She sashayed across the hall, searching for those floating trays for
another drink. I remembered the blank name opposite Santi's
during the apprehension visit.

"Olivia..." Alice caught up with me after dancing with a senior

student from the other section. "What happened? Bakit iniwan mo

si Liam mag-isa?"

I didn't dare look back at Liam or at anyone in the hall. Masyadong

magulo ang isip ko. It was supposed to be an enjoyable event, pero
nanghihina ako.

"You look pale," nag-aalalang sabi ni Alice. "Let's go outside

for
fresh air."

Alice and I went out the hall to the nearby garden. We found a
gazebo near the fountain and I leaned against one of its columns,
breathing in the fresh, chilly night breeze.

We could hear the music and see the glimmering golden lights
from the gigantic windows of the hall before us. But I wanted to be
hidden among the hedges for now.

"May problema ba, Olivia?"

"I just feel...superficial."

All the celebrations, decorations, the achievements, gowns and

nice clothes, being happy...they felt all superficial to me. A few
months ago, I wasn't even aware of the existence of these people.
But now I was acting like I belonged here...like it was the life
I
wanted all along.

I wasn't Olivia.
"You're scared to be happy, that's all," Alice assured me quietly.
"Because I don't deserve it."

"Is it because of your family?"

I shook my head. I didn't know. I didn't understand myself either.

Alice stayed with me until I calmed a little. Lumipas ang oras na
tahimik lang kami.

"You should go back," I told her. "I don't want you to miss the fun."
She faked a frown. "It wasn't that fun anyway."

"I know you were having fun dancing out there," I insisted. "I'll head
back in a few minutes."

Alice sighed and folded her arms. "Kapag hindi kita nakita sa hall
after five minutes, hihilain kita pabalik, do you understand?" banta
niya habang nakangiti.

I chuckled a little. "I know...now go ahead."

After a lot more pushing, Alice left.

I had no intention of going back to the hall. I gripped my dress and

walked out of the courtyard, back to the dorm. This wasn't right. All
of this. I needed to get a grip and remember what I had to do. I had
to leave this place as soon as I could...before things get even
messier for me.

The hem of my dress grazed the grassy field between the main
castle and the dorm. I raised my head towards the night sky, at the
moon draping everything in silver glow.

"What's so interesting up there?"

I staggered a little, surprised at the sudden appearance of

someone from the dark. Santi stared at me, hands inside the
pocket of his pants, lush eyebrow arched. He must have been on
his way to his dorm too. It seems I hadn't seen him in a long time.

"Santi...are you okay?"

Kumunot ang noo niya. "Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

But he knew...I could see it in his eyes. The way he averted his
gaze from mine, the confusion, the mistrust. He wanted to hear
those words from anyone.

"Quit being nosy."

I tried to smile and stopped myself from saying anything further. It

was Santi we were talking about. The one who would push me
away any chance he got.

"Why do you hate me, Santi?"

For a brief moment, the coldness in his gaze faded, but it came
back with such force that it left me frozen. "What do you want me
to do for you to stay away?"

I bit my lip and looked away to avoid revealing the tears at the
corner of my eyes. My presence burned him but the anger in his
eyes...I knew it wasn't for me.

"Dance with me."

I didn't know what came into my mind. It was such a silly request.
We weren't even in a proper place, no lights, no hall, no music. But
it was the one thing on my mind since I heard about the dance. I
wanted to dance with him.

Lumapit siya sa 'kin nang walang babala. Santi tugged me closer

by my waist. His movement was rough, but his hold was
gentle—the way he placed his hand against my waist. Why do you
push people who could possibly care for you, Santi?

We danced in the garden, under the silver moonlight, and Santi's

moves slowly became graceful. He'd been trying to hide the fact
that he was closer to the Valencourts, the Liecesters, than he
thought.

Santi...you've always been a mystery to me.

I looked up at him while dancing and I found him staring at my face.

Both of us were suddenly frozen on our spot. There was a force, a
friction between us. Binitawan ni Santi ang kamay ko at bewang,
then he stepped away.

"Keep your promise," ang tanging sabi niya.

I bit my lip, but the pain was too overwhelming for me. "I will."

I stared at him for the last time before I took my leave. I swept the
hem of my dress that got tangled in rose bushes and wiped my
tears away.

"Valencourt."

Lumingon ako nang muling tawagin ni Santi. I found him a step

away from me. Pareho kaming napatitig sa isa't isa. The moment
the first firework lit the air, Santi placed his hand on my nape and
pulled my head close.

Santi kissed me.

***

Chapter15:Aleyway

Days after the ball, a rumor circulated around campus that I had
rejected Liam. I had no idea that leaving in the middle of the dance
meant rejection, but that was their impression even if there was
really no confession made.

Ito ang paulit-ulit kong sinasabi kay Alice and Claudia. Liam didn't
confess because my nerves got the best of me, and I left him
standing in the middle of the hall. If I listened to whatever he had
meant to say that night, would I be able to answer him?

"Kanina ka pa tahimik."

It was after our morning class and everyone was headed to the
cafeteria. Alice noticed that I'd been silent the whole time. "Don't
mind the rumors. They just can't get over the fact that you can
reject someone like Liam Liecester."

"I didn't reject him," I said for the nth time.

"Okay, okay."

I shoved my thick book of spells back in my bag and stepped out

of the classroom with her. Even people from the other class glared
at me from the hallway.

"Can we have lunch outside?" I asked Alice.

"Of course. I'll let Claudia know."

We decided to have lunch outside the school tower. After picking

up our food from the cafeteria, we found a nice spot in garden
where we laid our food on our handkerchiefs under the draping
leaves of a willow tree.

"Those rumors are getting ridiculous." Claudia stuck a straw in her

box of juice drink. "People are saying you rejected Liam because of
Santi. Totoo ba?"

I stopped from reaching my bacon sandwich. "What?"

Claudia shrugged. "I just heard it, so I don't know where the idea
came from." She turned to me with her eyebrow arched. "Is there a
fire though? No smoke without a fire."

"It's not true," I mumbled.

It was the truth. Santi and I shared a kiss that night but there was
nothing to it. We had to keep our promise to stay out of each
other's paths, and I understood why.

"Pero sabihin mo nga, Olivia..." Alice scooted closer to me on the

grass. "Don't you want Liam to be your boyfriend? I mean,
everyone's expecting you to be together."

I chewed on my sandwich with slow deliberation to avoid

answering Alice's question. It wasn't a matter of what I liked. I
wasn't who Liam thought I was.

We stayed outside for the entire lunch period. The two might be
borderline intrusive but they cared for Olivia a lot. I just wished I
could tell them the truth...staying as Olivia was getting more and
more complicated.

"The list of interns will be posted soon," Alice mumbled.

We just had our dessert of strawberry shortcake and had our
palms resting on the grass, lazily watching the clouds roll on the
clear sky—a peace I hadn't had in a while.

"For sure, matatanggap kayo as interns sa assembly," Alice added.

"Though being apprentice in the ancient library and artifacts isn't

so bad."

Claudia scoffed. "Don't be so sure about that."

Alice turned to her. "Your mom was a Liecester, right? So you and
Liam are basically cousins. Just tell your uncle you want a spot in
the internship program."

Claudia had a scorn smile on her face.

"Trust me, I'm out of the list. It's either the two of you or Santi. But I
doubt they will pick him. People either admire his skills or treat him
like a villain."

"You grew up together, right? I mean, the four of you," Alice asked.

"Unfortunately." Claudia had a dazed look on her eyes. "Ironic how

Santi's family used to be shoulder to shoulder with the Liecesters
and Valencourts." Claudia turned to me. "The three powerful
families of Cardiff."

Claudia's statement pricked something in my chest.

"They pioneered the academy, and it ran in their family for

generations until six years ago. You know what happened six years
ago," she muttered.

"His parents died?" Alice supplied.

"They were arrested and killed for supposedly being the people
behind the creation of a forbidden spell. But until their last breath,

both of them denied the allegation."

Alice frowned. "But I heard they killed themselves before the

proceedings of their case. That's what I heard when first I came
here during freshmen year."

"That's the widespread version," Claudia snickered, a little wickedly,

I might say. She had this certainty that made me think she knew
something we didn't. "People will swallow information fed to them
without asking the source."

Before the posting of internship list on the weekend, the three of

us decided to do something out of our comfort zone. It was mostly
Claudia's idea. She'd always been the type to do thrilling and
reckless things.

"What do you mean alleyway?" Alice hushed us. She looked around
the dining hall where we were having dinner. "You can't just say
that in this place."

"What?" Claudia seemed entertained by Alice's obvious revolt of

the subject. "I know someone who has access to the alleyway."
She repeated the word in purpose and Alice had to reach out
across the table to clasp her mouth.

"The place is a freaking black market, Claudia. It's a meeting place

for people who oppose the assembly."

Claudia completely disregarded her statement. "It's just a place

where people sell things that are hard to find."

"Or illegal," Alice muttered with a glare.

"But they have the best bars and liquors there," Claudia jeered.

Alice raised her hands to the air and sighed. "Why do you even
have access to such place? I heard the entryway in that place
changes every other day or whatever."

Claudia winked. "I have my ways."

In the end, we all decided to go that same night. It sounded

exciting, honestly—and dangerous, according to Alice.

"If we're caught in that place, we're doomed."

Alice and I stood in front of the bedroom mirror, fixing our coats
and hoods above our head. One of the exciting aspects of us going
in the alleyway was making sure we were unrecognizable.

"Say goodbye to internship and apprenticeship."

Alice could be really dramatic. I smiled behind her back. I liked it

even more.

"Oh, quit the lecture. You're still going with us," Claudia pointed out,
leaning against the doorframe while waiting for us. "I know you
also want to check the place."

Alice puffed out her cheeks. "I don't want to be interrogated alone
if you two go missing in that place..." Her lips curved into a smile.
"And I heard there's a lot of good-looking guys there."

Both Claudia and I laughed.

The alleyway, as the locals called it, had changing entryways. For
different nights, it could be in a narrow street, or someone's yard,
or at the forest's edge. That night, it was between two
establishments in the town square, a blue door with peeling paint
between an old bookshop and bakery.

"It's basically someone's backdoor," Alice insisted as we walked in

the narrow back street. "Are you sure about this? We might be
trespassing."
Claudia pushed the blue door gently. There might be a certain
magic in there because her palms glowed a little. After enough
pushing to fit us all together, we arrived at the other side of the
door.

At first, it looked like the same back street we just went through.
But once we stepped to the glaring light of the street, a different

version of town surprised us.

Shops lined the square, people walked around under cloaks and
hoods. Suspicious items were being offered to anyone who
showed interest. The sky looked like a day but with no sun, like the
entire place was under an eclipse.

Claudia worked her way through the street, dragging us behind her
like little kids in a haunted house.

"What is this place..."

Wide-eyed, we gazed around every shop we passed by, looking

admiringly at the weapons and bronze amulets and potions being
openly sold in the alleyway.

We found a place to have drinks, a pub with heavy wood interior,

dark green walls and brown leather seats. A few people sat
comfortably on booths and settees talking in whispers while
gulping mugs and mugs of liquor.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Claudia," Alice whispered

anxiously.

Claudia snickered. "Come on. The drinks during the dance were all
crap. Here's the real deal."

Claudia loved a good drink, that was a fact. I remembered how she
ignored those poor guys waiting to dance with her because she
was busy savoring her drink. It was no wonder the moment we sat
on the seats near the counter, she ordered the strongest drinks for
us.

"Are these even drinkable?" hissed Alice, observing the glass

of
brown liquid given by the bartender.

"You don't have to drink it, you know," Claudia muttered.

"Then what am I here for?"

Alice took down the drink with a long, dragging gulp...which was a
bad idea. She started coughing, and people in the pub stared as we
patted her back with force to calm her. We rested our foreheads

against the counter, giggling.

"Fuz time, eh?" The bartender smiled. "Lookz like you got ze
access."
The three of us exchanged glances. "Nah, I know someone here,"
answered Claudia. She might be lying though.

"Iz okay, long as you're not snitches. Fools in ze assembly be

looking around for zis place."

I blinked. Good thing the hood hid half of my face.

"Cruel creatures zey are." Then he continued wiping down mugs

and glasses.

"That's why we must put these covers on," whispered Claudia.

"Once they discover there's a Valencourt in this place, we're
not
gonna make it out alive."

Alice nearly choked again, this time on air. "Bakit hindi mo sinabi
agad?"

"Pupunta ba kayo 'pag sinabi ko?" Claudia smiled, clearly

challenging us.

"Of course."

That was the thing about me—I had fake courage. When things got
out of control, I took the fall.

We had one too many drinks. We were tipsy, giggling and having
stupid whispering conversations. Claudia, who'd been gulping
down liquor like iced water, stood up from her seat.

"Bathroom," she mumbled. "Babalik ako agad..." her voice trailed

off, and she swayed a little with every step.

"You think she's gonna be okay?" I asked Alice.

"Of course." Alice had her cheek resting on the counter. She looked
like the most wasted of us three. "She's Claudia, she's basically the
black sheep of her family."

Alice raised her head and released a loud hiccup before placing it
again on the cold surface.

It took me ten minutes to notice that Claudia hadn't been back yet.
Alice already made the counter her pillow. It was late at night and
we had to go back to the dorm.

"Alice..." I shook her shoulder, but all I got was a groan.

"Lookz like zes out," smiled the bartender. He'd been pretty chill the
whole night, even if the three of us had basically trashed his work
station.

"Can you look after her for a quick minute? I'll just search for my
other friend."

He raised his hand. "No zezponzibility."

I placed my palm against the counter to raise myself a little.

"If
something bad happens to her, I'm gonna crazy murder you."
He laughed. He must have thought I was joking because I was
drunk but I wasn't.

"Okay lady..." he said. "Ladiez alwayz problem," he muttered while I

tripped my way out of the counter.

I trudged to the bathroom at the end of a narrow hallway pero

walang nakapila rito. The door was open and there was no one
inside. I placed my hand on my head, feeling a headache coming.
We shouldn't have gotten wasted in this place. Where was Claudia?

I went back to the pub, wincing at the smell of cigar and liquor I
didn't notice earlier. I checked Alice who was still asleep
at the
counter, then searched for Claudia in every group and settee, but
the cloaks and hoods made it harder for me.

I patted my face with my cold hands to wake myself up. Claudia

was probably just around. No need to panic. I reached for the door
of the pub and searched the street.

In my muddled judgment, I got bumped and pushed around by

hooded people until I collided with someone near another pub,
causing my hood to fall. Shit.

"Watch it!"

I pulled my hood back up in panic before my hair cascaded down

my shoulders. But the incident garnered enough attention from the
people hanging at the side of the street.

"Mukhang may taga-labas dito."

I bit my lip, inching away from the people approaching me. This is
bad...terrible. I pulled my hood lower and slowly stepped away
from them.

"Mukhang kilala ko ang isang 'to..."

My breath caught in my throat and I couldn't breathe. They stepped

closer, reaching for my hood, trying to pull it up. I whimpered,
stepping away as much as I could. I couldn't cause a scene in this
place. It would worsen the situation.

"Gusto lang naming makita ang mukha mo, Miss."

Someone stepped in front of me and grabbed the arms reaching

for me in a tight squeeze.

"Got a problem with my girl?"

The feet around me dispersed, finally giving me enough air to

breathe clearly. I clasped my chest with trembling hands. I didn't
have to raise my head to look. Kilalang-kilala ko ang boses na 'yon.
Santi...was in front of me.

"Yvo, ikaw pala 'yan!" binati siya ng mga taong kanina lang
ay
pinaliligiran ako. Some of them even patted his back like he was
someone familiar to them. "Hindi mo naman sinabi na kilala mo
pala."

The annoyed expression didn't leave Santi's face. Hinila niya ako
paalis sa lugar. Santi was mad. I could feel it in the way he gripped
my hands. I didn't dare say anything. One, because my promise to
stay away lingered in my head. Two, because I couldn't think
straight from the stupid liquor.

"Of all fucking places, Olivia!"

Santi wasn't wearing a hood or any disguise. His bare face glared
at me. No wonder the people outside dispersed upon seeing him.
He was scary when mad.

He dragged me inside a pub. In the corner of my hazy vision, I saw

Marco serving drinks behind the counter. There were a few people
inside wearing no disguise, sitting on tables and chairs facing each
other, like they were in a meeting I just disturbed.

Marco tried to ease the tension by offering me a glass of blue drink.

I shook my head. I never understood anything about them. They
were everywhere...yet nowhere when we searched for them. Why
were they here? What was this place?

Santi exhaled. "Why are you here? Hindi ka dapat nandito sa lugar
na ito."

I bit my lip, my eyes watering as I failed to control my emotions.

"You're so mean..." I mumbled, pulling myself away from him.
"You're a horrible person, Santi..."

Marco burst out laughing, though I didn't know what was so funny
about what I said. Santi gave him a glare and he stopped. I shook
my head, feeling a little dizzier the longer I stayed.

"Claudia's nowhere to be found and I...I left Alice at the pub across
the street..." My knees wobbled and my eyes were blurry, feeling a
sob coming. "Kailangan kong bumalik..."

Santi sighed. He stepped in front of me and helped me straighten

my cloak.

"I'll go with you."

***

Chapter16:Internship

We got home safely that night, but we weren't doing it again. Alice
was so wasted she couldn't remember anything, at naiinis pa rin
ako that Claudia had decided to check the other pub's drink
selection, leaving me behind to search for her. I barely escaped the
trouble...if not for Santi.

Santi had found Claudia just a stone throw away from the first pub
we'd been to and he made sure that the three of us got out of the
alleyway safe. I knew Santi and I had both agreed to stay out of
each other's paths the night of the dance, but the more we pulled
ourselves away, the more our paths collided.

"Naka-post na ang list!"

It was the morning after the disaster at the alleyway. Everyone in

the dorm was up early for a weekend. It was the day the list of
accepted interns in the assembly was going to be posted. Alice
basically dragged me out of my bed once she heard the news from
the hallway.

"Come on, Olivia! Let's check it!"

"Alice," I grunted under the heavy sheet. "It's seven in the freaking
morning."

"So what? Everyone's already in the lobby."

I felt like stabbing someone when Alice pulled me by my arm to sit

up. Lucky for her, she had no idea about last night's trouble, and
being so drunk I basically had to drag her up the stairs to our room
without waking up the dorm keeper.

I grunted all the way to the lobby, not bothering to change out of
my pajamas and trying to tame my bedhead with a thin ponytail.
Students rushed past us by the stairs to the announcement board
near the dorm keeper's office where they piled around, gushing,
some disappointed, others relieved.

"Excuse me..."

Alice held me by the arm as she squeezed her way through the
crowd. The moment she did, I nearly stumbled over her dramatic
gasp and the way she flung her arms around me.

"Nasa list tayo!" she chanted, forcing me jump up and down with
her.

I squinted my eyes through the back of heads to see what she was
referring to. There were ten people on the list and the top two were
our names written in cursive.

"Oh my god!" Alice squealed again. "I can't believe I got in!"

I had to pull Alice away from the crowd that was starting to give
her murderous looks. Not all were happy with the results, of course.
Some were even sobbing at the couch at the lobby. To be an intern
in the assembly equated to working in one of the most prestigious
institutions in this town—a rare opportunity.

"Claudia didn't make it to the list," I mumbled.

Alice's smile faded. "What?"

We rechecked the paper posted on the board. There was no

Claudia, not even Santi, even though they were both top students in
the academy. How could that happen?

"Her uncle could have done something for her. She's an excellent
student."

We were unable to grasp the fact that Claudia wasn't going to be

with us in the assembly. We remained at the lobby, discussing
Claudia's connection to the Liecesters.

"Lagi niyang sinasabi she's from the bad side of the family,"
muttered Alice. "But she deserves to be on the list. Wasn't she the
top student of her class along with Liam?"

Claudia didn't really care about the list. She cared more about the
fact that we woke her up so early in the morning while having a
wicked hangover.

"I told you they wouldn't put me on the list," she muttered, eyes
closed from her bed. "I should have made a bet with you." Then
she went back to sleep.

By Monday afternoon, the ten people on the list were instructed to

proceed to the administration wing of the main castle to be
oriented about the internship. Earlier in the morning, we also had
our schedules adjusted to accommodate the three days per week
schedule required by the assembly.

"You don't only have to be good," one of the headmasters

reminded us. "You must be excellent. The assembly is one of the
highest-ranking institutions that can give you recommendations to
step up your current level."

It was a downer that Claudia wasn't with us when I was slowly

being used having the two around. By Tuesday, we started our first
day as interns in the assembly. Alice was prim and proper in her
new uniform with a giddy smile on her face. She'd been calling her
family during the weekend about the internship and they couldn't
be prouder. I didn't think I deserved such title, though. Being a
Valencourt made it hard to recognize if an achievement was my
own or because of my family's influence.

