A Happily Ever After

Chapter Thirty-Two

JESSA

All I can see is red.

There's a fire-like sensation that flares in my chest, traveling through my veins and makes my vision turn red. I can sense the very heat steaming in every pore of my body. Even my breath feels boiling around my throat.

I watch Stefan fall onto the ground as he clutches at his wound. All I can hear is his words from earlier.

"You can go batshit crazy for me."

Narinig ko ang sigaw nina Selene sa paligid ko. I can feel Christopher's strong grip on my shoulders, trying to restrain me. But it's too late now.

When my eyes found the crazy smirk on the Prince's lips as he watched Stefan on the ground, I blazed.

A shrill scream of anger erupts from my throat as the fire rises from around me. It's undeniable now. Kung dati ay hindi pa ako sigurado kung sa akin ba palagi nanggagaling ang mga mahiwagang apoy, ngayon ay sigurado na ako. The fire is me. And I am raging.

My head is burning, as if I am suddenly placed in a cauldron with boiling water. My heart hammers rabidly in my chest. My hand pulls my sword from the scabbard hanging on my waist and stomps my way towards the Prince.

Bawat hakbang ko ay ramdam ko rin ang pagkalat ng apoy sa paligid ko. There are frantic screams of knights around. I am sure that Selene and Jonah are calling out to me, stopping me from burning, but I ignore all of them.

My eyes, searing in anger, mark his figure to his shocked look on his face. Despite the overflowing fury in my chest, I still can't help but to snicker at his frightened expression. That's what he gets for being cocky, annoying, and thick-headed. He should be ashamed. He should be gone, burnt to the ground.

His mouth is moving, probably from ordering his men to their position and fight me for him. Yet my fire continues to burn around the battle ring. No one can touch my flames. No one can touch me.

Nadaanan ko na si Stefan na nasa lapag pa rin, pero natanaw ko rin naman si Christopher at Liam na nakasunod pala sa akin para kunin siya. I know that they can take care of him, so for now, I will take care of this Prince in front of me.

Nakalabas ang dagger niya na may bahid pa rin ng dugo ni Stefan. Nakatutok iyon sa akin yet he keeps on taking step backwards. Hindi ko kailangan gamitin ang sword ko— all it takes is my arm, loaded with so much vehemence, to knock off the blade from his arm. Napanood ko kung paano siya nagreact sa init ng balat ko at tuloy tuloy siyang umaabante palayo sa akin.

Hindi ko na siya hinintay. I let out a loud cry and advanced towards him.

The Prince also took out his extra sword from his waist, our swords clashed between us. My fire burns higher and hotter, kita ko iyon sa mga butil ng pawis na tuloy tuloy na tumutulo sa kanyang noo. Good, hindi ko pala kailangan physical force. My fire is enough to put him in place.

I pushed him away from me with my sword. The Prince is definitely losing his composure because of too much heat from me, and that gives me satisfaction. My fire will consume him.. But before that...

Hindi na ako nag-isip masyado. Hinayaan ko lahat ng galit na dumaloy sa bawat gilid ko at binigyan ang Prinsipe ng napakaraming atake gamit ng aking sword. I attacked in a way that gave him no hole to deflect nor simply retreat. I can already see it in his eyes— he can't escape me, he can't go past my fire.

I gave the Prince a loud and strong kick in his guts, sending him down the ground, his sword clattering on his side. There's fire that's starting to whirl in my fingers in both hands, my vision turns bloody, my head pounds loudly and angrily. I directed my hands at the scared looking Prince, my flames snaking past my arms and palm. He raised his hand on surrender, huh. Surrender? Wala na akong pakialam—