88 GATES-Return of the Fallen

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“You have to feel it, Ariesa,” Racchina encouraged. “Feel the nimbus collecting in your body. Feel it run into your hand.” As much as Racchina wanted to demonstrate but she couldn’t. She’s no Bearer anymore and this would mean teaching a newbie would be as hard as convincing Ariesa to be a Summoner.

     Ariesa couldn’t seem to grasp everything Racchina and the others had said. For her, their words were still impossible. But part of her said it could be. After all, she had seen how Racchina grew vines from nowhere.

     She closed her eyes hard enough this time. Feel the energy they’re talking about. Begging herself to have finally done it. It took her a couple of minutes to make a disappointed sigh. She could not do it. It was hard.

     Now, disappointment was drawn on Racchina’s face. While Zyke who was sitting on the sofa with Aries made a hard sigh. He stood up. “Whoever gave the key to you made a big mistake.” He walked out of their sight.

     “Siguro kailangan mo munang magpahinga,” Racchina let her know. Sabagay, kaninang umaga pa sila nagsasanay para sa wala. So she excused herself.

     Napaupo na lang si Ariesa sa kalapit na upuan. Her disappointment towards herself was visible on her face. Agad naman iyong napansin ni Aries kaya nilapitan siya nito. But Ariesa warned him, “Please. Ayaw ko mo nang may kausap.” So he stayed away for a while.

     Napabuntong-hininga siya ulit at napasubsob sa kaniyang mga kamay. Maiyak-iyak niyang ipinikit ang kaniyang mga mata. Whoever gave the key to you made a big mistake. Zyke was right. Was he right? Ariesa couldn’t get enough. Siguro’y nagkamali nga ang mama niya sa kaniya. And now, with her inability to do her responsibility, chances were she couldn’t get Aqua back.

     “Ariesa. . . .”

     She was taken aback with her thoughts when she heard a familiar voice.

     “Ariesa. . . .”

     For the second time it called her. Her eyes willingly opened on its own, her hands uncovered her vision. She saw a woman next to her with beautiful face that resembled hers. She grew tears. “Mama,” she could not contain to say as she dragged herself towards the woman. She hugged her. Matagal-tagal na ring hindi niya nakikita ang ina, kaya nakakaramdam siya ng sobrang pananabik dito.

     “Ariesa. . . .” her mother uttered with an echoing cold voice. She loosened up from her daughter’s arms. “How many times do I have to tell you stay beside us so you won’t get lost?” Her brows met, worried. Ariesa took crying as a response. “Stop crying na.” But Ariesa’s tears wouldn’t stop. “Samahan mo ‘ko. May ibibigay ako sa ‘yo.”

     Ariesa followed, tightened her grip with her mother’s hand. In no time, they were already in her parents’ room.

     “Do you see this?”

     Ariesa nodded, wiping her tears.

     “It’s a necklace.” Her mother closed the small box and situated it on the table. After a while she did the honor of wearing it on Ariesa. “Not just an ordinary necklace.” She smiled.

     Ariesa touched the uncanny pendant which looked like a key with a compass in the center.

     “It was given by my mother. She said, ‘If you think you’re lost, always know that you can find your way back.’ ” She caressed her daughter’s hair. “The Compass will always guide you. . . .” She smiled. “I know you can do great things with that. I know you can.” She kissed Ariesa’s forehead. “I love you. . . .”

     Ariesa’s eyes willingly opened, hands uncovered her vision. She saw nothing but her memories. She stood up, caressed the key. It wasn’t given to her for nothing. Her mother believed in her. Why not believe in herself?

     She took a deep sigh, closed her eyes gently this time. She breathed air. Listened to herself. Everything now was in silence. For a few moment, she could feel a river flowing inside her. She could feel a warm sensation running through her veins. What was it, the thing they said to be nimbus? Ariesa listened closely as she sensed it to be gathering inside her. Please, allow me to use you, she begged. In no time, her energy ran into her shoulder, into her arms, into her wrist, and then finally, to her hand.

     Her nimbus engulfed the key and covered it with great energy. As she opened her eyes, she witnessed how it glowed gold. She’d never been overwhelmed in her life before. She could sense the warm sensation in her hand as the key waited for her command.

     “Release the Compass, Ariesa,” Aries pleaded as he stood not near with the others. “You can do it.”

     I know, she mumbled to herself in respond. Then, she extended her hand forward. The key glowed more. “Gate . . .” she trailed, her heart beating fast in excitement and maybe of fear of the thought that she might not be able to do it, “. . . of the Mariner’s Compass.” Her heart pumped more. “I open thee . . .” A large brown magic circle appeared above. “Pyxis!”

     And so, a doorbell sound was heard as the great light covered the house. In a moment, it disappeared but a silver compass came into view from above. It slowly descended and stopped in front of Ariesa. Now, it radiated a faint glow of silver dusts.

     “Nagawa mo, Ariesa!” Racchina exclaimed, proud.

     As the silver compass stayed in the air, rotating slowly for Ariesa to have scanned it, her happiness were visible on her face. Kung may humanga man sa ginawa niyang iyon, iyon ay walang iba kundi ang mama niya. Now, she believed everything these strangers were talking about.

     “Thanks,” she said to Zyke. Alam niyang hindi rin niya mapapalabas ang compass kung hindi iyon sinabi ni Zyke.

     “You’re welcome,” Zyke replied, looking in another direction as if saying he’s guilty for the insult he had given earlier.

     “Ariesa,” Aries cut in. “Could you already ask the compass where to find the other Celestials?”

     She nodded and ready herself. If she were able to call the compass, then it wouldn’t be a burden asking it to find for locations. “Pyxis . . . Show us the locations of the Celestials.”

     In a blink of an eye, the compass glowed silver covering the house. In no time, silver dusts floated in the air forming the shapes of the buildings. There were cars, trees, and humans as well.

     “Where are they?” Zyke asked.

     They looked closely. Agad namang napansin ni Ariesa ang iba’t ibang specks ng kulay sa iba’t ibang lugar. When she looked more, nakita niya ang mga Sign dito. Tatlo doon ay kulay berde, tatlo naman ang pula, tatlo ang brown at tatlo rin ang kulay bughaw. Lahat ng ito’y magkakapareho ang distansiya sa isa’t isa.

     “They’re around us, equidistant from each other,” she informed. “Our region has thirteen cities,” patuloy niya. “Verven, Schor, Copenhagen, Qourav, Portian, Lor—” Ariesa stopped. She realized it would take long for her to enumerate the thirteen cities. So instead, she said, “Holland is the thirteenth—central city. The Celestials are scattered on the twelve different cities.”

     “Then we’ll have to find them right now,” Zyke suggested. But before they could move, they felt a great surge of energy from afar. It was dark. And then, in a space of a heartbeat, the land was already shaking!

•

“Welcome to the Phillippines.”

     The monster stopped and when he set foot on the ground, a great earthquake ignited as if it was his way of being welcomed. When it stopped, he made a wicked smile. He could sense all the Celestials—weak, powerless, vulnerable. It would be a great and a wonderful surprise if he’d visit them . . . one at a time.

     So he already moved to the nearest Celestial.

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