Heartbound

Heart 22: Gatekeeper

"Let the light reveal the truth..."

AVERY

The three pairs of bloodshot eyes greeted us inside the dark tunnel. But they look so far. We can't see their bodies or any parts of them. We waited but they didn't lunge at us so we decided to make the first move. We inched towards them. Tumayo ang mga balahibo ko sa katawan habang matiim nila kaming pinagmamasdan, bawat kilos at galaw namin ay sinusundan nila. Dahil dito, wala sa sariling natulos kami ni Zirrius sa puwesto.

Nang makabawi sa kaba, dahan-dahang ihinakbang ko ang isang paa ko. Napasinghap ako nang may matapakan ako sa sahig at gumawa ito ng malulutong na ingay na muling nagpaungol sa mga halimaw. Nang tingnan ko kung ano ito, nakita ko ang mga buto at bungo ng tao na halos pumuno sa malawak na tunnel. Nag-aalalang sinulyapan ko si Zirrius.

Hindi ko alam kung ito ba ang sinasapit ng mga nagtatangkang pumasok sa lugar na ito o maaaring pinapakain sa mga halimaw na ito ang mga katawan ng mga kriminal.

Natigilan din kami nang biglang namatay ang ilaw sa lamparang hawak ko. I have no choice but to throw it away. The lamp created some clattering noises that made the monsters growl, I thought it will lunge straight to us but it didn't make a move. The ground underneath just trembled a little but this sent shivers to my spine.

I made a sword out of my Angel Fire. The fire glowed that illuminated some portions of the tunnel. The three pairs of red eyes don't seem to be near so I walked discreetly towards them to see their bodies and to know what they are made of. Pinigilan ko ang panginginig ng kamay ko dahil sa nararamdamang kaba at antisipasyon.

I noticed the carving on the tunnel brick walls showing how people defeated monsters using magic, how people used summoning magic to fight their enemies or invaders. I could see residues of magic in different colors. Some magic inside this tunnel were tainted and have a malicious sent to it.

We are inching towards the monsters but they still hadn't jumped at us. We walked and walked but it seems we can't come any closer. As if they are still far away. Halos limang metro na ang nalalakad namin ni Zirrius pero hindi pa rin namin marating ang kinaroroonan ng mga halimaw. This tunnel seems endless. I suspect it's protected with magic. Maybe, an illusion we need to break. Dahil sa iba't ibang karanasan ko sa mga ilusyong ginawa noon ni Verone, palagi na akong naghihinala. I'm a bit paranoid when it comes with illusions.

I looked around for a way out. Tiyak na nandito lang ang daan paakyat sa palasyo. I saw it before, before we blown the iron bars away.

The monsters growled but we are still moving forward. I'm waiting for them to lunge at us but they won't move. Lalo lang bumibilis ang tibok ng puso ko sa antisipasyong nararamdaman.

Zirrius signaled me to stop using his right hand. "We hadn't moved an inch," kunot-noong sabi niya. "We're coming back to where we start every time we step forward."

My face turned sour. I checked the carvings on the wall. I moved my sword a bit further to check what's ahead and saw the same carvings and the same set of bones. Tila nauulit lang ito nang nauulit. As if we are trapped in an endless loop. I intently look at the path we're following. Slowly, a white magical barrier started to appear on the path where the loop started.