✓ | The Borrowed Identity (Fate's Transgression Series, #4)

TBI 28: Sacrifice

[ Chapter 28: Sacrifice ]

Selene | Selvy

Parati na lang akong nadudukot, sinasaktan, at kulang na lang talaga mawalan na ako ng lamang-loob dahil sa dami ng nais akong dukutin. But, I always felt a force of protection. Hindi lahat nagwawagi na makuha ako, dahil kung hindi man si Valan ang nagliligtas sa akin, may iba naman.

I always felt something different, like a pair of eyes watching my every move. I remember Selvyna said that I am being protected, and no matter what happens, I will always break free. Naniwala naman kasi ako sa sinabi niya, kaya lumabas din 'yong phoenix. Whoever it was, it was on our side. Gusto ko siyang makilala.

"Valan!" I exclaimed as soon as I opened the door. My eyes quickly took in the scene before me: Admiral was by the bed, holding a towel, while Valan lay there, his clothes partially removed, drenched in sweat from a high fever.

"We're near the sea," I said, my voice filled with concern. "He should be healing."

Admiral's expression turned grim. "That's the problem. The core inside the ship is burning too intensely. It can't regenerate enough energy to help him calm down."

I turned to Lutch, my desperation evident in my voice. "Where is this blue steel? We need it."

Lutch's weariness was evident in his eyes as he responded. "You can't see it unless Valan is aboard."

Frustration welled up inside me. "How do you usually calm it? There has to be a way."

Lutch hesitated, then replied, "The Queen gives Valan some tablets, but he's run out of them."

I cursed under my breath. "Damn it. I'm too stressed to sing. I can't save him."

The weight of the situation pressed heavily upon me, but deep down, I knew I couldn't give up. We had come too far, faced too many challenges, to let Valan slip away. There had to be another way to help him, to find a solution to this crisis.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at Admiral and Lutch, determination shining in my eyes. "Please, get out."

Nagkatinginan ang dalawa dahil sa sinabi ko. Both expressed confusion and hesitation, but upon looking how determined I was, they slowly nodded. They left the room, and I took a deep breath as the silence filled not just around me, but also inside my mind.

Taking a step closer to Valan's bedside, I reached out my hand and gently placed it on his forehead. Closing my eyes, I focused my thoughts and channeled my connection with the mystical forces that guided me. I called upon the presence that had saved me before, the mysterious savior who had given me glimpses of hope and guidance.

In the stillness of the room, a faint shimmer of light began to form around my hand, growing brighter with each passing moment. The air crackled with energy, and a soft, melodic hum filled the space.

"My savior, speak to me," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Show your ember, give me a solution to his peril."

As I spoke those words, the shimmering light intensified, casting a warm glow upon Valan's fevered face. Agad akong napaatras nang biglang sumakit ang aking ulo. Agad kong hinahawakan ang aking sumasakit na ulo gamit ang aking mga kamay at napapikit para damhin ang dulot nito.

Images and thoughts flooded my mind, fragments of knowledge and hidden truths. A sense of understanding washed over me, as if a door to forbidden memory had been unlocked. I knew that I had been granted a glimpse into a greater truth, something that had been unlocked from the bottom of my memory core.