Disastrous Tour

Celestia woke up from a loud, obnoxious knock on the door of her temporary room. Kamot ulo itong tumayo at naglakad para pagbuksan kung sinuman 'yung kumakatok.

Only to bring her mood even worse at the sight of the Headmaster's rude son with the most beautiful shade of blue eyes Celestia had seen.

"What?" inis na tanong ni Celestia rito.

The guy loomed over her. His eyebrows that are immaculately arched, framing his blue eyes with precision, were knitted together as he frowned at Celestia.

"Pinapagising ka ng Headmaster. Bilisan mong kumilos. Malapit na i-serve ang breakfast. Pagkatapos mo kumain, I'll tour you around the castle," malamig na sambit ng lalake. "Hindi kita hihintayin dito. Nakapunta ka naman na sa dining hall kagabi, siguro naman alam mo na ang daan." With that, he turned around and left.

Celestia blinked several times, unable to believe the sheer rudeness of the guy. Pero hindi na niya masyadong inisip 'to, nagmadali na lang siyang kumilos. Baka hinihintay siya ng Headmaster at may nais sabihin sa kanya habang kumakain sila, since they weren't able to have a conversation the previous night nang mapansin ng Headmaster ang antok at pagod sa mukha ng dalaga. Kaya hinayaan na lang muna siya ng nakatatanda na magpahinga sa gabing 'yon, at minabuting ipagpaliban muna ang pag-uusap.

A bell rang, making Celestia quicken her pace at wearing her new clothes that the Headmaster gave last night. Hindi na siya nag-abalang magsuklay pa, she just ran out of her room and towards-

"Oh," Celestia mumbled, then she groaned. "Saan nga ulit 'yung daan papuntang dining hall?"

It took her almost fifteen minutes bago niya makita 'yung nakabukas na entrance papuntang dining hall. She ran inside, sighing in relief once she saw the Headmaster and his rude son sitting on the front of the hall where she assumed the seats of all the teachers and staff were.

"Miss Celestia. I assumed you got lost on your way here?" The Headmaster asked in that soft voice of his.

She nodded, breathing heavily as she approached their direction.

"I hope I'm not too late?" nahihiyang sambit ng dalaga. She takes a seat across from the rude guy, and at the left side of the Headmaster.

"It's fine," Thaddeus waves her concern off. "May kailangan lang akong gawin, but my son is here to tour you around the castle. Siya na rin ang bahalang magpaliwanag sa'yo tungkol sa ibang bagay na kailangan mong malaman tungkol sa education system ng school. At kung may kailangan ka pang iba, sabihin mo lang din sa kanya. And after lunch, ihahatid ka niya sa Infirmary para ipa-check ka uli sa healer." Tumingin sa kanya ang nakatatanda. "I hope that's fine with you?"

Celestia glanced at the rude guy who was already looking at her with an eyebrow raised, as if challenging her to refuse the Headmaster. She barely refrains herself from rolling her eyes, but knowing that the Headmaster is looking at her, she just forces out a smile.

"Ayos lang po. Ayoko rin naman po makaabala sa mga importante niyong gagawin," sagot ni Celestia.

"You're not a disturbance," sabi ng nakatatanda.

His rude son mumbled something that Celestia didn't hear, but his father did, as he hissed at him in warning. Her lips twitched a bit, but she quickly wiped it off once binaling uli ng Headmaster ang atensyon sa kanya.

"Again, you're not disturbing anyone here, Miss Celestia. You're a student here from now on, albeit a special one," he winked at her, dahilan para mapatawa nang mahina si Celestia. "And my son has nothing to do, kaya I decided to make use of him as I attend some important matters first."

"Salamat po," sabi ni Celestia.

"I need to leave already," sabi ni Thaddues. He turned to his son. "Theodore, I trust you will help Miss Celestia familiarize the castle and explain things to her."

The rude guy nodded stiffly, but the Headmaster didn't comment about it. He just smiled at Celestia before walking away.

Silence ensues as Celestia starts eating, completely ignoring the rude guy across from her. Ramdam niya ang tingin ng lalake sa kanya, and as much as she wants to glare back, ayaw niyang mawala ang appetite niya. Kaya inubos niya muna ang breakfast niya bago niya inangat ang tingin.

