Alexandria Academy

Chapter 12: Her Real Identity

EDITED VERSION

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Althea's POV

"Althea..." Napahinto ako sa paglalakad nang marinig ko ang pagtawag sa akin ni Isaac. Akala ko ay hahayaan na niya ako dahil sa mga sinabi ko.

Hindi ko tinuloy ang paglalakad ko pero hindi ko rin siya nililingon. I just stood there. "I have something to tell you."

I was shocked when he walked closer to me. "And you don't have any rights to control my life, too."

Natigilan ako. What I've said backfired me when he said that. "You can't keep me away from you, Althea. And you can't stop me from entering your life," nang sabihin niya 'yon ay parang siguradong-sigurado siya sa mga sinasabi niya.

Napailing ako. The nerve of this guy! "Whatever. I'm leaving." Naglakad ako paalis pero may huli siyang sinabi dahilan para mas lalo akong magtaka.

"If  you get to know about your past and who you truly are, don't change," makahulugang sabi niya.

Naglakad na ako roon paalis, leaving him inside the forest. Nang makarating ako sa entrance ng Magical University ay nandoon si Cath.

"Mrs. Zecharia wants to talk to you, privately." Nagtaka naman ako agad. This people are confusing the hell out me. Parang lahat sila ay may tinatago.

Wala na akong nagawa kun'di pumasok sa loob at dumiretso sa office ni Mrs. Zecharia. Pero bago ako makarating doon ay nakasalubong ko si Andrei. I walked passed through him but he said something that made me stop.

"You know, Isaac..." he paused. "...has a lot of secrets."

Nilingon ko siya then I shrugged. "I have nothing to do with all of his secrets," I sarcastically said but half meant. Do I have to be affected if Isaac has a lot of secrets? I have those, too. We all have.

"Secrets that will break someone's heart," sabi niya. I avoided my gaze because I feel conscious of the way he looked at me when he said that. "I know Isaac too well than you, Althea."

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gusto niyang ipunto sa akin nang mga oras na 'yon. Honestly speaking, I don't even have any idea why he's saying that to me. Does he think something is going on between me and Isaac? Well, he's wrong.

"Isaac is one hell of a liar," he said. "He will make you believe in something and just a snap of his finger, you're nothing to him."

The way he said that makes me think that him and Isaac are best of friends that turns into enemies. "Is he your bestfriend?" I asked.

He laughed, impassively. "No, he never treated me as one." He looked at me. "So, don't trust him. He will deceive you and break you." Then, he walked away.

Malapit na akong mahibang sa sinasabi ng mga tao sa akin. They leave me alot of words that confuses me.

Pagpasok ko sa loob ng office ni Mrs. Zecharia, naabutan ko siyang nakaupo sa office chair niya, kaya agad akong umupo sa kaharap niyang office chair.

"Althea..." Sa tono pa lang ng boses ni Mrs. Zecharia, alam kong hindi na maganda ang pupuntahan ng usapan na 'to. But I was shocked when she said something that turned my world upside down.

"Althea, kilala ko ang magulang mo," she said. I felt my body being numbed. Pakiramdam ko tumigil sa pag-ikot ang mundo ko the moment that word came out of her lips. How come?

For the past eighteen years, I've been alone and not knowing where to find myself and my family. Pinaniwala ko ang sarili kong patay na sila para hindi ako umasa. I even told myself that they never existed. But here she goes, claiming that she knows my parents.

"I-I don't know what to say." Napahawak ako sa aking ulo. Trying to sink it all in.

"Nineteen years ago, ang Alexandria Academy ay hindi isang paaralan kun'di isang kaharian na tinatawag na Black Kingdom at pinamumunuan ni Elijah Saavedra."

"Nakalaban namin noon si Elijah. At napatay siya ng ama ni Isaac. Ang asawa ko ngayon, si Genesis. Pero  two years after, nalaman kong nagkaroon siya ng anak. At nawawala ang sanggol na 'yon. Kumalat ang balitang dinala ang batang iyon sa mga mundo ng mga normal na tao. Kung saan ako nanggaling. Kaya sinubukan kong hanapin ang batang anak ni Elijah. Pero hindi ko siya natagpuan."

A tear glide down in my face. "T-That kid that you're talking about...is it me?"

Tumango siya. "Gusto ka naming kuhanin dahil mayroon kang kapangyarihan at namana mo ito sa iyong ama. Pero ilang taon na ang nagdaan at hindi ka namin matagpuan. Ayaw ka naming magaya sa ama mo na naging sakim at masama dahil sa kapangyarihan. We want you to be like us," aniya na mas lalong nagpaiyak sa akin.

"My father was the most evil villain in this world?" Tanong ko at muli siyang tumango. Umiwas ako ng tingin at pinunasan ang luhang tumulo sa aking mata. "I-I shouldn't be in this world. Ipatapon niyo na lang po ako--"

"No, Althea! You will never be like him. And believe me, your father was once a good person. He just fell inlove and was hurt that turned him into a monster."

"I still hate him." Ikinuyom ko ang aking kamay at hindi ko na napigilan pang umiyak. "How can someone be that bad?"

Mrs. Zecharia walked towards my side and hugged me. Hindi ko na napigilan ang umiyak but he wiped it all away. Like a mother does when her daughter is crying.

She caressed my face and smiled at me. Afterwards, she fixed my hair and braid it along with my bangs. Ngayon ay exposed na ang buong mukha ko at wala ng nakaharang na anumang buhok. There are some loose hair on the back of my ear.

She handed me an impact mirror. "Your eyes are tantalizingly beautiful, Althea. You are beautiful."

I smiled because of what she said. Napakabait niya sa akin at napakagaan ng pakiramdam ko sa kaniya.

Masyadong akong naapektuhan sa nalaman. Kaya hindi ko namalayan na bumabyahe na pala kami pabalik sa Academy. Hindi ko na rin nakita pa muli si Isaac dahil kailangan daw niyang magpaiwan. Kaya hindi namin siya kasabay umuwi.

"You look amazing, 'Thea." Hinawakan ni Lydia ang kamay ko. Ngumiti lang ako sa kaniya at hindi na umimik.

"Kanina ka pa tahimik, did something happened?" tanong ni Cath na nakaupo sa harap ko.

"It's unusual for Mrs. Zecharia to call for a one-on-one meeting," sabi ni Kristian na tila iniisip kung bakit nga ba ako pinatawag kanina ni Mrs. Zecharia.

"Is it that important?" Kurt asked. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin sa kanilang lahat ang totoo. Pero sa tingin ko ay dapat din nilang malaman ang totoo.

"I'm..." Sabay-sabay nila akong nilingon. "...Elijah's long lost daughter."

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