Only Rose Among The Thorns Mga Nobela at Kwento

” Anito pa na sinulyapan ako bago muling ibinalik ang tingin sa anak. Para namang hindi kumbinsido, tumayo si Rose Mary at isang marahas na aksiyon ang ikinilos. Huli nan ang marealized niyang lumapat na ang isang palad nito sa kaniyang pisngi. Kaagad na nakaramdam siya ng pamamanhid ng pisngi kung saan tumama ang wala nang pag-ibig na palad ni Rose Mary.

Sa kamay niya ay isang bouquet ng red roses—ang paborito ng yumaong ina. Alam niyang hindi ito tradisyonal na bulaklak para sa sementeryo. Pero sa tuwing maalala niya ang ina, ito ang pumapasok sa isip niya. She was full of life, like a blooming rose in the dead of winter. Ngunit ngayon, kahit tanghali na, maulap at malamig pa rin ang paligid. Parang pati kalangitan ay nakikiramay sa lungkot sa puso niya. Ambon ang bumabalot sa buong lugar, tila kumot na malamig, humahaplos sa bawat balat na naroroon. Sa paligid ay mga tuyong dahon, nilalaro ng hangin habang dahan-dahang lumilipad palayo—tulad ng mga alaala na unti-unting nawawala ngunit hindi kailanman nalilimot.

She worked slowly, methodically — pruning, clearing, planting. Each flower she placed in the soil was a quiet rebellion. A whisper of who she used to be. Who she still was, somewhere beneath the bruises and silence. Hours passed. Her hands were dirty, her knees sore, but her heart beat steadier. She didn’t hear Hades return. But when she looked up and saw him watching her from the balcony, arms crossed, expression unreadable — her breath caught. He didn’t speak. Just stared evily. She lowered her gaze and already expecting a punishment.

It's refreshing. Sereia's cheeks were rosy, like a pink rose petal that is flowering in a field. Her eyelashes are long and thick, making her more captivating and enticing. Kasing hawig ng manika ang mata at pilik-mata nito. Iyon nga lang, sa tuwing kukurap ito ay mas lalong nagkaroon ng buhay ang mata nito.

At sa pagitan ng mga rosas at ng ngiti ni Charmine, may nakatagong anino — isang pakiramdam na parang may matang nakamasid sa kanila, kahit wala namang tao sa paligid. Isang malamig na hangin ang dumaan sa pasilyo, tumama sa mga rosas, at may ilang talulot na nalaglag sa sahig. Nang yumuko si Charmine para pulutin iyon, may napansin siya — isang dahong may mapulang marka. Marahan niya itong hinaplos, at sa ilalim ng kuko niya, may kumapit na tuyong dugo.

The garden was in full bloom, filled with different kinds of flowers, but her eyes were immediately drawn to the roses red, pink, and white, standing tall and proud. She walked along the cobblestone path, gently touching the petals, inhaling their sweet scent. It calmed her heart, easing the leftover shyness and nervousness she felt. She hummed softly, completely lost in her own world, admiring the beauty of nature, unaware that back inside the house, chaos was about to erupt. Felix woke up with a sense of immediate comfort, reaching out to pull Lia closer, only to find the space beside him cold and empty. His eyes snapped open in an instant, sleep vanishing completely.

He's different. Needless to speak a thread of words to cast a spell, Merlin was able to trap the enemy in a forest of rose stems and sharp thorns. The stem snaked around his opponent's body, crushing his bones while at the same time, piercing through his skin. And he's just here, standing while watching mercilessly at the pitiful hybrid to reach out and beg for help.

Zeph plucked one of those roses and he bled himself with the thorns. He keeps on bleeding but he keeps on holding on the rose. By the end of the garden, he finds a girl standing. Kalahating katawan at likod lang ng babae ang makikita. Naglakad patungo si Zephaniah sa babaeng iyon, bitbit ang rosas. By the moment he reached the girl, his whole hand is already dripping in blood. He looked so much struggling.

Ang isip niya ay naglalaro lamang ng mga alaala—ang mga ngiti ni Cressida, ang tawanan nila noon, at ang huling halik na tila nag-iwan ng pangakong hindi pa tapos. At ngayon, habang tumatakbo ang mga orasan at nananatiling pulang-pula ang ilaw sa pintuan ng operasyon, tanging isang dasal lamang ang naiwan sa puso ni Arcturus Thorne: Please, Cressida. Please come back to me. He had lost count of how long he’d been sitting outside the operating room. The sterile scent of the hospital had already settled deep into his lungs, and the ticking clock on the far wall seemed louder with every passing second.

Ramdam niyang wala itong loyalty sa isang tao. Mabilis na tumalikod upang umalis si Rose nang mapansin ang nanunuring tingin ng binata. Pagdating sa pwesto ay para siyang natuklaw ng ahas sa kinatayuan nang makita ang among dalaga na naghihintay sa kaniya. "Akala ko po ay hindi kayo papasok, Ma'am!" bati ni Rose sa dalaga na mukhang wala sa mood makipag plastikan.