That Unforseen Power Playing Grandly Behind

I screamed, clutching my chest as cold sweat dripped from my forehead. I scrambled over the soft surface of the silk beneath me, eventually rolling over the floor. The cold sensation took no more than a second before it invaded my body, my skin tingling as though I got suddenly numb. The wooden tile of the floor enveloped my back in another kind of cold, finally letting myself breathe as I got used to the sensation.

But I could feel my body returning to its previous predicament, something inside me felt like burning, my heart racing so fast. My mind was not in a good state as well, my vision blurring and my head feels like it would literally explode. I pulled myself up, using the bed beside to keep my balance steady as I stood--only for my right knee to bend itself back to the floor.

"Celeztie!"

I perked up almost cursing, feeling that familiar pleasant smell that reminded me of cinnamon closing in. A pair of hands reaching for my arm, but I didn't want anyone to see me like this. I hated it as much as I hate the fact that I could do nothing about this. Thus, I did the only thing that made sense at the moment--I pushed her away. I felt back when she hit the table, but I didn't dare look at her face as I attempted another try.

This time, I managed to stand completely but my legs were still a bit wobbly that I almost fell again if she hadn't held my arm. I scoffed, but said nothing as she helped me sat down the chair in front of the table. I rested myself on the back of chair, my arms loosely on top of the table. I closed my eyes, sighing because of how intrusive her glares are.

There was a big map laid on the table at my front, a wooden chessboard beside it, a piece of pencil, and a slowly burning candlelight by the corner. The map referred to the current world, with the southern regions already bathed in nether energy, making the countries or people in it, wasted--or dead, if I were to say so. No ordinary people could have known the effects of this nether energy or the possibility of too much abundant energy could have brought.

Ke'ala wanted to save this world from crumbling down by filtering this energy, which ridding the world of nether by absorbing the energy leakage. But with the fall of Etherion Tower five years ago, she's become secretive of her plans. Was she responsible for the nether's spread completely stopping by the small Kingdom of Romaine?

For five years now, my father--or supposed to be my father--had spent so much time trying to locate her exact location. But Ke'ala would always disappear, that even if he did manage to track her down, she would already be gone. I had stopped looking for her myself after a year of her disappearance, I decided there's no point in working with a woman who doesn't want anything to do with me or anyone else.

That's why she can't blame me for whatever I did for these past years. She'll have to figure everything out by herself, it'll probably take a while for her to. If she's doing something by the shadows, I'll do things my own way by the surface. That's what I've been doing, trying to pave a way for a future I know she deserves. Everything in this map, all of the remaining organizations... they're mine to control. A world I can manipulate, not quite perfectly yet... but I'm getting there.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?" The woman beside me scowled, her face must be fuming mad right now. "Look at me!"

"I'm sorry." I admitted, finally looking at her.

This time, I could perfectly see her jet-black eyes. Her physique was as fit as ever, she even grew taller. She was wearing her usual leathered pants that reached her knees, a pair of heeled boots and a white sleeveless top. She usually wore her brown hair with reddish highlights by the tip, up. But she let it hung loosely behind her back now. She looked... tired, the lack of sleep these recent weeks must have been a key factor. I felt even more guilty knowing I was the cause of that.

"You really think I'm asking for an apology?" Her gaze softened.

"No. But I feel like I should say it anyway." I answered, my voice barely audible.

"Celeztie, I don't--"

"I know, Al. I know."

She sighed, glancing at the things on the table. Her hand then reached for a particular piece on the unfinished match of the chessboard, rubbing her thumb on the wooden surface of the black pawn before putting it on it's left's territory. It's a four-handed chess, with the west and east painted in red and blue.

I shook my head in attempt to disagree with her move but I regretted it almost as immediately, the sudden pull from the back of my mind traveling fast up to my forehead as though a rift and I winced in pain. I raised my hand to stop her, calming her down before she push me back to bed to rest for the hundredth time this week, and that's not what I certainly need at the moment.

