Amber's POV
Nilibot ko ang aking tingin sa paligid. I was somewhere unfamiliar but I came to realize it was a village. A lonely village full of sad faces and destroyed houses.
Napapikit ako bigla dahil sa liwanag na tumama sa'king mga mata. I blinked a couple of times and adjusted my vision. Doon ay napagtanto kong nanggagaling iyon sa isang sirang fountain. Parang may kung anong kumikinang mula roon. I was about to walk my way towards the fountain but suddenly...
"Hannah," an unfamiliar feminine voice called so I wheeled around to see her.
A woman was standing in front of me. Her long hair was wavy. She's got a fair complexion and her eyes caught up my attention. They were red. Red as a fire, just like mine. She was smiling at me like she knows me for quite a long time.
Hindi ako umimik kahit na gusto kong magtanong kung sino siya at kung nasaan ako.
"Hannah," she called again, but this time, she was smiling, yet tears were running down her cheeks.
Hindi ko alam pero parang kumikirot ang puso ko kapag nakikita siyang umiiyak. Like she was a part of me. But I shook my head.
"Hindi ako si Hannah,"mapait kong sabi. That might slap her back to reality. She's mistaking me as someone else.
She wiped her tears, but her smile never left her face.
"They'll try to take you, Hannah." Bakas sa boses niya ang pagaalala. "Be safe."
I was taken aback, confused with what she said. But before I could even utter a word, biglang lumiwanag ang paligid. And as soon as the light faded, I found myself standing before a luminous smoke circling inside a huge frame of circle. A portal, maybe?
"It's time to go home, sweetie." The woman suddenly showed up beside me. "You're going back home. To the world where you truly belong."
She offered me her hand. I looked at her and she just smiled. Nagdadalawang isip man ay tinanggap ko na rin ang kamay niya at sabay kaming pumasok sa lagusan.
Then a blinding light devoured the both of us.
Bigla akong napamulat ng mga mata nang tumunog ang bell, hudyat na recess na.
"Class dismissed." Anunsyo ng guro na nasa harap ng klase. Matapos naman niyang sabihin iyon ay nagdiwang ang mga kaklase ko at nakipagkarerahan sa paglabas ng classroom.
Napahilamos na lang ang mga palad ko sa aking mukha. Nakatulog pala ako sa klase.
Tahimik na lang na pinanood ko ang mga kaklase kong lumalabas ng classroom. Nasa isang sulok lang ako. Walang imik at natatakpan lang ng hoodie ang mukha ko. Ganito ako palagi sa school kaya nasanay na rin siguro ang mga tao dito. Some people don't mind, some wonders about my identity, but either way, I don't care. Mabuti nang wala akong pake at wala silang nalalaman para iwas gulo.
Naghintay na lang ako na makalabas na ang lahat saka ako lumabas na rin. No, I'm not going to the cafeteria, masyadong maraming tao doon. That's why I'm going somewhere else.
Dinala ako ng mga paa ko sa likuran ng Principal's Office. Bakanteng lote ito na matagal nang hindi pa nagagamit ng paaralan. Napabayaan na rin nga ang loteng ito kaya naman puro tuyong dahon lang ang nandidito. Wala ring naglalakas loob na pumunta dito dahil sa kwento kwentong may multo daw dito.
Nahiga na lang ako sa mga tuyong dahon na nagkukumpulan na sa lupa. Napatitig na lang din ako sa mga ulap sabay pakawala ng isang malalim na hininga.
Sa mga oras na kagaya nito ay hindi ko maiwasang mapaisip kung bakit ako may ganitong kakayahan. Saan ko nga ba kasi nakuha ang kapangyarihang ito? Lahat naman ng mga nakakasalamuha kong tao araw araw ay normal. Maging si mama normal din. And if you're gonna ask about my dad, wala. Ni minsan ay walang nabanggit si mama sa'kin tungkol sa papa ko. 'Ni ayaw niyang pag-usapan ang tungkol do'n.
I wonder if somehow, somewhere, there are people out there who has supernatural abilities like me. Sometimes I wonder if there's a place I could just simply fit in. Hindi katulad dito, kailangan kong magtago dahil naiiba ako. If they see me, I would just be a wierd monstrous creature in their eyes. That's why I came to realize I'm better off being alone than to be seen as a monster.