We arrived at the assembly building at nine in the morning. It

wasn't the first time I stepped into the place, but it gave me the
same cold, unpleasant atmosphere.

We were greeted by one of the staff in the administrative division

and gave us a tour on the parts of the building we were allowed to
enter. We were also reminded not to step in the restricted ones.

"Please sign your names here."

We were in what seemed to be a conference room, the ten of us

seated around a long table and being given pieces of papers in our
anxious hands.

"It's a non-disclosure agreement for your safety and ours." The lady
smiled her most radiant smile, dark red lips on her pale face.
"Everything you see, hear, any kind of information you come across
with while doing your job, it will remain here exclusively."

She encouraged us to read the document before signing but the

rest were more than willing to sign the paper immediately. I
skimmed the document before landing the tip of the pen on the
line where I should sign Olivia's name. 'You will be held criminally
liable for any breach of the clauses stated in this agreement.'

After signing the document, we were finally put to our designated

divisions. There were five divisions in the assembly known by
public, and the rest were completely confidential. There was the
admin division, the spell research and development, the legal and
internal concerns, the spell monitoring division, and the security
and external management. I was assigned at the research division.

I was the last person to be dropped off to my tower, which was

located the farthest from the main building. I walked in silence
while the staff kept checking the watch on her wrist. The tour must
have taken too much of her time.

I was then left in a small circular lobby and instructed to proceed

to the tower.

"They're waiting for you." The lady smiled before leaving me behind.

I sighed, thinking of all the foreign things I had to go through once

again. It should be Olivia's milestone, but I was the one in her place.
I proceeded to the circular staircase with heavy steps. There was
only one reason why I agreed to this setup—I planned to know why
the assembly was loathed by people.

There was no door at the landing on the upper floor, just straight
up the dome of the tower. There were tables in random sizes,

mismatched chairs and couches, all within a room that looked like
a library surrounded by floor to ceiling shelves filled with
thousands of books. Beyond the room was a single narrow hallway
with lots of doors next to each other with no rational space for
rooms. It reminded me so much of the doors at the training ground.

The head of the division greeted me. He was waiting on a couch, a

lanky man with disheveled hair and wide glasses. I felt sorry for
him. He looked like he hadn't had proper sleep in ages.

"Welcome to spell research and development, Ms. Valencourt."

It was such a short greeting. Somehow, he seemed to be

uncomfortable with my presence. He proceeded to one of the
doors in the strange hallway and I was left with my new desk and a
new task for the next weeks—a research about healing spell.

For a research division, it was all I had expected. They barely

greeted me, they stayed in their desks, nose in books and other
research materials piled like towers on their desks. They went
from their tables, to the shelves, and back without so much of a
glance. Others went to the corridor and disappeared in one of the
rooms for the whole day. The silence was uncomfortable, but it
was bearable.

But the balance was ruined by a single instruction on my second

day. One of the staff from father's office instructed me to proceed
to the main tower to have lunch. I had no idea about the severity of
the instruction until I heard one of the people in my division
purposely whispered to another.

"Second day and she's having lunch with the bosses."

"Shh. Baka marinig ka."

So that's what the silence was all about. It wasn't that they didn't
mind my presence. In their eyes, I was one of those lucky people
who had it the easy way. I sucked it up...I had no other choice
anyway. If that were Olivia in their eyes, I didn't have to bother to
change it and waste my time. I had other motives here.

I walked in silence to the main tower, up to a grand staircase with

ripple steps, to a bright hallway with chandeliers glimmering above

me. I reached the front of double doors where a guard was waiting
to open it for me.

I was hoping the other interns were there too, like a welcome meal
or something. But who was I kidding? When the door opened, there
was only Liam smiling at my arrival, and three officials of
the
assembly—including father.

I stepped inside beyond my confusion and greeted them politely. I

was offered a seat beside Liam. Liam and I hadn't really had the
chance to talk since the dance, but he remained kind and attentive
the whole lunch, asking me what food I preferred and if I needed
anything else. Did Liam forgive me? Did he understand the things I
failed to say? I didn't have the courage to confirm.

"You two look good together."

I was aware of the eyes watching us the whole time. Father and
Liam's father, and one of the leaders of the town. "You will soon
lead this institution...the two of you."

It was like they had this vision all along, that they would entrust
this assembly to the two of us to continue whatever they aspired
this institution to become. But how sure were these people that we
would act upon our names?

A Valencourt and a Liecester.

After lunch, I headed straight out of the room to the well-lit hallway.
Staying at the same enclosed place with them was the same as
breathing toxic fume.

"You okay?" Liam followed me to the hallway. "They could be

overbearing at times."

"I noticed."
He asked if he could walk me to my division, and because I had
given him so much shit in the past weeks, I obliged. "I'm
sorry...about last time at the dance."

We were both walking to the corridor leading to my tower, passing

by gigantic glass window where the bright noon light washed both

of our faces.

"Don't worry about it."

I couldn't fully grasp what Liam was like. I only knew him based on
what he chose to show to everyone. He wasn't like Santi who told
things straight up.

"May sasabihin ka noong gabing 'yon. Can I hear it now?"

Liam stopped walking, so I had to turn to face him. He looked

straight to my eyes, and without hesitation, he asked, "You don't
remember?"

"Remember what?"

"At the start of the semester, I asked you a question. You said you
would only give your answer at the dance."

"What kind of question?"

"I asked you to be my girlfriend, Olivia."

***

Chapter17:Fieldwork

I was foolish. The speculations before the dance were

wrong...because Liam had already confessed to Olivia and was
waiting for her answer. And yet, what he had was me.

I told him what I honestly felt that moment. I had no other way to
say it. I wasn't in the proper place or mindset to answer his

question. I couldn't doubt or affirm his feelings on behalf of Olivia. I

only knew so little about their relationship.

"I knew you were gonna say something along those lines."

I tried to search for disappointment or even anger on his face. But

Liam was good at hiding his emotions behind his smiles. "I was
hoping the past few months would change your answer, but I
guess I can't compete with him."

Before I could say something, he shrugged and decided to change

the subject. He asked me about the fieldwork both of our fathers
had mentioned during lunch, completely preventing me to
backtrack to his previous statement.

"Are you okay with it?" he asked. "I'm fine doing it alone. You can
stay in town."

"No. I will go." I couldn't cause Liam any more trouble.

It was still early the next day when an assembly car picked me up
from the dorm. After a forty-minute ride out of town, it brought me
to the train station where Liam was waiting for us. I walked to him,
pulling my heavy coat tighter to my body to stop the cold air from
nipping my skin.

"Morning," I mumbled.

"Good morning." The sun wasn't fully up yet Liam already had the
energy to smile so early in the day. I was never a morning person. I
wondered if Olivia was.

"Ready?"

"I guess."

Liam assured me that the task wouldn't take a whole day, so I

brought nothing but myself to the trip. We boarded the waiting
train to Penshaw and searched for our seats.

I sat next to the window, overlooking the woods beyond the station.
Liam sat opposite me while both of us waited for the train to
depart for the three-hour ride.

The train departed as the sun completely showed itself behind the
mountains surrounding the town. Muling naharangan ang mga
bintana kaya naman sumandal ako sa upuan, thinking of the
possibility for trains like these to exist in the normal world. But
then, how would the capitalist economy survive with one range of
transportation that could take people anywhere? No wonder both
governments were keeping the existence of magic users.

The train ride didn't seem three hours long. I was awake the entire
time. Far from the mountains of Cardiff and the countryside of
Belltale, Penshaw was surrounded by endless marshland, long
wooden walkways, and mossy woods.

A group of people welcomed us at the train station, but I noticed

the smiles on their faces were quite forced as they kept whispering
to each other.

"Galing sila sa assembly?"

"Nagpadala na naman sila?"

Their eyes followed us from the station to the waiting cars outside.
It seemed like they were so done with people coming to their town
from the assembly and seeing that they sent young people this
time made it worse for them.

Pumasok kami sa isang lumang sasakyan. Just like Belltale, Liam

had mentioned that Penshaw wasn't so progressive when it came
to human technology. They still mostly relied on magic even if the
assembly continuously encouraged them to use technology to
have uniform knowledge about non-magic users.

Fifteen minutes into the car ride to the town proper and I could tell
Penshaw was a lot smaller than Cardiff or even Belltale. It
was
almost like a village. The biggest building they had was the two-
story town leader's office.

We were greeted by the town leader in front of the building, a

middle-aged man who looked like someone's regular father in
regular clothes. People from inside the building and across the
street watched at us with hostile gazes. We proceeded to his

office at the second floor, and they offered refreshments and

homemade pastries while we discussed our task.

"Kayo ang pangalawang grupo na pinadala ng assembly ngayong

buwan," he informed us. "I'm afraid Gus won't cooperate. He's
a
hardheaded old man."

"Can we talk to him?" Liam asked.

"You can, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Liam and I decided to walk the way to Mr. Gus' residence,

as
suggested by the town leader. "Hindi niya gustong sinasadya siya
o nakikitang may mga bisita siya."

The house was located at the outskirts of town, in the middle of an

empty field near the mossy woods. It was an old little cottage with
a surrounding balcony and rickety steps. We walked through the
long wooden passageway towards his house. Liam was the first
one to reach the door.

The door was slightly ajar but we still decided to knock. "Mr. Gus?"

No one answered, but we were positive there was someone inside.

"Hello?"

I decided to peek inside, no harm intended. Just a little glance from

the opened door. I caught glimpse of a messy living room, old
papers and maps on the floor. Beyond the mess, in front of a
window, sat an old man muttering to himself in front of his desk
full of drawings, old maps and graphs.

"Excuse me?"

"Alam kong nand'yan kayo," he grumbled in a stern voice, not even

bothering to face us. "And I don't want anything to do with you." He
went back to muttering to himself and his maps.

I stepped back and stared at Liam. He sighed, expecting the

response. He stepped a little closer to the door. "We're from the
assembly," he informed him.
The old man scoffed. "Alam ko rin kung sino ang nagpadala sa
inyo and it doesn't make any difference to me. Busy akong tao
kaya kung maaari umalis na kayo."

Liam didn't falter. "We were given permission to—"

The old man turned around, rather drastically, finally facing us. He
was a short man, shorter than Liam, his back slightly curved
probably from all the time he had spent in front of his desk. His
sharp eyes glared at us, thin lips pursed against his wrinkled bony
face.

"Kahit magdala pa kayo ang gatekeepers mula sa sentinel, hindi

ako sasama sa inyo," he spat. "Assembly people, you scum," he
muttered before closing the door in our faces.

I nearly stumbled in surprise. Ngayon, alam ko na kung bakit

walang tumatanggap ng task na ito kaya kami ang pinadala rito.
Talking to the old man seemed a lot of work.

We stayed at the balcony, thinking of our next move. Eventually,

Liam sighed. "I'll phone the assembly and ask for advice," he
muttered, dejected. "You're not going?" he asked when I remained
on my spot.

"I'll stay here. Maybe he'll change his mind."

Liam hesitated leaving me in the cottage, but he eventually gave in.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes. Please pay close attention to him. He
usually leaves his house and will return days later. We can't lose
him today."

"I understand."

I watched Liam walked back to the wooden pathway, back to the

dry street leading to the town proper. I sat on the rickety steps of
the balcony and sighed. I was usually good with old people. Lola
loved having me around.

While waiting for Liam, I made sure the windows and doors of the
cottage remained closed. I went from sitting to walking around the
house, then back to sitting at the balcony like a police securing my
witness. I didn't mind all the waiting though. Around me was a
refreshing scenery of wild grass, pleasant summery air, and clouds

casting shadows on the marsh.

Twenty minutes into waiting, the silence became distressing than

reassuring. Tumayo ako para muling sumilip sa loob, this time
through the small glass window near the door. Wala na si Mr. Gus
sa desk niya. No one was inside the living room.

I roamed my gaze around the messy room until my eyes landed on

something disturbingly familiar. For a moment, I thought I saw a
picture of lola in an old frame near Mr. Gus' desk. But I lost the
chance to confirm it when a door creaked open behind the cottage.
I rushed around the house only to see Mr. Gus with his fishing rod,
tools, and a bag of stuff enough for a few days.
"Mr. Gus!" I called, seeing him rushing into the nearby forest. It was
what Liam had warned me about. If I let him get away, it would
take days for him to return.

"Wait!"

I ran after him, my steps wide and high, trying to navigate among
the tall grasses and slippery marsh surrounding the house. How
could he move so fast? By the time I reached the edge of the forest,
he was already among the tall trees.

I rushed after him, determined not to lose sight of him. I wasn't

ready for the unprecedented trekking. My white shoes kept getting
stuck in the muddy soil near brooks and running streams. After
minutes of running, I was left with nothing but eerie silence in the
shaded forest. Where did he go?

I stopped in my tracks, resting my hands on my knees to catch my

breath. Mr. Gus had fishing rods with him. He must be planning to
fish in one of the streams.

I decided to follow the biggest stream inside the forest, walking

beside large, slippery rocks and moss-covered soils until I reached
what looked to be series of small waterfalls. Perched on one of the
huge rocks was Mr. Gus with his long fishing rod, sitting

comfortably, as if he didn't just run away from me. A few steps

from him was another man...way younger and somewhat familiar.
It took me a second before I completely recognized him, because
there was no way I expected him to be in this place.

Santi?

He recognized me too. His eyebrows scrunched together while

holding a fishing rod like it was the most natural thing for him to
do. He set the rod between two rocks to hold it still before he
walked towards me.

"Anong ginagawa mo rito?" His eyebrows were raised, almost

accusatory.

"I should be the one asking you that."

"This is my father's hometown."

Oh, right. I returned my attention to Mr. Gus who was preparing to

walk away and leave since we were obviously disturbing his fishing.
"Do you know Mr. Gus?"

"He's my uncle." Santi took a step closer to me, still suspicious of

my motive. He jerked his head slightly to the side, staring down at
me. "Did the assembly send you? He would never talk to people
from the assembly."

"I know. We've been trying all morning." I wasn't sure how to handle
Santi being this close to me. A small part of me agreed to the
fieldwork to get away from him—and now he was in front of me.

"Anong kailangan n'yo sa kanya?"

"It's just...the assembly wanted some information from him
regarding a project—"

Santi's scoff stopped me mid-sentence.

Now I realized they were indeed related to each other. Both

impatient and stubborn. Mr. Gus was running away again to the
opposite part of the stream.

"Project?" Santi taunted. I wasn't sure if he was pissed or amused.

"Something about the healing properties of time spell..." Tumigil

ako nang makita ang mapanudyo niyang ngiti. "May nakakatawa
ba sa sinabi ko?" I asked, a bit annoyed. It was clear that if I didn't
get past Santi's mockery, there was no way I could get through Mr.
Gus. "I know for a fact that time spells have healing properties. It's
part of my research."

"But do you know how to use it?"

I bit my lip. "N-no," I stammered.

There was a condescending smile on his lips knowing he was right.

Santi held his palm open in front of me. I had no idea what he was
planning.

And then a dagger appeared with a double edge blade on the

surface of his palms. With a flick of his wrist, he grabbed the
dagger, and without hesitation, thrusted the blade on his other arm
until blood dripped from his skin.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Reversal."

I watched with wide eyes as a single word from Santi made the
blood that initially dripped from the cut pull back. I was watching a
reversal of time.

"Time spells don't heal. They just bring things back to their original
form before the destruction. Healing improves overall health, but
not time spells."

It was clearer than any explanation I'd encountered from my

research. But hearing it from Santi made me aware of how much
knowledge he had over powerful things like time spells.

I scanned the place, suddenly aware I was alone with Santi in the

forest and my target was missing. "He won't be back in a few

days," muttered Santi, as if reading my mind. "Kaya kung hindi mo
mamasamain, may kailangan pa akong puntahan."

He shoved his hands on the pocket of his pants and was about to
leave when I gingerly pulled the back of his shirt. All the welcoming
and waiting and running inside the forest made me forget the time,
but the forest was getting dimmer and it only meant two things.
Either the sun set early in this town or there was an upcoming
storm nearby. I didn't want to be stuck here in either situation.

"What?" Santi and rudeness were perfect partners.

"Can I go with you? I don't know the way back."

Hindi siya sumagot but I followed him nonetheless, tagging along

behind him so not to piss him off or anything. He had a patience of
a five year-old. One wrong step that led to accidentally face-
planting on his back and he went enraged, scolding me.

"Look at where you're going!"

Hindi ko pinansin ang pagsusungit niya. As long as I was with him,

he was the safest way I could get out of the forest. For sure, he
knew every nook and cranny of this place, right?

I was deadly wrong.

For the last thirty minutes we'd been circling the same clearing
inside the forest, passing by the same running stream with mossy
rocks and scattered waterfalls.

Even Santi looked confused.

"Are we lost?" I asked. "We've passed by this rock formation two

times."

I'd been walking behind Santi for so long than when he faced me, I
was startled.

"Let me see your hand."

Hinila niya ang kamay ko para tingnan. He reminded me of those

fake fortune tellers telling people they were unlucky. Was he about
to blame me for being lost?

Santi flipped my hands over and both of us saw something that

wasn't there before. On my wrist was something resembling a
small drawing of a swirl circle. I tried to rub it off, thinking it was
plain pen mark, pero hindi ito naalis.

"How long did you have this?" Santi asked.

"I don't know." I honestly had no idea. "Is this a bad thing?"

Santi raised his head to the towering trees above us, chest heaving
in a sigh. I couldn't concentrate on the situation when he had his
sharp jaw clenched like that.

"Look." He turned to me, and I gingerly made a tiny step backwards

from him. "It's a petty trick that can get unsuspecting people to be
lost for an hour or two. Gus usually uses this trick to stop people
from following him."

"Maaalis ba 'to?" I mumbled.

"It's a simple trick pero mahirap itong tanggalin. You just have to
wait it out."

"How much longer?"

"An hour or more."

I crouched on the ground, not sure if I was relieved, annoyed, or a

little scared. The sun was slowly setting behind the trees and I
didn't want to be stuck in here for another hour.

"Are you leaving?" I asked Santi.

"I'll get lost too if I'm with you."

Oh. A part of me, a minuscule part, hoped he'd wait it out with me. I
looked around the forest for a suitable place to sit while waiting.
It's okay. All the running and walking made me exhausted anyway.

I sat on a dry rock beside the stream and waited for Santi to leave,

but instead, he walked towards me and instructed me to close my

eyes. "Why?" I asked.

"Gawin mo na lang."

Even though the last thing I needed was to trust Santi with my life, I
was left with no choice but to follow him. I closed my eyes shut
before he grabbed my hand.

"Let's go."

He pulled me, quite harshly, from my seat. "It's the only way for us
not to get lost. I've learned about this from all the time Gus used
the trick to me."

We started walking with my eyes shut tight, with Santi holding my

hand and leading the way. I would sometimes stumble on mud or
trip against rocks and plants, but Santi's tight grip on my hand was
enough to assure me I was safe.

***

Chapter18:Childhood

Liam was worried the entire time I was in the forest. He never even
bothered greeting Santi when we returned to town after the sun
had completely set. He rushed to my side, asking if I was hurt. But I
was completely fine. Santi and I got out of the forest safe and the
spell on my hand faded.

People from the leader's office surrounded me, relieved I wasn't

hurt in their town's premises. Santi left without notice in the middle

of the commotion and I lost the chance to thank him.

"I lost him," I told Liam. "Mukhang hindi babalik si Mr. Gus sa mga
susunod na araw."

"Then it's better if we head back."

We boarded the train back to Cardiff late that night. We took our
seats in the compartment nearest to the door. Dinner was served
in the train, mostly bread, meat and some crimson drink. I hadn't
had a proper meal since we arrived in Penshaw.

While eating in silence, I couldn't help but sneak Liam a few

glances. Did he and Santi get along well? They didn't exchange
words in the short moment they met in town even though they
basically went to the same academy.

I took the three-hour ride as a chance to rest. All the running and
chasing made me exhausted beyond measure. Yet, we still failed
on our task. Would it reflect on us? Liam assured me not to worry.
Even the senior staff in the assembly couldn't make Mr. Gus
cooperate, but being here made me understand why. Mr. Gus
would never help the people who persecuted Santi's parents.

We reported the result of our task in the assembly the next day and
had the rest of the afternoon free as an incentive from the
fieldwork. But instead of spending the day at the dorm to rest my
aching feet, I was invited by Liam's father for dinner at his house.
Mr. Liecester was second in command next to my father in the
assembly, so saying no wasn't an option.