"Celeztie... let's delay things back at least just for a few days. Kailangan mo ng maraming pahinga--"

"I'm fine." I cut off, ignoring the pleading I hear on her voice. I grabbed another pawn from the blue side, pushing another two forward towards the black. "Legion Army needs to eliminate Black Clan as soon as possible." I bit my lower lip frustratingly. "If we had more time, we could have taken out these blacks earlier than the Coven."

"Black Clan specializes more in techniques that use discreet movements unlike the Army that blindly sets in their overwhelming numbers and technology. Hindi na ako magtataka kung magawa nga ng Clan lampasan ang ang Legion Army." Allanea proceeded to move another piece as if to make her point.

"Legion Army has many pawns in its discretion. They have Titania on their side too, and even Exodus' force won't be able to do much against the Elven Magic." I said, pushing three more pawns forward. "Sobrang dami ng bilang ng ROLA na matatakpan nila ang kahit anong butas sa depensa nila."

She scoffed, walking towards the cabinet to grab an unlit candle lamp and only then I truly began to notice the darken scenery of the gentle sound of crickets on the woods outside. I watched her carefully light the candle up using the one burning candle on the table before placing it on the hook just above the center of the room. It helped illuminate the surroundings more, especially with the open windows and the rising full moon just over the horizon, but it was still slightly dim.

"Then all the more reason we push Exodus into attacking." Allanea said, looking at the red side of the board. "With the help of Irvaius' unique spells, I was able to send the letter to Andrea. They're going to get suspicious of other organizations and possibly go attack--"

"No. They're going to get defensive. They might be under assumption that we know where their base of operations is, but that's the bluff, we don't."

Irvaius' message spells allows him to send letters anywhere to anyone as long as the sender has energy similar to its recipient, and that's Allanea sending one to Andrea. But we don't necessarily need to know where they are. Irvaius had always been so talented at using magic, it's as though he can create newly-discovered spells on the spot if he feels like it. Well, considering his half bloodline and family tree, that isn't all so surprising.

"You know how Exodus plays. They're going to act like they're leading an attack when they just want to divert enemy's attention somewhere they can have an upper hand."

"Much like the World's Organization." I replied. "But Exodus is more focus on their own objective."

Allanea crossed her arms. "Did they really think they're capable of killing a Progenitor? Or even just as much as scratch them?"

"They got their End Curse from the Grimoire solely created by every single gods and goddesses out there and even with the help of Athànatos, a race so mysterious their power is especially said to be unmatched." I grabbed the pencil, twirling it around my fingers then. "And the main purpose of that Grimoire is to defeat the Progenitors."

"But do you really think they can do it? We've seen the power of a Progenitor firsthand and she's... she's someone mortals or even immortals shouldn't mess with. How many of them are out there anyway? And to even think as defeat them? It's ridiculous!"

"Not really." I refuted. "You do realize Athanasía didn't really send us back in time right? All she did was use my own spiritual energy to transfer our souls to a different reality, making our existences in where we originally came from vanish. It's me saying that Progenitors can't exactly meddle, why do you even think they sent the soul of one of their own as a human?"

"Which means they're vulnerable, is that it? Celeztie, I don't know why they don't want to meddle directly, but Athanasía distorting time like that even with the use of your energy is fearsome enough, how overwhelming would it have been if she had used her own?"

"The thing is she couldn't, Allanea. They don't want to meddle for whatever reason that she used my own energy. Don't you get it? Even if Exodus were to literally use the power of the Grimoire on them, they won't do anything against Exodus and that Organization knows that fact that they're taking advantage of it."

"But Progenitors won't just let themselves get taken advantage of...ibig bang sabihin malaki ang tiwala nilang masisira nga ni Ke'ala ang Grimoire bago pa man ng Exodus ito magamit?"

"They know Ke'ala would be able to do it," I said as I gritted my teeth in irritation. "And they're just going to discard her like nothing after she does. I hate it, they might as well just disappear for all I care."

