Magnus Academy: The Cursed Blood

Chapter Eleven

Troubles Within The Woods

I yawned.

Wala akong naririnig kundi ang mga mahihinang pagpatak ng ulan sa mabasang lupa, ang parang mahinhin na paghulog ng mga dahon, at ang mga yapak ng mga paa naming naiiwan habang dinadanaan namin ito.

Sunog na ang bahagi ng gubat na ito, at mukhang pinaghandaan talaga ng Exodus ang pagdating namin, they knew we were coming and it was an unexpected ambush. Kaya kami nagkahiwalay-hiwalay ng ibang teams. Dalawang araw narin simula nung dumating kami dito sa Enchant Woods, at hanggang ngayon wala parin akong nakikitang ibang kasamahan namin.

Although I am with Sandra, Cassie, and Reina, I still get anxious at nag-aalala para sa magiging kalagayan nila. Like seriously, mga middle-schoolers lang sila and I may act like I don't care due to my always poker-faced expression, pero may pakealam talaga ako.

It's not that I underestimate their skills nor I don't trust them either, it's just that they've been through things that they shouldn't have had. How old are they again? 14? And I'm already turning 17 in few months at kasing-taas ko lang sila. Again with my damn height complex.

"Wala pa talaga akong nakikitang mga elves. Sa tamang direksyon ba talaga ang pinupuntahan natin?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Cassie, siya ang pinakabata sa tatlo. She has the ability to zoom her vision as far as 30 meters, and it's really convenient.

"I lost my sense of direction the moment nagkahiwalay-hiwalay tayong lahat." I said yawning. Napapagod na naman kasi ako. Sino ba ang hindi? We've been here going around for two days at hindi manlang makapagpahinga dahil nga delikado. "But let's stick to our job. Find elves and get them out of this place."

"Captain," tawag ni Sandra. "Okay ka lang ba? Don't you think we should rest for a bit? Wala naman akong nararamdamang kahit sino eh." And Sandra here is the second oldest but she's the most mature one out of three of them. Medyo mas matangkad pa nga siya sa akin eh. Her ability allows her to sense any movements at a certain range of twenty meters.

"And waste time? Rather than resting, we should use that time to complete our task." Naiiritang wika naman ni Reina.

She's really stubborn and hard-headed, palagi naman siyang ganoon eh but lately she seems so distant at galit yata sa akin—no, she's angry at our team for being this way. Hindi ko din naman siya masisisi, the team she looks up so much is now being labeled as the worst because one is an enemy part of Exodus at ang isa naman ay isang kriminal who slaughtered countless lives. Hearing those remarks, even I am angry.

"But Reina—" I interrupted Sandra.

"Tama siya. Wala akong planong magpahinga, and you shouldn't lower you guards down. We are in a territory that's unfamiliar to us, kaya dapat tayong mas maging mapagmatyag." I let out a huge sigh after letting out all those words.

Napagod din ako dun, kahit magsalita manlang wala na akong enerhiya? And for real Iyana? Kailan ka pa nagkaroon ng leadership skills? I never cared about anything nor anyone, but these kids are an exception it seems. Dahil almg siguro sa katotohanang nagi-guilty din ako.

They gave themseleves too much expectations about how far the three of us could go at nauwi lang sa ganito. Sadyang mapaglaro lang talaga ang tadhana at sa dinami-dami ng tao sa mundong ito eh bakit ang mga kasamahan ko pa. Honestly, they don't deserve this.

Napansin ko naman na minsan napapalingon sa akin si Reina na para bang may sasabihin pero isasara din naman ang bibig niya at magpapalabas ng malalim na hininga. Tinutok ko nalang ang atensyon ko sa paligid at sinuri ito. Trees were marked by burns, the soil is damp that every time we step, our feets sink deep into it kaya madumi na talaga ang nga sapatos namin.