════════ ✥.❖.✥ ════════❝Chapter 18❞"Do you always take care of these plants, Esmeralda?" I asked curiously while following her movements. She's cutting stems and pulling out all the grass na hindi naman kasali sa mga tanim.Malaki ang lupain na pinagtataniman nila. Dinala ako dito ni Esmeralda dahil nabored ako kakaupo sa bato kaya tinanong ko siya kung may magandang lugar ba na puwedeng tambayan, kaya nandito kami ngayon. "Yes, My lady. I am in charge of these plants and this place. Bago pa man mamatay ang inay ko ay ibinigay na sa 'kin ang responsibilidad sa mga halaman ng aming tribo."Napatango-tango ako at inilibot ang tingin sa buong lugar. Iba-iba ang hugis, kulay, at itsura ng mga halaman. Kadalasan ay makikita talaga ang mga rosas at lily. Napangiti ako nang matanaw ko ang isang bulaklak hindi kalayuan sa kinatatayuan ko kaya lumapit ako. Nang makalapit ay pinagmasdan ko muna ang bulaklak at namangha sa ganda kaya walang alinglangan kong pinitas ang bulaklak. "You don't
════════ ✥.❖.✥ ════════❝Chapter 19❞"You can't even settle your own issues and now you're adding this prick to your problems?""It was your fault to begin with. Why did you talk to him? Why didn't you pretend he didn't really see you?" Cassius looked at me with judgment. "And now it's my fault? He was trying to touch your face so I stopped him." I was stunned. "Because of that?!" I was annoyed.Cassius tormented me with his stare then cursedly turned his back on me while I was left in disbelief at where I was standing.I turned to look at the boy. He looks uninterested in everything apart from the stare he was giving me earlier. He has the height of a three-year-old kid so he is only up to my thighs. Regardless of his height or his age, it doesn't really matter. What I do know is that he is unique, even more unique than Olivia or the priestess. His name wasn't even mentioned in the novel. I knelt on the grass to touch him."What do you want from me?" I made sure that I was giving
════════ ✥.❖.✥ ════════❝Chapter 20❞It's already been a week since I got to this place. There is no change except that all the men in this tribe are forging wood and moving it to the other land where the areas will move before the typhoon happens. Now I'm just hanging out here on the big rock on the top of the mountain not far from the arean tribe's residence. The wide sea can be seen from here, so it feels really peaceful. I was playing with the small stone in my hand while looking at the sea. The waves of the sea are calm and the cold wind goes along with the waves, blowing my long hair. I felt a presence behind me so I slowly turned around."Hey," Esmeralda greeted with a smile. "Yeah." I just looked back at the sea and let her sit next to me."Everyone is waiting for you to eat down there," sabi niya. "I am... not part of your tribe. I don't deserve the wait and also, it's uncomfortable."I could see the widening of her smile from the corner of my eyes. "You are part of us righ
════════ ✥.❖.✥ ════════❝Chapter 21❞It was late when Cassius came back to me and told me that he would only agree if I let him follow whatever he wanted. He wants to ensure that my plan to meet the phoenix would not lead me to danger so I agreed to what he wanted. I told Esmeralda that I was leaving first and lied that I had another mission given to me. It's good that she believed me even though I know she was really worried about me leaving. I also instructed her to take good care of Darius while I was away.Now we are in the middle of the forest while searching for the place where the phoenix's home is."Want some?" I offered him the rolled salmon that Esmeralda packed for me. He turned to me and came closer to me then bit into my rolled salmon.He continued walking again while I just followed him. He chose to be in his human form so that I could walk with him because it was already night and he didn't want what happened to me when I was alone in this forest to happen again. "Ouch
════════ ✥.❖.✥ ════════❝Chapter 22❞Nanlamig ako sa kinatatayuan ko, ni hindi ko magawang tanggalin ang mga mata ko mula kay Cassius. "And now you're trying to steal my woman," I heard Cassius said. The ghost is at my back, I can feel its presence. Para bang nakatitig at hinihintay akong lumingon sa direksyon niya. This is what I'm telling him, ayoko sa ghost hunting! Cassius was about to step forward when the fire grows thicker. Para bang hinaharang siya ng apoy upang huwag makalapit sa 'kin. I don't know why he's just making a simple step when he can just teleport in front of me. What is he trying to do? Bakit ba gan'yan siya makatingin na para bang may hinihintay na makita?I froze when I felt like someone was touching the tip of my hair. "What's your purpose of coming here?" someone whispered again. Pumikit ako ng mariin bago sumagot. "We are trying to find someone." "You, what is your purpose of coming here?"Para itong bingi, paulit-ulit lamang ang binubulong niya sa 'kin
════════ ✥.❖.✥ ════════❝Chapter 23❞I am riding on Cassius' back while we're traveling back to arean tribe's home. Bumaba pa kami mula sa pinakamataas na bundok dahil ayoko na ang lumipad pa. Simula din nang mawala ang presensya ng lost soul ay naging maayos na ang aura dito sa itaas ng kagubatan. Nang makababa kami ay huminto muna kami sa ilog na pinanggalingan namin kanina para makapagpahinga. Cassius' washed his face while I remain quiet, sitting beside the large boulder. "What do you think will happen after we come back there?" tanong ko. Napalingon siya sa 'kin. "Why would you ask me that? I don't really care," pabalang na sagot niya saka binasa ang buhok niya. Tinitigan ko siya mula ulo hanggang paa at hindi ko maiwasang mamangha sa porma ng katawan niya. Tagatak siya ng tubig mula sa binasa niyang buhok kaya mas lalong humulma ang hugis ng katawan niya. "A lot of women are attracted to you, for sure," bulong ko sa sarili at hindi napansing nakatitig na pala ako sa katawan
════════ ✥.❖.✥ ════════❝Chapter 24❞"Did you kill all of his men?" I asked in curious when he suddenly disappeared earlier. We're now getting near to our destination and the sun is about to rise. "Yeah." He nodded. He looks like he's in his deep thoughts. I never really understood his emotions, minsan sweet, minsan gusto akong patayin, minsan naman ay parang may sarili mundo kagaya ngayon. Hindi ko na lamang siya binigyan ng pansin at tinuon na lamang ang atensyon sa paglalakad ako. I can't feel the lost soul inside me, nor do I have to ability to speak to him again. Parang naglaho na lamang siya kasabay nang pagsama niya sa 'kin. It feels too fast actually. The moment I reached out his hand, parang kilala ko na siya dati pa. I don't even understand how he's able to trust me on our first meeting and is willing to leave the forest just to become a soul without much figuring out whether he will survive or not. As much as I wanted to ask him more about why and why and another couple
════════ ✥.❖.✥ ════════❝Chapter 25❞Pumatong sa pinakamalaking bato ang priestess at inisa-isang binulong ang kan'yang mga dasal bago sinimulang gamitin ang kan'yang kapangyarihan. Nasa tuktok siya ng bundok kung saan makikita ang malawak na dagat na ngayo'y tila handa na sa pagsalakay sa kanilang tribo. The whirlpools were big enough that it could destroy a mountain, lalo pa't malakas din ang ulan, maging ang hangin. Inipon niya ang kan'yang lakas upang magkaroon ng malaking harang gamit ang hangin. The barrier was large enough to shield the island but it was not strong enough to withstand the strong whirlpools coming to destroy the island. Tears broke down from her eyes while trying control the barrier when the whirlpools striked. She can feel the pain throbbing inside her as her mana began to dissolve because of using too much power. Hiniling niya sa panginoong maprotektahan niya ang kanilang tribo. "Let us go now, priestess! Let's leave, now!" Lilith screams as she tried reach