"Pero tinulungan tayo ni Athanasía--"

"Because she pities her! Kasalanan ng mga Progenitors ang lahat ng ito. It's just a simple game for them that was supposed to end hundreds of years ago back at the Great War with Denaricus but no...they just had to create a soul, let it wait around for four hundred years, and when they feel like the World's Organization and Exodus are finally making their move, they push that soul to be born as a human."

"Celeztie--"

I slammed my fists on the table, shaking everything up. "Those damn Progenitors had the chance to finish all of this ages ago, Allanea. But because they can't meddle themselves they're letting millions of innocent people suffer because of a war the World's Organization started. It all revolves around them, these Progenitors are the cause of this all...so what if they disappear? Wouldn't that be better?"

"Don't you remember what Athanasía said? Progenitors don't create progenitors. Their souls were accumulation of general energies and Ke'ala's soul was just a product of that. She doesn't know who sent her soul here nor who gave her such duty--"

"Who cares? It's already been done. It might not have been her, but it doesn't change the fact that some unknown Progenitor out there did."

"Athanasía hopes to save Ke'ala from death. You know her fate. She will die after she finishes her duty and that exactly what happened from the reality where we came from--"

"She will not die." I glared at her.

"I know. That's why we're here. We want to change the future that was bound to happen. You may be doing this for your supposed mother, but honestly..." she blinked, looking away as though she was hesitating about her next words.

"What is it?" I tried standing up, but a sudden  quake rang through my body, my head having that cracking sensation again that I could only bite my lip and close my eyes to prevent a scream.

"You should have just stayed in bed." Allanea said in obvious worry, pushing me back to the chair as she caressed my head, gently circulating her own energy around to at least lessen the pain.

"Then what? Let you all do the work?" I looked up, seeing her just in front of me with her eyes boring deep into my own. She sighed.

"You know me, I was literally raised like a prisoner. My mother would control me saying it was for the best. She would buy me things, do everything even when I didn't ask her. She wouldn't let me do things on my own will. She thinks she's being the best mother by foreseeing every single actions I did. I think it was her trying to make me feel...not abandoned unlike what her own mother did to her."

"Allanea..."

"Honestly," she began, closing in her forehead against mine from above, her hands cupping the sides of my face she whispered. "I don't care about what happens. I don't really care if my mother ends up being the manipulative bit--woman she was that would control every single of my movements. I don't really care if I can't have a real family. I just don't care anymore. I've stopped caring, stopped hoping for a change even when I was a child."

"...kaya ka nga sumama sa akin dahil gusto mong baguhin ang buhay mo, hindi ba? Anong mali sa ginawa natin, Al? Why do you always look at me as though I'm doing things wrong?"

"None of us particularly cared, you know? Irona, Irvaius--they don't obsessed the thought of change like you do. When you went to Màvro Isle, leaving us three saying you had to do things on your own...that scared me. What if you die? But then again, when I saw how determined you were, I sincerely prayed with all my heart that you succeed in your goal in killing her."

"That's...I-I changed my mind the moment I saw Ke'ala. There was...that connection that bounds us, I could feel my energy syncing whenever she's near that I couldn't bring myself to do it, or at least I thought."

"You were so obsessed with freedom, Celeztie. We let you off on your own on that island because if you succeed, then you'll finally be free. You trained endlessly, became so strong all for the sake of killing a woman so that you'll feel liberated. You wouldn't need to have those nightmares, you wouldn't need to feel so burdened, and you'll finally let yourself feel happiness."

"I still don't feel free though."

"When you were on that island, Athanasía showed herself to us when we were roaming around. She said she'll give us an option to change everything. But we disagreed."

"Then why did you still come with me?"

"We thought you'd finally be contented after you killed her. But you were reduced to such a mess. Guilt, regret...agony, I hated seeing you like that, Celeztie." She backed away, a sudden knock on the door making her so. "We all did. Why do you even think we're here? We're not doing all of this for change. We just want you to accept things are, and if the only way for you to accept the harsh reality is to go through of all of these things, then we'll gladly go along with your whims."

