Lumina Academy: The Golden Hope (Realm Series #1)

Chapter 11: The Dagger

Chapter 11: The Dagger
 
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Clifford
 
Someone wants to control Aiden…
 
“It is clear that there’s a traitor inside of the academy,” we heard Lucas said but nurse Mara shook her head.
 
“Or maybe not…” she said and we frown. “You see, the academy has a powerful barrier that prevents the rebellions enter into the academy’s premises,” what is she trying to say? “What I am saying is, there’s no traitor but a creature that acting as one of the students here… a creature that can copy someone’s identity but it’s still a mystery how that creature entered the academy’s premises,” nurse Mara continued and we all understand what she’s trying to say.
 
“Is the academy already investigating?” Azriel asked and the atmosphere even becomes serious than earlier.
 
“Yes, but you, Alphas, also need to do your investigation. The academy needs your help,” tumango kami bago nagkatinginan but when my eyes turn to Aiden, I just can’t help but frown when I saw him staring at Ms. Ford’s medical records.
 
“We will do the investigation, nurse Mara. Thank you for informing us. We will leave now,” Kuya Logan said before he left first and Aiden followed him while still holding the medical records of Ms. Ford.
 
Nagpaalam naman kami kay nurse Mara bago sumunod sa dalawa habang hindi pa rin maalis sa isipan namin ang nangyari sa dalawang Betas. Sa lahat ng miyembro ng Betas ay sila lamang ang may pinaka-malalang natamo. Napabuntong-hininga na lamang ako ng nakararamdam na naman ako ng konsensya.
 
“Don’t worry, Clara… Ingrid will be fine,” I heard Arielle said and when I look at them, I saw her caressing Clara’s shoulder.
 
Clara only gave her a faint smile. “I know… she’s strong after all…” she answered but we can still see how worried she is to Ingrid.
 
Bumuntong-hininga na naman ako. Ako ang nahihirapan sa sitwasyon ni Clara, eh! Yung tipong gusto mong makita ang matalik mong kaibigan—for you to feel at ease after what happened to her that almost took her life. Pero dahil magka-galit kayo ay hindi mo magawa kaya ang magagawa mo na lamang ay sabihan ang sarili mong maayos lang siya.
 
These poor ladies…
 
We’re heading to the headmaster’s office to know some hints about this matter. As soon as possible, we have to handle this situation. We couldn’t let that creature hurt the students here again and worst, it will cause them to die. Taylor and Ford are too lucky because they didn’t die but it’s also doesn’t mean that they are already safe.
 
But good thing that Taylor is already in a stable condition but Ford? I hope she’ll be okay soon. What happened to her is worst but I still can’t help but think if Aiden was the one who hit that black magic and that creature successfully made the prince his puppet… delubyo lang ang kalalabasan no’n.
 
Aiden is too powerful that even us—Alphas can’t bear his overflowing power. Idagdag pang hindi pangkaraniwan ang apoy niya. Pero buti na lang din at hindi naisipan ng kung sino man ‘yon na gamitin ang magkapatid. But still, what happened still put someone’s life in danger.
 
 When we reached the headmaster’s office, I just noticed that Aiden wasn’t around but we’re used to it. We’re not always complete every time we have to go to the headmaster’s office and it is rare for us to be completed—kapag na sa mood lang ang prinsepe na ‘yon.
 
“Alphas, I have a mission for you…” ito na kaagad ang bungad sa amin ng headmaster pagkapasok namin sa kaniyang office. “But only if you are willing to save the Betas’ members lives…” he continued and we became serious.
 
***
 
Hope Lorelei Lara Sapphire Watson
 
I opened my eyes slowly but my vision is blurry. I close my eyes again before I tried moving my body ngunit napa-ngiwi na lamang ako. I opened my eyes again and this time, my vision is already clear. I look around and I figure out that I am in the infirmary and I can’t help but reminisce what happened why I am here.
 
Ano ba ang na sa isip ko at sinalo ko pa ang kapahamakan?!
 
Bumuntong-hininga na lamang ako ng maingat dahil pakiramdam ko ay kahit ang paghinga ko ay masakit. I have an oxygen and I am thankful that I have this dahil masikip ang dibdib ko. I can’t also move my body kaya napa-pikit na lamang ako. Tila gusto ko na lang maiyak dahil sa kalagayan ko ngayon.
 
Naalala ko naman bigla si Gen at umusbong na lamang ang pag-aalala sa dibdib ko ng maalala ko ang huling nakita ko bago ako nawalan ng malay. She was hurt… but I know that Gen will live… she’s strong that’s why I don’t have to worry about her.
 
