Chapter 22

curse
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My stomach churned as Largus dashed and I could only see afterimages of our surroundings. Tito Leon’s main guardian was a mythical creature that has the body of a lion, head of a goat and a serpent as its tail. Aside from Phoebe, Kon, and my parents’ guardians, this would be the fifth time I saw a mythical guardian but I was still astounded. Its tail, a serpent, was hitting the ground as it ran and it was frightening because it was alive.
 
"Si Mama . . ." Lexi blurted as she anxiously waited to arrive in Avis. Mag-isa lang ngayon si Tita Aina sa bahay nila kaya alam kong pareho silang nag-aalala sa kanya.

"Don't worry. Your mother is strong,” he said. “After all, she's the greatest Seer in this generation."
 
Tahimik lang kami at hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto o kung inabot ba ng oras ang pagtakbo ni Largus nang makita namin ang baryo namin. When I saw the familiar landscape, nostalgia hit me and I almost teared up because I really missed this place. But horror replaced my delight when I saw smokes swirling up from several houses and the forest.
 
"Lexine, Reika, go to Aina,” he ordered. “I’ll take care of the Exorcist."
 
Agad naman kaming tumango. We summoned Smith and Carlos and boarded them. Our guardians moved dat their maximum speed and a few seconds later, we saw their house. Tita Aina was standing in front of it and she was surrounded by a colony of bats.
 
"Mama," Lexi called and Tita Aina looked at our direction. Her expression was calm despite the danger, and that terrified me for a bit.

​"Stay there, girls," she warned as she stared at the bats swarming around.  "Stop this nonsense, Vesper. I know this is your doing."
 
Bigla naman akong may narinig na tumawa at halos kilabutan ako nang magsama-sama lahat ng paniki. The colony dispersed into spirit particles and a woman appeared right in front of Tita Aina.
 
"It's been a long time, Seer," the woman greeted. She was looking at Tita Aina but it felt like she was also eyeing us, even though we were in her blind spot.

"Vesper. Stop your games already," Tita Aina repeated.

"Threatened?" Vesper teased with a sinister smile but Tita Aina remained indifferent.

"Why would I? You're just a second-rate Seer."
 
Tension rose between them. Vesper’s smile disappeared and it was replaced by a menacing expression. There was a deafening silence, both woman observing and predicting each other's movement and strategies. Suddenly, they chanted simultaneously.
 
"Ray, augurium!"

"Cero, augurium!"
 
A large concentration of spirit particles appeared between them and two huge, black birds emerged. Their cries echoed throughout the village, sending chills down my spine. But what frightened me more was the realization that one of the birds was the same crow that kept an eye on me before.
 
"It's her," I muttered.

"What are you—"

"Remember the crow?" She gasped after realization hit her and we both eyed the crow.

"I knew it was a Seer—"
 
Napatigil kami sa pag-uusap dahil biglang tumingin sa direksyon namin si Vesper at ngumiti siya, dahilan para manlamig ang buong katawan ko.
 
"Krev!" sigaw niya at lumiwanag ang paligid namin ni Lexi hanggang sa lumabas ulit ang mga paniki na kaninang pumapalibot sa kanya. However, this time, the bats flocked around us.
 
Smith and Carlos both roared as the bats mobbed them.
 
"Charlie! Sal-ve!" sigaw niya at nagliwanag ulit ang paligid kaya naman panandaliang lumayo ang mga paniki sa amin.

"Carlos, nes-sa!" I ordered and Carlos' physical form disintegrated. Huminga naman ako nang malalim dahil sa desisyon ko. I gathered my strength and called her name. "Phoebe, sal-ve!"
 
Her physical form made the surroundings ablaze, causing the bats to withdraw. Vesper was caught off-guard by the light and Tita Aina used that moment to attack.
 
"Es hyva fe vies diaz. Morien alav sativa chroina il piero mergus. Comvien han!"
 