Liam picked me up in a car from the dorm that afternoon. He

looked dashing in a gray polo shirt and dark pants, while I was
hoping I wasn't underdressed for the occasion in my muted green
dress, the same one I wore when we visited the alleyway.

We headed to the north of the town, to the neighborhoods of grand

houses at the edge of the mountains. The car stopped at one of
the properties, in front of a tall gate where a guard in black uniform
greeted us.

Nang makita ang mukha ni Liam, inutos niya agad na buksan ang
gate. The car went straight to the long driveway and I noticed how
the property might be bigger than that of the Valencourt mansion.
Liam's father greeted us at the front door, along with a few
servants in a deep bow behind him.

"Mabuti nakapunta ka, Olivia."

I'd always found Mr. Liecester's smile pleasant, his eyes narrower
than Liam's but warm and genuine enough. But it seemed my
impression was wrong because the moment we arrived at the
grand dining hall with sweeping carpet and gigantic chandeliers, he
hollered at his servants for failing to prepare the dinner table
in
time.

"Incompetent people!"

The servants scampered to serve us. It seemed like we arrived too

early and I felt bad for them. But I was more surprised by the

sudden outburst from Liam's father. He was known in the

assembly to be calm and patient...compared to my father.
After the short commotion, the servants served the best platter of
food I'd seen in a while—seafood, mostly lobster and clams, and
salad from Hailing Cove, a seaside town where trade was their
main source of income.

"How's the fieldwork?"

The report that reached the heads of our divisions was mostly
formal and subdued. We didn't mention that I got lost in the forest
chasing Mr. Gus...and Santi being with me.

"We didn't get the chance to talk to him."

"That's understandable. Incidents always happen in the fieldwork."

Liam's father cut the flesh of the lobster. "I heard Santi Yvo was in
Penshaw on the same day."

Sumulyap ako kay Liam bago sumagot, "He was there."

"He must have warned the old man." He stabbed the lobster's meat
with his fork. "Do you still talk to the boy, Olivia?"

I nearly choked on my buttered clams. I reached for the crimson

drink, failing to answer his question in time.

"You should listen to your father and avoid the McCrains. It won't
do you any good."

I tried to concentrate on my food, but I already lost appetite. Liam

was unusually silent next to me.

"The McCrains are hard to deal with. I guess it runs in the family."

It was an uncomfortable dinner, like having meal with father. All

they talked about were the bad sides of people, their achievements,
and themselves.

"Don't mind father," said Liam after the dinner. We headed back to
the living room while his father proceeded to his study. "Lagi
siyang ganyan."

"You don't have to worry," I told him. The hostile atmosphere

wasn't new to me, though I admitted it felt like there was
something stuck in my throat since dinner.

"Gusto ka nga palang makita ni mama," Liam told me. "I mentioned
you were coming over."

I didn't realize his mother was home. I didn't ask either because it
would seem rude. There were a lot of things I didn't know about his
family that Olivia must have known so well.

I accompanied Liam to the second floor to his mother's room. The

entire hallway was silent. The servants bowed when we walked
past and avoided our gazes.

Liam knocked on a door. "Ma, Olivia's here."

I didn't know what to expect when Liam opened the door, but
certainly not a beautiful woman laying on a white queen bed
surrounded by burning scented candles on the floor, on the desk,
near the window. They were everywhere. The woman on the bed
was wearing white linen clothes with light brown hair cascading
past her shoulders.

"Ma?"

She had her eyes closed at first, then she gently woke up, sitting up
on the bed.

"You're here." She gently smiled.

Her smile completely lit up her pale face. I tried to mirror her smile

and ended up hugging her when she raised her arms to do so. How
come a woman smelled so classy? She reminded me of roses and
velvet and autumn perfumes.

"Kumusta ka, Olivia? Matagal na rin mula noong huli kitang nakita."
"We got busy with school," Liam supplied.

I sat on a chair next to his mother's bed.

"Of course." His mother kept her easy smile. "You're already senior
students, aren't you? You'll be graduating from the academy soon.
How's your internship?"

Liam's mother asked about things, even laughed a little and

listened attentively to us. She was gentle, calm, and kind. A perfect
mother figure for someone like Liam.

"I hope Claudia and Yvo get to visit too," she said. "You all used to
play here, do you remember? I wonder how they are. It's been years
since I last saw the two of them."

Liam was visibly silent in the corner, leaning against the wall, not
saying anything.

"Liam, would you be a dear and bring out the album from the
drawer," his mother requested.

"Ma..."

Liam eventually obliged seeing how bright her mother's smile was.
He walked to the other side of the room, opened a drawer, and
brought out a large album. He placed it on his mother's lap who
gave him a pat on the cheek.

The album consisted of dozens of pictures from Liam's childhood,

and those pictures included me, Claudia and Santi. We were mostly
ten year-olds and early teens. There were several pictures of
Liam's twelfth birthday, tall cakes, kids running around the
mansion. Pictures of them being forced to wear formal attires,
little floral dresses, adorable bow ties and frown on their little
faces. The four of them playing tag near a lake and another picture
of them soaked, guilt on their faces and sparkly of mischief in their

eyes.

"This one's during my thirteenth birthday," I said, pointing

to the
picture with the formal dresses.

"Naalala mo pa pala,." Liam's mother gushed.

I caught myself, blinking, realizing what I just did. I wasn't the one
in the pictures. But I remembered the details of the occasion
clearly, the events, the stories behind them. Was Olivia's memories
colliding with mine?

"Sana makabisita kayong apat ulit dito."

I looked back at Liam who said nothing. Santi and Liam, they used
to be so close, they grew up together and made stories and
memories together. But they were nothing but strangers now.

Liam had his hand on his nape when he walked me to the driveway.
"Ginabi ka na."

"It's okay," I assured him. "I like seeing your mom."

"She's been nowhere but inside the house for years. She misses
seeing people, talking to them. Dad and I...we became busy in the
assembly lately."

I couldn't ask him what happened to his mother, so I tried to come

up with another question. "Is she still not well?"

"I don't think babalik pa siya sa dati," Liam said so low

I barely
heard him. "Her failing heart comes with being born. Things like
that can't be healed by magic. But we're taking chances with the
assembly's project about the healing properties of time spell."

Naalala ko ang pinakita sa 'kin ni Santi sa gubat ng Penshaw. How

healing with time spells was nothing but turning back a piece of
time and wouldn't do any good to the overall health of a person.
Was this really what the assembly was working on?

He took a deep breath.

"I just don't understand why the McCrains refused to cooperate

with the assembly. Their entire family is expert in time spells. They
should use their skills in better ways instead of...creating
something forbidden."

***

Chapter19:Headmaster

Days passed by quickly. Sometimes, we were in the academy,

most of the time we were in the assembly. The rest of the senior
students were also busy with their apprenticeship. There were
more days when the senior classrooms were empty, the corridors
were silent, and the dorms were nothing but a place to rest.

After weeks of being busy, we finally had the chance to have lunch
together—the three of us, Claudia, Alice and I. We waited for
Claudia at the school tower's cafeteria, waving our hands with glee
the moment we saw her approaching.

"Claudia!"

Alice was especially excited to see her. She'd been anxiously

waiting and beaming nonstop when she arrived.

"You look like you saw your hope or something," greeted Claudia,
straightforward as ever.

Alice grabbed her arms to sit beside her. "You are my hope, my
saving grace."

Claudia scrunched her nose and gave Alice a suspicious look. "Did
the assembly brainwash you?"

Alice burst out laughing. "I just have a little bit of favor to ask you."

Claudia gave an exaggerated sigh. "Look at us, we're being

true
adults, seeing each other only to ask for favors." Oh, how I missed
Claudia's sarcasm.

Alice nudged her. "Just one favor. You're a headmaster's

apprentice, right?"

"Yes?" Claudia was still suspicious. I always enjoyed watching the

two bicker.

"Do you know the fourth headmaster? Can you set me up for a
meeting with him?"

"The fourth headmaster," Claudia repeated with visible mirth, but

Alice didn't catch up. "Why?"

"I was assigned to get a few details from him."

"About what?"

"It's strictly confidential." Alice raised her chin in the air with pride,
earning a roll of eyes from Claudia. "But isn't he the most secretive
of all headmasters? I've been in the academy for four years, but
I've never seen him. Have you?"

I shook my head.

"See? We don't even know what he looks like. And I heard he

doesn't get along with the assembly, so they got me in the mess."
Alice was getting exasperated as minutes passed by.

I couldn't blame her. It looked like those tasks with no hope were
being given to interns like us, especially those that concerned
people who opposed the assembly.

We were in the middle of our meal of drumsticks and mashed

potato when Claudia asked, "Are you sure they're asking for the
fourth headmaster?"

From what I heard, there were four headmasters in the academy.

Two of them dealt with student affairs, one dealt with external
affairs, and the remaining one was rarely mentioned. Just

someone who held the title from the family who pioneered the
academy. They didn't do administrative work, there was no specific
responsibility given to them, but nonetheless, they oversee the
academy themselves.

"Well yes," answered Alice, waving the paper in front of us. "He's
the one specified in the memo."

Claudia checked the writings on the memo with her own eyes.
"Anyone in the place of the fourth headmaster?"

"See?"

Claudia had a mischievous smile on her lips.

"I don't like the way you smile," Alice said.

Claudia dragged us out of the cafeteria. "Let's go to the 'anyone in

the place of the fourth headmaster'."

"We're not done eating yet!"

"We must hurry. He's rarely in campus nowadays."

Claudia usually did things we least expected, but nothing prepared

us when she brought us to the boys' dorm at the other side of the
campus. Alice's frown was visible on her face as we stood in front
of the brick red building covered in vines.

"What are we doing here?"

Claudia's smile didn't leave her face. She managed to coax us into
the lobby where she asked the dorm keeper, a small man with a
bald head. "McCrain?" he pondered through the small window of
his office. "I haven't seen him in days."

Claudia returned to us, quite satisfied. "See? I told you he's rarely in
campus."

"Why are we asking for Santi Yvo?" asked Alice from the couch
where both of us were waiting.

Before Claudia could explain, Santi, of all people, walked in the

lobby and went straight to the stairs without even checking the
dorm keeper. "Yvo, they're looking for you!"
Santi gave us a brief glance, frowned, then continued walking with
his hands on his pocket, ignoring us.

"That jerk," muttered Claudia. "Santi!"

But he didn't even gave so much of a glance. Claudia nearly pulled

her own hair strands in frustration. Santi calmly walked the stairs
and disappeared at the second floor. I rested my back against the
couch. He could be really intimidating at times.

"There goes the person in the place of the fourth headmaster,"

sighed Claudia.

Alice choked on air. "What?!"

We walked out of the boys' dorm with Alice still wide-eyed, like a
kid who discovered tooth fairies were real.

"Do you know what makes the McCrains a powerful family?" asked
Claudia. "Their ancestors pioneered the academy. It's a respected
tradition that one for every generation of the family would take the
position as the fourth headmaster of Mirren Academy. His father

held the position before the incident six years ago and the position
is empty right now. But if you follow the academy's tradition, Santi
would be in his father's place."

"Is this why the teachers rarely reprimand him? Is this why he can
appear and disappear any time he wants?" Alice gushed, placing
her hand on her temples.

"You got it," Claudia muttered.

I stared back at the boys' dorm before following the two. Santi, ano
pa ang hindi ko alam tungkol sa 'yo?

Alice was a disappointed mess after she failed to acquire an

interview with any of the headmasters. I assured her that it was
completely fine, because that's exactly how I felt when I failed to
talk to Mr. Gus. Not all people treat the assembly so highly.

To make up for it, she devoted herself to spending additional hours

in the assembly. Alice was perfect for the place. I couldn't imagine
myself working for people I didn't trust.

For days, the surprising knowledge from Claudia lingered in my

head. How could a family that once held so many titles and
responsibilities be executed for a crime as serious as treason?

On my way to my room that night, I caught Claudia hurrying down

the hallway. I grabbed her arm before she walked pass me. "Bakit
ka nagmamadali?"

"I have to find an item for my apprenticeship," she said in a rush.

"An item?"

"Any item with cursed energy so I can practice controlling those

bad boys."
"Where are you gonna find one?"

Claudia gave a wicked smile. She leaned in to whisper, "In

the
alleyway."

My eyes widened. "Claudia!" I hissed. "We got in trouble the last

time we were there."

"You wanna come?" she asked, as though I didn't just warn her. "Do
you want to accompany your friend to do a risky black market
negotiation?"

I couldn't tell if she was joking. There was no difference between

her joke, her straightforward statements and her sarcasm. I
chewed on my lip, trying to decide.

"You're not gonna get drunk while you're in there, are you?"

Claudia burst out laughing. "What am I? An alcoholic? I have

apprenticeship tomorrow."

"I'm just making sure."

"So are you going with me? We need to rush, you know. They might
change the location anytime."

I couldn't trust Claudia alone in that kind of place. Last time we

were there, we were basically a mess, so I ended up going with her
for the second time at the alleyway.

It was a different entrance than last time. The alleyway only

opened in the evening and I had no idea where in town Claudia
brought me. We rode the bus that circled the town for twenty
minutes, walked through tight streets at the back of the buildings,
until we reached what looked like a normal wooden gate.

"It's behind the gate," Claudia whispered, excitement evident in her

voice.

I was antsy under my cloak, my sweat stuck to the side of my face.

I promised myself I wouldn't get caught in this place for the second
time, but here I was. Claudia pushed open the gate and tried to fit
ourselves in the tight entrance, nearly pushing each other. When
we stood up straighter, we were on the other side.

In front of me, with the same enchantment and thrill I felt the first
time I saw it, was the alleyway. A street flocked with people in their
own disguises and covers surrounded by the most magical and
bizarre establishments.

"Hurry up, Olivia."

Claudia ran to the street like a kid in a candy land. She went from
store to store, stopping in front of their windows, checking what
they offered. It took us an entire hour of walking in what seemed to
be an endless street until Claudia reached a storefront where she
made a tiny wave of her hand and mouthed, "Found it!"

Claudia waited for me before we both entered the store. I couldn't

tell her I would rather remain in the doorway than go inside a shop
full of cursed objects.

I followed closely behind Claudia as she checked every item

displayed on the shelves and tables. There were watches,
necklaces and other pieces of jewelries. There were also large
items like grandfather clocks, mirrors, furniture and vases.

"You can buy one too," Claudia urged while she was
busy
examining the small items on the table—some gold bullets,
pendants and pieces of metals that once belonged to swords that
killed thousands.

"Cursed items can bring you bad luck," I whispered to Claudia.

Claudia turned to me, holding a cracked golden crest. Her smile

was the only thing I could see clearly under his hood. "These items
contain old energies that are hard to control. They get stuck into
the item for years. That's it."

"What would I do with it?"

Claudia shrugged. "I don't know. A token?"

The idea wasn't as inviting as Claudia made it sound like, so I just

watched her inside the store for another thirty minutes. In the end,
Claudia bought a small dagger with a handle made from crystal
and a chip on the blade.

"Not bad right?" Claudia mused as we walked back to the main

street. "Now I'm thirsty."

I whipped my head to face her, grabbed her arms covered in cloak

and whispered, "I don't like what you're thinking."

Claudia chortled. "Relax. I have apprenticeship tomorrow and I

don't want to be caught dead with a hangover. Let's
have
something mild to drink, shall we?"

It took several heavy sighs, roll of eyes, and some pulling and
tugging before Claudia successfully dragged me inside one of the
nearest pub. Once at the door, I immediately recognized it as the
pub Santi had brought me in when I got into trouble.

Marco, as I expected, was at the counter, doing a rather decent job

of making drinks. Several people were seated inside the pub,
mostly in silent conversations rather than enjoying themselves.
The air inside resembled thin ice. One wrong move or noise and
the silence could crack.

"Claudia, I think we should head somewhere else."

Before Claudia could response, Marco greeted us. "Mukhang

napapadalas kayo rito sa pub ko."
"Your pub?"

"I own this place." Marco was the only visible face inside the pub.
"Any drink in mind?"

Claudia sat on one of the stools at the counter. "Any non-alcoholic

drink for us?"

Marco started making one without answering.

"Is...Santi around?" I asked. Not that I wanted to see him or

anything. It was the opposite actually. I was just keeping tabs on
him so I could avoid him.

"He's busy dealing with things." Marco served us two red bubbly
drinks. "'Wag kang mag-alala, hindi ko sasabihin na nandito ka.
Siguradong magaaway na naman kayo."

Claudia took her time sipping her drink while I silently observed the
people inside the pub. Something was strange. It was like
everywhere we went in the alleyway, people were in groups. just
like a meeting, and it only dawned on me now that we were done
running around.

I told Claudia about it, but she disregarded my observation.

"They're always like that. Secretive."

On our way out of the pub that evening, Marco gave us a few
words of advice. "Mag-ingat kayo sa paglabas sa alleyway. The
assembly is combing the entire town to find this place. Mukhang
may plano silang burahin."

***

Chapter20:Encounter

I thought what Marco said at the pub was a bad joke. I truly
believed it was. I only realized it was an actual threat from the
assembly days later.

For the entire day, I enslaved myself inside the observation room,
testing Santi's theory about time healing. By late afternoon, when I
stepped out sweaty and exhausted, I noticed certain unrest from
the people at the tower.

I caught some words from their whispered conversations on my

way to my desk.

"Totoo ba? Na-trace na nila ang location?"

"Mukhang buburahin na nila talaga ang alleyway. Malaking gulo na

naman 'to."

I stopped mid-step. What?

My concentration went down the drain. I couldn't even write a

single sentence for my observation. Buburahin? What did they
mean by that? How could they just wipe out an entire place? There
were people in there with actual running businesses and
establishments.

I rushed to Alice's tower to ask about it.

"Bakit ka nandito, Olivia?" nagtatakang tanong niya. "Uuwi ka

ba
nang maaga?"

I grabbed her arm and pulled her to a corner near the empty
staircase. "Alice, may kailangan akong malaman." She would know.
Her division, the internal affairs, knew everything. "May plano ba
silang salakayin ang alleyway?"

Alice blinked, unable to answer me right away. "Hindi ko alam kung

pwede ko itong sabihin. We signed the non-disclosure agreement,
you know."

"Alice, alam na ito ng lahat sa building," I told her. "I just need the
confirmation."

She must have noticed the urgency in my voice. She bit her lip
before carefully choosing her words. "All I know is they've been
tracing the place nonstop for the last several months at plano
nilang sunugin ang buong lugar ngayong gabi."

My voice trembled. "Sunugin? They don't have to do that! What

about the people in there?"

"It's a den of criminals of low lives, Olivia," mumbled Alice. "I find
the approach a bit forceful too, pero wala tayong magagawa. It's
an order from the heads of the assembly."

I shook my head, placing my thumbs inside my palm, squeezing it

tight. What could we do? What could I do? If I go to father and talk
him out of it, would he hear me out? Would it worsen the situation?

Tonight. I barely had enough time.

I didn't come back to the research tower. I rushed out of

the
assembly building and rode the bus back to the academy. There
was only one thing I could do.

I needed to warn them.

I searched for Claudia in the campus. She must have had

connections from someone in the alleyway. She could warn them,
but Claudia was nowhere to be found. She wasn't in the
classrooms or training ground. She wasn't in the dorm either. It
took me an hour of wandering before someone told me she was
out doing fieldwork.

Shit. This was bad.

I racked my brains for the next person I could talk to, but the only
person that came to my mind was Santi. The sun was setting and
he was my remaining option here.
I went straight to the dorm to ask the dorm keeper about Santi's
whereabouts, but all he gave for an answer was a shake
of his
head. "Sinabi ko na dati, the kid rarely stays here."

I bit my lip, my thoughts in a complete disarray. Where

was
everyone when I needed them?!

I was running out of time. I tried to search for Santi in places he

could have been to. The training grounds, in empty classrooms,
and my last hope...the ruined tower.

It was already dark when I reached the tower, the trees

surrounding the structure creating dancing shadows against the
ruined walls. I stepped inside, badly wishing he was here. But there

was no one inside. The tower remained ruined, abandoned.

I sat on the steps of the dirty staircase, my strength slowly fading. I

failed in the one thing I could've done.

I placed my knees next to each other and rested my forehead on

top of them. I saw dozens of gatekeepers on my way out of the
assembly building earlier.

Why was it so easy for the assembly to ruin lives?

Out of exhaustion, I closed my eyes while sitting on the steps of

the tower. I needed to calm myself. I snapped out of my reverie
when I heard my name.

"Valencourt..."

I opened my eyes to see the same dingy tower with the musty
smell of moist walls. Santi was standing in front of me, his
eyebrows in a knot. "Anong ginagawa mo rito?"

