Cornelia knew it was her fault.
'Ano na naman ba kasing pumasok sa isip mo at tinanggap mo ang lason?' She internally scolded herself, feeling like a villain right now.
The rational side of her was on defense mode: it was for survival. Paano kung bigla na lang naging masama si Dave at pagtangkaan ang buhay niya? Paano kung tama si Coco at kailangan siyang isakripisyo? No matter how she sees it, this is the most plausible reason why the Dreamcaster hasn't left her to die yet.
Kasalanan bang nahihirapan siyang pagkatiwalaan si Dave?
Cornelia watched his back while he led the way, not once did he talked to her again. Hindi siya sanay. Nasanay siyang makita itong kalmado at mahinahong nakikipag-usap. Nasanay siyang pinapansin siya nito. He was the leader-type, that much she can tell. And knowing that he barely gets pissed off is scaring her to the core... Especially since his silent anger was directed at her.
He was completely ignoring her, as if her existence isn't something he should bother himself with.
'Mas nakakatakot magalit ang mga kagaya niya.'
Cornelia breathe in, forcing herself to stand her ground. Hindi ito ang oras para magluksa sa nasira nilang pinagsamahan. A connection that was just blossoming like a flower now cut off its stem. At wala siyang ibang masisi kung 'di ang sitwasyon nila ngayon at ang sarili niya.
Yes, it was her fault Dave's acting like this.
She never wanted to hurt him.
"We're here."
Napahinto sa paglalakad ang dalaga sa boses nito. Nang pasadahan niya ng tingin ang paligid, napansin niya ang malalaking batong nakausli sa buhanginan. The obsidian boulders rised in spikes, towering over them. Kuminang sa artificial sunlight ang talas ng mga ito. Nagkalat ang Nightmare stones sa paligid, all leading the way to a giant black gate with a scorpion design. Beyond this gate, the gray sand became a gradient, shifting to black the farther it goes.
'Ito ang Black Desert.'
This place had an ominous atmosphere that didn't sit well with her.
Bago pa man niya maproseso ang paligid, napansin niyang naglalakad na papunta sa gate si Dave. Kabado niya itong sinundan, mas lalo niyang hindi pagkakatiwalaan ang lugar na ito. Somehow, her skin prickled as if warning her against an unknown danger.
"Dave, sandali!"
Hindi siya nito hinintay.
Hindi na napansin ni Cornelia ang paggalaw ng buhangin sa kanyang likuran, o ang paglitaw ng isang mala-halimaw na alakdan sa kanilang teritoryo.
*
"...pero ano ang rason kung bakit kailangang mangyari ito?"
Sumasakit na ang ulo ni June sa kakaisip. Masakit pang madiskubre na wala siyang magawa sa sitwasyong ito, kahit na nakikita na niyang malalagay ulit sa panganib ang buhay nina Cornelia sa Land of Nightmares.
In the end, he tore the page and ripped it into pieces, not minding the mess it made on his classroom's floor.
Napatingin sa kanya ang klase, naging laman na naman ng usap-usapan. He finds it hard to concentrate on anything. Well, it's not like anyone can focus on their art project since it looks like none of them had any decent sleep. Sa katunayan, para bang nasa bingit na rin ng kamatayan ang Eastwood.
Indeed, several people already died.
'Pero anong kinalaman nito kay Cornelia? She isn't suppose to be there in the first place... at yung drawing na nakadikit sa pader ng kwarto niya... the missing page... the object I found beneath her bed.'
BINABASA MO ANG
✔ Dreamcaster
Fantasy"I am a Dreamcaster." "But you don't have any dreams?" "Does it matter?" He challenged. She glared back. "It does." After his mentor's retirement, tuluyan nang pinandigan ni Dave ang kanyang mga responsibilidad bilang isang Dreamcaster. As someone w...
