*Season's P.O.V.*
“Abducted? When? By who? And did you report this to the police already?” I fired those questions as concern ran through my system. Who would ever want to abduct my brother? “And how did that happen?” I even added. I looked at each and every one of them expectantly. First, I was the one who was abducted, now I’d have to come home to the news that he too suffered the same fate?
“We can’t tell the police honey.” I looked at Eden even more confused, considering the fact that she id a police woman too. My mouth opened to ask why, but before the words could slip out of my mouth…
“Because his abductors are not human.” Master Cheng said. Not human? My blood ran cold once again.
“What are they? Dalaketnons? Monster babies? Aswangs? What!? Tell me!” I all but shouted and my gaze fell upon mama who is the one who would know more about those creatures among the three of them. But she only shook her head, indicating that it isn’t any of those. So I just raised my brow in question.
And then again, it was Master Cheng who answered. “Witches. Witches from China took him and your sisters too.” His answer made my head spin and they just generated more questions amd a lot of worries.
Witches from China. Probably my ancestors? “What do you mean? And what are my sisters doing here?” For all I know, they are busy with their illegal lives there in Tennessee.
“Darling, I have a lot of explaining to do.” Master Cheng said as he led me to the couch and made me sit while mama and Eden said that they would just prepare dinner. I looked at the Chinese martial artist warily, wanting to ask a lot of question but I reckon he knows better how to answer them without me even asking, I mean, he is good at narrating and all. He might also hold the answers to my questions ever since Quinglong's appearance in my subconscious mind. He’s Chinese after all, and he knows a lot of legends.
“Tell me Master Cheng, what is it that you want to explain?” I urged and he sighed.
“Everything. Darling I’m sorry to say that you and your siblings are kind of living only half of the truth of what you really are.” I knew it! But how he knows this, I have yet to find out, so I kept on listening. “You do know that mythical creatures are real right?” I nodded at his question. “And they might literally live among us?” I nodded again, considering my encounters with those beings. “Well, some of us might just be one of them. And you are one of them.”
“How did you know?” I asked, not attempting to hide the fact that I already know that I’m not human and he seems to be surprised by this. Please! I was that surprised too.
“You already know?” He murmured in disbelief.
“Well, I guess a quarter of the truth just made itself known to me while I was gone and with the other mythical creatures. But I still don’t know what I truly am, how I came to be such, and many more.” I answered. Then I took his hand, “Master Cheng, do you know?” I straightforwardly asked.
He nodded slightly and I just had to hold back my reaction. “I am just like you Season. And I’ve known who you are and what you’re meant to be from the moment that you were born.”
“”Who am I? What am I? And why did you lie to me?” A mixture of emotions, mostly negative ones laced my voice as I asked those significant questions.
“You are Season Wu Tarver. A witch chosen by the astral spirits to be their holder, sort of. And I was left with no choice but to lie to you because your mother wanted to protect you, all of you in that way.” My mother. I know there’s a void about her being, but does that mean that she is a witch too and that Cheng Lia is only her alias? Why would Master call me Wu Tarver?
“You know my mom?” Of all the questions that are in my head, that is the only one that came out.
“She’s my half sister.” So that means… “She was meant to do great things and the I guess, the greatest thing she ever did was try to protect you all. Xia loves you as much as she loves tranquility…” I didn’t let him finish.
“Xia? Wu Xia? Did you imply that my mom’s name is Wu Xia?” Now isn’t that the same name that the creatures in my dreams and my subconscious initially referred to me as? Did they mistake me to be my mom?
“Yes, that is her real name.” He confirmed.
“But that is not the name that our family knew. Does that mean that they don’t know too?” He nodded and my blood boiled. “Could you explain to me why she had to lie to all of us!?” My voice raised at that as I can’t believe that she could do something like this. I mean I’ve never known her but Sean has always told me that she is a really good soul.
“Your mother was not an ordinary person, even as a witch, she’s not ordinary. She’s the astral’s chosen one. She’s an answered prayer for our mom and her dad. Her fate is written in the stars, she’s a powerful weapon of destruction and of revenge. But Xia doesn’t want that, so she runs away. We ran away and changed our names from Wu to Cheng.”
“Weapon of destruction? How is she related to Quinglong and Zhoque? Because they knew her and thought I was her.”
“They were originally one with her.”
“So they are not mine? What about my siblings? Do they have a Quinglong and Zhoque too?”
“Yes and no. She was the chosen one but she ran away from her fate and strived to erase the taint of witchcraft in her offspring and she succeeded with your siblings but not with you.”
“Because she died, giving birth to me?” So that means I’m the only one who is a witch among the four of us.
“No, her fate chased her and she died, protecting you. All of you. And her secret.”
“Why does she have to keep it a secret?”
“Because she believes that what you don’t know won’t harm you. And I am not in the position to contradict that.”
“That would’ve been okay if it is only her that is a witch, that would have to hide her identity to lure her past away but, I became just like her. Don’t you think I’d be more protected if you were honest with me?”
He stood up. “What did you want me to do? Tell you? I even distanced myself from you and your siblings because I don’t want mom to find out where you are for that would throw away all of Xia’s sacrifices! But even so, I did not abandon you! I somehow found a way to prepare you for the reality of what’s passed down to you so you can’t just raise your voice at me like that!” I provoked him and I bowed my head in shame. Of course, I couldn’t blame him for choosing to do what he thinks is good for me. And yes, he did not abandon me at all. But I was just carried away by the information that I acquired cause I believe that things would have been easier for me if I knew first hand, not thinking about all the trouble that it can cause to anyone else concerned. “But, I also wished I told you so that you wouldn’t have come to this country, this country where the curse started.”
“Curse?”