I immediately stood up, sending my feet into a wobble. Santi had

to grab me by the arm to steady me.

"Anong oras na?" I asked.

Still confused, he muttered, "Around eight in the evening."

Warm tears built from the corner of my eyes. "Where have

you
been? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Santi, upon seeing my tears, immediately recognized something

was wrong. "They alleyway," I mumbled. "The assembly will burn
down the alleyway tonight."

The range that flickered on Santi's eyes was like

fire...crackling,
dangerous.

"Go back to your dorm," he instructed me.

"But..."

Santi placed his thumb on my cheek and brushed away a

tear.
"You've done enough."

He left in the dark, his movements concealed by shadows, and I

waited in the exact place at the staircase all night for him to come
back. But he didn't.

The next morning, the whole town was unusually quiet. Gone was
the usual morning noise from the town square, the water fountains
were down, the bell didn't ring in the church tower. It was as
though the people were silently mourning.

I didn't have the strength to go to internship that day, but I needed

to know what had happened. Santi didn't come back to the
academy and it was bothering me.

People managed to go about their normal day in the assembly. But

I could see it in some of the people's eyes. The guilt, the shame.
How could they burn down an entire street of businesses and
expect people to go on with their lives?

People from the alleyway who tried to protect their businesses

were heavily injured and a lot of them who resisted were captured
by the gatekeepers. They said there were casualties involved, but I
couldn't confirm it.

By afternoon, I decided to skip work and head to the bus stop to

Santi's house. I wasn't sure if I had the address right, but there was
only one known McCrain residence in town and the mansion was
located on top of a mountain.

Binaba ako ng bus sa isang maliit na shed, near a gate in front of

an entire road that leads up to the mountain. I looked around. From
where I stood, I could see among the trees the top of a mansion,
gray with dark roofs.

There was no one in the gates, and seeing how far I still had to
walk to reach the mansion made me wonder if it was okay for me
to be there. I peeked through the small window of the guardhouse
and called, "Is anyone here?"

No one answered, but the gates slowly creaked open for me. It
took me a moment before I pulled up the courage to go inside.
Once I passed the gates, my feet swayed and the ground trembled.

I was familiar with the feeling of being transported by magic, pero

nang marating ko ang harapan ng mansion sa itaas ng bundok sa
loob lang ng ilang segundo, hindi ko parin mapigilang mabigla.
With much hesitation, I approached the wooden doors and tapped
my knuckles against the carving of two cranes.

I had never been in the house, but I knew where specific places led,
which room a certain window belonged to. Another instance of
Olivia's memory messing with mine. An unfamiliar face opened the
door for me, a guy years younger than me.

"Sino ka at anong kailangan mo?"

It took me a moment before I was able to answer. My gaze
remained on his face. The young man was injured, a part of his
face was burnt, covered in severe bandages.

"I'm...Olivia Valencourt."

I regretted my words as soon as the young man recognized me. He

opened the doors wide enough, but it wasn't to let me in. Behind
him, inside the cavernous living room, was a dozen people with the
same injuries—burnt arms, wounds in their bodies, faces burnt.

"May Valencourt dito," he announced to the group, voice void

of
emotion.

Their placid faces transformed to rage, like a wave ready to crash

me. They stood up from the couches, glared at my existence with
their injured faces. The madness and loathing in their swollen red
eyes kept me standing in the doorway.

"Nandito ka ba para sabihin kung saan kami nagtatago?" one

demanded.

"Hindi pa ba sapat ang ginawa n'yo sa 'min? Balak mo ba kaming

saktan?"

I stepped back. "I-I'm not..."

One of them took several long strides to reach me and slammed

me against the doorway. My body rattled. Gasping, I tried to push
away the heavy arm crushing my throat, but the man was big

enough, and he was determined to crush me then and there.

"Enough," someone called.

He automatically let me go and I fell down the floor in a

mess.
Marco approached us from the staircase, eyebrows furrowed. He
was equally injured like the rest of them, with blood visible on the
fabric covering his chest.

He grabbed my arm and helped me stand up. "Pinatuloy ko siya

rito."

"Nababaliw ka na ba, Marco?" a woman from the group exclaimed.

"Isa siyang Valencourt!"

"She's the one who tipped us about the encounter. Mas malala ang
inabot natin kundi dahil sa kanya."

His words silenced them, but it didn't make them any less hostile
towards me. My knees wobbled, head nauseous as I brushed my
hand on my swollen throat.

Marco led us away from the crowd in the living room. "This is a
dangerous place for you right now, Olivia Valencourt. Bakit ka
nandito?"
"Gusto ko lang...makita si Santi..."
"That's not possible," maikling sagot niya.
"Please let me see him."

It took Marco a few moments before he sighed and led me to the

second floor. He pushed open one of the doors in the hallway
while I waited, hands cold and trembling.

Inside the room, blood dripped to the wooden floor from the white
bed where Santi was lying, unconscious. Wounds covered his arms,
from his fingers to his shoulder, exposing his flesh. Blood-stained
bandages covered half of his body.

I backed away to the door in silence. "Anong nangyari sa kanya..."

"There were explosions involved in the encounter and the silly kid
tried to save as much of his people as possible. You met them in
the living room. They were the people who used to work for his
father and the family, including me."

Marco closed the door in front of me, preventing me from seeing

more of Santi.

"We have to do something...kailangan natin siyang dalhin sa

infirmary...sa hospital..."

"All health facilities in town are being monitored by the assembly

following the encounter. Pwede itong magtagal nang ilang araw,"
explained Marco. "Yvo can heal himself. His body just needs to
recuperate." Marco faced me, a warning in his voice. "Ikaw ang
kailangang mag-ingat. Hindi namin kontrolado ang mga taong
naapektuhan ng ginawa ng assembly."

"What do you mean?"

"Those who survived the encounter might be searching for

retaliation," he told me. "At ikaw ang isa sa maaaring target nila."

***

Chapter21:Retribution

I had no intention of going back to the assembly. I didn't want to

go out of the dorm. I was having a hard time accepting the reality
of Olivia's situation. I couldn't be her anymore. Was this why she
didn't want to come back?

Alice was getting worried about my lack of intention to go back to

the internship. She kept asking what was wrong, but how could I
tell her? I no longer trusted the academy.

"They might reprimand you, Olivia. They could send a note to the
academy of your performance."

I didn't care. I just lost all the strength to care. How could I stay in a
place that hurt people and acted like they did everyone a favor?
How could they expect people to be okay?

On the third day of not showing up in the internship, it was Liam

who showed up. The dorm keeper rang me in my room and told me
Liam was waiting in the lobby.

"Olivia! Olivia Valencourt!"

I shoved the sheet over my head to avoid hearing her shrill, high
voice. What was the point of talking to someone? Just let me be in
the comfort of my room.

"Olivia!"

After full five minutes of hearing Olivia's name, I tossed the sheet
out of my way and sat up in an aggravated burst. I stood up from
the bed, pulled my messy hair quite forcefully into a ponytail,
grabbed a coat hanging near the door and headed to the staircase
at the end of the hallway, descending with heavy steps.

Liam was all warm and smiling, seated on the couch, waiting for
me. I immediately regretted the annoyance I had felt. I sighed,
calming my nerves before I approached him. Just like Alice, he
wanted me to go back to the internship.

"Your father might hear of this anytime soon." Let him, I silently
answered.

I stared at Liam standing right in front of me. "You're in the spell

monitoring division, right?"

The question was so out of the blue it took Liam a moment

to
answer, "Yes."

"Why did you do it? Bakit n'yo sinunog ang alleyway kasama ang
mga tao rito?"

His thick eyebrows drew together, pursing his lips in a tight line.
"Those people are dangerous for the society, Olivia, and we only
did it for the greater good."

"I don't see people in town being threatened by their existence." My

voice became more sullen as the conversation dragged on. "No
one decides except for the people in the assembly and they call it
greater good?"

Liam's gaze strayed away from me before he heaved a deep,

frustrated sigh. It was the first time I saw him with emotions other

than kind or pleasant or understanding.

"That's the thing about you, Olivia. You give your heart to wrong
places and people who'd do nothing but cause you harm. Those
people are not as innocent as you think they are. They are
criminals. They have records, offenses. They don't deserve to be
part of a stable society like ours."
I shook my head, a bitter smile on my dry lips.

"You're beginning to sound like my father and you know how much
I hate him."

I turned on my heel and headed to the stairs without looking back

at him.

The next day, I decided to return to the assembly to inform them I

would no longer be part of the internship program. But my
resolution dissolved when I found out that father already gave my
superiors a made-up reason for my disappearance.

"He told them you're sick," whispered Alice before we went to our
respective towers.

Sick? Sick in the head, yes. This whole situation was emptying me!
Why did I have to care so much about Olivia's life? I didn't have to
see them again once it was all over...but...I wanted to help them
while I was here.

It took all of my remaining courage and conviction to stay in the

assembly. No matter how disgusted I was of them, I needed to
stay to find out what their next move would be.

I sucked it up, got back to my pending tasks, and remained vigilant

throughout the day. By the time we could go home, I waited for
Alice outside the assembly building, but she came rushing to me
from the lobby.

"Hindi ako makakasabay sa 'yo today," she said, breathless, hands

filled with files and folders. "Ang daming kailangan gawin sa
internals dahil sa gulong nangyari."

"It's fine. Kung ganoon, mauuna na ako."

She tried to wave her poor hand under the file of papers. I walked
to the nearest bus stop and watched the pastel sky slowly turn into
dark. There was nothing in my mind other than my wish to be
home...not in the academy or in the Valencourt mansion...but
home. I didn't want to stay here any longer.

While waiting for the bus, a man stood beside me and tapped my
shoulder. I turned to him, his eyes unfamiliar, red, and staring
directly into mine. He mumbled a few words to my ear, and the
next thing I knew, my knees gave way, my eyes heavy and drifting. I
fell into the stranger's arms.

I woke up hours later with a strange sensation in my head, like it

was heavy and bleeding. My tongue had the distinct metallic taste
of blood in it, and I found my arms tied on my back, around a
column standing tall from the floor to the destroyed ceiling.

I tried to remember how I got here, but my thoughts were all over
the place. The ache in my head like someone just smashed a
hammer into my skull didn't help.

Where was I?
I tried to move, my bare feet brushing against the dirty
floor. I

could barely see anything in the dark, but the ruined part of the
ceiling gave a glimpse of the sky outside littered with gleaming
stars. Gabi na? Paano ako napunta rito?

In the middle of my reverie, I noticed one more thing from

the
barren, dark room. The smell of gasoline. I snapped back in
attention when I heard footsteps approaching me.

"Gising na ang babae..."

There were four of them, each one holding a lit wooden torch. They
stepped closer, faces illuminated by the flame of the torch. Their
faces...all their faces were burnt, skin sagging, dried flesh exposed.
I looked away, unable to witness something so raw and repelling.

"Bakit hindi mo tingnan ang mga mukha namin?" one of them

jeered. "Hindi ka ba masaya sa ginawa ng ama mo sa 'min?"

One of them grabbed my chin to force me to face them. I shut my

eyes tight. The smell of their burnt untreated faces made my eyes
water and my stomach sick.

"How about we send your burnt body to your father's office as a

gift?" someone threatened.

I pulled myself away from the grip of the chain. But the more I tried
to move, the more the chains tightened around my wrist until they
almost cut my skin.

"Bakit n'yo ginagawa 'to? I didn't do anything wrong to any of you!"

"But your father did," a man snickered.

I tried to concentrate despite the madness around me. Magic.

I
needed to use magic. One of the men grabbed me by the face, this
time more harshly.

"'Wag mong subukang gumamit ng kapangyarihan sa harapan

namin," he spat. "The chains will cut your wrist first the moment
they sense magic."

Tears swelled into my eyes. Why...why did I have to be the one to

suffer?

"If this is about the alleyway...I didn't...I never wanted

things to
happen..."

If they only knew how it was eating me inside knowing the people
around me caused the catastrophe, how they went about their
days like they didn't murder or ruin people—the assembly, father,
and even Liam. Was this the society Olivia was supposed to
be
part of?

"I'm sorry..."
"Wala nang magagawa ang sorry mo, Miss."

"You must burn. Just like what your father did to us."

The smell of gasoline I noticed earlier became more potent. From

the corner of the room, two of them carried gallons of gasoline and
spilled everything around the column where I was chained. The
biting smell assaulted my nose, making me gag. The liquid spilled
to the dirty floor towards my feet.

Lips trembling, eyes wide, I watched the person with the lit torch
raise his hand and drop the torch to the gasoline covered floor.
The wave of flamed enveloped us, covering every inch of the floor
around me. My eyes watered, my skin flushed from the heat. I
pulled my feet against the column, away from the flame as much
as I could, curling my toes from away from the raging fire.

They were laughing, mocking me, but my eyes were blocked by the
flames.

"Burn to hell, Valencourt."

This must be it...the exact replica of what they had encountered in

the alleyway. The smoke made my throat dry, the fire burning my
skin. I pulled my wrists away from the chains until they bled, blood
dripping to the inflamed floor.

Was this the end? I couldn't hear their laughs any longer. The fire
was on my toes, my clothes catching flame, hair curling with the
heat. Smoke filled my lungs, and I knew any second now I would
faint. I closed my eyes. Maybe if my life ended as Olivia, I could go

back home.
"Valencourt!"

Someone walked through the flame and pulled me, breaking the
chain into pieces on the floor. I opened my eyes, watery and painful.
I couldn't recognize the person in front of me...but his voice. It
sounded so much like Santi.

"Valencourt, naririnig mo ba ako?"

He was tapping my cheeks, trying to keep me focused. There were

bodies on the floor...of the men who held the torches, of those who
spilled the gasoline...unconscious.

He lifted me up, away from the bodies, away from the heat. He was
gasping, his steps unstable. There was blood on my shoulders, but
it wasn't mine.

"Valencourt, gumising ka..."

I lifted my eyes up to the person staring down at me. His jaw was
clenched, eyes wary.

"Santi..."

"It's me...don't you dare close your eyes on me."

***

ilapahCter22:HingCove

I woke up with pain all over my body and a dry mouth, like I just
came from the desert. I sat up in bed, wandering my eyes around
the room. I shut my eyes tightly, feeling a headache coming. I
looked around for something to relieve the pain and grabbed a

glass of water from the bedside table.

Santi...the thought came to me like a whiplash. The thick blood

coming from him, his ragged breathing while he managed for both
of us to escape. I stood up instantaneously and ended up falling
severely onto the floor with my jellied feet.

"Olivia!"

From the doorway, someone rushed to me, grabbing my arms to

help me regain my balance.

"What are you doing?"

Claudia was in front of me. Relieved to see a familiar face, I

reached out my arms to hug her and almost sobbed, "You're here."

She ushered me back to my bed. "Yes. I was called here to help."

"Nasaan ako?"

"You're in the McCrain mansion."

I blinked, my mind still all over the place. I placed my hand on my

forehead, trying to soothe the throbbing.

"There was a debate where you would stay. You can't go back to
the academy in that condition, much less come home. That's why
you're here."

I touched my face, my arms, discerning the parts I was sure was

caught by the fire. My feet, the soles I could no longer walk with
that night. Even my wrists were perfectly fine. The only thing
changed was the length of my hair. It reached my waist before, and
now the tips barely brushed my shoulders.

"We had to cut it. The rest was badly burnt."

"Kailan pa ako nandito?"

"We treated you for three days."

I rested my hands on my lap. "The people at the alleyway...you

have connections with them, right?" I asked Claudia. "Do you hate
me too, Claudia?"

Claudia sat next to me on the bed. "I'm one of those people who
oppose the assembly. Inaamin ko madalas ako sa alleyway at
kilala ang mga tao dito. But I don't hate you. You see, the alleyway
was supposed to be a safe place for people who have different
opinions from the assembly. Yes, there were unlawful transactions
and most of the people in there had bad records, but they didn't
mess with the townspeople. All they wanted was a change in the
assembly's system...but they burned them down..."

Silence swept over us. I couldn't say more in fear that my tears
would give way. I strayed my eyes from the room to the window
with open shutter, where I could see glimpses of water from a still
lake below the property.

Napansin ni Claudia kung saan ako nakatingin. "Remember when

we almost drowned in the lake after sneaking canoes from the
shed? What were we thinking?"

I remembered the album in Liam's house. The four of

them...soaked, guilt on their faces, mischief in their sparkling eyes.
I could almost see it in Olivia's memory. Giggling at the back of the
trees, dragging the canoes on the dock. I could almost feel the
cold lake floor on my feet, the ripples of the calm waters.

"Sobrang nagalit ang dad mo and we got suspended for a week.

But we still managed to sneak out and play." Claudia laughed. "We
were something, didn't we?"

"Why did we leave Santi behind?"

Claudia's smile faded. She breathed deeply before she answered,

"We didn't know better. We were young, naïve. We placed our
decisions to the adults around us, but we can make our own
decisions now. We could be better persons."

I stared at myself in the mirror that night. It wasn't just Olivia any
longer...I could see myself in front of me now. The hair that was
burnt and cut wasn't made to her, it was made to me. We were one
of the same now.

I stayed in the McCrain mansion for two more days. On my last day,
Marco came to visit my room. He walked inside, a lit cigarette in
hand. He went straight to the windows, opened the latch and
spread the shutters open.

"Kumusta si Santi? Maayos na ba siya?"

In my stay in the mansion, not once did I gather the courage to see
him in his room. I couldn't face him after all the things
I had
caused him. The updates from Marco and Claudia about his
condition were the only things keeping me sane.

"He's better," he said. "Sinabi na ba ni Claudia ang plano

para
makabalik ka?"

"Claudia told me the plan this morning. Ibibigay niya ang

train
ticket mamaya."
"Good."

"C-can I see Santi before I go?"

Marco sighed and took a long drag of the cigarette before flicking
it out of the windowsill. "Kung 'yon ang hiling mo, Olivia Valencourt,
pero kailangan kong sabihin 'to sa 'yo. As long as he puts you first,
he would only drag himself down."

I went to Santi's room bathed in light where he was sleeping

peacefully on his bed, draped in white sheets. He'd been recovering,
his wounds slowly healing, and even in his sleep, he looked more
at ease than the last time I saw him.

I sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to touch him. "I caused you
trouble again, did I?" I whispered. "You must have cared for Olivia a
lot...don't worry, I'll make sure she comes back. Kaya magpagaling
ka, Santi..."

Claudia was waiting for me at the front door of the mansion that

afternoon. She handed me the train ticket to Hailing Cove.

"Nakaabang na si Mrs. Norie sa train station pagdating mo roon,"
paalala niya. " You have to show up in your mother's mansion to
have proof you've been there all this time, alright?"

"I understand."

A black car was waiting for me in the driveway. Claudia waited until
I was inside, secured in my seat, before she waved goodbye from
the McCrain's front door.

From the backseat of the car, I leaned my head against the leather
seat and sighed. The driver was silent in front, driving through the
curving road down the mountains which composed the entire
McCrain property.

I watched the house from the window get smaller as it remained

on top, until all I saw were trees. I caught my reflection on the car's
window and raised my hand to touch the tips of my hair. I was
more determined now...not only as Olivia, but as myself. I needed
to get to the bottom of this before I could go back in my own world.

The train ride was half a day long. I spent the whole time sleeping
alone in my compartment. I woke up hours later in a startle when
the train whistled, signaling our arrival at Hailing Cove. I took my
things and stepped out of the train.

Their station was larger than Cardiff, there were a lot more people
to bump into. I looked up to the hollow cove ceiling while I walked
to the entrance, captivated by the intricate carvings of the sea and
lighthouses.

I followed the bright orange light coming from the large door
archways. The closer I got, the more my nose recognized the whiff
of pleasant saltiness in the air. Finally stepping out of the station, I
was bathed in light from the setting sun and the scenic vastness
of the sea before me. My chest rose and fell as I took a breath,
letting it all in.

"Ms. Olivia."

Mrs. Norie was waiving from a car window. She got out and rushed
to me, unexpectedly embracing me into her soft arms. "Masaya

akong makita kayong maayos."

I tapped her back gently. "I'm glad to see you, Mrs. Norie."

She took my things from my hand and handed them to the driver
waiting at the pavement. Sitting at the backseat of the car, I was
surprised with how progressive Hailing Cove was when it came to
human technology. There were private cars and a lot of buses on
the streets, unlike Cardiff which only had few vehicles mostly
under the assembly's ownership. There were also large ships
docked at the pier just stone throws away from the downtown
streets. People were busy walking, running around, pulling and
pushing wooden boxes for trading.

