Lost Realms

Tangled Strings

THIRD PERSON'S POV

Ava is a romantic author and an academic achiever in her school. She only writes about romance dahil hindi siya mahilig sa kahit anong genre lalo na sa horror. She is peacefully working on the 13th part of her book when she notices a faint image of red strings around her right wrist. She begins to believe that what she is seeing right now is her red string of fate as it is connected to her childhood friend Jax.

Lumapit si Ava kay Jax para kulitin ito. "Jax! Pa'no kung sabihin ko sa'yong I can see the red string of fate?" ani Ava. Jax just look at Ava who he believes is just talking nonsense. "KJ naman nito!" Ava exclaimed.

Jax is a talented painter. He and Ava have been best friends since they were 8. They go to the same school, live in the same village, and their family are friends. Sabi nga ng iba pa nilang kaibigan ay baka magsoulmate nga sila.

On the other hand, Icarus is a passionate musician, academic achiever, and Ava's academic rival. Icarus always composes music with a suspenseful tone as it makes him feel alive. He does not see Ava as his academic rival as he adores her which is why he always teases Ava.

As Ava clearly notices the strings, nakita niyang hindi lang ito nakakonekta kay Jax dahil may isa pang string na nakabuhol. But she's oblivious to the fact that it has two threads. It reveals that the other string was linked to Icarus. Blinded by her disdain for Icarus, Ava dismisses the revelation, thinking that it is just a mere coincidence.

However, strange events unfold. Ava discovers updates in her work, her ongoing romance book now taking on a horror genre that everyone knew she would never willingly explore. She tried to remove the updates but she couldn't move her hands in her will, rather she continued to write the horror updates. Little did she know, Icarus was watching her.

"Ava!" tawag ni Icarus. Hindi ito pinansin ni Ava thinking that Icarus is some kind of conflict to challenge her friendship with Jax because of the entangled string. Patuloy lang siyang naglalakad at patuloy rin siyang sinusundan ni Icarus. "Ava! Alam kong nakikita mo rin yung strings." sabi ni Icarus na nakatawag pansin kay Ava. Agad na huminto at lumingon si Ava kay Icarus. "Alam kong weird pero tingin ko hindi 'to yung sinasabi nilang red string of fate. Red yung kulay pero dalawang string yung nakakabit sa isang kamay ko." Agad na nagtaka si Ava sa sinabi ni Icarus dahin hindi niya napansin na dalawang string din ang meron sa kanya.

"Nakikita mo rin na nakabuhol yung strings mo sa string namin ni Jax?" Ava asked. "Oo, pero hindi lang ikaw yung naka-link na string kay Jax, pati ako" Icarus answered. "What? So you're saying na pareho tayong soulmate ni Jax?" Ava scoffed. "Ava, hindi nga 'to yung string for soulmates. Na-experience mo rin ba yung may ginawa ka pero hindi mo natatandaan na ginawa mo talaga?" ani Icarus.

Napaisip si Ava at agad niyang naalala yung updates sa story na ginagawa niya. "So you're saying na it is a puppeteer's strings?" Ava realized. "Possible, may mga cinomposed akong kanta that I don't remember composing. Isa pa, hindi ako mahilig sa soft tones kaya nagtataka ako kung bakit may soft tones yung mga kanta na bagong composed. Possibleng kinokontrol tayo ni Jax." Icarus explained.

"So anong plano mo?" Ava asked. "What if we untangled first the string bago natin putulin?" Icarus suggested. "Pero paano natin mapuputol kung tayo lang yung nakakakita ng string? Paano kung puppet lang din si Jax? Pa'no kung may consequences pag pinutol natin 'to?" sunod-sunod na tanong ni Ava.

On the other hand, Jax is in the art room painting a group of hands with red strings connected to another hand above them. "Jax! Nakita mo ba yu–" agad na napatigil si Ava nang makita niya kung ano yung nasa painting ni Jax. Nakakamangha nga ang galing ni Jax sa painting pero kabaliktaran nito ang reaksyon ni Ava. "Nakakatakot naman yang pinaint mo, what if totoo pala talaga yung mga ganyan no?" komento ni Ava. "Ano yung sasabihin mo?" baling ni Jax. "Ah tatanong ko lang sana kung nakita mo yung phone ko, di ko kasi mahanap kanina pa." "Nasa bag mo ah, pinabantay mo sakin kanina di ba?". Jax answered.

As Ava and Icarus were busy discussing how they would cut the strings, Jax joined them suddenly. "Ano bang pinag-uusapan niyo at puro string yung naririnig ko." tanong ni Jax. "Wala, nanghihingi lang ako ng suggestions kay Ava, naputol kasi yung string nung isa kong gitara." pagpapalusot ni Icarus.

Agad na nilagay ni Jax ang mga painting na may kinalaman sa puppeteer's strings. Nagtaka naman si Icarus habang si Ava ay agad na kinabahan. "Ava, mind to explain this? Akala ko ba hindi ka mahilig sa mga nakakatakot na bagay?" Jax confronted. "Bakit ako? Di ba ikaw yung nagpaint niyan? Ba't ako yung tinatanong mo?" Ava said.

"Don't make a fool out of me. Nakikita ko rin yung strings. Surprised, Ava?" Jax smirked. "I found out kung bakit biglang may mga ganto akong paintings is because of your strings. You're manipulating my actions Ava but you can't manipulate my mind." dagdag pa ni Jax. "Wait anong ibig sabihin nito?" Icarus asked in a confuse tone. "So si Ava yung kumokontrol satin? Hindi ikaw yung kumokontrol samin ni Ava?" pagkaklaro ni Icarus kay Jax.

"Yes! Ava has been manipulating us." Jax continued, frustration evident in his voice.