As Tita Aina chanted, her raven dissolved into spirit particles. After a few seconds, her half-guardian form appeared. Her hair was dyed jet-black and feathers dangled on its ends. Her eyes became sharper and brighter and red marks appeared below them. "Ego inperium vos memini tenebrae retinentia!"
 
A web-shaped group of spirit particles formed in front of her and attacked Vesper. The attack reached her but it didn’t do any physical damage. Instead, she shrieked in horror as she clutched her head.
 
"S-stop it!" iyak niya habang nakaluhod sa lupa. "No!"

"Lexi—!" I was about to ask Lexi what her mother did when she stared at the two with a horrified expression. "L-Lexi?"

"It's been a long time since she last chanted that incantation."

"What is that incantation?"

"It's an advanced incantation that lets your enemy remember their most kept and most painful memories. At paulit-ulit iyong magrereplay sa utak mo hangga't hindi nina-nullify ng nag-chant ang incantation. It's also known as one of the Seer's Curses."
 
I was taken aback by her words and my impression about her instantly changed. I didn’t know she was this strong. 
 
"Don't worry. Your mother is strong. After all, she's the greatest Seer in this generation." 
 
That was why Tito Leon was confident that she would be okay.
 
"You girls," sabay tingin sa amin ni Tita Aina. "Ako na ang bahala rito. There are three Exorcists in this village and I’m sure Leon’s already fighting one. Do me a favor and find the last one. Don't let them destroy this place."
 
Tumango kaming dalawa ni Lexi. Knowing that her parents were strong enough to fend off the Exorcists, I knew Lexi would get motivated, too.
 
"Charlie."

"Phoebe."
 
Charlie and Phoebe soared in the sky and scanned the village from above. Mukhang nakalikas na lahat ng tao sa baryo kaya naman nakahinga ako nang maluwag, pero ilang bahay ang nakita kong sira at kinain na ng apoy.
 
""Do you think this has something to do with that ancient seal?" seryosong tanong ni Lexi.

"'Yan din ang naiisip ko,” sagot ko naman. “Isa pa, dito nakatira ang Papa mo, na isang Spirit Master."
 
Master said the Exorcists are attacking the Spirit Masters one by one because of the ancient seal so it wouldn’t be farfetched that they targeted this place because of him. 
 
Naghiwalay kami ni Lexi para mabilis naming mahanap ang isa pang Exorcist dito sa village. I went to the eastern part while she got the west. Ilang minuto akong nakatingin sa ibaba para hanapin ang target namin pero napatigil ako nang makita ko ang pamilyar na bahay sa baba ko.
 
My home.
 
Nostalgia hit me in waves and my emotions made me vulnerable. Setting aside Tita Aina’s order, I ordered Phoebe to descend and I stood in front of our empty house.
 
“So they really have a child.”
 
Laking gulat ko nang bigla akong makarinig ng boses sa paligid. Phoebe immediately went on my side and hid me behind her wings, an action I didn’t expect her to do. With just a simple gesture, I already felt that we became closer.
 
A woman came out of my house and looked at me intently. Her skin was as white as porcelain that accentuated her long, black hair that gleamed like an obsidian.
 
“Sino ka?” tanong ko.

“Serena, an Exorcist,” she said as she curtsied, holding her black dress in a regal manner. “Clausta relevo.” 
 
Her right side brightened and I was surprised when Lexi appeared beside her, unconscious, and a snake coiled around her.

“Lexi!” I called in panic but he didn’t respond. “What did you do to her?!”

​“Don’t worry, you’ll be with her now.”
 
I suddenly felt a sting on my nape and my vision became hazy. When I looked at the ground, I saw a huge snake slithering toward me. I called Phoebe but my strength wasn’t enough to maintain her form anymore.
 
“P-Phoebe . . .”
 
I heard her screech before she dissolved into spirit particles while I collapsed on the ground. My senses started to fade away. I felt something coiling around me as the woman walked toward my direction.
 
“Bring those girls, Boa,” the woman ordered. “They might be the key to the ancient seal. Let’s go back to Inferna. Ignus is waiting for us.”
 
And those were the last words I heard before I lost my consciousness.

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