There were people selling random things on the street—from fresh

catch, fishes, shellfishes, large octopus and pearls on clams to
vases and ceramics, jewelries, paintings and plants. It was a feast
to my eyes watching something so different from what I'd been
seeing in the past months.

"Na-miss mo ba ang bayan?" asked Mrs. Norie beside me. "Taon

na rin ang lumipas mula noong huli kang bumisita rito."

Claudia had told me how they approached Mrs. Norie para

tulungan silang itago ang nangyari sa 'kin. We were afraid father
would never let me out of his sight again if he learned the truth.
That was why they come up with the plan to stay in Hailing Cove
para pagtakpan ang pagkawala ko.

"I'm sorry you had to do this for me," I told Mrs. Norie. "I'm afraid I
might get you into trouble."

She reached for my hand and squeezed it tightly. "Mas importante

ang kapakanan mo, hija. Sinabi ko sa ama mo na kailangan mo ito
because you've been through a lot of stress lately. Ang ama mo,
hindi na siya natuto."

We arrived at a house nearest to the sea, pristine white and

surrounded by greens foliage wrapped around the rocky hills in the
property. It was a gorgeous beach mansion with colorful blue
window shutters and orange roofs.

Was this Olivia's mother's home?

"May mga kaunting pagbabago mula noong huli kang bumisita."

Mrs. Norie smiled. "Pero ito pa rin ang bahay kung saan lumaki ang
iyong ina. Dito rin ako dating nag-trabaho bago ako lumipat sa
mansion ng ama mo."

Once the car arrived at the driveway, the caretakers, an

elderly
couple, and several helpers were waiting to greet us at the front
door. "Ms. Olivia," they gushed, like I was their own daughter or
sister. "Na-miss ka namin."

The environment was the complete opposite of the mansion in

Cardiff where everyone was stiff and scared and tense, especially
when father was around.

"Ms. Olivia, magpahinga muna kayo bago ang hapunan," Mrs. Norie
told me.

I followed the helper to my room at the second floor of the house.

She opened the door for me and set my things on the four-poster
bed. "Ihahanda ko ang pangligo n'yo, Ms. Olivia." She smiled before
heading to the bathroom.

The room was light and pleasant with whitewashed floors, floral
wallpaper on the walls, and exposed beams on the ceiling with
wooden fans, sending a cool breeze to my skin.

I couldn't help but compare this to the room I had in the Valencourt
mansion, where everything was wooden, heavy, and no matter how
large, suffocating.

I walked to the terrace doors beyond the bed and slid the glass to
the side. The sun had completely set in the horizon, giving a tinge
of pastels and pink in the grayish sky. It was nice to get away, even
though it wasn't exactly home.

We had dinner at the dining room with the caretakers. They

prepared lobster dishes, buttered clams, grilled squid, all fresh
from the sea. There were also fruits and fresh-squeezed juices. I
wished I could stay here for a long time...but then I remembered
one of the reasons why we were in Hailing Cove.

"Tomorrow," said Mrs. Norie, "we will visit your mother."

***

Chapter23:Silenced

I woke up the next morning with sunlight behind my eyelids.

Stretching my arms to the air, I opened my eyes to see the room in
the bright morning, with the light spilling to the floor from the
terrace's glass door.

I hadn't slept this peacefully in months. Since I came to this world,

it always felt like I'd been paddling on water to avoid falling into the
deep end and drown.

I changed from my sleeping clothes, splashed my face with warm

water from the bathroom, brushed my teeth and combed my short
hair, staring at myself in the mirror.

I headed downstairs where servants greeted me with pleasant

smiles. "Good morning, Ms. Olivia. Naghihintay na si Mrs. Norie sa
patio para mag-breakfast."
I headed to the patio at the side of the mansion facing the beach.
Garden chairs were set up and an array of food was laid in a long
driftwood table, while the waves lapped the shore in the distance.

We ate our food together, talking about the town and where we
were heading for the day. But I was too preoccupied by the
vastness of the sea a few steps from us.

"What's that?"

Beyond the foliage of the mansion, on the right side of the shore,
something was situated on top of a cliff facing the sea. It looked
like a tower or lighthouse.

Mrs. Norie followed my far-away gaze.

"Dati itong sentinel building pero abandunado na ngayon. There

were discussions decades ago that the sentinel and the assembly
building should be located in Hailing Cove dahil mas malaki at
progressive ito kaysa sa Cardiff."

"Bakit nila pinili ang Cardiff?" tanong ko. "It's basically located in
the middle of a forest."

"Dahil sa academy." Mrs. Norie sipped tea from her colorful cup.
"Mirren Academy is the only institution more powerful than the
assembly."

A black dress was sitting on top of the bed when I came back to
my room after breakfast. I took a short shower and put on the
dress. While tying the laces of my shoes, I glanced at the picture

frame on the bedside table.

I noticed it last night when I was about to sleep. It was a picture of

a mother holding a child on the beach, the setting sun behind them.

I recognized the mother's face as Olivia's mother. I'd seen the

same picture in her room at the Valencourt mansion a few months
back. I picked up the frame from the table and softly brushed my
thumb on the glass. Olivia's mother looked ethereal. Soft dark hair,
bright almond eyes, and a young beaming smile.

I arrived downstairs where Mrs. Norie was waiting for me at the

doorway. She was also completely dressed in black. We headed to
the driveway where the car was waiting for us.

"Is it far?" I asked Mrs. Norie in the car while we passed by nearby
beach houses.

"It's on the hills, Ms. Olivia."

We passed by the pier, beyond downtown, where people were as

lively as ever. They were hailing big fishes from the boats and
greeting the arrival of the people from overnight fishing in the sea.

After a good twenty minutes, we arrived at the rolling hills beyond

the cliff I was staring at during breakfast. The car halted at the
edge of the hill, only a few meters from a path surrounded by
shrubs and prickly plants.

"Kailangan na nating maglakad mula rito, Ms. Olivia."

Now I understood why they let me wear shoes instead of sandals

with the dress. We walked a few meters up the hill, gravel and
stones crunching below our feet. The morning wasn't too hot, and
the breeze from the sea made the walk enjoyable than tiring. But
the more I approached the hilltop, the more my stomach
succumbed to a familiar sullen feeling.

There were gravestones on the way to the top, but as though I'd
been here a dozen times, I knew which one we were heading to.
The one below a sea grape tree.

Mrs. Norie placed the bouquet of fresh daisies on the gravestone.

"Ms. Vivian, kumusta ka na?" She brushed away the dried leaves
near the grave. "Nandito ang anak mo para bisitahin ka."

I wasn't supposed to feel anything. This woman in front of me was

nothing to me. I'd never seen her nor heard her voice, but the sullen
feeling on my stomach completely reached my chest, making it
hard to breathe.

Mommy! Mommy look at these shells. They're so pretty.

Wow, my Olivia is so good. Let's show it your father.
"Ms. Olivia?"

I snapped out of my thoughts. Once again, Olivia's memories

flashed in my head without warning.

"Why did...Mom die?"

Mrs. Norie stared at me, quite surprised by my question. I caught

myself right away and backpedaled before she noticed something

strange. "Bakit kailangan niyang mawala?"

Mrs. Norie seems to understand my sentiment. "Tinatanong ko din

'yan minsan sa sarili ko. Your mother was a kind soul. She never
hurt anyone. Lagi niyang pinaglalaban ang sa tingin niya ay tama.
She risked her life for others a dozen times...until she became the
victim of the people who opposed the assembly."

"Did they...did they kill her?"

"She was poisoned...nainom niya ang lason na para sa iyong ama."

My hands weakened. I sat on the grass beside the grave.

"Nailigtas sana siya kung nadala agad siya sa infirmary o hospital.

Pero hindi ito napansin ng iyong ama. He was busy gaining the
approval of the people in the assembly back then." Mrs. Norie
brushed the gravestone with her wrinkled hand, resting it on my
mother's engraved name. "Sampung taon ka palang noon, Ms.
Olivia. Your father became one of the heads of the assembly the
same year you lost your mother."

We stayed on the hill until the sun was high up above, signaling
noon. On our way down, we passed two several bouquets of fresh
flowers placed on two gravestones. I glanced at the carved names
on the stones and stopped walking.

Simon McCrain and Yvonne McCrain.

"McCrain..." I faced Mrs. Norie. "Santi's parents?"

"Tama ka, hija." We approached the gravestone, giving our respect

by brushing away the scattered dried leaves from the previous
bouquets. "Ang mama mo at si Ms. Yvonne, magkasama silang
lumaki sa bayan na ito. Para silang magkapatid."

Her lips curved into a half smile.

"Noong namatay ang mag-asawa six years ago, hiniling ng pamilya

na dito sila ilibing. The town welcomed them back and mourned
for them. Hangang ngayon naniniwala ang mga tao na hindi
magagawa ng mag-asawa ang bintang sa kanila."

"They why...why were they persecuted?"

Mrs. Norie faced me and placed her bony hand on my cheek. "Dahil
madami na silang alam tungkol sa assembly na hindi maaaring
malaman ng ibang tao. They were a powerful couple. One
comment from them would sway the public's interest. That's why
the assembly decided to silence them."

"Anong mga bagay ang alam nila?" At alam din kaya ni Santi ang
mga ito?

"'Yon lang ang alam ko, hija."

We were back in the beach mansion hours later, but my thoughts

remained with the McCrains. Something as disgusting as
persecuting innocent people could only be done by the assembly.
There might even be people out there who knew things about them
but were scared to talk and risk their lives.

"Halimaw ka! Kayo ng buo mong pamilya!"

The familiar words rang in my ears. The lady with the rotten
eggs...could she be one of them?

Mrs. Norie and I were back in Cardiff the next day. We were picked
up by one of my father's staff from the train station with a waiting
car to make sure I wasn't lying, that I was indeed in Hailing Cove.

I was brought back to the academy while Mrs. Norie had to go

back to the Valencourt mansion. I hugged her tight before the car
drove away. "I wish I could let you stay in Hailing Cove with the
others. You're so much happier in there."

She chuckled against my chest. "Kailangan ako rito. Ingatan mo

ang sarili mo, Ms. Olivia."
"I'll visit you soon."

I watched them from the dorm's front door until the car completely

deserted the driveway.

"Olivia!"

Alice ran hastily and clumsily towards me from the stairs, I was
afraid she might fall.

"Where have you been, you horrible person!" She sounded like a kid
wailing. But I missed her, I really did. "Hello? You could have left a
message for me that you were in your mother's hometown. I was
so worried—wait, what happened to your hair?"

Tumigil siya sa sunod-sunod na tanong para pagmasdan ako. She

walked around me with a frown on her face like a bird observer
without the telescope.

"I had a haircut in Hailing Cove. Pretty, right?"

"Hmm." She folded her arms in front of her chest. "There's

something really different about you other than the haircut. You
look...how do I say this? More like your old self."

"My old self?"

Alice shrugged. "You've been kinda lost and not the usual
confident Olivia in the past months...so I was thinking maybe you
were just stressed out. But now you look more like yourself. The
visit to your mother's town did you good."

Or maybe...because I knew better now. I'd been through hell. I'd

discovered things. I knew what I was here for and which side I
should take.

I waited for things to settle down before I decided to visit

the
sentinel the next day.

It was mid-morning when I arrived at the building. The place didn't

change from the outside, it still gave me the nerve-racking feeling
of being watched, like eyes all over the building, observing my
every movement.

There were several guards at the main door, but I'd learned ways to
make this name useful. When they asked my purpose for visiting

the sentinel, I only had few words for them.

"I'm a Valencourt."

Their harsh and loud approach completely changed once they

confirmed I was telling the truth. They opened the door widely for
me, giving me access to all of the cells in the building while jail
guards guided me.

"This one," I told them.

We were in the woman's section of the building and I finally found
her. The guard banged the rails with a metal bat, startling the
woman sleeping at the corner of the dark cell room.

"May bisita ka!" sigaw ng guard.

The woman refused to move from her thin bed. She deliberately
blocked the noise by placing a pillow against her ear.

"Hoy, naririnig mo ba ako—"

"It's okay," I cut him off. "Could you leave us for a few minutes?"

"Pasensya na, Ms. Valencourt, pero hindi ka namin maaaring iwan

nang mag-isa," stated the guard. "Nasa dulo lang kami ng hallway
kung kailangan mo ng tulong."

It was enough distance for me so I agreed. Once they left, I faced

the woman inside the cell. "I'm Olivia Valencourt," I whispered.
"Pwede ba kitang makausap?"

"Ano pa bang kailangan n'yo sa 'kin?" she hissed, voice dry and
weak.

"I want to help you."

There was a brief pause as silence swept us both. I thought she

was going to give in, but she remained in her position. "Hindi ko
kailangan ng tulong mula sa katulad mo."

"Can you please tell me what happened to your husband? You want
justice for him, don't you?"

She sat up so suddenly I almost took a step back in surprise. She

gritted her teeth, her palms in a tight fist, crumpling the
sheets.
"Justice? Galing sa 'yo? 'Wag mo akong patawanin. Pinatay siya ng
assembly, naiitindihan mo ba?"

"How?" I insisted. "I need to know."

"Para saan?!" She took long strides on the floor with her thin,
knobby feet, and faced me with raging eyes that had lost rest for a
long time. "Pinaglalaruan n'yo ba kami? Dahil ba hindi namin
kayang lumaban kaya tinatrato n'yo kami nang ganito?"

Umiling ako, trying to contain my emotions in front of the woman.

"I just want this...all of this...to stop. Kailangan ko ng tulong mo
para pigilan ang assembly sa mga susunod pa nilang plano. That's
why I need your help."

Despite the madness in her eyes, her voice softened. "Alam mo

bang lahat ng salitang binibitawan mo sa lugar na ito ay maaaring
malaman ng assembly?"

"I know..." I took a deep breath. "I will keep you safe, I promise."

"Ikaw ang sinasabihan ko. Wala na silang mapapala sa 'kin. Kung

mamatay man ako, mas gugustuhin ko pa. Pero ikaw, maaari kang
makulong sa ginagawa mo."

I gave her a half smile. "My father won't lay down orders against
me dahil hindi niya gustong madungisan ang pangalan niya," I
assured her, even though I wasn't confident myself. "Kaya hindi mo
kailangang magalala."

The woman fell on the floor. At first I thought she had lost balance,
but then she stared at me from the floor, voice raw, eyes vacant.
"Isa ang asawa ko sa mga taong pangarap magtrabaho sa
assembly mula noong nagkaisip siya. Pero hindi siya magaling na
estudyante o galing sa marangyang pamilya."

I sat on the floor in front of her, silently listening.

"Pero kahit paano, nakuha niya ang pangarap niya. Nagtrabaho

siya bilang utility sa assembly nang ilang taon with no hopes of

climbing up. Pero ilang buwan na nakalipas inalok sila na maging

parte ng isang proyekto. Pinangakuan sila ng mas magandang
posisyon kapag naging successful ito." She smiled bitterly. "Ang
sabi niya, baka 'yon na ang chance na hinihintay niya. Tatlong
buwan na siya sa proyektong 'yon nang bigla akong tinawagan ng
assembly isang araw."

Tears started to collect at the corners of her eyes. I

swallowed
thickly.

"Ang sabi nila nagkaroon ng aksidente sa project na nagresulta sa

casualties. Isa roon ang asawa ko. Ibinalik siya sa 'kin nang wala
ng buhay. Wala siyang galos, walang ano mang sugat. But he was
lifeless, soulless...madami akong tanong pero walang sagot na
nanggaling sa assembly. Instead, they processed the monetary
compensation as if it was the answer I needed."

She stared at me with swollen eyes and pushed herself closer to

me, scratching her knees against the cold floor. She reached out
for my hand. "Sinabi ito ng asawa ko bago siya umalis noong araw
ng aksidente pero walang naniniwala sa 'kin."

I held her hand, gripping it tight to let her know I was

listening.
"What is it?"

"The assembly is working on a forbidden spell."

***

Chapter24:TheTesters

Hindi ako matahimik dahil sa nalaman ko. A forbidden spell...by

the assembly? The statement sounded bizarre to my own ears,
pero hindi magsisinungaling si Lira, ang babaeng binisita ko sa
sentinel building. Ngayong alam ko na ang hinahanap ko, kailangan

kong malaman ang totoo.

I went back to the assembly after an entire week of not attending
the internship. People stared at me blatantly, wondering where the
hell I'd been. Other interns would have been kicked out if they did
the same thing, but there was protection and security that came
with the name Valencourt.

I sat on my desk for the first time in days. Kinuha ko agad ang mga
research papers na naiwan ko. I skimmed through the documents
to gather clues, but they were all about the healing properties of
time spell. Was there something I missed?

From the corners of my eyes, I ended up watching the people in the

tower. Everyone was busy, which was normal. Ang research
division lang ang may facility to make spells in the entire assembly
building. Parte ba ng project ang mga taong nakapaligid sa 'kin?

My eyes darted to the corridor at the far side of the tower. Except
for the observation room, ito ang natatanging lugar sa tower na
hindi ko pwedeng puntahan. Sometimes, the other employees
disappeared in those rooms for an entire day.

I needed to know what was inside those rooms.

I made up an excuse for the head of the division to allow me to

work overtime. All I needed to say was I would like to make up for
my absences. He didn't think of it as a big deal. While the other
staff packed their things, I remained on my desk, waiting for them
to go.

But it wasn't only me who thought of working overtime. It was

pretty common in the research division for people to work beyond
their call of duty. There were at least four people in the tower with
me, working until almost midnight. I acted like I was working my
ass off with my research and when finally, they decided to end the
day, they asked me kung sasabay ako sa kanila.

"I'll head to my father's office after this," I told them. It was enough
reason for them to leave me alone in the tower. I waited for silence
to settle before I made my way through the narrow corridor. From
my pocket, I fished out one of father's old ID cards sitting in his
study at the Valencourt mansion. I knew it would come in handy.

I placed the ID on the scanner, and it released the bolted locks on

the door. If there was one place in the assembly that could
practice forbidden spells, it would be behind these doors.

I pushed open the heavy metal door with my body. Nothing. In front
of me was a black void of nothingness, like the room itself made
me suddenly blind. I reached out my hand inside the room.
Cold...with no signs of life.

Was this the right room? I opened several more doors but they
appeared the same. A void. I didn't have much time to debate
whether or not I was in the right place. I would know once I went
inside. What was I even scared of?

I took a deep breath, like I was about to plunge in deep waters, and
pushed myself inside.
I thought I had fallen. There was no floor, no concrete structure
inside the room.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I did was grip the floor I was
sitting on. Solid, good. I roamed my eyes inside the room while I
stood up. Now in front of me was the real room.

The room was as huge as the research tower itself with a strange
thing inside. A platform. It was smack dab in the middle of
the
floor with a cylinder barrier surrounding it. My eyes followed where
the cylinder ended and I stumbled on my feet.

Near the ceiling, above the surface of the platform, was a single
floating person. Lifeless.

I took a step back, hands clasped tightly against my mouth. I

couldn't move, my hands were cold yet sweating. I took several
careful steps toward a brass signage near the platform.

Tester 3. Paddock 6.

My mouth was dry and my mind was roaring blank pagbalik ko sa

dormitory noong gabing 'yon. Ni hindi ko namalayan kung paano
ako nakalabas ng research tower. In my mind was a single image.
The floating body...tulad ng sinabi ni Lira tungkol sa asawa niya.
Lifeless. Soulless.

I barely had any sleep for the rest of the night. Pagdating
ng

umaga, lumabas agad ako sa kwarto para puntahan si Claudia sa

kwarto niya. After an entire minute of knocking, Claudia opened the
door mid-yawn, ready to smack me in the face for waking her up so
early in the morning.

"What?" she mumbled, eyes still half-sleep. "This better

be
important, Olivia..."

I already predicted Claudia's mood. Her sleep was her top priority.
When I came back from Hailing Cove a few days ago, she was
taking a nap, having no idea I had arrived.

"This. Is. Important," I hissed, emphasizing every word.

She yawned once more before nodding. "Give me a minute."

I waited outside. A few minutes later, she came out of the room
with a more presentable appearance in a black robe and her hair in
a ponytail, far from her earlier bedhead and pajamas.

I pulled her arms down the staircase, the empty lobby, and the
garden outside with grass glistening under the first rays of the sun,
wet with dew from the previous night.

"Dito talaga?" nakataas ang kilay na tanong ni Claudia.

"Someone might hear us inside."
She sighed. "Okay, spill the beans."

"Claudia...I think the assembly is working on a forbidden spell. I

saw everything last night in the research tower...there were testers
and lifeless people..."

Claudia clasped both of my shoulders with her hands. "Calm down,

Olivia."

I closed my eyes for a second and inhaled deeply. She was right, I
was too troubled and anxious since last night that my words were
sounding incoherent.