I closed my eyes again while waiting for someone to arrive. I am too weak to move and I can’t use my power right now. But while my eyes closed, the prince of fire face’s suddenly flashed on my mind… his worried face while he was looking at me. The first emotion that I’ve seen in him.
 
Should I be thankful?
 
Dapat ba akong magpa-salamat na ako ang dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng emosyon sa mukha niya? Dapat ba akong maging masaya na pinag-alala ko siya? No, I shouldn’t. Hindi ko siya kilala, hindi niya rin ako kilala, at hindi kami close! Pero bakit mo siya niligtas? Napasimangot naman ako dahil sa ideya na ‘yan.
 
Hindi ko nga alam!
 
Basta ang nararamdaman ko lang ng mga panahon na ‘yon ay hindi ko siya gustong ma-kontrol ng iba… dahil kung nangyari ‘yon ay paniguradong malaking delubyo ang magaganap. After knowing how powerful he is that his aura tells that too, you wouldn’t want him to lose control because for sure, he will destroys everything he sees and touch—he will kill everyone who will come on its way.
 
He’s powerful, yes, but that black magic is powerful too that’s why it’s no doubt that it will still be able to spread through his body and he will be a puppet of someone. Sinabi sa akin ni Arang na hindi daw basta-basta nagagamit ang gano’ng klaseng black magic. In able to do that, then you have to be powerful first.
 
Ngunit ang nilalang na pinanggamitan nito ay posibleng mamatay sa huli kapag hindi nito nalabanan ang black magic. Either successful or not, that person will still die if his or her body can’t fight the black magic—if his or her power can not fight the black magic. But in my case, it wasn’t successful and I didn’t die since I have protection from my guardians and my power is fighting the black magic. Ngunit ramdam ko pa rin na mayroong black magic sa katawan ko at hindi ko alam kung kailan ito tuluyang mawala.
 
I opened my eyes when I felt Fina’s presence and when our eyes met, she smiled sweetly. “Good thing that you’re awake…” she softly said and sat beside me. “We were worried,” she sigh while looking at me softly. “Especially, Zephyr who almost lost his control,” napailing-iling na lamang siya kaya mahina ako natawa.
 
I can’t move my mount—my throat is dry and I can’t find my voice. Nakapang-hihina naman ang ganito. Kaya nga napaka-delikado ng black magic—sa paggamit nito, at kung ikaw ay ginamitan nito. If there’s cure? I’m not sure since it’s the forbidden magic we’re talking about.
 
“Your mother and auntie are coming. They are with Ingrid while Titiana and Merlia stay in your room. And about my brother? Well, I told him to go back to our domain while he will only create havoc here,” I just listened to Fina, and minutes later, the door opened and I heard Mimi’s voice.
 
“Anak?” I look at my Mimi’s direction and she’s also looking at me. Mayroong pag-alala sa mga mata niya ng naglakad siya patungo sa akin. She caress my cheeks softly and I noticed that she’s teary eyes. “Ang anak ko…” nagsibagsakan na ang kaniyang luha habang nakatingin sa akin.
 
I wanted to tell her not to cry but I couldn’t. All I can do is to look at her—begging her not to cry but her tears keep on falling. I don’t want seeing my Mimi cry and it breaks my heart seeing her like this. Pansin kong mugto na ang mga mata niya pagkadating pa lamang niya kanina kaya alam kong iyak siya ng iyak habang natutulog ako.
 
“Raine, stop crying… your daughter is fine. She’s now awake,” it was Nana’s voice and I felt her hand holds mine. “Fix yourself, Lorraine. Nurse Mara is on her way to check her,” I look at Nana when she caresses my hand that she’s holding.
 
Nakita ko rin mula sa kaniyang mga mata na nag-aalala siya and from her side, I saw Gen sitting on wheelchair. She looked pale and there’s an IV in her right hand like mine. Even when it comes to this kind of thing, the mortal realm and magic world still have similarities. The only differences are the medicines that we’re taking.
 
Gen smiled at me and even wave her hand. I smile a bit at her before we all look at the door and there’s a nurse entered. Her face is angelic and when she smiled, she looks more beautiful. Mas matangkad ako sa kaniya at nagmumukhang mas matanda ako ngunit ang totoo ay hindi.
 
She closed the door before I heard her soft voice. “I’m glad that both of you are already awake… especially, you, Lara…” her smile remains on her lips before she came closer to me before she checks something.
 
She checked my eyes before she spoke. “Nod or shake your head as an answer, okay?” I nodded at her. “How’s your breathing? Nahihirapan ka ba?” Pinakiramdaman ko ang sarili ko at pansin kong maayos na ang paghinga ko. I shook my head and she nod. “Can you move the other parts of your body?” I tried to move my hands and even my feet but I can’t that’s why I shook my head again. She sighs first before nodding.
 