Her eyes met his. Blanko lang ang tingin ng lalake kaya hindi mawari ni Celestia kung ano ang iniisip nito.

"What?" iritableng tanong ni Celestia rito.

The rude guy's stare intensified at Celestia's tone, "Listen here, newbie. Unlike my father, I'm not a nice and patient man. And contrary to what my father said, nakakaistorbo ka. Hindi man sa kanya, pero sa akin. Kaya drop that attitude of yours dahil ginagawan ka na nga namin ng favor."

If Celestia felt a sting in her chest at the guy's hurtful words, she didn't show it. If she managed to escape a bunch of experienced dark witches, she wouldn't let herself be treated like this by another stranger.

"Excuse me lang ha. I don't know if your father told you what we talked about last night, pero alam kong nandon ka nung sinabi niyang he's indebted to my parents which is why he's so willing to help me in my case," mariin na sambit ni Celestia. "So what do you mean you're doing me a favor? Like what your father said, wala ka namang ginagawa. And if you really have to do something else, hindi mo naman kailangang sundin ang ama mo. I can handle myself."

Inis na tumayo si Celestia. Mabilis ang tibok ng puso sa sobrang inis na nararamdaman. Pero bago pa siya makalayo, may kamay na humawak sa wrist niya.

"I'm going to tour you around," malamig na sambit ng lalake. "I didn't say I was going to defy my father's order."

"Well, I prefer walking around by myself than having you as a company."

"Don't be stubborn—"

"What the hell did I do for you to be this rude?" Celestia exclaimed. "Alam kong hindi maganda ang unang encounter natin, but that doesn't warrant your rudeness to me!"

Ilang segundong hindi nagsalita ang lalake. Diretso lang itong nakatingin kay Celestia. But a few moments later, he sighed. "Let's go. I'll tour you around the castle."

The man walked ahead, not even bothering to check if Celestia followed. She was left confused and annoyed, but still trailed behind the guy with an annoyed huff.

So freaking rude!

Dahil hindi naman naranasan ni Celestia makipag-socialize sa ibang tao, lalo na sa kaedaran niya, she was really baffled by the man's attitude towards her. She knows she didn't do anything grave, nor did she do something to the guy. So bakit siya ganito pakitunguhan ng lalake na kakakilala niya lang?

It frustrates Celestia, but she decided she wouldn't let him treat or talk like that again to her. Hindi siya magpapatalo, hindi siya magpapakumbaba. Her parents didn't raise her to be someone who would let herself be treated so badly. Maybe she can just follow the guy around, listen if he's going to say something, but hindi na siya magtatanong even if she's actually curious about a lot of things. Baka mas ayos kung ganon na lang ang gagawin niya.

But Celestia underestimated the whole situation, especially the guy. He's just so... plain rude, that Celestia lost her cool once again when he commented about how slow she was.

"It's really not my fault I've been sheltered my whole life," she snapped at him. "The only place na napuntahan ko ay 'yung mga naging bahay namin, and I don't even know what place it was. I hardly leave our house, and no one lets me train or exercise. Kaya my low stamina is hardly my fault."

The guy scoffs, "Figures."

"What?" naguguluhang tanong ni Celestia.

"Halata sa'yong spoiled ka. Sheltered and smothered," the guy spat with a sneer, not even looking at Celestia as he spoke those words.

"Excuse me?" Celestia exclaimed indignantly. "I'm not spoiled—"

"That's what every spoiled child says," he cuts her off in a bored tone.

Halos mag-usok na ang tenga ni Celestia sa inis. Pero bago pa man siya makapagsalita, binuksan ng lalake 'yung malaking pinto sa harap nila na hindi napansin ni Celestia dahil sa kagustuhang depensahin ang sarili sa mga accusations ng lalake.

"This is the castle grounds. May malaking field doon for the sports and other school activities. There's also that forest that leads to a small greenhouse and a pond. There are no wild animals there, but the headmaster forbids anyone to enter that place when the full moon approaches. He puts a strong, impenetrable barrier around it to prevent anyone from sneaking in during and around the full moon. Otherwise, everyone's free to roam in it."

"Dahil sa mga werewolves na nag-aaral dito?" Celestia asked before she even realized it. The information just reminded her that the school actually is for all magical beings around the world, except for the dark witches.

