Tears of midnight Crystal

Chapter 5

As the moonlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting eerie shadows on the walls, I lay in bed, unable to shake off the remnants of the nightmare that had jolted me awake. My heart pounded against my chest, and sweat clung to my skin, making the cool night air feel like ice against my overheated body.

Ang bawat pagkakataon na ako'y inaantok, ang mapaglarong isipan ko ay pumapasok sa mga bangungot na nagbibigay sa akin ng kakaibang takot.

Sa isang gabi, hindi ko na naiwasang hindi magising, nakikita ko ang malakas na pagguho ng templo ng Aquamarine Clan sa aking harapan. Ang mga bato ay naglalaglagan, ang mga halakhak ng mga tao sa paligid ay tila nagbabanta. Nang aking makita, nararamdaman ko na ako ang dahilan ng pagkagiba nito.

Napakalalim ng sakit na aking nadama, na tila ba ang lahat ay nangyari dahil sa akin. Ang templo na iyon, hindi lamang isang pasilidad ng aming kanyang kultura, kundi ang simbolo rin ng aming kasaysayan at kasarinlan. Hindi ko maisip na ang isang bangungot ay magdudulot ng ganitong epekto sa akin, na magdala ng isang napakalaking sakit na aking maramdaman.

In the nightmare, I had seen myself in the temple, my usually serene face twisted with a fierce determination. My hands trembled as I reached for the shimmering gemstone embedded in the statue's heart. The moment I touched it, the temple began to crumble around me, the majestic walls and sacred statues collapsing into dust and debris. The sound of the destruction was deafening, filling my ears and drowning out my frantic screams.

I sat up in bed, hugging my knees to my chest, trying to steady my breathing. The vividness of the dream left me shaken. I could still feel the cold stone of the statue under my fingers, the weight of the gemstone in my palm, and the terror as the temple fell apart around me. It felt so real, as if I had truly been there, destroying everything I held sacred.

Desperate for comfort, I whispered a prayer into the darkness, hoping that the divine forces would hear my plea and grant me peace. But the silence that followed felt heavy, as if the universe itself was holding its breath, waiting for something I couldn't yet understand.

Bumangon ako sa kama at pumunta sa bintana, pinagmasdan ang gabi. Ang malamig na simoy ng hangin ay nakatulong upang maalis ang aking isipan, kung kaunti lang. Alam kong kailangan kong harapin ang kahulugan ng aking bangungot, upang maunawaan kung bakit ako sinalanta ng gayong pangitain. Ngunit sa ngayon, ang tanging magagawa ko ay panoorin ang mga bituin at umaasa na ang liwanag ng umaga ay magdadala ng kalinawan at katahimikan.

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over my room. I stretched and yawned, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare that had haunted my sleep. As I dressed and prepared for the day, I pushed the unsettling images to the back of my mind. There was no time to dwell on dreams, especially ones I couldn't understand.

"Good morning, sweetheart," bati sa akin ng aking ina na may matamis na ngiti, kumikislap ang mga mata habang naglalagay ng tinapay sa aking plato.

"Morning," sagot ko, pilit na ngumiti. Ang bangungot ay nagtagal sa aking mga iniisip, ngunit hindi ko nais na mag-alala sila. Nagkaroon sila ng sapat na mga responsibilidad nang hindi nakikitungo sa aking magulong pangarap.

"Nakatulog ka ba ng mabuti?" tanong ng aking ama, na sumulyap mula sa kanyang pahayagan, puno ng pag-aalala ang kanyang mga mata.

"Oo, ama," pagsisinungaling ko, umaasa na ang aking boses ay nakakumbinsi. "Kagaya ng dati."

After breakfast, I helped my mother clean up the kitchen. She hummed a soft tune, occasionally sparking small flames to dry the dishes faster. Watching her, I felt a pang of guilt for not sharing my burden, but I pushed it aside. They didn't need to know about my nightmare. Not yet.

My father headed out to tend to the fields, using his powers to ensure the crops received just the right amount of water. His strong, steady presence was a comforting constant in our lives. I followed my mother into the garden, where we spent the morning tending to the flowers and vegetables. The physical work helped distract me, and for a while, I managed to forget the haunting images from the night before

Ngunit habang lumilipas ang araw, ang bangungot ay patuloy na bumabalik sa aking isipan. Ang pangitain ng pagguho ng templo, ang batong pang-alahas sa aking kamay—nadama ang lahat ng ito na masyadong totoo para hindi pansinin. Gayunpaman, nanatili akong tahimik, ayaw kong pabigatin ang aking mga magulang sa aking mga takot.