"You're all just being selfless--"

"We're not being selfless. We're just tired of this. We just want this to end already. We only have the four of us, that didn't change even back when we were still children and I won't let that change now."

"All the more reason why I should be out there helping you guys and not rest--" I stopped myself when she clenched her fists, the cursed mark on her neck throbbing in black as it began to loosely coil around her neck.

"We didn't sign up for all this shit so we could watch you slowly die like this! Don't you understand that?!" Her loud yell broke the glass window, the entire room shaking as her dark energy circulated the room. "Damn it..." She muttered, realizing what she did before retracting her energy back and her Cursed Mark returning to normal.

"Allanea--"

"Not now, Celeztie." She raised her hands in surrender as she headed for the door, not bothering to look at me. She opened the door, walking briskly past Irona who was just behind it.

Irona gently shut the door close when she got inside, placing the tray on the table with a cup of hot cocoa on it. She didn't say anything, going straight to carefully pick up the broken shards of glasses on the floor. I sighed, taking the cup to meet my lips. The heat somehow calmed me down, even though I shouldn't be the one having to calm down right now. I didn't even want to think about what happened just now.

"Alam mo namang grabe siya mag-alala sa'yo, 'diba?" Narinig kong bulong ni Irona, pero mahina lang talaga ang tunog ng boses niya. "You're upset, we get it. Pero ako mismo ang nagsabi sa kanilang iwanan ka."

"Because I'm a liability?"

It was a provocation, I do know why they decided to leave me here for a week after all. I was constantly worrying about their 'final raid' against the Coven. It was my plan, but still would have been better if I were there. Our small group had been targeting Coven's branches for a year now. The plan was to slowly destroy them inside, destroying their important sources.

We didn't go after all their bases, just the important ones and when the time came, we went after their main base. They left last week, slowly weakening things from the inside while making sure the Legion Army would take the bait and attack the already weakened organization. The Army did by finishing the aftermath of what we did so that other organizations would be under the assumption that it was the Legion Army who destroyed Coven.

However, by sending that letter to Exodus, those Ends are now aware that it wasn't ROLA but something else. While they don't know anything about us, they will be forced do things discreetly enough that they probably won't be attacking other organizations for a while. Their branches would probably still continue the offence against enemy branches, but nothing major would happen sometime yet.

The New World Order was supposed to be a war between the Regular Order and the Irregular Order. The West Mages, Assassin's Association, and the Coven were all supposed to work alongside the Legion Army while Exodus, Dragonbornes, Black Clan, and Beast People were supposed to fight for Irregulars.

But things had changed. Trusts were shaken up, leaving the organizations to fend off for themselves by eliminating one another. All those propagandas, newspapers, articles spread throughout the world... they're all lies saying it's all for freedom, saying it's a war for Regulars and Irregulars. But no, it's just all for power, on who would rule as victors, on who would literally control the world.

They're all disgusting. Selfish. But I can't exactly say anything more than that when I basically am controlling things behind the scenes. They're all merely pieces on my gameboard. With proper provocations and acts behind the scenes, they would surely go according to where I lead them. I just need...more time to plan my next moves.

Another thing that's bothering me is the West Mages Association. Wala kaming mahanap na balita tungkol sa pinanggagawa nila, hindi ko din alam kung nasaan na sila ngayon. All their bases were suddenly shut down, their main headquarter was left empties, na para bang nawala na lang sila bigla at nangyari lang 'yun noong limang taon ang nakaraan.

Other organizations took it as a way of their surrender, saying they must have changed their mind or something and just quitted. I don't think that's exactly what happened though, but an enemy already out of the board has no use. Ke'ala, of course, is secretive as ever. I don't know what she's been doing or what her plans are, but I won't lose. If she won't cooperate no matter how much I try to reach for her, then so be it. We have been doing things our own way and we still are.

"What's on your mind, Irona?" I asked, noticing the taller girl ignoring my earlier question.

Irona kept her short dark-brown hair