"I just don't understand why...why would they recreate the same
mistake?" I noticed Claudia's face...the indifference, the lack of
surprise. "You knew about it?"

"Alam ito ng ilang tao sa alleyway."

"Since when? Is that why...the assembly tried to burn them alive?"

"We don't know their exact reason. Maybe they're just fed up
dealing with the place," she said to me. "But the spell they're
working on...was the same spell that sent Santi's parents to their
death."

***

Chapter25:Files

The words from Claudia was something I couldn't comprehend. I

couldn't accept. If it were a crime to create a forbidden spell, bakit
ito ginagawa ng assembly?

Para kanino? Para saan? Was father a part of it, too?

I tried to talk to father matapos ang mga nalaman ko. But for the
entire week, he was in Hailing Cove kasama ang iba pang
matataas na officials ng assembly.

What were they planning?

Two days after learning the truth, I browsed through the files in the
research tower. I made it look like I was busy with my tasks and
research, pero ibang bagay ang hinahanap ko. I went from book to
book and every file and document related to what happened six
years ago until I found what I was looking for.

Dinala ko agad ito sa observation room para walang ibang

makakita sa 'kin. Doon ko inisa-isang basahin ang lahat ng
nakasulat hanggang marating ko ang huling page ng folder. The

part of observation was in red highlights.

The healing spell had properties that can alter time. And since any
alteration of natural phenomenon such as passage of time was
forbidden, Santi's father, Simon McCrain had reported and
requested to halt the project.

Napatitig ako sa huling page ng papel. Santi's father wanted to

stop the project. So why were they persecuted? Why was the
assembly recreating the same spell that caused their death? Isang
bagay ang napagtanto ko at halos mabitawan ko ang folder sa
malamig na sahig. Did the assembly want the forbidden spell to be
in their hands all this time?

The same day, I decided to meet with Marco after my internship at

the assembly. Nagkita kami sa town square, malapit sa may
fountain kung saan ko siya unang nakilala kasama si Santi. We
were seated on two connecting benches, nakatalikod sa isa't isa to
avoid the risk of being watched upon.

"I know everything," I told him while watching kids play at a nearby
park. "I know the truth about Santi's parents and the incident from
six years ago. I know that you and Santi are both aware of the spell
the academy is working on."

"Tama ka," he replied. "At ilang beses na rin namin

itong
sinubukang pigilan."

I bit my lip, trying to contain my emotions para masabi ang lahat

ng dapat kong sabihin. "The spell was from the McCrain's research
from six years ago na sinubukan niyang itigil. You were one of the

researchers, too."

"Tama ka ulit," sinabi niya. "It was supposed to be a healing spell

using time alteration magic. It's the family's field of expertise. Pero
may nadiskubre sila sa gitna ng research—the possibility to control
time, which we all know is forbidden. Pinatigil ni Simon ang
research, pero nakarating na ang resulta sa ilang mga tao sa
assembly. They wanted to push through with the project and
continue to conceal it as healing spell, believing it could be one of
the most powerful spells ever created."

"But why? If it's so dangerous to be considered forbidden, why

would they want it?"

"Power, Olivia. With a spell that could alter time, every mistake
could be rewritten, every error could be corrected, every war could
be won over. Sinubukan ni Simon na i-report ito sa pinakamataas
na authority ng mundong ito, ang Magic Council, pero namatay
siya kasama ang asawa bago niya pa ito nagawa."

My hands trembled on my lap. "But they say the couple committed

suicide..."

"At iwan si Santi Yvo nang mag-isa? Hindi nila magagawa 'yon."

Sumandal si Marco sa bench at tumingala sa langit. "Mula noon,

wala nang ginawa ang batang 'yon kundi kalabanin ang assembly
at patunayan na inosente ang mga magulang niya. He gathered a
following of loyal people, including me. Ilang beses siyang naging
target ng assembly dahil sa mga alam niya at ginagawa niya."
My hands slowly clasped my mouth as tears brimmed on my eyes.

"But they were never successful because the kid was a survivor."

"May paraan ba para masira ang spell? Can we stop it from

happening?" namamag-asang tanong ko.

"There's no way."

Natulala ako. It was so out of Marco's attitude to say something so

negatively.

"Madami na kaming sinubukang paraan, pero hindi namin ito

tuluyang masira. They are people that the assembly used as
hostages which hold the spell's power. Destroying the spell means
killing them. We may act like monsters, but we're no killer."

Hostages? Did he mean the testers?

"Only a McCrain can create and cast a spell as powerful as a time

spell," Marco added. "They tried to imitate the composition of the
spell by using years of research. But what they're working on isn't
even a time spell...just pure destruction."

Hindi ko napigilan na humarap sa kanya. "Hahayaan n'yo ba itong

mangyari?"

Nakita ko ang ngiti sa labi ni Marco. "Santi Yvo would never let it
happen. Isang taon niya ring pinag-aralan ang spell na ito, and he's
creating his own forbidden spell."

Tuluyan kong binuksan ang bag na dala ko. Maingat kong nilabas
ang files mula rito—ang dahilan kung bakit ko pinatawag si Marco
para makausap.

"This can help him." I handed the files to Marco. "It could help
prove his parents' innocence. It has all the details of the research
from six years ago including how his father requested to stop the
project...it's all in there."

"This could ruin your family once it's exposed."

Huminga ako nang malalim bago pilit na ngumiti. "It's been long
ruined."

Noong gabing 'yon matapos makausap si Marco, nakatunghay ako

sa labas ng bintana habang natutulog si Alice sa kabilang bed at
binabalutan ng katahimikan ang buong campus.

Pinagmasdan ko ang langit at ang mga bituin. At least we had

something in common with the normal world—we had the same
sky. Wala akong takot na nararamdaman. Walang pagaalinlangan
sa ginawa ko.
I did the right thing.

Kinabukasan, mabilis na kumalat ang balita sa assembly.

Someone had breached the non-disclosure agreement of the
interns and the files had been compromised. Naging usap-usapan
ito buong araw that even Alice was worried who could it be.

It was me.

Bandang hapon nang sunduin ako ng ilang gatekeepers sa

research tower. Looked like father had enough of me at
kinailangan na niyang gumawa ng paraan para patahimikin ako.
The gatekeepers placed handcuffs on my wrists while reading my
sanction. Hindi makapaniwala ang mga taong nakapaligid sa 'kin.

"Why would she do that?"

"Why would she ruin her father and the assembly?"

Kusa akong sumama sa mga gatekeepers paalis ng building.

Bawat taong madaanan ko napapatingin sa 'kin at bubulong sa
kasama. Alice was running after me at the lobby, tears staining her
face.

"Hindi totoo 'yon, 'di ba?" tanong niya habang pilit siyang nilalayo
ng gatekeepers mula sa 'kin. "Olivia, tell me they're wrong. You
didn't do such thing!"

Pilit lang akong ngumiti bago ako tuluyang hinila ng gatekeeper at

nawala sa paningin ni Alice.

***

Chapter26:Poisoned

I was taken to the sentinel building. I expected to be put in a cell

for women prisoners just like Lira, but instead, I was dragged to
the highest floor of the building where the cells were decent rooms,
just like in the dormitory.

Father's secretary was waiting for me in front of my designated

room.

"Does father know?" I asked her.

"Yes," she answered, sounding professional, still. "It's better for you
to stay here for the meantime, Ms. Olivia. You don't have to worry.
They know who you are and would never cause you harm while
you're in here."

I'd rather have the punishment.

The secretary made sure my room was comfortable enough and

all the things I needed were provided before she left. The room
was actually decent. There was a bed, a drawer and desk, and I had
my own bathroom and sink. Food came and went through the lady
serving the meal for me. A gatekeeper would roam the corridor
every now and then while I remained in my room bolted with locks.
One could never use magic inside the building and everything had
to be dealt with in the traditional way

For the entire day, I sat on my bed, refusing to touch my food. I

was aching to move, to do something, to tell my father I only did
the right thing. But for the meantime, I had to rely my hope on the
people around me like Santi.

The next day, there was a knock on my door. I saw Claudia from
the small glass window.

"Alice told me you're here," she told me from behind the door.
"She's been crying nonstop since she arrived in the dorm yesterday.
She was also restricted by the assembly to visit. Actually, no one is
allowed to visit you."

"But you're here."

"My stupid stepbrother works here, remember? I had to bribe him

to let me in," she whispered. "Look, alam na ni Santi na nandito ka
and he's going to get you out of here."

"No," I said almost immediately. I inched closer to the locked door

for Claudia to hear me better. "Listen to me, Claudia. Don't let him
waste his time saving me."

"What are you saying?"

"They've completed the spell, Claudia," I told her. "Three days from
now, they would cast the spell for the first time in front of the
officials and people involved and invested in the project."

"Three days? That would be on the town's foundation day. People

from different towns would be here to celebrate. What are they
even thinking?"

"They don't know the scope of the spell they've created. That's why
Santi has to hurry with his plan. There's no time for him to deal
with anything else."

"I will tell him everything you just said." There was a pause before
she asked, "Are you sure you're okay here?"

"You don't have to worry about me," I assured her. "I'm a

Valencourt. No one can hurt me."

On the third day of my stay in the sentinel building, I started to feel

unwell. I had cold sweat all over my body and I couldn't breathe
properly. I tried to stand up from the bed and look for cold water or
anything to replenish the thirst I was feeling, but there was nothing
in the room.

Pumunta ako sa pintuan para kunin ang atensyon ng rumurondang

gatekeeper. It took me twenty minutes of waiting near the door
before someone showed up. I asked for a cold drink, panting, and
he left me to call the lady who served my food.

A few minutes later, the lady came. She had her tray with a pitcher
of cold water and a clear glass. Nagsalin siya ng tubig para sa 'kin
at pinanood kung paano ko ito ubusin. "Are you okay?"

I heard her question, but I was too out of it to reply. What was this
feeling? It was like I had a fever, but my heart was beating too fast
to let me breathe properly.

"Was it good?"

Good? Was she referring to the water? I turned my blurry sight on

her and notice the wicked smile on her lips. She said something to
me, but I couldn't fully understand.

"My son, my beloved only son, used to work in the assembly...but a

project killed him."

Umiikot ang paningin ko. After putting the glass back to the tray,
inalalayan niya akong humiga sa kama dahil wala na akong
natitirang lakas.

"You must be tired, Ms. Valencourt. Mabuti pang magpahinga ka

na."

That night, I was couching nonstop. It was past midnight nang

pinilit kong bumangon sa kama para pumunta sa sink. I was
clasping my mouth all the way through. When I reached the sink, I
let go of my mouth and saw blood on my palm.

I gripped the sink and stared at myself in the mirror. My vision

lacked focus. I couldn't even recognized the face I was staring at.
Muli akong napahawak sa sink nang makaramdam ng
pagsusuka...all over the white tiles, I vomited blood. Biglang
bumalot ang takot sa 'kin nang maalala ang isang bagay.

Olivia's mother...died of poison.

I lost grip of the sink, my eyes rolling backwards. Pinilit kong

makapunta sa pintuan para humingi ng tulong. But no one was
around. The entire corridor was silent when I slowly fell onto the
floor with a thud.

***

Chapter27:Choice

Third Person POV

Santi's fist formed into a ball, his knuckles white, matapos marinig
ang sinabi ni Claudia. They were all in the living room of the
McCrain mansion and Claudia just told him about Olivia's situation
at the sentinel.
"She told me to assure you she's fine," Claudia confirmed. "She
wants you to push through with your plan and not waste your time
saving her."

Hindi nakapagsalita si Santi. He stepped back bago humugot nang

malalim na hininga. He cursed under his breath. Kanina pa siya
nagpipigil na sumugod sa sentinel building and destroy everything
in his sight.

"Olivia's stronger than you think, Santi," Marco offered from the
couch. "Hindi mo kailangang mag-alala sa kanya. She knows what
she's doing."

Hindi gusto ni Santi ang mga naririnig niya. Mula noong nalaman
niya na nasa sentinel building si Olivia ay hindi na siya makasalita
nang maayos. He'd been looking after her for years, making sure
she was safe, only to learn that she was tagged as a criminal by
her own father. Damn all of them.

"Focus on the plan, Yvo," paalala sa kanya ni Marco. "Kung totoo

ang sinabi ni Olivia, halos wala na tayong oras para paghandaan
ang paggamit nila ng spell."

Santi left the two in the living room. He'd been prone to letting his

temper slip, pero sa pagkakataon na ito, kailangan niyang

kumalma. Kung ito ang gusto ni Olivia, gagawin niya ang lahat para
matapos ang gulo para mapuntahan niya agad ito.

He went to the back of the mansion where an old room of his

father resided. Pumasok siya ito para muling perpektuhin ang
paggamit ng spell na isang taon na niyang pinag-aralan. A
forbidden spell required not only years, but decades of research,
manifestation, and endless trial and errors. His hope relied on his
skills to control the energies of the spell. Dahil kung hindi,
matutulad lang ito sa iba na kapahamakan ang dulot.

Back in the living room, walang nagawa si Marco kundi bumalik sa

pagkakasandal sa couch sabay buntonghininga. He knew how
much Santi was restraining himself not to wreak havoc in the
sentinel building, pero hindi ito ang tamang oras.

They had submitted the files from six years ago to the Magic
Council tulad ng suggestion ni Olivia sa kanya. It could reopen the
case and prove the innocence of the McCrains. Pero mukhang
natunugan ng assembly ang plano nila kaya pinili nilang ilabas ang
spell nang mas maaga.

They could no longer destroy a spell that had already been

completed. Ang tanging magagawa na lang nila ay ang bawasan o
baliktarin ang epekto nito. That was what Santi was trying to do—a
reversal spell. Sana lang ay makaabot ito.

The day of the town's foundation week came. The program would
take place in one of the academy's dimensional room in the
training ground. All the officials involved in the creation of the spell
would be there...along with certain officials from the academy.
An invitation laid on Santi's desk, addressed to the
fourth
headmaster of Mirren Academy. Ang alam ng karamihan, the
assembly would introduce a healing spell, a new breakthrough for
spell users. Pero malayo ito sa iniisip nila.

Sa bayan, patuloy ang pagdating ng mga tao mula sa tatlong

bayan. There are people from Penshaw, Hailing Cove, and Belltale.
From these towns, train tickets to Cardiff were free to celebrate
the town's foundation day. No one knew the immediate effect of
the makeshift spell the assembly had made. Lahat ay malalaman
ngayong araw.

"Mukhang handa ka na."

Suot ni Santi ang itim na regalia para sa headmaster pagbaba niya

ng hagdan. Isa ito sa hindi inaasahan na makita ni Marco dahil
biglaan lang ang lahat, maging ang pagtanggap ni Santi sa
responsibilidad ng headmaster para lang sa plano niyang pigilan
ang assembly sa paggamit ng forbidden spell.

"You remind me of your father tuwing suot niya ang bagay na 'yan,"
puna ni Marco habang pinagmamasdan ang noon ay bata lamang
na ibinilin sa kanya ni Simon, at wala siyang kamalay-malay na 'yon
na ang huling pagkikita nila.

Look at how far your son had come, gusto niyang sabihin sa boss
at matalik na kaibigan. Tama nga ang sinabi ni Simon sa kanya
noon. "My son would be greater than me."

Paalis na sila sa mansion nang isa sa mga tao ni Santi ang

humahangos na nagdala ng balita.

"Yvo...Olivia Valencourt had been poisoned."

The immediate change from Santi was felt by Marco. Agad niyang
hinawakan ito sa balikat upang pakalmahin. "Yvo," he warned, pero
alam niyang hindi na ito nakikinig.

"I need to see her."

"I know you do. But the program is about to start and we have no
time. You need to be there o lahat ng plano natin masisira."
Nakakuyom ang palad ni Santi sa harapan niya. The glass windows
on the living room started to shatter.

"I need to know if she's alright."

"N-nasa hospital siya sa bayan sa mga oras na ito," alanganin na

sabi ng tauhan.

"She's gonna be alright, Yvo," said Marco. "You can see her after
we fix this chaos."

Santi didn't say anything. Marco was afraid he had completely lost
focus on their plan. Bata pa lang sila, Santi had been looking out
for Olivia, making sure she was safe in any place or
situation—without the latter knowing.
Now Santi had to endure not going to her when she needed him
the most. If he chose Olivia tonight, the entire town of
Cardiff
would be sacrificed.

At the hospital, Mrs. Norie was filled with anxiety and fear since
she was told in a phone call thirty minutes ago that Olivia
was
found unconscious in her room at the sentinel building. The doctor
said she had been poisoned continuously for three days and it had
affected her entire body.

Poisoned. The dark memories from years ago came flashing

through Mrs. Norie's head. It was the same thing that had
happened to Olivia's mother and she was afraid Olivia was going to
suffer the same fate.

She stared at the bed where Olivia was unconscious and

continually bleeding from the inside because of the poison. The

doctor said it was a powerful one deemed to kill.

Lumabas si Mrs. Norie sa kwarto at huminga nang malalim. There

was an important event in town today. Olivia's father had been
preparing for it for years, pero kailangan niyang malaman ang
nangyayari sa anak niya bago pa mahuli ang lahat.

Mrs. Norie reached the assembly building using the family car.
Dumeresto siya sa loob, passing by guards who recognized her as
the Valencourt's house manager. Nasalubong niya si Mr. Liecester
sa lobby na may inaabangan.

"Nandito po ba si Mr. Valencourt?" tanong niya.

"What do you need him for?" the man automatically replied.

"Ang anak niya...Ms. Olivia was poisoned. Nasa hospital siya

ngayon."

Tumaas ang kilay ni Mr. Liecester, pero wala ang gulat sa kanyang
mukha. "Ako na ang magsasabi sa kanya. You don't have to worry.
Balikan mo na ang pasyente."

Nagalangan si Mrs. Norie na umalis. Ngunit nanatiling nakabantay

sa lobby si Mr. Liecester hanggang sa tuluyan siyang lumabas at
bumalik sa sasakyan.

Once the car was out of Mr. Liecester's sight, he fixed the cuffs of
his sleeves, taking his time. Naglakad siya sa hagdan pabalik sa
opisina kung saan siya galing kanina.

Pumasok siya at nadatnan na naghahanda na sa pag-alis ang ama

ni Olivia para sa program. Lumukot ang mukha ni Mr. Liecester at
malungkot na ipinahayag, "I have bad news for you, Oliver. Nasa
hospital ngayon si Olivia. She was poisoned at the sentinel
building."

Nabitawan ni Mr. Valencourt ang kanyang mga gamit sa mesa. Tila

sandali siyang nahilo bago muling tumayo nang maayos. "Mr.
Valencourt," reminded her secretary near the door. "You must
attend the program. The spell must be vested in your possession."

But Mr. Valencourt was no longer listening. Kinuha niya ang coat
sa likod ng upuan at mabilis na umalis sa opisina. "I need to see
my daughter."

Hindi niya ito nagawa noon...ang iligtas ang ina ni Olivia sa

parehong sitwasyon. Araw-araw niya itong pinagsisisihan to the
point of vesting his hope into a forbidden spell to bring back time.
Now, the same thing was happening to his daughter. He didn't
want to make the same mistake.

Mr. Liecester watched him leave from the glass window of the
corridor. Mabilis na humarorot ang sasakyan paalis sa building
dala si Mr. Valencourt. A smile was visible on his face. The project
they'd been working on for years will finally materialize today. They
went as far as betraying a friend to gain the spell...and he would do
it all over again if he needed to.

A powerful spell should only be possessed by one.

***

Chapter28:TheSpel

Third Person POV

Mr. Liecester was ushered to the training ground once he arrived in

the academy. It was a big day for Cardiff—not only was it the
town's foundation day and everyone outside was celebrating, but it
was also the day the spell would finally be used for the first time to
show its credibility to the people who invested their money and
time into the project...including him.

The officials from the different towns greeted him the moment he
stepped inside the dimensional room. They decided to use the
place to avoid being traced by the Magic Council. The room was
designed like a theater, and the performance would happen on the
stage where the research team was preparing.

"We've invested a lot in this project..." one of the officials said with
a dry laugh. "I'm expecting to gain something from this...maybe an
entire new town for the assembly."

The others laughed. "You can do anything with such a powerful

spell."

"It won't fail you," assured Mr. Liecester to the group.

"How about that Santi Yvo?" tanong ng isang matandang opisyal.

"He took the position of the fourth headmaster of the academy just
two days ago. He must be planning something."

Mr. Liecester's lips curved into a smile. "The spell is completed. No

one can stop us, not even the council."
Bumaba siya sa hagdan para puntahan ang research team sa
stage. "Mr. Valencourt is no longer able to attend the program. I
will be the one to possess and execute the spell."

