Midnight Angels: The War

Chapter 35

'Symbol of Light'

The Hunters. Born wicked, labeled wicked. Masama ang reputasyon nila sa realm at sa tuwing maririnig ang pangalan nila ay tila nakasanayan na ng karamihan na katakutan sila. Their Hunter form could spark fear and trauma to anyone.

Naging kalaban na sila ng Team Alpha.

Naging utusan ni Xavier at ginamit dahil sa lason na sila lang ang nakakagawa. They killed the chief of a wolf village, specifically, Wolfie's father. They killed the late King and Queen of Archia, Jun's parents. They killed Xin on the battlefield, all from Xavier's commands.

Indeed, a bad reputation they had.

But that was the mistake of their ancestors. Those Hunters were now gone, wiped out by Hades himself. Now, the second-generation are left, including the elderly Hunters who have kept themselves hidden. Their kingdom is falling and they're going extinct.

For their salvation, they needed the first-generation poison. Specifically, they needed Zia's poison.

Zia Muirgen Allison-Wen. Born with a weak heart, she had no choice but to live in caution every single day. She couldn't run, couldn't play and couldn't even enjoy the little things. Being called a living poison already gave her a hint of what's to come.

One thing happened when she was a kid. As she wanders through the halls of their palace under her invisibility shield, narinig niya na naman ang usapan ng pamilya niya tungkol sa kanya.

"Two decades, Xin. That's all I can give." She recognized that voice. It's the voice that Hades' adored. It was Time. Mula sa labas ay rinig ni Zia ang iyak ni Xin. "I think it's partly my fault." Zia froze. Hades was inside the room too.

"I know I've lost my memory but Luce informed me well how I got rid of all the Hunters. If only.. if only I spared them, we could've saved Zia's future." Zia leaned on the door. Hunters. She doesn't know what they are and she don't know why they needed the Hunters to save her.

"Hindi na pwede 'yung puro machines nalang ang kinakabit sa katawan ni Zia. It's affecting her mindset." Rinig niyang sabi ni Matthew.

"Isn't it ironic how her body needs more poison just for her to live?" Natatawang tanong ni Jayden pero rinig ni Zia na may bumagsak sa mesa. Sumandal nalang siya sa pader at dumausdos paupo.

What she heard that day was that she only had twenty years in her candle and that her body needed more poison to live.

Zia let that day pass and acted like she heard nothing.

After almost half a year, a lot has happened. Natapos na ang isolation niya, nagising na ang Team Alpha at nabuo narin ang plano niya. Zia guessed that she must have inherited her Mom's bad habit of planning for herself.

As the days pass, Zia can feel my body changing. The weakening of her arms and legs, the dizzy feeling in her head. This was it.

"So, it's true? You needed my help too?" Tanong niya kay Wesy na kaharap niya na. Tumango ito at ngumiti.

"It's sad to say that Hunters are cursed creatures now. Minsan na silang inubos ni Hades at ngayon, naghahanap sila ng kalayaan. They want freedom, and only freedom. At sa tingin ko, ikaw lang ang makakabigay nun." Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya.

"Why me? Ano bang maitutulong ko?" Tanong ni Zia. Somehow, she was calm. She didn't panic upon knowing what this deal might lead to because for some reason, the sound of Hunters excites her. It was as if she belonged to that word.