Lady Midnight

Chapter 44

'The Librarian of the Dead'

Five minutes before Wilder was resurrected, Xin paid a visit to Zia's Hunter palace. She broke their shield dahilan para mag-ingay ang paligid at parang may nag-aaway dahil sa pagyanig sa palasyo.

"Let me guess, Mom. You talked with Grandpa Zeus?" Despite hating Zeus, Zia still called him Grandpa. Kasalukuyan siyang nakaharap kay Xin. Her wings were out. Her iconic black and white whings. Zia has the same pair. She faced her mother with a smile.

Tumango si Xin bilang sagot sa tanong ng anak niya.

"Are you here to stop me?" tanong niya. Xin saw Zia's hand glow. Handa siyang harapin ang ina para lang hindi maudlot ang plano niya. Para lang mabuhay si Wilder. Xin shook her head as a no at doon kumunot ang noo ni Zia.

"You knew what I'm sacrificing this time for Wilder's life, right?" tanong ulit ni Zia.

"Sweetie. I am your mother. I brought you into this world. Pero hindi ibig sabihin noon ay dapat dinidiktahan ko ang mga ginagawa mo. I just merely gave birth to you. What you do with your life and soul is not something I should control." Zia's face softened after hearing her mother's words. Dahan-dahang lumapit si Xin sa kanya. She caressed her purple hair and then her cheeks.

"Have you been eating well? What about sleep?" malambing na tanong nito. Zia couldn't do anything but to nod. Kinagat niya ang ibabang labi niya at yumuko. "Are you afraid?" tanong ni Xin sa anak. Zia immediately nodded.

She's giving up her soul after all. Of course, she still has her fears. Niyakap niya nalang ang anak at hinalikan ang buhok nito.

"Do you trust your family?" Xin asked. Zia nodded silently.

"Do you trust your team?" Xin asked again and tumango naman uli ang anak.

"Do you trust Van Saint?" She asked again. Zia looked up at her and smiled sabay tango. Xin also smiled at hinawakan na ang pisngi ng anak. "Then don't be afraid. Thank you for doing this for Wilder." It might sound selfish for Xin to thank her daughter for her sacrifice. But for those who actually know the characteristics of Hybrid 2, then they'd know why Xin was thanking her.

She has a plan. Everyone has a plan.

Xin can hear Alice enchanting the spell inside the castle at hawak-hawak niya lang ang anak niya. When Alice finished the enchantment, Xin knew that Wilder lived again. And when he lived, Zia fell. Nawalan ng malay si Zia at kung hindi siya hawak-hawak ni Xin ay baka bumagsak na ito.

She carried her daughter inside the castle. Natigilan kaagad sina Wesy noong makita nilang karga-karga ni Xin si Zia.

Wilder was now breathing. Alive and sleeping. Tumayo kaagad si Alice nang makita si Xin. Wesy volunteered to carry Zia to her room pero ngumiti lang si Xin at pumasok sa loob ng glass room ni Wilder. She laid Zia beside her cousin, the one she just sacrificed her soul for.

Wilder groaned with his eyes closed. Zia was half-awake. Having no energy after the resurrection, Wilder could only put his hand on Zia's hair.

"Z-Zi.." those were his first words.

"Sleep, Wilder." Zia weakly said and they both fell asleep knowing that the following day, they'll be reunited once again.

Xin looked at the Hunters and at Alice. "Let's have a little talk."

✥✥

"So, he's cursed too?" tanong ni Lucas. Team Alpha just told them about Blu's curse the same way Time told the deities. Matthew knew about Van Saint's curse the moment he came back from the afterlife.