The Grimoire

Chapter 59: The Desolation

LEO

I know he's not in the right mind to fight. Kahit anong gawin ko, Farrah always chooses to attack Cairo kaya medyo nahihirapan na rin ako rito. It's actually a good thing na wala munang mga undead na nakapaligid sa amin lalo na't malakas itong kalaban namin. I know hoe damn strong she is because she once one of us. She was one of the students who had rare magic and knows how to use it wisely.

Every time we charged forward, bigla nalang siyang nawawala at lilitaw na lang sa likoran namin or any blind spot kaya kahit ilang beses na kaming umattake, ni-isang attake, walang tumama. Although it looked like she teleported, it's actually not the case. She controls the time according to her will so it's a huge advantage for her. He can slow down our attacks without us even noticing it. Kahit pa noong buhay pa siya, hindi ko talaga alam kung may paraan pa bang matatalo siya not until she was ambushed by Night using magic chains which stopped her from moving.

Iyon rin ang planong gawin namin kaso hindi talaga namin siya mahawakan. It seemed like she's avoiding physical touch from us para hindi na maulit ang nangyari sa kaniya dati. Even so, I want to believe na ang pinapakita niya sa amin ngayon ay hindi talaga ang iniisip niya. I want to believe that she is under the influence of the darkness kaya kung ano-ano nalang ang pinagsasabi niya.

"Cairo!" I called as he landed in front of me. The clinging of the cahins as she walked towards us really gave me chills kaya agad kong hinatak si Cairo paitaas para makatayo siya. I don't even know if he is still here. Para kasing lumalaban siya pero wala talaga siya sa sarili niya. "Hang in there, Cairo!" sabi ko at pinilit siyang makatayo but his knees failed him. Napaluhod siya at nabitawan ang hawak niiyang sandata. This time, kinabahan na kaagad ako lalo na't hindi ito nangyari kahit isang beses. When I died, I remembered how he berserked during my last moments along with Farrah. I was given the chance to live again but when I was summoned back to this realm, Farrah is dead. Even so, he went berserk and was able to cut Night's arms before he escaped. Pero ngayon? Ibang-iba ang kinikilos niya and I don't blame him. He got betrayed, played, and even took part of the enemy's mission just to unseal Heka which already happened.

Wala akong choice kung hindi protektahan siya at tumayo ako sa harap niya, blocking Farrah from attacking him. Farrah stopped walking at tinitigan niya ako. She's also lost herself huh. She gave me a sinister grin and for some reason, the ticking of the clock echoes with an eerie cadence, syncing perfectly with her mood and grin. Now, what?!

I sensed something from Cairo kaya tumalikod kaagad ako. Cairo's body suddenly floated, and his chest was shining brightly. My eyes widened when an odd magic circle opened below him. At the center of the circle, a temporal focal point manifests as a swirling vortex of shimmering light, reminiscent of a celestial hourglass. Encircling the central vortex, an array of meticulously inscribed symbols traces the intricate dance of chronomancy. Esoteric sigils depicting the passage of seconds, minutes, and hours intertwine with celestial motifs, forming an otherworldly script. The outermost ring of the magic circle is adorned with celestial bodies, their positions mirroring the alignment of stars during pivotal moments in the history of the universe.

"Cairo!!" I shouted as I attempted to grab him away, but an unseen barrier was present at tumilapon ako palayo. I landed right in front of Farrah and my body just stopped moving the moment she touched me. She bent her knees at nagkatinginan kami. I badly want to rip off his head right now. "What the hell did you do?!" reklamo ko at bigla siyang ngumiti.

"Playing with time," she replied. "Witness as I rewrite the very essence of reality." she added at pinilit kong makagalaw para pigilan siya. It's taboo! Rewriting time meant trapping Cairo's soul in a time warp. He will die!