Prios 4: Living with the Vanderbergs

30. Premonitions

Umaasa na ng paliwanag si Edric sa pinsan dahil sa nalamang ginawa nito. Binibitiwan na nito ang posisyon ng chairman, at hindi iyon maaari dahil malaking gulo iyon para sa pamilya. Tanggap pa niya kung buhay pa si Helene at magbibida-bida ito, ngunit hindi sa mga panahong iyon na walang may kakayahang pumalit dito na kabisado ang kalakaran sa Prios.

"Van, I need a valid and reasonable explanation from you," mahigpit na sabi ni Edric nang huminto sila may dining area.

"Donovan, ano'ng nangyayari?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Chancey nang harangan ng braso ang daan ng asawa para pigilan ito sa paglalakad.

Ang lalim ng buntonghininga ng chairman nang huminto sa likuran ng upuan sa kabisera. Napatitig ito sa mga nakahain doong almusal para sa kanila ng pinsan.

"I need to do it," malungkot niyang paliwanag habang nakatuon ang tingin sa mesa. "I need to choose whether I will keep my position and wait until I die or let the family decide of what will happen before I perish. I don't have a choice."

"We never had a choice, Van! We're trapped in that curse! It was the only reason why we're in peace here in the north!" galit na paliwanag ni Edric habang dinuduro ang ibaba. "No one can read the testament aside from you!"

"The right to read the First's Testament was given to the Great Fae of the North, the High Priest of the Golden Era, the Chosen Child of the next generation, and the North's Alpha. Helene is gone."

"Then Gaspar and Poi can read it, right?" tanong pa ni Edric. "If yes, then you shouldn't have let the book in this dimension! It will just consume all the energy of the whole north! Every living thing in this land must sacrifice their souls to keep that old covenant in its true form! Van, what the hell is happening to you? Do you want us to die?"

Napapikit nang mariin si Donovan at napahawak sa sandalan ng upuan bago humugot ng malalim na hininga. "Drastic times call for drastic measures."

"Donovan, ipaliwanag mong mabuti. Hindi ko naiintindihan," pakiusap ni Chancey dahil nakikita niyang problemado na umagang-umaga ang asawa.

"The Elders came here because it's a serious—extremely serious—situation, witch. The Testament is not just a book. The First contained it in this specific dimension where it can consume souls without sacrificing this dimension's life energies."

"Ha?" nalilitong tanong ni Chancey. "Pero bakit? Ano'ng gagawin ng libro, bakit nangunguha ng kaluluwa?"

"The Testament is another gateway to a prison cell," paliwanag ni Donovan. "It contains entities that once invaded the whole north. Monsters, evil wizards, all the extinct creatures that once created chaos in this land were kept inside that book."

"And the prison requires a lot of energy and souls to contain them," dagdag ni Edric na mukhang ayaw isama ng chairman sa paliwanag. "You just summoned an annihilation bomb in this land, Donovan Phillips. Are you that mad? This is a goddamn suicide!"

Halos puwersahin na ni Chancey na ipaharap sa kanya ang asawa para hingin ang mas malinaw na paliwanag nito sa nangyari.

Hindi manggagalaiti nang ganoon si Edric kung hindi mabigat ang pinag-uusapan nila.

"Para saan ito?" seryoso nang tanong ni Chancey. "Bakit mo ginagawa ito, Donovan?"

"I'm doing this for our family," determinadong paliwanag ni Donovan nang hawakan ang pisngi ng asawa. "I'm not going to let them use our child for their own benefit."

"And I really abhor your degree of selfishness, Van!" galit na sigaw sa kanya ni Edric nang duruin ang chairman. "It's better for you if all of us will die in pain? Hah! Nice try."