My eyes widened with shock when I realized that she was my senior. I can’t believe my eyes and I shook my head in denial as I stepped back. Her eyes focused at me with a mocking look.

“Chelsea, at last I can be sure of you.” She started to direct their attention to me. They were all puzzled how the witch had a relation with me and gave me that sudden look with an overwhelming expression of confusion.

“I’ve been with you since you were in the university remember? Who would scout an orphan as an intern in a very huge media company? I studied you keenly all these years and finally I confirmed that you are the catalyst to my success. A weak person who’s thirsty to prove herself to the world where she never belongs to made it easier for me to enter Vayanhan once more. Hihihihihihi!” her poisonous laugh was all over the place. I can hear Minwoo gnashing his fangs on her every word.

Dongwan grabbed my hand all of a sudden. He started to scan my palms and like what I have seen earlier, there are no dots that appeared on it anymore. I can’t catch up. I don’t know what I have done wrong. He looked at his brothers and shook his head while his cold hands tightened its grip on my wrist.

“Are you still confused you idiots? I couldn’t have entered here on my own. I needed a help from a higher power to step into your impenetrable fortress since I was never invited. The girl beside you is the only memory of your foolish mother. Hihihihihihi!” The witch giggled in her own accord like she was having her own inside joke that no one from us can appreciate.

They looked at me with horror reflecting on their faces and with this they stepped closer to my range and become more wary of the situation. How am I even connected to anyone of them?

“It is a shame that you miscalculated your moves. I knew how much you have suffered when she left this place. There have been constant relocations of the portions of the land in an uncontrollable time slot, the weather got moody on all regions and most of all, you can’t solve it because she was the only key to put it all back in its right place.” She continued with her pleasure of elaborating her advantages.

“That exact same thing happened when Makiling left this place for a filthy thing called love when she became unconditionally attracted to someone. I will admit the fact that we used to be best friends but your mother outshined me in all that I do specially to the apple of my eye; Bernardo Carpio that demi God. It was painful but it was never my attitude to get angry when someone offends me – I didn’t even have the lightest intention to get even, instead I planned for an extravagant revenge. Hihihihihihi!” With this she started to swish her wand in the air and drew a huge number of chained rusty arrows directed to us.

“Don’t you dare mention that man who broke our mother’s heart! He never loved her back the way she loved him. That selfish bastard left our mother in her most crucial moment!” Andy wasn’t able to take her insults anymore and exploded with disgust.

“Oh – you were all wrong. I am the only one who’s allowed to be evil here. Hihihihi! I am fascinated that until now you haven’t discovered yet what really happened the day he left your stupid mother, the one who’s supposed to be the most powerful Diwata. As expected all creatures becomes useless when they use their heart. It was a good thing that I saw power first as the most important of them all.” She walked around the floor while dancing on a soundless tune with all the arrows following her every move.

“Makiling went back pregnant to this place to fix what she has done and to heal Vayanhan. I can remember how she suffered to pass all the moving plates before it finally locked its place again. She returned with a curse of course. Hihihihihi! She knew it from the very start that giving birth to her child will cause her death. It was the only reason how an immortal can void their infinite life. That is how useless she is. I on the other hand, tricked that useless Bernardo to find the most precious gift that a Diwata can receive. He trusted me with all his might knowing that I and your mother are best of friends. He didn’t know that he will end up being trapped in between the pacific ring of fire to eternity. I bet he is still there right now holding the crust apart from each other, suffering under the heat of magma below his feet. Hihihihihihi!” She was obviously having fun on all of what she is saying.

This made me feel mad towards her. I may still not know who she was talking about, but the way she orchestrated this evil plot is so unforgivable. How can she ruin someone else’s happiness for her own sake to think that they used to be best friends?

“Your mother was so soft hearted to believe my story of him leaving her behind. I was almost happy and was getting there with my original plan when the six of you appeared on my beautiful painting and ruined it with hope. Right when she needs someone to lean on, you got lost in the forest after escaping from the orphanage where you belonged too. Ahh, I can still remember how Makiling admired your reason for sticking together. She told me it’s because you don’t want to be apart from each other and no family will take all six of you all together. That stubborn queen adopted you with the faith that she will find comfort knowing that you’ll be there for her new born. Well I guess she felt something is fishy with me already. What took her so long right? I never knew she had a counter plan inside her head. Before she can even gave birth to her baby, she already divided her powers to you in form of different agimat, the gems that reflected in the hue of your eyes right now is so evident. I am so jealous not to have those gifts. How can she entrust the protection of her baby to some weak and unskilled human beings? Where can she get that kind of optimism from them eh? It is so overrated!” and she stomped on the ground with her stiletto heels leaving a crack on the hard marble floor. It reflected how mad she is.

