(THE SAID DEAL) THUNDER rumbles without the lightning. The weather is in chaos, but only around the premises of the palace and particularly in the crown Prince's room. “We got an intruder!” The crowd is in a hurry, running in a coordinated pattern with their swords and weapon. Yet not of them couldn’t penetrate the wall of a dark cloud that is surrounding the palace. The holders are fighting against the shadows, ghouls, demons, and hallows that suddenly came out from the said wall. “Damn! This is serious! We need someone to check the crown royals!” Aira screams while fending the hallows that are much stronger than the previous ones that they encounter. Worst, the darkness where it all came from is created by the wall of thunder cloud that they knew from whom, yet they couldn’t accept it to be the truth. “This is the first time, did he?” “Stop it, Marie!” Aira scolded the holder of God Scorpion, Marie. All the while she couldn’t accept the pos

LITTLE TO NO DEAL IN EXCHANGE) “THEN, I’ll be taking my leave now, Emie.” Winona bids her temporary goodbye. Always and within the times where they needed to meet, expectedly or not. A temporary word and even a little play for words that the four of them considers. An insignificant one to this world and book where everything will end in tragedy and not just a mere soft goodbye. “See you later, Winona.” Emie waves her hand, all smiling and starring at her ‘little sister’ to call with Winona’s silhouette fading into the distance. “Well, well, well.” She whispers, while drawing a sinister smile on her face and looking back at the mirror where the particular poor holder is now facing the dread of his choice. “How will things run from here?” Her question, no, her teasing thought. For she already knew what will happen. What that particular holder will do and the expression that he will paint to his face. Yet, she just wanted to play about it for a while, smilin

(DEALS AND EXCHANGE: EQUIVALENT EXCHANGE) “TSK!” HE smirks, dropping the hint that Nate quickly realize and knew what. Sending him the kind of shiver that is neither good nor bad, but whispering the betrayal and nod towards the master and the grand ruler of all. “You made a deal, no, an exchange. Have you, Nate?” With the eyes and expression that is threatening and voice that is taunting. Nate couldn’t help but gasp first then looks down with his head low. But he is not ashamed, rather he felt the presence that only the Supreme One can only have. “No, rather an equivalent exchange, am I right?” Still the presence is heavy and intense. A force that’s sucking him towards the ground face first and will about to pin him down. Heavy and strong that he is struggling to fight against. Yet. “What are you doing Nate? The Supreme God is asking you a question.” Winona’s words, her tone that is not taunting nor dreaded. But simply reminding him of the fact

(ALCHEMY AND SOULS) “THE one that my soul resembles,”Nate whispers while looking at his reflection in front of a body mirror. Wondering and still from those words that the Mistress of Time once said in the last loop of six. “Tsk!”He smirks, not in amusement, or intrigue, but more like in irritation and a bit dismayed. Remembering now what he needed to too, yet a bit long unlike what he wanted it to be. But just the right time that the Supreme One wanted it all to happen. “I failed, didn’t I?”He asks himself, looking at the mirror and into the eyes of his reflection. “I failed to remember first and immediately, after the first two turns of the hourglass.”His words foreshadow the plan that he made from the past loop. The spell that almost causes him everything to complete. All for him to remember everything, every detail, and every word from the past loop. Yet, he fails.“I guess it was not enough. It will never be enough.”The thought explains the cause of his failure. Knowing

(ALCHEMY OF WORDS) THE keys of the piano are being played. Making the melody that is as beautiful as the starry night sky, but as blood as the red sunset. A piece that wasn’t heard before, but it speaks the mystery and the string that connects the current book and world to the original. “Poor little you. Just how blinded you are, to be kept with the secret that will ruin everything that you own right now.” Someone’s voice whispers. A woman in all white dress, yet is painted with red and hue of blood. Eyes that are covered by a veil, hands that are wide, fingers that are long. With her nails that are as sharp as a sword. She put her pointer finger unto her lips and hushes. “Shhh…” she then smiles. A type of smile that is both comforting and cursing. All along with the song and melody that the grand piano is making. “You are lied with and all your life. Little poisonous holder.” The lightning strikes followed by the roar of the thunder. From the brewin