The Grimoire

Chapter 56: Veil of Shadows

VERMILLION

The once vibrant kingdom of Terrax now lay ensnared in the suffocating grip of darkness. A malevolent force, born from the deepest recesses of despair, had woven its tendrils through the land, casting a veil of shadows that swallowed everything in its path. The once-clear skies now bore a sickly hue, and the air was thick with an ominous stillness.

I wanted to move and fight so bad, but my body won't budge. Lahat kami ay nakaabang kay Cairo. His newly form is indeed amazing after I awakened a part of himself, but this situation is just hard to handle. The black souls from the dead city is already moving away, aiming for the people. Given this situation, I assume that the only students left that could fight would be us. I don't know if any of the other teams are even alive, pero kung mag-babasi ako school na harap namin ngayon- I don't think anyone of them survived.

"Cairo," Kel called. "We are waiting for orders," he added. Cairo got startled at yumuko iya. His hands were trembling from anger and despair. The silence, along with the malevolence around us, captivated us and it seemed like none of us have any hope left. The seal has been broken. Heka has been awakened. The army of the dead is marching towards people's homes. We only have ourselves. We are alone.

Cairo raised up his head and his once, shimmering oceanic blue eyes changed. His eyes turned into turbulent tempests of emotion. The anger, sharp and intense, flickered in the depths of his gaze, manifesting as a piercing, steely glint that seemed to cut through the air. Yet, beneath the rage, a profound sense of hopelessness lingered. The usual spark of determination that once danced in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by a haunting despondency. The lines etched around his eyes betrayed the weight of burdens carried, and the weariness within the gaze spoke volumes of battles fought.

"C-C-Cairo," I called. Bago ko pa man siya mahawakan, humarap siya sa amin.

"If you think the army is coming, then you are wrong. This is supposed to be a secret, but I guess it won't matter anymore. I have been tricked," he said. "I've always wondered why Uzma betrayed Terrax- is it about his brother? his family? or was he acting? None of those matters. This is a battle between us and darkness. We are alone after all," he explained.

"The armys? We do have royal--"

"The principal," he interrupted. "The Principal and the King are one," he added at halos binalot ako ng kaba at lamig. 

"S-S-So, that means we will fight this...? Lima lang tayo, Cairo- what are we supposed to do?" Evie asked.

"I don't know," he answered, and our eyes widened. This doesn't sound like him. "As much as I want to order to evacuate the people, that won't help. The whole world is in veil of shadows," he added.

"Then, what are we ... going to do?" Evie asked.

"Fight the army of dead until we die," he said. "What chance do we have? Because we have the God's side? If we do, then none of this should've happened," he added. "Protect as many people as you can. Kill their armys," he added again. "I'm ordering you to kill them, therefore you have to kill their souls. None of them deserve peace, we can't even have ours," he demanded at napalunok ako. Cairo, what the hell are you talking about? This is not you.

"But Cai-"

"This is an order," he interrupted. "This is your last mission, our last mission," he added. "Protect Terrax at all costs," he ordered.

Our weapons gleamed with enchantments, and our uniforms bore the scars of countless battles. Yet, the skeletal legions of the Army of the Dead advanced, a relentless tide fueled by an unholy thirst for destruction.