“How is she?” It was Nana’s voice when nurse Mara took off my oxygen.
 
“As of now, the black magic is still in her body but you don’t have to worry anymore, Mina and Raine. I will give her the potion for her to be able to move again,” she look at me before she smiled a little. “Her power is fighting the black magic. But she still needs rest—maybe one to two weeks rest—just like Ingrid. But it still depends on how their strength comes back. They are still weak but we have potions that could help them regain their strength,” Mimi and Nana are satisfied—even Fina—of what nurse Mara said.
 
But upon observing them, I think they are pretty close. Magkasing-edad lang siguro sila. I also can see that Mimi and Nana trust nurse Mara since no one knows that they are already here. But I remembered the academy’s anniversary where Mimi and Nana will be announced that they are finally back.
 
“Do they need to attend the academy’s anniversary this week?” Mimi is caressing my hair carefully while she’s looking at nurse Mara.
 
“If they already can, Raine. But don’t you think it’s too dangerous for the students to celebrate the academy’s anniversary when we know that there’s a dangerous creature that lurking around the academy’s premises?” What nurse Mara said made us think.
 
“They are already investigating and let’s see if we can celebrate the academy’s anniversary this week or not. I’m still waiting for the result of their investigation,” Mimi is now serious like a leader—I can not see my mother right now but the headmistress of this academy.
 
“Let’s just hope that this problem will solve as soon as possible. We don’t know when that creature will move again to attack the students here. My brother and I can not point out what kind of creature it was for it was surrounded by powerful black magic,” Fina said and we fell silent.
 
It’s too powerful that even my guardians can not determine what kind of creature it was. For sure, it’s also powerful that’s why the academy is still investigating dahil hindi pwedeng basta-basta na lamang silang gumalaw ng hindi kilala ang ang kalaban.
 
Mayroon pa silang ibang pinag-usapan hanggang sa nagpaalam na si nurse Mara sa amin and Gen being curious, she asked Mimi and Nana about what she’d been thinking since earlier. “Why nurse Mara looks like a doctor to me than nurse?” Natawa naman sina Mimi at Nana habang kami lamang ni Fina ay napangiti.
 
“She’s a doctor—she supposed to be a doctor but she has her personal reason why she declined that position,” Nana said before she went to Gen’s back para itulak ang wheelchair niya palapit sa hinihigaan ko. Tumango lamang si Gen bilang sagot.
 
Si Mimi naman ay pinaka-kain na ako para mainom ko na ang potion na sinasabi ni nurse Mara while Fina lay down in my bed and closed her eyes. Lugaw lang ang kinakain ko at kung makakapagsalita lang ako ay talagang magre-reklamo ako. But Mimi has been laughing because of my face—I am sulking because of the food that I am eating right now.
 
Hindi naman ako mabubusog nito, eh!
 
“Anak, hindi pwedeng biglain ang tiyan mo, okay?” Wika ni Mimi at nakarinig na lamang ako ng tawa mula sa kaibigan ko at sa tita ko.
 
“The lady is sulking because of the food that she’s eating,” Nana teased but I just pouted. “Come on, Ingrid, you have to eat too,” I just focused on eating until I’m done.
 
Sabay pa kami g uminom ni Gen ng potion na binigay sa amin at tila gusto ko na lamang masuka dahil sa pangit ng lasa nito! Pero ang ininom ni Gen ay parang juice lang daw pero na sa huli ang atake kaya hindi ko mapigilang matawa ng mahina dahil sa mukha niya.
 
Kung hindi lang ako nanghihina, siguradong huma-halaklak na ako ngayon.
 
“Stop laugh, sweetie. Here, you have to drink this too,” mayroong inabot sa akin si Mimi at nalukot na lamang ang mukha ko dahil sa nakita.
 
“Oh, ayan! Tawa ka pa diyan, ah!” Sinamaan ko ng tingin si Gen bago ngumuso kay Mimi but I know my Mimi better.
 
Hindi niya ako pakakawalan lalo na at kalusugan ko ang pinag-uusapan.
 
***
 
When I can finally move my body again and my voice is back, nurse Mara let us discharged kaya kaagad naman kaming umuwi sa kwarto na namin ni Gen. Her things are already in my room and since iisa lang ang kwarto ay magkatabi kami ni Gen at wala namang problema sa aming dalawa ‘yon.
 
Halos tumira na nga siya no’n sa kwarto ko, eh!
 
