Phoenix Academy

Chapter 38

Walking toward the Academy's Pelagus Arce, or the main castle as I remember, everything felt nostalgic. The wooden door opened for us, then turned to a bridge for us to pass through. Umaga na rin dito, o lumipas ba ang oras habang nagte-teleport kami papunta rito?

It felt empty around dahil walang mga estudyante, ngunit maraming Phoenix ang lumilipad sa himpapawid. They roared in the sky, and I looked around more to see that it was raining gold dusts. Hindi naman 'yon kumakapit sa'min, ngunit naramdaman kong tumaas ang magical energy ko.

Nang makapasok sa Pelagus Arce, nagulantang ako nang makakita ng kamukha ni Leviticus. 'Yon nga lang ay itim ang kanyang buhok at pula ang mata. Is this Lucifuge? I took a good look in him, and he seemed so dark. Ruthless. Violent. Like a demon. When he turned to me, his expression softened a bit, as if he was feeling sorry.

Tumingin siya kay Levi at Red sa tabi ko, at sarkastikong nagsalita. "You're alive. That's a good thing. I wonder who's next," he spat. Pagas ang boses niya't saka ko lang napansin halos namamaga rin ang kanyang mga mata.

Nagtaas-kilay naman si Leviticus at 'di na napigilan ang pagtatanong. "Ano'ng pinagsasabi mo, Lucifuge? Nasaan din si Georgia?"

Then, Lucifuge's silence, his tears coming out from his bloodshot eyes answered it all. Georgia... is gone... before I could even meet her again. Napaawang ang bibig ko, 'di alam ang sasabihin. Napahawak ako sa sariling bibig at pinigilan ang impit na sigaw.

The war is real. Flashbacks of my memories of the blood fest flashed like lightning, and emotions went rushing in. No, the emotions I feel right now are stronger. I have never lost someone that close to me in our past lives. We all died together. But now, someone has gone first.

Why... why are things turning like this?

"Three sacrifices... that is what the Oracle of Trophonius mentioned to save this world," Headmaster Gaiael as he went down from the second floor. Patuloy niyang ikinuwento ang buong pangyayari dahil 'di 'yon magawa ni Lucifuge.

Georgia was the one who also returned my memories in my dreams, through the help of Mnemosyne. Even in her last moments, she never forgot me.

Wala ni isa sa'ming nagsalita sa sitwasyon. Red patted my back gently, but I didn't have the courage to turn to him. Tiningnan ko lang ang likod ni Lucifuge, iniisip kung ano'ng totoong nangyari nang mawala si Georgia. It's him who was with her.

It's him who should be most broken, but he's still here to fight.

"Leonidas... si Leonidas?" Nag-aalala kong tanong nang maaalalang may dalawa pa. There are still two sacrifices, and Leo's here for a reason I don't know.

"Sinclair?" Kaagad akong lumingon sa direksyon ng boses niya, ni Leo. He came from the second floor, and when I went to immediately greet him with a hug, he stepped backward. As if he didn't want to make contact with me.

"Leo...?"

Mabilis siyang umiling at nilagpasan ako, ni hindi niya ako tiningnan diretso sa'king mga mata. I looked at Headmaster to know what was going on, but his wide eyes told me that he has no idea.

"Nasaan nga pala tayo?" Tanong niya nang mapansin ang 'di pamilyar na kapaligiran.

"Phoenix Academy," simpleng sagot ko kahit hindi ako ang tinanong niya, at hindi niya rin ako nilingon.

However, his eyes widened at my answer and I heard him mutter curses. My eyes squinted upon his actions. There's something bothering him. Hindi niya ako pinapansin, at nagmumura pa siya. At all times, he acts prim and proper. Not like this.

"Sinclair, pwede bang umalis ka muna? May pag-uusapan lang kami..." sabi sa'kin ni Leo na ikinagulat ko. Tumingin ako sa mga tao rito, and it seemed like they wanted me to go out too.