“Xia wasn’t entirely a blessing, she is more of a counter attack for that curse the people here casted on her parents although they have all the right to do so. Tell me, did mythical creatures bother you here?” His question surprised me and I just have to answer honestly. So I told him everything. From my encounter with that aswang to my abduction which was the reason for my disappearance and of course, Kalooy and what his grandmother said about me. “You were with them?” he asked at the end of my long narration, just in time for mama to serve us our dinner at the coffee table, not bothering to interrupt our conversation.
“Yes and they know something about me…”
“As we know something about them.” His statement made things clear for me and now I can’t question anymore why I have frequent encounters with those creatures. We kind of have an interwoven past.
“Oh this is a lot to take in.” I said as I gulped down half of the water in my glass.
“Yes darling but I hope you’d understand.” I perfectly do. Even if I’m disappointed by the fact that I am bearing with me a fate that is not mine to begin with.
“The ones that abducted my siblings, are they my grandparents?” I shot.
“You are smart. yes they are.” He answered.
“What do they want from them?”
“Your mother’s power. And I guess, your mother too, they didn’t know that she’s long gone.”
“But I’m the only one who’s got my mother’s power.”
“Exactly.” He sat down, looking as stressed as I am.
“How can we get them back?”
“We go to China where they probably are.”
“China is huge! Where in China would they be?”
“That’s easy. They are in Xian where their undead army laid, awaiting the blood of the astral spirits for them to be awakened and taken into battle.” Chills ran down my spine at that statement. Just how gruesome is witchcraft really? Cause this might be the part where I’d be thankful that nobody told me I’m a witch and taught me the ways of the witches, damn, I could’ve hated myself then.
“We need a plan.”
"Yes but let's eat first."
We had a quiet dinner in the living room as it's already 8:30 and Eden and mama said they'd want to have an early night. But I have a feeling they just said that to let my uncle and I talk further. Yes, he's technically my uncle you know, no wonder why I've always felt a connection with this guy. When we finished eating, he asked me if I wanted proof of what he said earlier and I eagerly agreed. I mean, I know his excellence in martial arts wouldn't make him qualify as a witch. So we went to the kitchen and he took out a huge pot. Oh…
"You seem to be so accustomed to the place already, Master." I noted as he placed it above the wooden fireplace in the dirty kitchen.
"I lived here for two months now, since your false death." He explained, pouring in a good amount of water in the pot and sitting down. "Let's wait for it to boil."
"So, you actually do stuff like this?"I asked when he beckoned for me to come close to the boiling pot. He used a knife to cut a wound open in his palm and let the blood drip into the water until it turned red.
Then he stirred it with a chant, "Show her that I didn't lie, display her mother's past before her eye." And with that, the smoke turned into a hologram and it showed everything, which made me understand the situation all the more.
Now I’m proud to say that I’ve taken everything maturely. Hell having powers isn’t cool at all, if this, like mine is the reason why you have them. But nonetheless, what’s done is done and there’s nothing I can do to change it. So much for me wanting to have a normal and peaceful life. I hate you mom! If you didn’t run away then this wouldn’t be passed down on me. But still, I love you for trying your best for the good of all of us. Gosh! I can only take a deep breath as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen myself actually. I don’t have time to beautify there at Lumayan considering our situation.
So, I just brushed my wet curls since I had just taken a shower and fixed my all black attire along with my travel bag. Yup, Master Cheng and I didn’t waste any more time and booked ourselves a plane to China. This matter is urgent after all. So I pulled my luggage after me and lifted it up when I descended the stairs.
"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" Eden asked, meeting me at the bottom.
"It's quite dangerous so it's best that you stay here. My brother would say the same." I firmly said. And I gave her a hug when Master Cheng motioned for me to go out now as the taxi is already waiting outside.
"Have a safe trip dear." Mama waved when I'm already inside the vehicle.
"And bring my husband back!" Eden added. The driver then pulled up and after 45 minutes, we reached the airport. The same airport where Sean picked me up when I first came to this country. We waited for a while for our flight to Manila and when we're already boarding the plane, I looked down at the city of Capiz one more time and waved at the memorable place, whispering a goodbye that only the wind can hear to everyone that I met there. I don't know if I'd still return, but I sure am going to remember everything I've been through there for the rest of my life.
"You okay Season?" I turned to my right to see Master Cheng with a worried look. He brushed his thumb on my cheek, it's only then that I realized that I'm already crying.
"Y-yes, I'm fine. Just stressed." I said as I wiped my own tears with my handkerchief.
"Don't worry, everything will fall into place soon." He reassured me and I just needed, trying to convince myself that it would indeed fall into place.
It's just that things have been falling downhill for me lately, and it happened simultaneously, so I can't help but feel a little tired but I know I can't rest just yet. I have so many things to fix. Ugh! My head is spinning! So I decided to take a nap. Master Cheng woke me up when we arrived in Manilla and transfer to our connecting flight to China where I also slept the journey away.
"Season?" My eyes shot open when I heard Quinglong and Zhoque call out at the same time, scared that they'd have an outburst once again. But I calmed down when I saw them just standing in the distance, both looking calm.
"Quinglong, Zhoque." I acknowledged. "Is there anything you need?" I asked.
"We have a question." Quinglong started.
"What is it?"
"Now that you know everything about your ancestors and who you really are, are you going to run away just like Xia?" Zhoque asked.
"Are you going to hate the real reason why you have this power and abandon us?" Quinglong added.
Honestly? I don't know how to answer that question. Because as of now, this power is an asset of mine. But, with great power comes great responsibility, so I think I'd just let fate teach me the way when I get to the cross road. I mean, this fate is not mine in the first place but now that it's placed on my shoulders, I'd carry it as best as I could.