Bago umalis sina Mimi at Nana ay sinugurado muna nilang maayos kami. But they don’t have to worry since Lia, Tati, Fina, and Zep are with us. Sinabi rin naman nilang aalagaan nila kami kaya hindi na dapat sila mag-alala pa. I also heard that Gen’s parents visited her but they still have no idea that we’re here.
 
Gabi na ng makabalik kami sa kwarto kaya pagka-alis nina Mimi ay kaagad din kaming nakatulog dahil na rin sa gamot na ininom namin. I wanted to get healed as soon as possible dahil hindi ko gusto ang lasa ng mga gamot dito. Parang feeling ko mas lalo akong magkaka-sakit dahil sa lasa no’n.
 
In the next morning, we drank our medicines again at parang nanghihina kaming pareho ni Gen lalo. Hindi ko alam kung pagagalingin ba talaga kami ng mga gamo’t na ‘yon o palalalain ang nararamdaman namin, eh!
 
“Do you want me to ask Arang’s help?” Tati asked me while tilting her head.
 
Iniling ko naman ang ulo ko bago siya sinagot. “No, Tati. Hindi pwedeng lagi ko na lang hihingiin ang tulong ni Arang—ang tulong niyo kung may iba pa namang paraan,” I smiled at her to make her feel better. “Don’t worry about us, okay? These medicines maybe taste awful but I can already feel the effectiveness of it,” I continued and all she have to do is to sigh.
 
Pwede ko ring namang gamitin ang kapagyarihan ng golden flower, eh, pero dahil may kalabang umaaligid sa paligid ay hindi pwede. I can’t risk myself again because I don’t want my Mimi and Nana to get worried about me again.
 
“Uhm, Gen?” Napalingon naman sa akin si Gen ng tawagin ko siya mula sa pakikipag-chikahan kay Merlia at hindi ko naman mapigilang matawa ulit ng maalala ko ang reaksyon niya ng makita si Merlia.
 
“Yeah?”
 
“Do you still have the dagger that I gave you?” I asked na ikina-isip naman niya.
 
“Oo! Hindi ko naman ‘yon wawalain, ‘no!” She answered and seconds later, she summoned the dagger that I gave her before.
 
Nagliwanag ng light blue ang isang palad niya at lumabas ang isang dagger na iba’t iba ang kulay tulad ng blue, green, violet and yellow. Mayroon itong dalawang star sa magkabilang gilid nito, pati sa baba ng hawakan ay mayroon din itong star and this dagger was shinning lightly.
 
Nagliliwanag ito ng kung ano ang kaniyang mga kulay at parang may sariling buhay na pumunta sa direksyon ko kaya sinalo ko naman ito at mas lalo itong umilaw. Napangiti ako habang pinagmamasdan ito until I heard Gen’s voice.
 
“Anong gagawin mo diyan?” Tanong niya habang naka-kunot ang nuo.
 
Magkatabi si Lia at Tati na mga nakaupo sa higaan habang nakatingin sa dagger na hawak ko. Na sa kabilang gilid ko naman si Gen habang si Zep naman ay natutulog sa sala. The academy requested their presence for meeting earlier but Zep didn’t attend but Sarafina at hanggang ngayon ay wala pa rin siya.
 
“It can help the academy find whatever that creature is since this dagger is from the hunter of monsters—the clan of Sugon that were blessed by Arang himself. It will react violently if this dagger sense that monster nearby,” I explained and I saw amusement in her eyes.
 
“That’s why you gave that to me dahil madalas no’ng sugudin ang bahay namin ng mga halimaw,” saad niya at napatango-tango pa ng mapagtanto ang mga bagay-bagay.
 
Hindi ko kasi nasabi sa kaniya kung anong klaseng dagger ang binigay ko kaya wala siyang ideya until this day. This dagger gave by Arang and he told me na iilan lang ang dagger na ‘to dito and he was the one who create it and bless it by his power. But only his chosen clan possess it can and wield it which is the clan of Sugon.
 
This dagger helps us to know if there is monster nearby at dahil mayroon itong abilidad na bigay din ni Aslan ay kaya ng dagger na ‘to na pumatay ng halimaw ng walang kahirap-hirap. This dagger became every monster’s nightmare and weakness.
 
But not all monsters are bad that’s why Arang told his chosen clan to only kill those monsters who only mean harm to mankind. But the dagger has its own life too. Kilala nito kung sino ang kalaban at kung sino ang hindi.
 
But while looking at the dagger that I am holding, bigla na lamang itong nagliwanag ng pula—saying that there’s monster nearby at ng nahaluan ito ng kulay itim ay ibig sabihin lang no’n ay naglalabas ito ng enerhiya.
 
A monster that uses black magic…
 
***