88 GATES-Return of the Fallen

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Amazhon Rainforest
Vrazil
March 02, 2019
8:29 P.M. PST

The day wasn’t silent. The insects were giving off indistinct sounds that seemed to blend with each other, a music only the rainforest could appreciate.

     On the near distance, from the outskirt of the land, a spark of red light arose from the ground. In a second it would infect the the dry leaves and put it to light. It was warm and fascinating. It crept quickly, wanting to wander into the forest. All the way it took came to light. Growing. Rapidly crawling its way in. The small spark had grown to be flames and into a fire.

     In a matter of hour, the rainforest was on the line. A conflagaration was threatening the life of every inhabitant.

     In the meantime. Number of rainforests from all over the world was put into a large fire.

•

“Holland City Police . . .” the other end answered but Ariesa was into her mind so deeply she wasn’t able to hear it. All she could dare to attend to was her thoughts. She was scared. Who would knock on the door so loud and fast in this night? Was it him? The voice in her mind? She hoped it’s not.

     Her necklace kept warming her chest. Bukod sa init nito’y umiilaw din ito at hindi niya alam kung bakit. Sa pagkakatanda niya’y wala naming sinabi ang mommy niya na may lightbulb ito sa loob bago nito ibigay sa kaniya. It was a 24-carat necklace with a key which had a compass’ arrows and four equidistant symbols she couldn’t decipher.

     The knocks were still echoing. They hurried next to the main door where no one seemed to open it, not even their maid who was nowhere to be found.

     “Someone has to open it,” Aqua reminded but before anyone could do so, the door just opened itself.

     Mas lalong kinabahan si Ariesa.

     Aries was already standing, not a glimpse of fear on his face.

     The door opened dramatically. In a few seconds it was already fully opened. Silence came into presence. In no time, a young man and a woman about her age or so came into view Maliban sa hindi niya kilala ang mga ito ay ‘di rin niya maintindihan kung bakit nakasuot ang mga ito ng kakaibang mga kasuotan.

     “Your classmates are cool, Ate,” Aqua gasped.

     “They’re not my classmates, Aqua,” diin niya.

     The newly arrived strangers’ gazes quickly shifted to Aries. Seeing him made them look surprised. In a split of a second, they mumbled his name and knelt down on one knee.

     “Woah . . .” Aqua uttered in disbelief, wondering what they’re doing, as if she didn’t expect it. Well, hindi rin naman ‘yon inasahan ni Ariesa. Sinong normal na tao ang gagawin ang ginawa ng dalawa sa harap ng isang tao? If she was to analyze what was happening, she would say na kasamahan ito ni Aries. At siguradong mga baliw din ito.

     “Stand up, Zyke, Racchina,” Aries ordered, not surprised with their presence. Sa simula pa lang ay alam na niyang hahanapin siya ng dalawa. But he never thought it to be this early. To his mind, kailangan pang hanapin ng dalawa ang Pyxes Key bago nila mahanap ang Celestial Spirits but—he smiled. He had already predicted this. Noong una pa lang makita ni Aries ang dalaga’y alam na niyang agad siyang mahahanap ng dalawa.