And if Celestia's being honest, she's quite intrigued to learn that she'll finally meet other beings. She only ever saw vampires and werewolves, which are her parents and relatives. Hindi nga niya alam na may dugong witch pala ang ina. Kaya meeting new beings will be an experience for her, bonus na lang na kaedaran niya pa.

The guy nodded, "Werewolves transformations are quite nasty and dangerous, which is why the Headmaster came up with that idea. The forest is big enough for the werewolves to roam around during the full moon. The barriers surrounding it never failed, at ina-alerto nito ang Headmaster kung may hindi werewolf na nagtatangkang pumasok sa loob."

"Do you know if it hurts them kapag nagt-transform sila?" tanong ni Celestia. She had no idea that werewolves were dangerous when they transformed dahil ang ama niyang pureblood werewolf, kailanman ay hindi naging agresibo sa kanya tuwing nagt-transform ito.

The rude guy shot her an incredulous look.

"What?" nagtatakang tanong ni Celestia rito.

"Of course, I know. I'm a pureblood werewolf."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Celestia, "How would I know that? We just met yesterday! And it's not like we had a civil conversation."

"We would've had, kung hindi ka lang nahimatay," he retorted in that cold, sarcastic voice of his.

Muli na namang nag-init ang ulo ni Celestia rito, "Sorry ah? Tumakas lang naman kasi ako sa sandamakmak na dark witches na naghahanap sakin e. Malayo din tinakbo ko, tapos ang dami ko pang tama sa katawan dahil binabato nila ako ng mga spells habang hinahabol ako. Tapos aksidente pa akong nakapag-teleport, sa isang protected area pa. Napagod lang naman ng husto buong katawan ko, tapos bumungad pa sakin dito, isa na namang nagbanta sa buhay ko. Hinimatay lang naman ako sa pagod at takot. Sorry talaga kung hindi ko nasabi 'yan sa'yo kahapon? Sorry ah!"

Celestia was breathing heavily once she was done yelling. She feels more annoyed at the impassive look on the guy's face. Kaya bago pa niya mapagsalitaan ng masama ito na sigurado siyang pagsisisihan niya rin, tumalikod na ito at umalis.

"Antipatiko! Mayabang! Nakakainis. Nakakabwisit!" inis na bulong ni Celestia. "Kasalanan ko bang buong buhay ko, nagtatago ako? Kasalanan ko bang may mga humahabol saking gusto akong patayin? Napakasalbahe! Hindi ko naman siya inaano."

Marami pang nilikuang corridor si Celestia bago niya ma-realize na hindi niya alam kung saan patungo. Malakas na napabuntong hininga ito.

"Tapos nawawala na naman ako. Bwisit naman kasi 'yung lalakeng antipatiko na 'yon! Nakakainit ng ulo," napakamot ng ulo si Celestia. "Saan ako ngayon dito?"

Muli siyang naglakad-lakad. Since she's lost already, she decided to just familiarize every part of the castle.

And it leads her back to the massive door that leads to the castle grounds. Nakabukas pa rin 'yon, pero wala na 'yung lalake sa kung saan man niya huli itong nakita.

Celestia glanced around. Huminto ito sa forest.

"Malayo pa naman full moon..." mahinang sambit ni Celestia. "Ayos lang naman siguro?"

She contemplates it for a few minutes, but in the end, she decides to roam around the forest. She wants to see the greenhouse as well as the pond. She never sees one sa kahit saang lugar na pinagtirhan niya.

All throughout her walk in the forest, Celestia's in awe. The trees were humongous, bigger than the one she lived in, there weren't animals at all just like what the rude guy had told her, and the place is full of magic. Hindi niya alam paano niya nararamdaman ito, but she knows it's magic. The previous places she lived at don't feel like this at all. Maybe it's her witch blood that makes her feel the magic? She had no idea.

But it feels great. It feels amazing.

Mas lalong kuminang ang mga mata ni Celestia nang makita na ang pond. It's just a small pond, but still beautiful. Sobrang linaw ng tubig na kitang kita mo 'yung nasa ilalim nito, even the few fishes that live in it.

"Ang lamig," she shivered after dipping her hands on the water. "Pwede kaya mag-swimming dito? Or umiinit kaya 'to? Sobrang lamig e."

"Who are you?"