The Orphic Secret

Chapter 28

NORTH SEA

After talking with Zero, I ran out of energy.

Hindi pa ata makapag-adjust ang stamina ko rito. Nakakasurpresa nga na parang walang problema sa muscles namin kahit ang tagal naming 'tulog.' Most people find it hard to move if they were bedridden for long, right? Siguro hindi 'yon nag-apply sa'min dahil peculiars kami.

"Be careful," paalala ni Chastille. "Do not look into their eyes, so they won't be suspicious."

Tumango naman ako at sa batok niya tumingin since siya ang nasa harapan ko. Pero hindi ba mas weird kapag hindi natingin sa mata?

We're currently in the town of— hindi ko alam? Basta nasa isang town kami. We just happen to stumble by this town. Siguro alam nila kung anong town 'to, pero hindi ko alam kasi wala akong pakialam?

Mabuti nalang casual clothes suot namin! Kailan kaya kami makakaligo, 'no? Naisip ko lang naman.

"Ya, we don't have any money," Lein said.

I pouted, "Wala ka bang naliligaw na pera d'yan sa bulsa mo?"

Sabay-sabay naman nilang kinapa ang mga bulsa nila. Napakapa narin tuloy ako. Napasinghap naman ako kaagad nang may makapang papel. Mabilis kong hinugot 'yon mula sa bulsa ko at nadismaya lang nang makitang papel lang at hindi pera.

Pero hindi ko 'yon tinapon agad nang napansing may nakasulat na something. I opened it and put it near to my eyes.

The North sea can be found in the town of Dailion.

P.S. Hindi ba't lagi kang may tinatagong 1k sa bra mo dahil lagi kang nananakawan ng wallet?

Malakas akong napa-ubo dahil sa nakasulat. Sumilip sila ngunit mabilis ko 'yong ginusumot. They looked at me disappointingly.

Pero base sa paraan ng pagsusulat, pakiramdam ko si Kuya Nine ang nagsulat n'on. He writes really bad. I sometimes even have to translate what he writes so it can be read by others.

Pero sabagay, bulag nga s'ya eh.

"What is it, Four?" tanong ni Iris.

Umiling naman ako, "Wala. Hindi ko alam." Pero syempre lie 'yon. How did Kuya Nine even know that we're looking for the North sea? At ang akala ko ba he's behind that stupidity.

Don't tell me hindi siya parte n'on? At paano naman niya nailagay 'yon sa bulsa ng pants ko? Did he anticipate this turn of events?

Ah! Sasabog na ulo ko sa mga nangyayari! Bobo pa man din ako madalas. Tapos hindi pa nagpaparamdam si Zero, brain ko 'yon eh.

But before he went out of reach, he said one thing to me. That I needed to unseal him as soon as possible, and only Seraphin knows where he is. Not even he knows where he is.

"Feel ko lang may pera ako na nakatago," sagot ko nalang. Nagliwanang naman ang mga mata nila.

"Nas'an?!"

I laughed awkwardly. Lumapit ako kay Lein at bumulong, "Nasa bra ko, eh. Hehe."

She laughed hard, and they all looked at us confusingly. "Ano 'yon?!" tanong ni Iris. Si Lein naman ang bumulong sa kaniya. Sabay naman silang tumawa.

Napatingin sa'min ang dalawang lalaki, at nag-pout nalang ako at gumawa ng peace sign.

"The heck is wrong with them?" ani Nicolas kay Chastille. Nagkibit-balikat naman si Chastille.

"Wala sabi ko kailangan nating pumunta sa—" fuck. Nakalimutan ko kaagad kung anong pangalan ng town na sinulat ni Kuya Nine! Sinubukan ko namang ayusin ulit ang gusumot na ginawa ko.

I saw some letters pero medyo hindi na 'yon malinaw dahil ng kaunting punit. Lion? Huh? Leon as in rawr?

Bigla namang may nag-ting sa utak ko. As in, ting! Dailion! Tanda ko ang town na 'yan dahil pinag-aralan namin dati sa geography. It is indeed located in the north!

Hindi naman pala talaga ako super bobo. Feel ko lang.

"Dailion is the town of the north! D'on din makikita ang north sea. Pinag-aralan ko 'yon sa geography!" proud na proud kong sabi. Hula ko hindi nila alam 'yon sa tagal nila sa virtual dimension!

"Oh, yeah, I remember. I studied when I was little," ani Lein. Bigla namang gumuho ang mundo ko dahil d'on. Elementary pala 'yon pinag-aralan. Akala ko high school?

"Wait. Isn't the city we're in is already Dailion?" Iris said. My jaw dropped as I looked around. Talaga ba?

Tumango naman si Chastille, "Yes. It was in a signage earlier. So we're in the right path. Now all we have to do is go to the North Sea, right?"

"Excuse me, where is the direction towards the North Sea?" Napalingon naman ako nang biglang nagtanong si Nicolas sa isang citizen. The citizen shyly pointed the way back and gave Nico some directions.

Angas, babae talaga tinanong para mas helpful!

Lumapit kami sa kanila, at napatingin ang babae sa'min. "Bakit niyo nga pa pala natanong? No one really goes there," mahina niyang tanong.

"Why does no one go there?" si Chastille naman ngayon ang nagtanong. Mas lalong namula ang babae.

"Uh… we were forbidden to go there. Marami raw kasing sea monsters d'on."

"Really?" Iris exclaimed as her eyes sparkled. Luh, gusto niya bang makakita ng sea monsters?

"Thank you. We'll be going," paalam ni Nicolas and he motioned his hand for us to follow him. Tiningnan ko naman ang babae at binigyan siya ng thumbs-up.

Nagkunot-noo naman ako nang biglang nagsnow sa parteng 'to. I looked back but there was no hint of snows there, and this part we're in right now seems abandoned.

"Lamig," sambit ni Chastille.

"Mo," dagdag ko. He scoffed and just shook his head. Well, it's true naman ih. Minsan sobrang seryoso niya.

"Are we in the right place, Nico?" nag-aalang tanong ni Lein. Kahit ako nag-aalala na rin. It's so cold, like we could freeze any minute.

My eyes drifted to one tree, and I gasped in horror when I saw a red scarf covered with dust. Napatakbo agad palayo r'on, at tila narinig ko na naman ang kantang White Winter Hymnal sa utak ko.

Oh my gosh. Bakit may snow at red scarf d'on.

They all looked back to me. I was now in the part where there was no snow. They called me with a hint of confusion and worry in their voices.

"Four?"

Callista. Napasinghap naman ako nang biglang nag-spread ang snow at bigla na ring umulan ng snow sa parteng tinatayuan ko. Mabilis naman akong napatakbo papunta sa kanila, ngunit bago pa ako makaabot ay bigla akong napairit.

"Four!" "Exiquel!" sigaw naman nila.

I shivered immediately when I dropped in water. Huh? Akala ko ba snow… bakit bigla akong napalublob sa tubig?

I raised my hand and tried to reach out for the floor, but I held my breath when a hand pulled me down deeper in the water.

I closed my eyes in freight and kicked the waters. What the hell is happening?

"So you are the fourth," I heard one woman say as her voice vibrated in the waters. Muntik nang lumabas ang puso ko dahil sa sobrang lakas ng tibok n'on.
Mas lalo akong dinala ng humihilang kamay pababa sa tubig, at nang imulat ko ang mata ko halos wala na akong makitang liwanag.

I kept on kicking and swimming up, but I think I couldn't last any longer underwater.

The Orphic Secret
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

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Thank you for reading!