So they were human before they transformed into these creatures. They never told me about that. I thought that they were born like this. To know that they were orphans before made me think that it was also the reason why they cared for the children so much.

“The first time I saw Eric craved for blood was when you gave me this ugly scar.” She removed her scarf and revealed the disfigured skin on her neck. Now I realized why she always wore turtle necks at work. One of my officemates saw that ruined flesh before and she just said that it was from a traumatic car accident long time ago.

“Minwoo run for his life while carrying you in his arms with his unstable speed Chelsea, I can still remember how afraid he was. How painful must it have been to dash with bleeding toes? I spread special broken glasses on his path to slow him down. Hihihihihihi!” She tilted her head towards Minwoo’s direction to express more sarcasm.

“Hyesung burned Makiling’s house immediately after seeing me fall but since he can’t control it yet he felt all the heat on every inch of his flaming skin.” She shrugged with a smile while imagining it. Her actions make me want to strangle her.

“Junjin flew up in the air to spread darkness and covered the moon with his shadow but I must say it was such a hilarious scene when I see him fell once he lost stamina. He was almost out of breath with broken bones. Hihihihihihi!” The witch stood in front of us exploding with laughter. I hated every inch of her.

“Andy knocked on the orphanage’s door for the first time. There was no death that happened that day in the human world since it was your mom who died that day. Someone’s precious from the people of the same orphanage where they came from had her life taken. Remember that night young one?” She looked at Andy as he lowered his head like he’s feeling the same pain all over again.

“Dongwan needed to sing a sad song as he put you to sleep while crying. Chelsea, you’re the cause of their misery. They thought all of these years that they did the best decision but what they didn’t realize is that they put you in the same hardship that they experienced before they got accepted here.” Every word from her provoked a fight. She uses other’s weaknesses as a way to attack them. It was dirty play. She was never fair even when she was just in the office.

“You were all worked up the last time I saw you. Your desperation to save her led you to lose her in the process, how I’d wish to see history to repeat itself once more. Hihihihihihi!” Her laugh at the end of her sentence made all the steel arrows alert for a pending attack.

“Eric, I should praise you for the lock down that you did. It gave you a huge disadvantage since it won’t allow any of your minions to aid you in fighting me. I really don’t know where your confidence is coming from. It fascinates me in a way, you miserable soul. Hihihihihihi!” She then started to sway her wand once more and the rust all over the arrows turned into black gooey liquid. It was then when I realized that as it leaks on the floor, it melts anything that it touches.

 “No – you were wrong. I did it on purpose since I wanted to spare as many lives as possible this time around. I can’t imagine another blood shed from your dirty hands.” Eric’s voice didn’t reflect any regrets at all. It is their genuine intention to save more lives than possible.

“You sounded so confident. I’m wondering why you are all pretending to be okay when in real life you are all paralyzed by my spell. Your powers have reached its threshold to the point that you are almost unable to recognize your obvious defeat. Hihihihihihi!” She laughed out loud and covered her red lips with her free hand with a conceited expression on her mean face.

I was too focused on her that I was able to look at them just now. It shocked me to see them back again to their normal forms. The most human like appearance that I’ve seen them as since the beginning. Even their eye colours all turned into dark brown.

“What did you do to them?!” I shouted with rage. I’d very much like to cut her in half. I don’t know what triggered this sudden blood lust inside me but my knights, the ones who stood before me to keep me unharmed are on the verge of their frailest point.

“I didn’t do anything. They did that to themselves. It must have been very exhausting for them to take care of so many humans inside this place for so many days. Kids are the hardest to handle by the record since they consume twice the energy that can be taken by full grown strangers in this place. I think, it was supposed to be their rest day today after the celebration but it was the best day for me to execute my long awaited revenge. Isn’t it sweet? Hihihihihihi!” Everything seems to be going perfectly according to her plan. I don’t know what to do. I doubt if I can even help. I should have stayed where I was.

It didn’t take long when they collapsed all together right where they are standing. Each of them looked so weak and fragile. All their magnificence was gone in an instant and they can barely say a word.