The Orphic Secret

Chapter 29

CALLISTA

Hindi pa ako pwedeng mamamatay, 'no!

I looked up and swam into the direction to the light. Who the hell was pulling me down? Wala naman akong nakita. Guni-guni ko lang ba 'yon?

"Four!" they panicked.

One of them dived down the water. At first, I thought it was Kuya, but then I realized it was Nicolas. He grabbed me by my waist with one hand and pulled me up. Tumingin siya sa baba, ngunit katulad ko, wala rin siyang nakita.

Patuloy lang kami sa paglangoy pataas. I felt my energy strengthen, and I managed to hold on to someone else's hand. Binitawan na ni Nicolas ang bewang ko, at agad akong naghabol hininga nang sa wakas ay makaahon na ako sa tubig.

Chastille pulled me up more, and finally I got out the water. Nanlalaki ang mga mata ko nang biglang matauhan sa nangyari.

"Ayos ka lang?" nag-aalalang tanong sa'kin ni Lein. Tumango naman ako pero agad kong sinilip si Nico. Nakaahon na rin siya, pero sinisilip pa rin niya ang hole.

"What the hell just happened?"

"H-hindi ko rin alam," sagot ko. "There was a hand pulling me deeper in the water. And I heard a voice of a woman-"

"We heard it too," pagputol ni Iris sa sinabi ko.

Napaawang naman ang bibig ko, "Y-you heard it?"

"Yes, she called you the fourth. Ang sinabi ni Zero na namatay noon. Are you really that person?" Halos mapaatras naman ako nang seryoso 'yon sinabi ni Chastille. Seryoso pa ang mukha niya at bahagyang nagsalubong ang kilay niya.

"I-" nagbuntong-hininga ako, "I really don't know. Huwag niyo akong takutin at i-pressure, please!"

"Then what do you know?"

Napalunok naman ako, "Hindi ko pa talaga alam, pero si Aurora Calytrix ang Fourth or Four noon. Then I don't know my relation with her, but she told me that I replaced her position."

"Huh?" takang tanong ni Iris. "Ang akala ko ba patay na, paano mo naman nakausap?"

"Horror mansion. I didn't know how I saw her, but she explained some things to me. Natakot ako kanina dahil nakakita ako ng red scarf. That red scarf eventually kills a peculiar, and even the snow. Ang boses ng babaeng narinig niyo kanina ay si Callista, the one who kills the peculiars."

"Callista?" pag-ulit ni Lein. "I think I know about her, pero hindi ko rin lubusang maalala."

"Isn't she one of the teachers before?" ani Nicolas.

Bigla naman akong natigilan. What? Teacher? "Sigurado ka ba d'yan?" tanong ko.

Bigla ko namang naalala ang sinabi ni Rory. Callista is erased in their memories. So even the people behind the virtual dimension might have forgotten her!

I shrieked when I saw snow climbing up in my hands. Napatayo ako agad at iwinasiwas ang aking kamay. Nawala naman ang snow, pero nagulat ako nang makitang tila nanigas agad ang kamay ko.

Then the snows collided, and made a form of a person. It slowly melted, revealing a woman. Callista? Her eyes were black, as well as her hair- or was it a shade of dark blue?

She smiled. Napaatras agad ako, at napahawak sa kung kanino sa kanila. Fuck, hindi ko pa gaanong gamay ang kapangyarihan ko.

"Why are you scared, little one?" Luh bobo. Ang tangkad ko kaya.

"I am Callista. One of the administrators of the Orphic dimension. I mean no harm." My eyebrow raised because of that? She means no harm? She harmed me earlier!