Descent to the Underworld

Chapter 16

Chanel breathed in and out. Hindi siya mapakali at sobrang lakas na rin ng kabog ng kanyang dibdib. She could hear her heart beat and she knew she would make a mistake later because she was so damn nervous. She was riding the carriage with Night. The man was just watching her as she tried to calm herself. Pinagpatuloy niya ang breathing exercise niya hanggang sa hindi na niya nakayanan ang pananahimik ng binata.

"Hindi ka ba kinakabahan?" tanong nito. Night shook his head.

"Kahit kaunti?" tanong muli ni Chanel ngunit umiling lamang ulit si Night.

When the carriage stopped, Chanel almost forgot how to breathe. Her heartbeat sounded like a big drum. Like those drums they played every time an event will start. Dug dug, dug dug. Chanel could only curse underneath her breath.

Unang bumaba si Night. Inalalayan siya pababa ng binata. Bago pa man sila pumasok ay hinawakan muna ni Night ang magkabilang braso ng dalaga at iniharap ito sa kanya. Kinuha ni Night ang mask sa kamay ni Chanel at maingat itong isinuot sa dalaga.

"Hinga," paalala nito.

"Kinakabahan ako. Mamamatay na ako sa kaba."

"You can do it. Chersh will be waiting and I'm here. I'll make sure that you won't be harmed."

Chanel exhaled sharply. "Whatever happens, promise me that you will come to me and save me."

Kinuha ni Night ang kamay ng dalaga at ipinulupot ito sa braso niya.

"I'll always come to save you," bulong ni Night saka niya inalalayan ang dalaga na maglakad papasok ng kastilyo.

Chanel looked around the area. It was a big castle. She also took a look at her surroundings on their way here. Oasis, which was the place for the nobles, was so different from the City of Labyrinth. Those high walls that she saw earlier were made to separate the rich and the poor. The prince of this ring, as Night said, loved gold and money. He had different views, beliefs, and ideals on how he should rule this place. He had different practices and traditions for the kingdom. He had implemented rules purely based on what he liked and disliked. He didn't care about his people. He didn't care about anything else but himself.

Chanel saw the status of the people outside and compared it to what she saw inside the walls. There was life here inside, but it was a destitute place outside. The prince forsook the people and his territory outside the walls. He simply didn't care.

Well, what should she expect from one of the princes of hell? Surely, no one was good enough for them to govern a place properly. After all, they were all demons. But she still hoped, that somehow it was gonna be different, but it was not.

"According to the book, this world was originally governed by the God of the Underworld. One God took over when he killed him. Now I wonder, Night. Why is this place crawling with demons? Where did they come from?"

"I thought you were nervous," sagot ni Night.

"I forgot to be nervous for a minute while I was thinking of something. But now that you reminded me, kinakabahan na ulit ako."

Night smirked.

"Maybe Gods are not perfect too. After all, all of us, humans and demons, are created by them."

"Created by them huh," sagot ni Chanel.

"Demons came from the sin of mankind, and mankind was created by the Gods. They said it themselves, no one is perfect. May it be in the human world, heaven, or hell."

Hindi na nakasagot pa si Chanel nang makapasok sila sa loob ng palasyo. She was at awe. Everything inside the castle was made with gold. The whole place was crowded with people wearing their expensive gowns and beautiful masks.