Chapter 26: The Hoaxes

“Beatrice.” Naalimpungatan naman ako nang may tumawag sa akin.
Hinay-hinay ko namang tiningnan ang nagtawag sa akin, at do’n ko nakita kung sino ito.

“Hey!” Ngumiti naman ako sa kaniya.

“Tama ba ang sinabi sa akin ni Allysa?” tanong nito sa akin kaya napasimangot ako.

“Sino bang mas paniniwalaan mo, Eunice? Ako na sariling kapatid mo, o ang bruha na ‘yon?” I asked her, annoyed by what she just asked.

“I know. But—” I cut her in mid-sentence.

“Don’t worry, I will not force you to believe me. I’m just telling you to go with the flow. Kung anong sasabihin niya ay sumunod ka. Even if it is to kill me,”  I muttered seriously.

“So, you’re back just to destroy our realm?” magulumihanan nitong tanong sa akin kaya napa-face palm na lang ako rito.

Kahit kailan talaga, ang slow nito.

“I’m protecting it, not destroying it. Just go, Eunice. You will understand, maybe later if your memories comes back to you,” I replied to Eunice, making her wonder.

“But—”

“Please, I’m begging you,” saad ko sa kaniya, dahilan para mapabuntong-hininga siya.

“Fine,” she surrendered. “But please, don’t ruin our home,” she added seriously and vanished out of my sight.

Of course, I will never. Allysa is the one who will ruin it. Not me. Psh.
All I can do now is wait until tomorrow, and I am heated about it.

DIANNA EUNICE

Everything was ready. My formal dress and my crown. All I have to do is to go to the dungeon where my sister got imprisoned. I agreed with what my step-mother said because she promised to let Beatrice go.

“You’re not lying about it, right?” I asked my step-mother while she was getting ready for today.

“Of course, sweetheart! I will make sure that your dearest twin will be safe after this ceremony!” she excitedly replied while curling her hair.

I sighed in relief. I thought Beatrice’s statements earlier were strange, maybe I was just hallucinating.

“You will not kill her, right?”  I asked her again. Tumigil naman siya sa ginagawa niya at tumingin sa akin.

“I will not.” Ngumiti naman ito sa akin kaya ngumiti na rin ako sa kaniya.

“Thank you for being so understanding, mother,” I said, and gave her a warm hug.

“You’re always welcome, my dear,” she replied and hugged me back.

“Then, I will go now. Just don’t be late!” I bid my farewell to her, and walked towards the door.

“Yes, sweetheart! Noted!”  natatawa naman nitong sagot sa akin kaya agad ko nang sinirado ang pinto.

I heaved a sigh again. I want to hug my sister, but I can’t. After I fix everything, we will do that. I got so awestruck from the revelation days ago, and I got no time to react that time. All I did was open my mouth and do nothing. I regretted it. All my life, I’ve been waiting for that day, but instead of saving her and be with her, I... I ruined my dreams to be with her. That’s why I am here, fixing everything as much as I could.

“Behold! Princess Dianna Eunice!” Mr. Michael announced as I arrived at the backstage.

“Please, get Beatrice,” I ordered one of our guards. He just nodded and went on his way. I gestured something to Mr. Michael to let the students wait, so he did. We’re here in our gymnasium, all of the students were gathered just to hear the announcement of what I’m going to do with my sister.

Several minutes passed, I saw Beatrice walking in a distance, together with my step-mother, so I decided to go up on the stage.

“Good day, Hiddians. I am here to announce that we made a decision—” napatigil naman ako sa pagsasalita nang may narinig akong pagsabog sa aking likod.

“What happened?” I confusedly asked while looking at the backstage.
I heard the students started whispering, that’s why I went to the backstage, and saw a horrible thing.

“What are you doing, Beatrice?!”  I howled as I saw my step-mother lying on the floor.

“I swear, I did not do anything!” she answered, and gestured something through her hands.

“Then why is she unconscious?!” tanong ko na naman sa kaniya habang ang noo ay nakakunot.

“Let’s go now, Eunice! We need to go!” instead of answering my question, she said those.

“No!” I squealed, slapping her hands in front of me. Halatang nagulat siya sa aking ginawa kaya napahilamos ito sa kaniyang mukha.

“Stubborn. Ugh!” she groaned in frustration. “You leave me no choice, Eunice,” she added, raising her left palm.

Maglalaban kami?

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Come with me or I will burn this woman to hell,” she threatened me as her blue fire emerged on her palm. I also did the same thing.

“This is not you, Beatrice. Don’t touch her!” I shouted at the top of my lungs while gritting my teeth.

I just wanted to save her! We do! What the hell is she doing?! The legend was truth all along, she was always the villain. She will never ever change.

Tears welled up on my cheeks as I looked at her in grimace.

“I can’t believe you, she was just trying to help!” I bawled as I released my pyrokinesis ability towards her, however, I regretted it right away. She just smiled at me while waiting for my ability to struck her. I blinked twice when I saw another ability coming to her direction.

“No!” I immediately held back my ability, but I was too late. She took my attack and the other one, causing her body to take off in front of the stage.
The red curtain was already on the ground, as all of the students gasped when they saw the lifeless body of my sister lying on the floor.

I saw the queen stood up. S-She’s alive?

“What have you done?” hollered the queen, all eyes on me as she emerged above the decapitated body on the ground.

I stared at their worried eyes, and looked at me with a disgusted look. No! I did not do anything wrong!

“I didn’t kill her! She is my sister!” My voice echoed all over the place.

Napa-atras naman ako nang biglang lumapit sa ’kin ang reyna.
Seems like they did not believe my words.

“Your power is hurting us, white controller,” she said. May ipinalabas naman siyang itim na mahika sa harapan ko.

Hindi! I did not hurt anyone! Someone killed my sister. I was just trying to stop her, not kill her! And that one abiliy I saw earilier, I think that’s the one that killed her!

Napatingin naman ako sa walang buhay na katawan ng aking kapatid. Tears started rolling down my cheeks.

“Someone killed her, we need to find it, Mother,” usal ko, dahilan para mapangisi ito. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nakakatuwa sa aking sinabi ngunit parang hindi ko nagugustuhan ang kaniyang ikini-kilos.

Lumapit naman siya sa ‘kin.

“I killed her.” I was stunned because of what she said.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang motibo niya upang patayin siya. Ang tanging alam ko lang, binura niya ang aming ala-ala upang hindi namin maalala ang panganay namin. I hated her that time, then she explained it to me. However, all of that was a lie, I guess. After she admitted killing my sister, I know now why she erased our memories, and I freakin’ despise her.

I was about to attack her when a mist filled up the place. Halatang nagulat naman ang reyna, nakita ko ang kaniyang mukha bago natabunan ng ambon.

“My sister!” I shouted when I realized that my sister was not there anymore.

I used my pyrokinesis ability to produce some light. Napaka-dilim ng paligid dahil sa ambon na hindi ko alam kung saan nanggaling.
Habang abala akong hinahanap ang katawan ng aking kapatid ay napahinto ako nang may humawak sa aking balikat.

Icy fingers gripped my arms, and slowly pulled me into the darkness.

I looked at the person who pulled me. My eyes are widening when I saw something startling.

“Ready to pull something incredible, my sister?” I saw how her lips curved when she said those.

“Beatrice!”

END OF CHAPTER 26