𝔖𝔬, ℑ 𝔊𝔬𝔱 ℜ𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔡

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 6

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔖𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔶 𝔘𝔫𝔣𝔬𝔩𝔡𝔰
~※~
Himeko

I started reading the contents of the paper and I agreed to all of its terms. Wala naman kasing mawawala sa akin, well except for my chance of survival. Which is now 50%.

It's a bit awkward writing.

This is my first time using a quill pen. I remembered how Marcie handled this earlier at sinunod ko naman iyon. I dip it in ink first and then I started writing my name.

"Done," I said as I finished signing.

"Hmm, what kind of symbols are these?" biglang tanong ni Marcie.

Ah. I wrote it 'Himeko Kamizaki' with a sign on top of it, hindi ko kasi alam kung paano sumulat with the use of their letter system. Hindi naman talaga ako taga-rito.

"I wrote it by alphabet," sagot ko at napasandal sa sofa.

"Hmm?" curious na napatingin si Mason sa papel, "—this is my first time seeing these symbols. How curious. It's a different writing system. Is this how they write in the East? I thought they were illiterate?" 

Basag naman akong napangiti dahil sa bulong ni Mason. Rinig na rinig ko kasi siya.

"Dayuhan ka pala Himeko. Well, obvious naman sa features mo palang. Pero saang bansa ka?" tanong ni Marcie sa akin. And her eyes reflect how curious she is.

"I came from a faraway place."

A very very far away place.

"Where?" tanong ni Marcie habang busy parin inoobserbahan ni Mason yung papel sa gilid.

"Uhhm.....I'm from..."

Shit. Anong sasabihin ko? Does the Philippines even exist here? Of course not.

"I'm from far east," sagot ko nalamang.

"East, huh. The Eastern people are barbarics," sabay tingin ulit si Mason sa sinulat ko.

"We're not barbaric," I defended.

Kahit hindi ako taga-rito sa mundong ito, ide-defend ko parin itong sinasabi nilang pinagmulan ko.

"Weird, this writing is weird. I haven't encountered these symbols in the Academy," komento naman ni Mason habang busy parin sa pagsusuri nung papel.

He whispered something on the last part but I didn't quite catch it. Humina na kasi yung mga bulong niya.

"Anong pangalan ng bansa niyo Himeko? Or is it a Kingdom? Or an Empire? In the far East, there's the Chi Empire and the Khan Empire. Wait, ano pa nga yung ilan?" at napa-isip naman siya.

Ano dao? Chi? Khan? Wala akong alam diyan!

"I'm from the country of pearls," sagot ko, with confidence.

"Pearls?" nagliwanag naman ang mga mata ni Marcie.

"Oo. Galing ako sa perlas ng silanganan. Sa Maharlika."

"I see. It's my first time hearing that!" at napaharap siya kay Mason.

"Well, akin na yan Mason," sabi ni Marcie sa i-intrigue na si Mason.