My phone suddenly vibrated. Agad ko namang dinukot ang cellphone ko mula sa bulsa ng palda ko at sinagot ang tawag ni mama.
"Pack your things there, sweetie." Bungad ng malambing na boses ni mama sa kabilang linya. "I'm on my way there to fetch you."
"Why, ma?" Takang tanong ko.
"It's an urgent matter, sweetie. And don't worry, alam na ng teachers mo na susunduin kita."
Bumuntong hininga na lang ako. "Okay. See 'ya," I said and dropped the call. Nagpakawala muna ako ng isang buntong hininga bago ako tumayo at bumalik na sa classroom upang magligpit ng mga gamit.
I wonder what the urgent matter is.
**
Matapos akong sunduin ni mama sa school ay dumiretso na rin kami ng uwi sa bahay.
"Ma," tawag ko kay mama na ngayon ay nagpa-park na ng sasakyan sa garahe. "What's the urgent matter?"
"Sa loob na lang natin pag-usapan 'yan, Amber," aniya at bumaba na ng sasakyan. "Come on."
Bumaba na rin ako ng sasakyan at sumunod na sakanya sa loob ng bahay. Pero pagpasok na pagpasok ko pa lang ay bumungad na agad sa'kin ang isang 'di pamilyar na babae na nakaupo sa sala.
"Xarafina," tawag ni mama doon sa babae at lumingon ito sa'min.
"Mabuti naman at dumating na kayo," Xarafina said as she greeted us with a gentle smile. She was a woman just about my mom's age. She was wearing a silver gown which was kinda wierd on occassions like this and her hair was perfectly braided. I must say, her beauty is beyond expectation. Ang kinis at ang puti niya.
"Tara't maupo tayo." Anyaya ni mama at naupo nga kaming tatlo sa sala. Tumabi ako kay mama kaya ngayon ay kaharap namin yung Xarafina.
"You have grown to be such a beautiful lady, Amber."
Nanatili akong nakayuko. Oh please! How could she say I'm beautiful when all she can see is my face covered with my hoodie.
"Nak, this is Headmistress Xarafina." Pakilala sakanya ni mama. "She has some important matters to discuss with us kaya makinig kang mabuti."
I just nodded as a reply.
"Kamusta naman ang kapangyarihan mo, Amber?" Sa pagkakataong ito ay napatingin na ako sa gawi ni Headmistress Xarafina.
How did she know about my powers?
I shifted my gaze to my mom beside me to let her know how confused I am right now. My mom just smiled and pulled down my hoodie.
"Xarafina is also gifted like you," aniya. "At siya nga ay nanggaling sa mundo ng majika, anak."
"There really are people with extraordinary abilities like me?" I asked. Tumango si mama bilang sagot.
"I'm an Advance Telekinesis user," ani Headmistress Xarafina kaya napatingin ako sa gawi niya. "It's an enhanced form of Telekinesis wherein I can move or lift even the heaviest object and unlike the ordinary telekinesis, Advance Telekinesis allows me to create a sheer telekinetic energy and use it as an offensive attack." She raised her hand and a luminous energy formed in her palms. 'Yon na siguro ang telekinetic energy na tinutukoy niya.
My mom suddenly reached for my hand and held it tight. I looked at her, nabigla ako kasi naiiyak na siya. "Hindi mo na kailangang magtago pa, anak. You will finally fit in. No more hoodies, no more gloves, no more hiding. You can be who you are."
I was even more confused. Ano'ng ibig niyang sabihin?
"Habang lumalaki ka, Amber, ay mas lalong nagiging delikado para sa'yo ang mga bagay bagay," headmistress Xarafina cut in. "It is just time for you to discover more about your powers. Kailangan mo nang matutunan kung paano gamitin at mahasa ito. Dahil kung hindi, ito lang din ang magpapahamak sa iyo."
"Ma," I looked at my mom, waiting for a direct explanation. Ngunit tumingin lang din si mama sa headmistress na parang ipinapaubaya nito sakanya ang lahat ng eksplenasyon. Tumango lang ang headmistress.
"Let me formally introduce myself and the purpose of my coming here, Amber," anito. "I am Xarafina Everworth. The headmistress of Archantia: Institute of Magic and I am here to invite you to our school. We will be truly honored to have you as one of our students, Ms. Amber Weiss."