SHELDON/SIDAPA [WHAT is this? These fires are very familiar,] I thought as I stared at the flames that tried but failed to burn me alive. It didn’t, however, leave me unscathed. “Sidapa!” exclaimed a familiar voice. The fortune teller appeared in front of me when I looked up to see who it was. “Who is that pathetic fortune teller? No. “You’re not the fortune teller,” I told myself, and when I realized who he was, he grinned maniacally. “Agui?!” I exclaimed, perplexed. It was the fortune teller’s body that appeared just now, but his voice and mannerisms were unmistakably similar to Agui’s. I’ll never forget his arrogant demeanor. He was a particularly vexing God. The fortune teller (Agui) jumped to his feet and boasted the moment he spoke to me. “Behold my grand presence, you arrogant God of Death!” he exclaimed, pointing at me. “I dare you to a fight!” “Because I hadn’t felt your presence before, I didn’t think much of that guy. If only I had known, I would have killed you back t
LEON/LIBULAN SIDAPA was about to stab me when a massive ball of fire crashed into him, trapping him inside and separating him from the rest of us. Only then did I realize Roark had vanished. “What happened to Roark?” In a panic, I inquired. “He was only here a short time ago,” Lisuga confirmed. She, too, began to be concerned. I could feel my entire God power flowing through me. Despite regaining my true form, I was not satisfied. I felt compelled to return just to end something else. Instead, it made me feel terrible on the inside. “Libulan, please stay here. Sidapa is dead set on killing you. He’s completely insane!” Likabutan tried to persuade me. I knew he had good intentions and was only concerned about my safety. But would anything change if I continued to flee? I couldn’t stand to do nothing and watch everyone die in front of me. “Please forgive me, brother. I will face Sidapa and stop him no matter what,” I declared emphatically. “You and Lisuga must find a safe place
LEON/LIBULAN “PLEASE don’t get any closer!” He growled and fixed his gaze on me. But I insisted on walking forward rather than back. “It’s fine. This time, I’m not going to leave you behind,” I assured him. “I told you not to get any closer!” he growled again. His lower body began to wither and shrivel. Whatever was causing it had to be related to his overwhelming power. From where I was, I could feel its heaviness. It was sucking my life away. “You don’t have to bear it all to yourself. If you want to lash out, you can do so with me,” I told him. Sidapa began panting and shaking his head violently. “No,” he refused, but he was clearly holding back. “I told Agui to get you out of here!” “He did, but I chose to stay,” I said, a faint smile formed on my face. “It’s all right, Sidapa. I’m sorry for abandoning you. I should’ve fought alongside you until the bitter end. I’m truly sorry.” “No!” he denied. “Get the hell out!” I came to a complete stop in front of him and was about to t
LEON/LIBULAN “I WILL.” Sidapa was taken aback by my quick response. “I was very disappointed when you told me that what Leon and Sheldon had were all lies,” I began. My spear reappeared, and I let it float up. “Because, as far as I know, I loved you both, whether it was you or Sheldon. You may be two different people, but I spent so much of my life as Leon. I treasured everyone who had been a part of my life. I value each and every one of you. In terms of my real name, I’m not sure why I didn’t tell you I was Luan. But I did hear someone’s voice whisper in my ear for a brief moment. “This is not the time,” the voice said. I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long, my beloved,” I said. “I’m also sorry for not listening to you at the time,” he added. “It’s all right. I now understand why you did it. Sidapa, you kept your promise to me that night,” I said. “I love you, too… more than my own life, Libulan. I’d do anything for you.” “You really exceeded my expectations,” I chuckl
LEON “WHY…? “Stay with me…” “Where are you going?” “Don’t leave me behind, (.....)—” My alarm clock woke me up with a loud ring. I became aware that I was drenched in cold sweat and that my heart was racing rapidly. It happened once more. I looked around, relieved that it was still the same location. I was staring at my ceiling when I realized it was my room. If I had awoken in someone else’s room, I would have been terrified. Despite my tiredness, I sat up and brought my trembling right hand to my face, covering half of it. “Today’s the third time,” I said quietly to myself, terrified. “What in the world is going on?” I pondered as I leaned against the wall. It was the same dream as before. I’ve been having strange and repetitive dreams that I couldn’t explain. At first, I assumed they were the result of stress from work and everyday problems, but they got worse the more I tried to ignore them. It had already had an emotional and psychological impact on me. I tried talking it
LEON “CUT!” yelled the director. My co-actor and I immediately broke the tension by smiling at each other. “That was exhausting,” she remarked, laughing. “Tell me all about it,” I said. “Way to go, you two!” The director rose from his seat and approached us. As he moved, his belly fat jiggled. He stood about 4 feet 8 inches tall and had a rounded body. Natasha, her stage name, said, “Thank you, Director Kim.” It was an honor for her to be praised. Director Kim laughed and looked at me, saying, “And you, Leon, you’re getting better at this.” I scratched the back of my head lightly with my left hand. “Thank you, Director,” I replied. “It’s also because of you. You really assisted me in bringing out my best,” I added. My words of thanks made the middle-aged man blush. “You, Leon!” He then smacked my arm playfully to show his delight. “Enough with the flattery. Now, I want you two to rehearse your next scene,” he changed the subject and reverted to his “director” persona. “Okay, s
LEON I DIDN’T know where to begin at first. I had no idea how it all started. I had no recollection of any traumatic pasts that could have been the source of what was happening to me. “Does something bother you, Leon?” Sheldon inquired. I agreed by nodding. “This may sound strange, but I had this vivid dream that kept repeating,” I began. “At first, I thought it was because of stress. I mean, we’re currently filming a movie, and I’ve barely gotten any decent sleep, so I assumed…” After that, I exhaled. “Yeah, I know,” Sheldon said softly, implying that he understood what I was saying. “What exactly is this dream you’re talking about? Is it really that unusual?” he inquired. “Voice…” I almost said it in hushed tones. “Voice?” Sheldon arched his brow. “There was a voice... It was a man’s voice. He was calling out for someone, but I’m not sure who,” I explained. “If you put it this way, he seemed to be talking to me when he said those words.” “What did you hear in your dreams?” Sh
LEON THE next day, Alynna barraged me with questions. “Are you all right, Leon? Why aren’t you responding to my messages? I understand you don’t like chatting, but I messaged you before it was too late in the evening. I was so worried about you,” Alynna said when she approached me. Her words made me frown. “Messages? What are the messages?” I inquired, completely unaware of what she was attempting to say. She clicked her tongue, then yanked out her phone and handed it to me. “You just read it all. Everything,” she emphasized angrily. It shocked me to see it, and I read them all before defending myself. “Alynna, look, I slept right away—” I halted and returned my attention to Alynna’s messages. When I noticed something suspicious, I was horrified. “Derrick came to my dressing room yesterday, Alynna. He didn’t come inside, but he told me you were looking for me,” I told Alynna, and her jaw dropped. “I also turned off my phone before going to bed last night. When you sent all those m