Ilang minuto matapos dumating ni Mr. Liecester sa training ground,

sumunod na dumating si Santi. Marco was with him and the
guarding gatekeepers at the ground who knew so well of their

records couldn't keep them out because Santi was an invited

guest—not only a guest, but one of the headmasters of the
academy.

People in the room looked over him while he walked to his seat in
front.

"Anong ginagawa ng isang McCrain dito?"

"Are they planning to do something?"

Mahinahon na umupo si Santi sa kanyang silya kahit pa nanunuot

ang galit sa kanyang dibdib. The people in the room with him were
the same people who persecuted his parents six years ago.

The program had started and they were presenting the research
that his father did...that they altered, changed to mimic a time spell
they couldn't naturally do.

Santi caught sight of Mr. Liecester approaching him. He had

always wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face. The pleasant
smile that fooled many.

Pinagmasdan siya ni Mr. Liecester. "You've gone so far,"

nakangiting pahayag nito. "You used to be just a kid, a mere
annoyance to the assembly. Now you gained a position that can
match us."

"And you remain second best to the Valencourts," tanging sagot ni

Santi.

Nabura ang ngiti sa labi ni Mr. Liecester. Kumunot ang kanyang

mukha habang nakaharap kay Santi. "Balak mo rin bang
magpakabayani tulad ng iyong ama?" He chuckled. "Stupid Simon.
He had every opportunity working for him, but he chose to throw
them all away for his foolish beliefs. Powerful spells are the future
of this world, Santi Yvo. Hindi n'yo ito mapigigilan."

Santi rose from his seat and placed his hands on Mr. Liecester's
neck. The movement was so swift, so unprecedented na maging
ang mga taong nakapaligid sa kanila ay hindi ito napansin. Santi
gripped his neck, his bare hands trembling in indignation.

"No need to be hostile, McCrain," Mr. Liecester choked out.

Marahas niyang hinawi ang kamay ni Santi sa kanyang leeg. "Both
of us know you can no longer destroy a completed spell."

Humuhit ang ngiti sa labi ni Santi. "But I can reverse it...I can
destroy this place. You know how much I enjoy destroying things,
Liecester."

The ground rumbled under their feet. The seats trembled, like they
were convulsing. Walls started to fall apart. Nag-panic ang mga
tao sa loob ng dimensional room.

"Anong nangyayari sa lugar na ito?"

They started running out of the building in frenzied terror. Halos

magtulakan sila palabas para makaalis. Santi remained standing in
front of Mr. Liecester.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital right now?" Mr. Liecester

jerked his head, knowing how his next words would affect the boy
in front of him. "Olivia Valencourt is currently fighting for her life.
But I doubt she's going to last."

Santi's glare faltered. "What did you do to her?"

Mr. Liecester shrugged, unconcerned. "I didn't do anything, Santi

Yvo. It wasn't my fault that the family is loathed by people who are
easily swayed by wanting revenge."

Patuloy ang takbuhan ng mga tao palabas ng dimensional room

hanggang sa silang dalawa na lang ang natira kasama si Marco.
"Yvo," Marco warned nang makita ang galit sa mga mata nito.
"Remember the plan."

But Santi already lost his focus. His eyes were furious, his hands
covered in intense amount of energy, flowing on his skin like a thin
layer of white light.

"You will lose her tonight, Santi Yvo."

Marco tried to calm him, but Santi had completely lost his control.
He stepped forward, clasping Mr. Liecester's neck with his hands

covered in raw energy. He dragged the man older than him and
hurled him until he crushed against a wall. Repeatedly. In Santi's
eyes was a sinister need to hurt someone until their blood flowed
from their crushed skull, until he could hear broken bones.

"Santi!" Si Marco na ang pumagitna para pigilan ang kawalan ng

control ni Santi. Kapag nagpatuloy ito, mahihirapan siyang
kontrolin ang spell gamit ang natitira niyang lakas.

Tumayo si Mr. Liecester mula sa sahig, duguan ang ulo at

tumutulo ang dugo mula sa nakangiti niyang labi. Pero hindi niya
ito alintana. "You can't destroy me, Santi Yvo. I can execute the
spell any moment."

Santi scoffed, dark eyes in a sharp glare. "You don't even know
what that spell can do. That thing is not a time spell. You could get
killed by something you created yourself."

Instead of taking Santi's warning seriously, Mr. Liecester's laugh

rang in the entire room, loud, unnerving. His entire face burst into a
maniacal smile, like that of a joker.

"I could wipe you out...your entire existence! I would lead this town
to greatness. A new one where only the powerful would remain.
Such a shame you're not on my side, Santi Yvo. You could have
been a better choice than my son!"

Even Marco was revolted by the statement. "You disgust me."

Muling lumapit si Santi kay Mr. Liecester. Without emotion in his

eyes, he held the man floating in front of him and with a snap,
broke his entire arm...then the other one while he laughed
manically still, completely losing his mind.

Pero sa sumunod na narinig, maging si Marco ay tuluyang natigilan.

"Yvo!" he warned, pero huli na ang lahat. The spell was being cast
in front of them.

"Humansoulstrappedinflesh...
Reversetheclock,returntheplace...
AchangeoftimeisallIneed...

Tostartanew,tosealthefate."

***

Chapter29:Void

Olivia's POV

I opened my eyes slowly. There was no pain in my body, unlike the

last time. I sat up on the bed, unaware of where I was. I placed my
hand on my chest and on my dry throat habang pinapakiramdaman
ang sarili ko.

Okay na ba ako?

The last thing I remembered was being so sick that blood was
gushing out of my mouth. Hindi ko maalala kung sino ang nagdala
sa 'kin sa lugar na ito but it looked like I was in a hospital. My eyes
roamed around the room. The whole place was silent, as if I was
the only one breathing.

Inalis ko ang nakakabit na bagay sa kamay ko bago tumapak sa

malamig na sahig. Lumabas ako sa corridor at nakitang walang
tao. I walked around, hoping to see a glimpse of someone else, a
doctor, a patient...anyone. But the place remained silent, the
corridors empty, the white walls listening.

Tuluyan akong lumabas sa building nang walang nakakasalubong

na tao. Nakakapagtaka dahil lahat ng bagay ang gumagana pa rin
sa building. Ang mga ilaw, even the air conditioning, and the
beeping of apparatuses from empty rooms.

Where was everyone?

Paglabas ko sa building, isang ingay ang bumungad sa 'kin. It was

the siren coming from the speakers situated in the center of the
town. It was unceasing, like a horrible sound of doom embracing
the suddenly silent town.

Naglakad-lakad ako, nagtataka kung nasaan ang mga tao. It was

like walking through a ghost town. Everything was intact, pero
nasaan ang mga tao? May paggalaw ang napansin ko sa dulo ng
mga mata ko. On the empty street, someone was running to
approach me. Hindi ako nakagalaw nang makalapit siya at bigla
akong hawakan.

"Tulungan mo ako!" the stranger said in a frenzied panic. "Ayokong

mawala..."

Napatingin ako sa kamay niyang nakahawak sa balikat ko. His

hands...they were fading like ash. Unti-unti itong umakyat sa
kanyang buong katawan. I clasped my hand against my mouth.
The person was disappearing in front of me.

Hindi ko magawang sumigaw nang tuluyang nawala ang taong

'yon sa paningin ko. Nagpalinga-linga ako sa paligid and I was
alone again. Nakanginginig ang mga kamay kong nakahawak sa
aking bibig. What was happening?

I stepped back, pero hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta. I raised
my head to the sky and noticed strange swirling clouds from a
distance. Nanggagaling ito sa direction ng Mirren Academy. Agad
ko itong sinundan. Naglakad ako nang ilang minuto palayo sa
bayan pero wala akong nakitang sino man.

When I reached the gates of the academy, isang tao ang

kalmadong nakatayo sa tapat nito. Agad akong lumapit para
tanungin kung anong nangyayari sa bayan, pero pagharap niya,
nakita ko nang tuluyan ang kanyang mukha. His face was fading
from his head...a shrilling sound escaped my lips. I stepped away,
completely shaken.

Nagmadali akong pumasok sa loob ng gate at sinundan ang

kakaibang bagay sa langit. Heavy dark clouds swirled above the
hill near the training ground. Even the air seemed to circulate
around it. Wala akong makitang estudyante maging sa loob ng

campus. Everything was eerie, silent, like the whole place was
watching me hanggang makarating ako sa paanan ng training
grounds.

Finally, I heard a noise. It wasn't a comforting noise either. Tila

sigaw ito nga mga tao sa loob tulad ng nakita ko sa bayan na
humihingi ng tulong. I hesitated to take a step further. What was
inside? Bakit tila nakasentro rito ang nangyayari?

Someone clasped my shoulder and I nearly screamed. Humarap

ako sa taong ito at nakita si Claudia. Isang malalim na hininga ang
pinakawalan ko.

"Claudia!" I breathed out, relieved to see a familiar face. "What's

happening?"
But it wasn't the confident Claudia I knew. Her face was fear-
stricken, eyes wide, voice trembling. "Olivia...the spell was
executed. The town is fading..."

Fading? "Where...are the others? Where's Alice? Liam? Santi?

Marco? My father? Where are they?"

Claudia shook her head at halos manghina ako. "They're all

gone...Olivia..."

"No..."

"But Santi...I know he's in this training ground somewhere.

Magagawan niya ito ng paraan kaya 'wag kang magalala." The
ground started to shake, making us both lose our balance.
Napahawak kami sa isa't isa at doon ko napansin ang mga kamay
niya.

"Claudia..." My voice shook. "You're fading..."

Pilit siyang ngumiti habang nahawak parin sa 'kin, but I was losing
the pressure of her grip. "It's okay," she assured me. "I'm not gonna
die, I'm just fading away."

Humigpit ang hawak ko sa kanya. "Where will you go?"

"I don't know."

Sinubukan ko siyang yakapin, hawakan, anything for her to stay

with me. But her face...her body...it was all turning into dust, to ash,
being blown by the wind.

Tuluyang tumulo ang luha ko...walang tigil, while I was holding on

to her. "Please...no."

"It's only the effect of the spell..." Her voice was being swallowed
by the silence. "Magkikita tayo ulit..."

Bumagsak ako sa sahig, warm tears streaming down my face like

river. My shoulders shook while I sobbed. I couldn't hold on to her.
Tuluyang nawala si Claudia sa harapan ko.

Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto akong nanatili sa ganoong

posisyon. Nawalan ako ng lakas. All the people around me had
faded...lahat naglaho.

It took me all my strength to wipe off my tears and stand up

despite my shaky knees. Santi was here...somewhere in this place.
Kailangan ko siyang mahanap, kailangan ko siyang makita. Muli
akong naglakad papasok sa loob ng mala-kwebang training ground.
Patuloy pa rin ang pagpatak ng luha ko.

Would I also fade? Would the spell affect me...or spare me dahil
hindi ako mula sa mundong ito?

Sa wakas narating ko ang corridor kung nasaan ang mga

dimensional rooms. Nakabukas ang lahat ng ito at mula sa labas
ay tila mga ordinaryong kwarto na pinaliligiran ng batong pader at
sahig. In every room, I searched for Santi. Habang tumatagal
napapansin kong maging ang mga pader at sahig ay naglalaho.

Everything other than the ground and sky itself was slowly fading.

Sa huling kwartong pinasok ko, tumigil ako sa paanan ng pintuan

nang makita si Santi. In front of him was Mr. Liecester lying
unconscious and bloody on the floor, body slowly fading and being
taken by the wind. A large part of the ceiling was gone, and
daylight spilled on the floor between Santi and I.

Santi was unmoving, watching Mr. Liecester's body completely

fade.

"Santi?"

Natigilan siya sa narinig. Tila hindi siya makapaniwala noong una.

His eyes roamed around the room until they met mine, standing at
the doorway.

Doon ako tuluyang nanghina nang makita siya. Santi...was fading.

His body ended up transparent through the light. Unti-unti akong
lumapit sa kanya...nagdadasal na hindi totoo ang lahat. He was
like a shadow, a mirage in front of me.

I raised my hand to touch his face, warm, like caressing sunlight.

Santi might not know about it...but for some people, he'd always
been the sun.

"Please don't leave me..." I begged him. "Please don't leave

me
alone..."

Santi's arms embraced me, wrapping them around me tightly. Pero

hindi ko ito maramdaman. He gently kissed my forehead, his lips
like touch of sunlight.

"Santi...dito ka lang...'wag mo akong iiwan, ayokong mag-isa..."

"You won't be alone," he whispered.

Isang bagay ang napansin ko sa kanyang likuran. All the remaining

energies around the place seems to circulate around it, like a
whirlpool in mid-air...a portal. At the center of it was nothing but
darkness, a void.

"I need to send you away...you can't stay here..."

Hinawakan ni Santi ang pisngi ko. Napapikit ako

nang
maramdaman ang marahan niyang halik sa labi ko. Patuloy ang
pagbagsak ng luha ko habang nakikiusap.

"I can't lose you...Santi, please..."

"You won't. We're gonna stay here until you find us..." Marahan niya
akong hinila sa harapan ng portal. "Olivia, remember us and find us
soon."
Tuluyan niya akong itinulak sa portal. I tried to grasp his hands, but
they completely faded. The last thing I saw before being
succumbed by the void was Santi's eyes staring at me, watching
me with a small hopeful smile on his lips and tears in his eyes.
Bago tuluyang nawala ang lahat, I heard those words again...this
time, from Santi.

"Mortalbody,
timelesssouls.
Liveswoven
sparkedbyhope.
Onewasdestined,
apathtoretrace
wherewishwasborn
toalterfate."

***

Chapter30:Retrace

I opened my eyes to a familiar place, setting my eyes at the

exposed beams at the ceiling. The walls and the floor were made
of hardwood.

Isang lugar ang pumasok sa isip ko. Cabin.

I sat up on the bed, feeling like I was dreaming. Totoo ba ang mga
nakikita ko? Was I back in the cabin? Was I back in my world?

Bumukas ang pintuan at halos magulantang ang isang babae nang

makitang gising na ako.

"Ms. Odeth, thank God you're awake!"

Odeth...the name sounded strange to my ears, almost

uncomfortable. Lumapit sa 'kin si Ms. Meredith, hinawakan ang
mukha ko, ang noo ko, saka ako mahigpit na niyakap.

"Nag-alala kami sa 'yo."

There was a throbbing in my head but I disregarded it. Wala akong

maramdaman na emosyon sa pagbabalik ko. Hindi ba ako masaya?
Matagal ko itong hiniling, hindi ba?

The abandoned town...the forbidden spell...was it all over?

"What happened to me?" I choked out, my mouth dry,as if it hadn't

touch water in days.

"You were missing since yesterday! Maging ang mga tao sa isla
tumulong para hanapin ka. We found you in the middle of the
forest this morning, unconscious."

Since yesterday? Was it all an entire day? That couldn't be. It had
been months since I stepped into Cardiff...since I met those
people...since I met Santi.

"Bakit ka ba nasa lugar na 'yon, Ms. Odeth?"

Bakit nga ba...ang abandunadong bayan. Somehow, I was trapped
in time when the town was alive. Bigla akong umalis mula sa
higaan. "Kailangan kong bumalik..." I told Ms. Meredith, my voice
shrill and weak.

"Yes, we're heading home now."

"I need to go back to the forest...to the abandoned town. They're

waiting for me."

"Abandoned town? Ano bang sinasabi mo, Ms. Odeth? Ginalugad

namin ang buong kakahuyan at isla para mahanap ka. There was
no abandoned town in the island."

Napatitig ako sa kanya.

"Mabuti pa umuwi na tayo," mahinahon na sinabi niya. "Pinaalam

namin ang nangyari at nag-aalala na si Ma'am Adelaide sa 'yo."

Home...we were going home. But why did I feel like I just lost one?

Ms. Meredith had our things prepared the next morning. The sky
was clear and cloudless outside the cabin. Was I really leaving the
island? Hindi na ba ako makakabalik?

We left the island by noon. We bade goodbye to the caretakers

without any promise of returning. I watched the island from the
boat as we sailed further and further, until it was nothing but a tiny
speck of green on the horizon.

We were back in the city of Clarence by afternoon. The familiar

sight of the big city welcomed me. The towering buildings, busy
streets full of rushing cars, and people who couldn't care less
about the existence of one another.

This was home...but why did I feel so empty coming back?

Our car was stuck in the downtown traffic. A large LCD monitor in
front of us flashed a liquor commercial. People walked through the
pedestrian lane with heads on their phones. All this technology and
yet, the human world was evolving backwards.

The car finally reached the more secluded part of the city with
lanes of grandiose mansions and breathtaking houses on the

hillside. One of them was lola's white Victorian mansion

surrounded by evergreen trees.

I'd always wondered where lola got all her wealth, living alone with
nothing but the assistance of Ms. Meredith and the servants in the
mansion—and me. But I'd always thought her as a mystery.

Inalalayan ako ni Ms. Meredith paglabas ng sasakyan. I assured

her I was okay. Wala akong nararamdaman physical. It was all here
inside my chest. The ache, the longing for a place and for people
who didn't exist in my reality.
Servants greeted us in the foyer, taking our bags and coats.
Dumiresto ako sa kwarto ni lola sa pangalawang palapag, pero
huminto ako sa may hagdan nang mapansin ang mga paintings na
nakasabit sa pader na hindi ko pinagtutuunan ng pansin noon.

There were paintings of a forest, of a castle that looked so much

like Mirren Academy. There were paintings of the sea and pier just
like what I saw in Hailing Cove. The colorful red farm houses in the
middle of the field which reminded me of Belltale, and a large
painting of a wooden walkway in the middle of a marsh, which
looked exactly like the walkway in Penshaw.

Ang mga bagay na ito...hindi ko ito pinapansin noon. But now, all I
wanted was to see those places again. Away from this city which I
called home.

I knocked on the door before holding the knob and twisting it. I
found lola sitting on a white couch beside her bed, savoring the
fresh breeze from the open door of the terrace.

"Lola?"

She turned to my direction upon hearing my voice. "You're back,

Odeth."

I closed the door gently behind me and walked towards her. "Have
you been there?" I asked, almost in a whisper. "In the abandoned
town...Cardiff...were you part of it?"

Silence enveloped us both, and it was enough to confirm that she

was no stranger to the words I just said. "You were...is that why
you kept coming back in the island? Is that why you're keeping the
entire town safe?"

A knock on the door made me pull back my words. I looked away,

harshly wiping the tear off my face. Ms. Meredith came into the
room holding a box.

"You left this in the car, Ms. Odeth."

She placed the box on a nearby table. Once Ms. Meredith was out
of the room, I took the box I didn't remember packing. When I
opened it, a familiar green uniform laid neatly inside with a brass
pin.

Olivia Valencourt
Mirren Academy

I stared at the name. It was like seeing something from a dream

that had been brought to life. Why was it here...with me?

"You were wearing those clothes when I found you ten years ago."

I blinked, unable to grasp what I just heard. "What?"

"You were unconscious with no memories of what had happened

to you. But you were no stranger. The moment I saw the uniform
you were wearing, I knew where you came from."

I grabbed one of the posts of the bed and sat on the

sheets.
"But...ten years ago?"

"You never age...Olivia."

The name she used stirred something in me, an ache blooming like
a gigantic flower on my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.

"You've retained the age you had when I first saw you. Your entire
existence was suspended in time."

I shook my head. My hand found its way to my mouth, trying my

hardest to prevent a sob.

"Am I...Olivia Valencourt?"

"You have always been..."

Tuluyan akong nawalan ng hininga. Nakaupo ako sa kama, tulala

sa mga nalaman.

"The same thing happened to me decades ago," she said in a soft

whisper. "I was foolish, curious with a young disposition.

I
experimented with undeveloped spells I didn't know was
dangerous that time. A spell had thrown me out of the magic world,
and I found myself in this world. Wala akong maalala sa mga
unang taon ko sa lugar na ito. But the people of the island helped
me get back on my feet. I met people, built new connections,
worked in the city until I rebuilt my life in this world."

"Why didn't you come back...to Cardiff?"

Marahan siyang ngumiti nang mapait. "I lost the skill

to use
magic."

"Is that...why it took me ten years to even have a

chance to go
back there?"

"The town only shows itself to people who can use magic, Olivia.
For thirty years of staying in here, hindi na bumalik ang kakayahan
kong gumamit ng kapangyarihan. But you did...you got your magic
back after ten years."

Lola stood up from the white couch and reached inside a drawer.
She pulled out a small picture frame and brushed the glass with
her thin fingers.

