Bewitched

Enchanted 2.27 🧝🏻‍♀️ Who, What, Why

"Wh-what?" I stuttered. I can't believe it pero agad akong tumawa at hinampas ko pa ang braso niya.

"Stop joking. You just heard me on the phone." Sabi ko at tumayo na ako para makalabas na ng bar. Baliw na tong lalaki na to. He looked decent and like he was in his 20s. Nababaliw na siya.

"But you didn't mention anything about Deorcolus or the Original 13, right? You just asked your friend who's a doppelgänger if she knows any Abythos. Right?" Doon na ako onti onting napalingon sa kaniya.

"B-but you can't be the original since you're...." Tiningnan ko siya at napakabata niya kung siya ang original. The originals are a thousand year old so he's a descendant if he really is who he claims to be.

"I am Deorcolus from one thousand five humdred years ago. The Deorcolus that completed the Original 13. You wanna know why?" Napakunot ang noo ko dahil nakangisi lang ito habang mariing nakatingin sa akin.

"Because I can do this." He said, calmly while drinking his glass of alcohol. Nagulat ako nang biglang lumutang ang lahat nang nasa loob ng bar. Everything floated — tables, chairs, tissues, beers, glasses and even the alcohol liquid was floating.

Pero mas kinagulat ko ang susunod na nangyari.

"And this." Umangat bigla sa ere ang bartender na kausap ko kanina and within a split second nahati ang katawan niya and blood splashed all over the place.

Agad kong kinapa ang star knives na nasa coat ko pero wala na ang mga ito doon.

"Looking for these?" Biglang may sunod sunod na lumipad na mga star knives papunta sa direction ko. I was caught off guard kaya ang isa ay dumaplis sa braso ko.

Tiningnan ko lang si Deorcolus at nakaupo pa din siya sa stool. Holding his glass in one hand and the other was resting on the countertop of the bar.

"What are you?!" I exclaimed. Pinitik niya ang braso niya at biglang nagbagsakan ang mga gamit na lumulutang. Napatingin ako sa katawan na hati na na nasa sahig.

"Such a shame. He was too nosy so I had to kill him." He said with a smile plastered on his face.

"You're a monster!" I shouted and charged towards him pero tinuro lang niya ako at napaluhod ako sa sakit na naramdaman ko. Inangat ko ang coat ko at nakitang onti onting nahihiwa ang braso ko. How is he doing all of this?

"Now, you find Abythos and tell your Masters what you know about that family but let this also be a warning to you to leave me alone. Anyway, another one like me rises again after a millennium. It's going to be a fun century I guess." Tumayo na ito at naglakad na palayo. Nagulat ako nang biglang lumutang ang bartender at nabuo muli ang katawan niya into whole.

"Jusko!" Halata ding nagulat ito na okay na ulit siya.

"Wait, why are you hiding? A war is about to come and you're not helping any sides?" I said. Medyo nahirapan pa ako dahil sobrang sakit ng braso ko na patuloy lang ang pagdaloy ng dugo.

"A war that should never happen. A Diablo should stay within the Diabolo Kingdom and a Celestian should stay within the Celeste Kingdom. The moment that one kingdom reigns and takes over the other, the balance in nature will be ruined. You my child..." Humarap ito sa akin. Seryoso na ang mukha nito taliwas sa mukha niyang mapaglaro kanina at mapangasar.

"You are both Celestian and Diablo. You are much like me. Destructive but also redeeming. Infernal and celestial. Demonic and angelic. But you have to choose sides. Not choosing sides will only unleash the greater evil that is yet to come." Hindi ko maintindihan lahat ng sinasabi niya. What am I? What exactly is he? Mas lalo lang akong naconfuse.

"How will I know which side I belong to?" I asked at tumawa lang ito habang umiiling.

"Your mother will lead you to where you truly belong. And Asteria, remember that this war isn't the answer to peace. Not today and not ever. Remember that there is a greater evil coming if this war carries on." Nagulat ako nang biglang may lumabas na pakpak sa likuran niya at lumipad na siya palabas ng sky deck bar through the balcony.

Who are you, Deorcolus?

"Asteria! What happened to you?!" Nagulat ako nang makita si Blaze na tumatakbo papunta sa akin. Agad niyang hinawakan ang braso ko at binalutan ng coat niya ang dugong dumadaloy dito.

Pero isa lang ang kailangan ko tapusin ngayon, ang mission ko na mahanap ang nanay ko. She may be the answer to our salvation pero what did Deorcolus mean by a Greater Evil.

"Oh my god! What happened?" Nagtakbuhan ang mga kaibigan ko papunta sa akin. They were all frantically stopping my arms from bleeding. How did Deorcolus do all of these? Is he immortal? Bakit may pakpak siya? Hindi ko maintindihan ang lahat. Ang dami kong tanong pero sa ngayon kailangan ko muna madiscover ang lahat ng ito nang mag-isa. They can never know.

"Good thing I brought healing potions but you have to tell me what caused these para I know what to apply?" Tanong ni Kuya Gino pero umiling ako.

"I-I don't know." I said kaya napakamot nalang ito ng ulo.

How is Deorcolus so powerful? Kilala ba niya ang nanay ko? Ano ba ang role ng nanay ko sa lahat ng ito at kailangan ko siya hanapin para matigil ang war?

Napatingin ako kay Katreena na hinahawakan ang isa towel at dinidiin sa braso ko para hindi umagos ang dugo. She knows something about the war, i'm sure of that pero hindi ko alam paano ko mapipiga ang information out of her and if I could trust her. Lola said that there's only a few people that I could trust.

"You won't feel a thing." Kuya Gino said and with that, my vision suddenly became hazy and blurry.