The Young Lady of Swertuanfel

Chapter 35: Ancient Sculptures

“Do not dare wander where you shouldn't be, ********.” I was startled when the wind suddenly spoke. Did the wind just mentioned my name? My real name?

“Who are you!? How did you know that name?” malakas na tanong ko sa hangin. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako titingin sapagkat hindi ko alam kung na saan ang nagmamay-ari ng boses kung kaya't nanatili sa isang malaking puno ang aking paningin.

“I know. You're mask is breaking up, Despina, soon they will all find out eventually,” The wind answered.

“Who’s they?” I asked again.

Malakas itong tumawa sa aking katanungan, at nagtagal pa. Nakakatawa ba ang aking tanong? I feel really insulted right now.

“Oh you know damn well who I am referring to, Despina. I already warned you, do not make a mistake,” lintaya niya sa akin bago malakas na umihip ang hangin.

Hindi na ako nagtangka pang magsalita, sapagkat alam kong wala na rito ang nagmamay-ari ng boses na iyon. I let my eyes wander around as I stood still at where I am standing ever since I woke up from this I don't know where.

My eyes wandered, but it instantly stayed at the abandoned hut not too far from me. I am curious as to what it was, but I am also scared. I usually don't get scared in my past life, but ever since I transmigrated from this place, I tend to get scared not too often.

Tumingin-tingin ako sa paligid bago dahan-dahang naglalakad. Hindi ako papunta sa abandonadong kubo sapagkat naisip ko bigla ang sinabi ng boses na iyon.

‘Do not dare wander where you shouldn't be,’

I don't know what that means, but he said that while I am looking at the abandoned hut. So I chose to wander in the forest instead.

* * *

I have been walking for almost an hour now, and I still do not see anything except grass, trees, rocks, mountains, and the sky. There is no human in this forest at all! Even animals are no where to be seen! Is this place also abandoned? Where is this place?

I remember the wind called this place Lavana. Where the heck is Lavana located? I never read any place named Lavana in any books in the Marquessate Library, even in the Duchy of Poviour!

After walking for another hour, I decided to return to where I first woke up and decided to wander in the abandoned hut. I do not care anymore as to what could possibly happen or what thing I might see inside, but I can't just stay outside and do nothing. I need to get back!

After another hour of walking back and getting lost in the forest I finally got back to where I first came from, and thank God hindi ako nawalan ng malay sa sobrang hingal at uhaw. And thank God nandiyan pa rin ang abandoned hut sa kung saan ko siya unang nakita.

Umupo ako saglit sa isang malaking batong nakita ko upang magpahinga sapagkat hingal na hingal talaga ako. Buwesit naman.

Pagkatapos magpahinga ay napagdesiyonan ko ng tumayo at magtungo sa abandonadong kubo. Gusto ko pang uminom, pero wala naman na akong makitang tubig sa lugar na ito. At kung meron man akong makitang tubig sa loob ng abandonadong kubo na iyan, hindi ko rin naman iinumin. Baka ano pa ang mangyari sa akin.

The hut looks so good and ancient as the wall still looks steady, but because of the plants and grass that is growing in its wall and roof, you can clearly understand that it is abandoned already.

I knocked in the door thrice, hoping that it will open by someone from the inside, or sort of. But there is none. The door still is sturdy tho', and when I twitch the doorknob, it successfully opened. Guess the one who abandoned it has nothing to hide in here as they did not lock it.

I opened the door wide without getting inside. I looked at the inside from the outside to feel if there is any living creature inside. And when I feel none, I went inside.

It's dark inside. It really is. Kumakapa-kapa ako sa kawalan sapagkat halos wala talaga akong makita, maliban nalang siguro sa isang desk na nasisilayan ng liwanag mula sa nakabukas na pintuan.

Mabilis akong pumunta sa desk na iyon at baka mayroon akong makitang magbibigay liwanag sa lugar na ito. And what  do you know? There is none. Walang kalaman-laman ang desk na ito! Shit!

“Ano ba naman yan. Is this a sign that I just go out and wait for someone to find me here?” naiinis na tanong ko sa desk. Wala rin naman akong mapapala dito sapagkat hindi ko naman makikita ang kung anong na sa loob dito eh.

‘Should I just use fire magic instead?’

“Nah. I don't know how to use it anyway. I'll just burn the hut down, worts case scenario,” kontra ko sa aking iniisip.

I stare at the desk for more than a minute while thinking for something when I realized that there is a switch button on the edge of the table. Hindi mo agad mapapansin sapagkat kakulay lang ng desk ang switch na ito.

Mabilis ko itong pinindut ng walang pagdadalawang isip at namangha ng bigla nalamang isa-isang lumiwanag ang buong paligid kasabay ng pagsarado ng pinto na siyang ikinagulat ko.

Ngunit hindi ko na ito pinansin pa sapagkat nanatili ang aking paningin sa mga torch na umaapoy. Galing.

Pagkatapos kong pagmasdan ang mga torch ay agad Kong inilibut ang aking paningin sa paligid. It looks like a simple house by a person who want nothing but a peaceful and simple life.

There is a mini bed on the side, with flowers on top of the table beside it. The fireplace where there is a chair and table in front of it, even a teacup is on the table, seems like the owner forget to clean them before leaving. There is a mini kitchen on the opposite side of the bed, and it look so vintage.

But the thing that caught my attention most is the scattered books. It seems like someone is looking through them in a hurry and left without even cleaning and putting them back on its shelf.

I really love books and it is painful to see someone treating these books as if it's a trash. Agad akong naglakad papunta sa mga nagkalat na libro at inayos ang mga ito.

While cleaning them up and putting them all in the shelf, my eyes caught it's letters. It's different. Ngayon ko lang napansin na na sa ibang lenggwahe ang mga librong ito, and I can't read it.

“What language is this?” nagtatakang tanong ko habang pinagmamasdan ang isang librong kulay itim bago binuksan at nagtangkang basahin ang na sa loob. Ngunit hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang nakasulat. There are scriptures also beside the bookshelf and it's writing is the same as the books, weird. It intrigued me to see that there is another language in this world, and I want to learn it.

I hurriedly took the bag beside the shelf and put three random books inside and one scripture before putting them in my back. I also took one scripture and let my hand run to it while feeling its marble.

“Put down that ancient scripture,” I was startled to death and almost drop the scripture when someone suddenly spoke behind me. I immediately looked behind ready to smack whoever just scared me only to find nothing.

“Uh you again? Why are you even here? I thought you left?” naiinis na tanong ko sa hangin. Bago inilagay ng dahan-dahan ang hawak-hawak Kong scripture.

“You shouldn't be here, Despina. I already warned you didn't I?” usal niya. Ngayon mararamdaman mo na talaga ang galit sa kaniyang boses.

“What do you expect me to do? Stay outside while waiting to get back to my house? Do you think that is possible? I need to find a way to get back. And what do you mean by ancient scripture? Are these ancient scripture?” pagbobomba ko ng katanungan sa kaniya habang nakatingin sa kawalan.

Hindi agad ito sumagot sa akin at lumipas pa ang ilang minuto bago siya muling nagsalita. “You should not be here, you will only trigger the gate. They are already here, beware,” takot na lintaya niya bago ako nawalan ng malay.

tamadsiakuma. ♡