I stared at the picture and almost gasped upon seeing the faces on
it. It was lola...and a man. The picture was taken thirty years ago
and the man was a younger version of someone I knew.
Mr. Gus?

Bumalik ang isip ko sa pagbisita namin kay Mr. Gus sa Penshaw.

"You are her..." bigla kong sinabi. "Mr. Gus' wife, the one he'd been
trying to get back."

Her eyes fluttered, the gleam being slowly replaced by watery tears.
"He is?"

"Yes. He'd been locking himself up in his cottage, studying spells,

trying to bring you back. Everyone thought he's delusional because
they thought you were dead."

Tuluyang tumulo ang luha sa kanyang mga mata. "Is Adelaide your
real name?"

"I am Adelaide Stuart McCrain."

McCrain...kung wala siya dito ngayon, she could have been Santi's
aunt.

"Did you know you have nephew? His name is Santi Yvo," I told her.
"He's rude, reckless, a bit scary...he loves candies but has this
bitter look on his face, always frowning, always pissed. He has
dark hair, sometimes a bit disheveled. He has gray specks on his
eyes and whenever he stares—"

"Is he the one you miss the most?"

I bit my lower lip, smiling despite the ache and longing. "Yes. I don't
think I'd be here if he didn't save me." I directed my gaze upward to
avoid a fresh wave of tears from falling.

"Come back with me," I told her. "Mr. Gus has been waiting for you.
You can meet Santi..."

She gently shook her head. "Hindi na ako makakabalik pa,

Olivia...but you still can. Tell Gus I'm okay, tell him I'm alive. Tell
him to live his life and tell Santi I would love to meet him one day.
You've been suspended in time and so are those people. But...you
can still change things. You're destined to alter the fate of the
town."

I was the one destined to alter to fate...

Ms. Adelaide was waiting for me at the foyer the next day. Hindi ko
siya magawang tingnan nang diresto, knowing I had to leave the
person who treated me as family for the last ten years.

"Mag-iingat ka, Oliva Valencourt."

Instead of taking the hand she offered me to shake, yumakap ako

nang mahigpit sa kanya. "I wish you can go back with me. I don't
want to leave you here."

"I've been living like this for the past thirty years...I'll be fine. Maybe

when the time comes, when our timelines finally match and I get
my magic back, I could see you again...with Gus, with Santi
Yvo...with all the people I've missed."
"I'll hold onto it..."

Hanggang sa makapasok ako sa sasakyan, panay ang silip ko sa

kanya mula sa bintana. Nakatunghay siya, nakangiti habang
pinagmamasdan ang paalis namin.

Ms. Meredith was with me on the trip. She knew everything. She
was with lola...with Ms. Adelaide McCrain, when they found me in
the forest. When I asked her about it last night, isa lang ang naging
sagot niya.

"There are things in this world that are hard to explain and to
understand, but it doesn't mean they are no less than real."

After a half-day trip, we finally arrived at the island. We rented the

same red car and crusaded through the same gravel road. The old
caretakers were waiting outside the cabin. Before Ms. Meredith
stepped out of the car, she held both of my hands.

"You never really changed since the first time I saw you in this
place. We were both the same age then. But years passed and I
became Ms. Meredith to you." She brushed the top of my head
with her hands. "Go home safe."

"Thank you for everything."

Habang kausap niya ang dalawang caretakers sa loob ng cabin, it

was my cue to leave. I opened the car door and breathed in the
fresh air coming from the forest. For the first time in a long time,
the unexplainable longing was released from my chest.

I ran to the forest, not minding the branches and the vines
scratching my face as I rushed inside, searching for the path to the
abandoned town. I slid from the slippery rocks and caught my feet
among the torn and ferns. I ran, crisp air filling my lungs, until I

stopped and stared around the towering trees, treetops swaying

along with the breeze, as if the forest was watching me,
welcoming me.

And then I saw it...the fireflies...the small spark of lights leading

the way. Were they welcoming me, too? Were they guiding me
home? I could barely see my path from the tears blurring my eyes.
I kept wiping my face, somehow smiling, until the glistening rays of
the sun behind the trees took my breath away. I found it again...the
abandoned town.

I ran towards it, almost tripping on my way until I reached the town
square. The town remained silent, listening to my every step. It
was now clear why it had been left this way...no ruins, no
devastation, just nature embracing the town in a lullaby.

The fireflies flew above me, sparkling beneath the dim forest. They
were making a path for me, wanting me to follow them. The path
of light led me to the place where it all started and ended.

Mirren Academy.
I reached the castle and pushed open the door. Fireflies scattered
around as if I disturbed their home. They flew everywhere, to the
staircase, corridors, to the walls and dome ceiling.

The floor glowed in a strange pattern, like a thin river made of

melted gold...flowing from where I stood, branching out to the floor
and reaching the bare walls.

Letters started to form, words made of gold, flowing, creating

words on the wall. It was the same just like I remembered. The
same spell...

I read the words as they appeared before me.

"Mortal body,

timeless souls.
Lives woven
sparked by hope.

One was destined,

a path to retrace

where wish was born

to alter fate."

My feet swayed, as though I was standing in a melting floor. I lost

grasp of the physical room around me, like I was being sucked
inside a void. With my eyes blurry and my vision spinning, I shut my
eyes tight, holding on to the hope of seeing their faces again.

When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by white. White

curtains, white walls, clean white bed. I sat up on the bed, a little
disoriented at first. Pamilyar sa 'kin ang lugar, pero hindi ko
maalala kung saan.

I brushed away the white curtains from my view. But before I could
completely do so, a girl came into view from behind the curtains
surrounding the bed.

"Gising ka na."

Tears swelled in my eyes at the sight of Alice. I remembered

everything now. It was the day I woke up in Mirren Academy's
infirmary. Isang babae ang sumunod kay Alice. She brushed the
curtains away and stared at me with her eyebrow arched. Claudia.

Hindi ko napigilang yakapin sila habang umiiyak. Pareho silang

nabigla sa ginawa ko. "What's wrong, Olivia?" Alice asked, worried.
They were here...they were in front of me. Alive.

"You're being an emotional wreck, Olivia," Claudia pointed out while

my arms were still around them. Natawa ako. How I missed her
straight to the point commentaries.

I finally released them from my grasp. Kung tama ang

pagkakaalala ko, dapat nandito siya. Umapak ako sa malamig na
sahig nang nakayapak at pumunta sa sulok ng kwarto kung saan
isang bintana ang nakabukas while the white curtains swayed in
the breeze.

I approached the guy laying on the bed next to the open window.
He had an arm resting against his forehead. I stared at his face, his
closed eyes, his familiar lips.

"S-Santi?"

He slowly opened his eyes and peaked behind his arm. "Ah, it's
you." His voice...I couldn't believe I heard it again.

The corner of his lips curved to a smile. "You found me."

***

Epilogue:

My dark robe laid neatly on the bed while Alice and I helped each
other fix the graduation caps on our heads.

"Just pin it like this."

Alice had a pin between her teeth while Claudia waited at the
doorway, hands folded in front of her chest. "Tell me if you still
need to watch a tutorial about this."

Alice dismissed the idea, unaware of Claudia's constant sarcasm.

"We got this."

I couldn't help but smile.

The last six months came by like a whirlwind. The first thing I did
when I finally came back was to correct everything, with the help of
Santi, Claudia, Alice, and even Liam. I explained to them everything
I knew about the assembly, including the forbidden spell and the
future of the town.

They had a hard time believing me at first. Everything sounded

bizarre, almost crazy to their ears, especially at a time when
nothing seemed to go wrong in town. Santi was the first person
who believed me. He relied on my statements alone even though I
had no proof of them other than my memories.

Claudia believed me after I mentioned the alleyway that I wasn't

supposed to know. Alice was still hesitant. She looked up to the
assembly so much growing up, and hearing those words coming
from me was something she couldn't easily believe. But she feared
the future of the town and decided to trust me.

Liam...Liam was the last person I approached among them. It was

clear to me what his father did the last time I was in the magical
world, so I decided to tell him the truth. Hindi ako umasa na
paniniwalaan niya ako. But what he said to me was something I
didn't expect to hear from him.

"I know," he declared. "I know what he's been up to all this time. It's
the only thing he cared for the last six years, more than he cared
about us, his family. If what you said is true about the future of this
town, I'll help you."

It wasn't easy for the both of us. What we were about to do and
deal against were our own families. But where we came from
didn't always mean it was where we belonged. What we were
accustomed with didn't necessarily mean the right thing. We must
unlearn them—and start from the ruins.

The five of us...students of Mirren Academy...became infamous

for causing the assembly's downfall.

Claudia finally decided to help us with our cap and gown after
minutes of watching us struggle.

"What would you even do without me?" she sighed, pinning the cap
in Alice's head.

"Mom..." giggled Alice.

Claudia rolled her eyes. "I have no intention of being a mom, Alice.
Anyway, the parents are already in the venue so we should
probably hurry up."

Parents...I wonder who would show up for me today. For the last
months, I was known to be the daughter who sent her own father
to prison. But it wasn't all the truth.

Before all of it happened, I had the chance to talk to father. I'd told

him what I knew—the forbidden spell, their future plans for the
town, how they would burn the alleyway.

"It's not worth it," I told him. "It would never be."

"You don't know what you're saying, Olivia."

"A single word from you will stop everything. Can you at least
believe me? Your daughter?"

I had no proof to give...only my memories to back me up. But I'd

been through hell several times. I'd seen people fade in front of me.
I would do anything not to witness it again.

I was in father's office that day, in the assembly, a place where it

could all end.

"You're going to ruin us, our family, lahat ng pinaghirapan nating

marating."

"But we can start anew, Dad. We can rebuild ourselves from the
ruins. We don't need a time spell to start again. Just let us burn in
this, let us go through with it. I'm here if you're afraid..."

"I'm your father. I'm supposed to be the one protecting you."

I knew that. I remembered him rushing to me at the hospital when I
was poisoned. He was there despite the fact that the power of the
spell he had worked on for years was about to be vested to him. I
remembered because it was the first time in a long time that I felt
like I had a father.

"Do you believe me, Dad? I've been through hell several times. I've
been burned alive, saw people fade before my eyes. I saw the
entire town abandoned, waiting for ten years to alter its fate. I don't
want to see you fade, Dad. I don't want to lose anyone again. Only
you can stop the spell from being completed."

Days after our conversation, news surprised the entire town. The
head of the assembly, my father, surrendered himself to the Magic
Council and exposed the existence of the forbidden spell. It
became the first step to the downfall of the assembly.

Every official was connected to the project was investigated and

some were arrested. Liam's father tried to use people and bribe his
way out of the mess, but it was Liam who confirmed to the council
all of his father's connection to the project. Some people heard Mr.
Liecester calling Liam an ungrateful, lawless child before he was
arrested from their home.

But like me, Liam was prepared to start from the ruins.

The three of us finished preparing and were finally on our way to

the venue. I glanced at the emerald robe, smiling at how the color
would always remind me of the academy.

Parents were already seated at the venue. We, the senior students,
lined up at the entrance while a teacher organized our marching
sequence. The venue, which was the empty field between the main
castle and the training ground, was surrounded by a transparent
dome where one could see the midday clear sky and sun above
without feeling the scorching heat.

I saw Liam from the crowd and waved my hand, smiling widely. We
lined up the entrance by twos for the initial parade of graduating
senior students, and Liam was beside me.

"Ready for your speech, top of the batch?" I nudged him.

"'Wag mong dagdagan ang kaba ko," halakhak niya.
"Come on. You're Liam Liecester. You can do anything."
Ngumiti siya. "There was one thing I couldn't do."

We proceeded to the center of the venue, walking to a marching

song. Parents were clapping from the benches. I reached the row
where I had to take my seat. Before Liam and I got separated, he
reached for me and whispered, "I couldn't make you choose
me...but it's something I've accepted now."

I followed him with my gaze and shook my head with a smile when
he made a mock crying face. For the last several months, Liam and
I had to deal with the same things, the same crap people had
thrown at us. It made our connection stronger. We'd been in good
terms and mostly relied to each other for help, and even though
some things were not destined to be something else, to have
someone like Liam on my side was something I'd always value.

We waited until every student was seated. It was a pleasant day.

The castle towers glistened under the sun, the air had the smell of
upcoming summer, green grass and patches of wildflowers
covered the field.

I roamed my eyes around the venue, searching for a particular face,

before Alice, who was seated a few chairs from me, tapped my

shoulder and whispered, "He's on the stage."

I turned my gaze to the front. Sitting there with the other, older
headmasters was Santi, looking regal in a gold robe. There were
times I still failed to remember that Santi Yvo was the fourth
headmaster of Mirren Academy.

He looked all serious while seated in front, facing hundreds of

people. But I knew him too well to know that he was already bored.
He kept hiding his yawn behind the large sleeves of his robe and
tapping his shoes against the floor of the stage.

Our eyes met and his eyes lit up for a moment.

"Smile," I mouthed, pointing a finger at the corner of my lips.

"I'm bored," he mouthed back, and even those seated next to me

giggled upon recognizing what he said.

Santi had been doing a lot lately...mostly grown-up things.

Sometimes, I barely saw him in a week. He was busy being a
student, busy with the responsibilities of his position. But
whenever he had free time, he'd always sneak to the dorm to pick
me up just for the two of us to spend time with each other.

For years, Santi Yvo was disregarded because of his family's

history. He was considered dangerous, a rebel, a destroyer of
things. But after six years, his parents were finally cleared
and
proved innocent for their supposed crime.

The investigation of the forbidden spell had reopened the case of

the McCrains from six years ago and the truth was revealed to the
public. People's perception of the family changed, especially of
Santi, the McCrain who survived. Someone who had gone far and
made an identity of his own.

But yes, no matter how much he had matured in the past months,

he remained the impatient Santi who easily got bored in events

such as graduation ceremony.

I watched the march of the people important to me. Alice waved

her diploma in front of the smiling crowd. Claudia posed for a
picture with a roll of her eyes. When it was my turn, everyone's
eyes were on me when I took the steps to the stage. I could see
the remaining judgement on the people's faces. That's her...the
daughter of the former head of the assembly.

I took a deep breath and pulled my lips to a smile, walking with

confident strides to the stage.

This event, this peace, this calmness, would never be possible if

we didn't accept the fact that it was okay to shatter, to break, to hit
rock bottom and to start again.

It was easy for us to wish to be back in time or to alter the past,

not knowing the present was given to us to do just that. Our now
was our chance to start again—over and over, until we reached the
best versions of ourselves, along with our flaws and the lessons
from our mistakes.

I got my diploma from the first headmaster and turned to every

one of them for a shake of my hand. When it was Santi's turn,
instead of taking my hand, he pulled me into a tight hug before he
whispered to my ear, "I'll see you after the program."

Nearing the end of the program, Liam had a wonderful speech

prepared for the batch of graduates.

"I hope not only to be part of a society, but to lead a society where
we are allowed to grow, be independent, take responsibility for our
decisions, and to look out for each other's welfare—where
traditions are here to guide us, not to cage us, where names are
identity, not power. Where people's sentiments are heard and
acted upon no matter where they are in their walks of life, and
where people can freely choose to be who they are. I believe in this
generation to always choose the right thing—even if it's the hardest
path to take."

We met with our families after the program. There were a lot of
hugging, a lot of smiles and proud greetings, some were even

crying. Mrs. Norie was there for me, who gave me a large bouquet
of mom's favorite flowers of pink roses and daisies. There were
also Alice's parents from Belltale, Claudia's stepmother, and Liam's
mom in her wheelchair, elegant as ever.

"I'm proud of all of you," she told us. "You're indeed the batch who
chose the right thing in the hardest way. That's why you're shining
like sunlight in our eyes."

In the middle of all the greetings and emotional hugging, I saw

Marco from the crowd. He was in the venue for Santi who also
took his diploma after all the students had theirs. Like Santi, Marco
had been busy dealing with his businesses and the people at the
alleyway while the Magic Council temporarily led the assembly.

"If you're looking for Yvo, he's there somewhere."

He fished a cigarette stick from his pocket then remembered he

was in school grounds, so he sighed and put it back. I smiled a
little. Marco hadn't really changed much since the first time I met
him and tried to scam me for fun.
"That kid..." he muttered. "Made me watch an entire parade of
students midday..."

Napapailing pa rin siya nang magpaalam ako sa kanya para

hanapin si Santi. I went around the stage to find him, but he wasn't
around. It had been really hard for us to be together these past few
weeks. Out of nowhere, someone held my hand.

"Let's go."

I turned to Santi, gently tugging me by my hand. "Where?"

"Kung saan kita mas-solo," ngisi niya. Silly.

He dragged me to the side of the venue, his hand tightly gripping

mine while we sneaked away from people who might see us leave.
Nang makalayo sa madaming tao, sinimulan naming tumakbo.

Hindi ko alam kung saan pupunta, but as long as Santi's hand was
holding me tight, hindi ako nag-aalala.

Nakarating kami sa harapan ng ruined tower, isang lugar na

matagal naming hindi napuntahan. Pumasok kami sa loob. The
tower remained silent, green and foliage reaching out to every
nook and cranny of the stone walls and dirty floor.

Santi took his robe off, loosened his tie, and ruffled his hair in a
mess, finally able to breathe. I watched him, smiling. "Baka
matunaw ako," biro niya.

"You wish," I countered. "So why are we here?"

Humarap siya sa 'kin, frowning like a kid. "Wala na ba akong

karapatan makita ang girlfriend ko?"

I bit my lower lip, feeling the heat on my cheeks. Three months.

We'd been together for three months, but it hadn't completely sunk
in yet. Maybe because we'd been busy during those times. Instead
of facing him, I stared at the piece of sky from the ruined tower's
ceiling. Pinagmasdan ko ang ilang mga bituin na kumikinang sa
madilim na langit.

"Let's be together."

Bigla kong binalik ang tingin kay Santi. He was watching me,
a
serious expression on his face. "Let's be together, Olivia."

I smiled. "We're already together."

"For the long term." Seryoso pa rin si Santi na nakatitig sa

'kin.
"Let's live together."

Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya. "Santi..."

"I know you have many plans. I know how much you want to take
the assembly back from the council one day. I also have plans for
the academy. We can work on our dreams together while we look
out for each other. I just want to see you more, to be
with you
more...I've waited years for this."
He reached for my cheeks when I stayed silent. "Please say

something...I'm dying here."

I placed my hands against his palms on my face, rubbing my

thumbs against his knuckles, smiling with tears brimming in my
eyes. "I'll be with you."

Santi's face lit up. He smiled widely, clasping both sides of my face
with his palms. He placed a soft lingering kiss on my forehead,
another one on the tip of my nose, and on both heated cheeks, red
from blushing.

When his eyes landed on my lips, I took the chance and placed my
hands on his nape, pulling him closer to me until our lips shared
the same air. I kissed him.

We were inside a ruined tower, under a clear night sky littered with
stars. Around us, people were celebrating for a new beginning, for
a new chapter in our lives...in a once abandoned town that
was
now very much alive!

People say there were things in this universe beyond

our
understanding. Things that needed no rational explanation but to
believe. My story was one of them—for magic wasn't only about
spells and powers...it was the ability and courage to believe.

Come home with me to Mirren Academy.

THEEND

Author'sNote:

Hi! You've finally arrived here, safe and sound. It was such
an
adventure, wasn't it? I hope you enjoyed the short escape this story
gave you.

I will end the story here, as well as the adventure of Olivia, Santi

Yvo and the rest of the characters we've met through the story. But
you can always visit them once in while. After all, you've been part
of their adventure too! You've been part of special moments, your
footsteps became part of Cardiff, Belltale, Penshaw and Hailing
Cove. And most of all, Mirren Academy will always welcome you
home.

Thank you so much for giving this story a chance and showing
your support. I will always appreciate every effort and love you put
to my stories.

Feel free to comment your thoughts! You can also tweet me your
feels @breatheapril or use #MirrenAcademy #MAOS

Until next time, my loves!

April
ConverterNotes:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places,

events and incidents are either the products of the author's
imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely
coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without written permission from the author.

Plagiarism is a crime. Additionally, this softcopy was converted for

free and for good purpose only so therefore, thee shall not sell it
instead spread the wisdom and support our creators.

This story is unedited, so expect typo graphical errors,

grammatical errors, wrong spellings and whatsoever errors. If
you're looking for a perfect story, don't continue reading this.
Thanks!

Nagmu-mute (as if) po ako ng mga scammers and sellers tsk!

*Charot~charot* hihihi

There are few chapters with mature scenes. Read at your own risk.
Enjoy and Happy Reading!

Converted by: ©DemOnHunTer143 @cmlaf143

Signing off: July 01, 2021 @1:38am

Your loving converter @cmlaf143 at your service *wink*