Taming the Darkness (Series 3)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

IBINALIK ni King Zafrix ang tingin sa kaniya.

"Bakit mangyayari iyon gayong tumingin lang naman ako sa'yo?" tanong niya. Bahagya siyang lumayo mula kay Billius.

She's feeling much better now. At ang awkward din kasi ng puwesto nila.

"Because...."

Nanlalaki ang mga mata ni Zenaia nang mapagtanto ang sinabi. Is he actually planning to answer her question? Her? Who is just an ordinary human?

Umiling siya nang ilang ulit. Hindi siya makapaniwala na kinukuwestiyon niya ang isang hari.

"Hala! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to be rude in any way, King....?"

"Zafrix," tipid nitong sagot. He looked unbothered by it. "You can call me Zafrix or Rex."

Naibiling niya ang ulo sa gilid. Tama ba siya ng narinig? Is he really being friendly to a mere human like her?

Nilingon niya si Billius bilang kompirmasyon. Tumango ito. Seryoso ang anyo habang nakatitig sa mukha niya. It's as if he's searching for something.

Nailang siya at tuluyan nang lumayo mula rito. Muli rin niyang naalala ang mga ganap kanina bago sila nagpunta rito, dahilan upang lalo lamang siyang maging awkward.

"As I've told you before you suddenly collapsed, this is King Zafrix, the werewolf king. He rules the whole werewolf kingdom and is in control of everything that goes on around here."

"Umm... n-nice to meet you, y-your... your h-higness," marahan niyang sabi kay Zafrix. Namula ang buong mukha niya. It feels so weird to say those things. Ni hindi niya alam kung tama ba ang pagkakasabi niya.

Ngumiti ito nang bahagya.

"Well, it's nice to meet you again."

"Again?" Natawag niyon ang pansin niya.

King Zafrix's smile grew wide. "Yes. I've met you before."

"Me? Really? Before?" Kinalikot niya ang bawat sulok ng utak niya. Hindi niya matandaan.

Both Zafrix and Billius chuckled. Napanguso siya. She didn't get the joke.

"S'yempre hindi mo iyon maalala. I've met you in your past life. The very first you."

She gave him a blank stare.

"I see..."

"Hindi ka naniniwala?"

"Hindi naman. Hindi ko lang ma-imagine na nakapunta na ako rito before."

Ngumiti ito. "You actually lived here."

That caught her attention. Nilingon niya si Billius na siyang matamang pinapanood ang bawat reaksiyon sa mukha niya.

"Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit nagpasiya akong dalhin ka rito. We will stay here for a few days maybe weeks, so we could try to help you remember your lost memories," paliwanag nito.

"Akala ko ba hindi iyon safe?"

"Yes, because you might end up dying in the process. Pero ito lang ang isa sa mga paraan para maputol ang sumpa at para maibalik lahat ng alaala mo."

"Hindi ko pa rin maintindihan. Ang akala ko lang nung una kaya mo ako sinama rito para makagala ako. Now, you're saying that I actually lived here before?"

"I thought you want answers."

Hindi na siya nakakibo. She thought so, too. But seeing what had transpired earlier, she just realized how difficult it will be, and how dangerous it actually is.