LEON/LIBULAN SIDAPA was about to stab me when a massive ball of fire crashed into him, trapping him inside and separating him from the rest of us. Only then did I realize Roark had vanished. “What happened to Roark?” In a panic, I inquired. “He was only here a short time ago,” Lisuga confirmed. She, too, began to be concerned. I could feel my entire God power flowing through me. Despite regaining my true form, I was not satisfied. I felt compelled to return just to end something else. Instead, it made me feel terrible on the inside. “Libulan, please stay here. Sidapa is dead set on killing you. He’s completely insane!” Likabutan tried to persuade me. I knew he had good intentions and was only concerned about my safety. But would anything change if I continued to flee? I couldn’t stand to do nothing and watch everyone die in front of me. “Please forgive me, brother. I will face Sidapa and stop him no matter what,” I declared emphatically. “You and Lisuga must find a safe place
LEON/LIBULAN “PLEASE don’t get any closer!” He growled and fixed his gaze on me. But I insisted on walking forward rather than back. “It’s fine. This time, I’m not going to leave you behind,” I assured him. “I told you not to get any closer!” he growled again. His lower body began to wither and shrivel. Whatever was causing it had to be related to his overwhelming power. From where I was, I could feel its heaviness. It was sucking my life away. “You don’t have to bear it all to yourself. If you want to lash out, you can do so with me,” I told him. Sidapa began panting and shaking his head violently. “No,” he refused, but he was clearly holding back. “I told Agui to get you out of here!” “He did, but I chose to stay,” I said, a faint smile formed on my face. “It’s all right, Sidapa. I’m sorry for abandoning you. I should’ve fought alongside you until the bitter end. I’m truly sorry.” “No!” he denied. “Get the hell out!” I came to a complete stop in front of him and was about to t
LEON/LIBULAN “I WILL.” Sidapa was taken aback by my quick response. “I was very disappointed when you told me that what Leon and Sheldon had were all lies,” I began. My spear reappeared, and I let it float up. “Because, as far as I know, I loved you both, whether it was you or Sheldon. You may be two different people, but I spent so much of my life as Leon. I treasured everyone who had been a part of my life. I value each and every one of you. In terms of my real name, I’m not sure why I didn’t tell you I was Luan. But I did hear someone’s voice whisper in my ear for a brief moment. “This is not the time,” the voice said. I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long, my beloved,” I said. “I’m also sorry for not listening to you at the time,” he added. “It’s all right. I now understand why you did it. Sidapa, you kept your promise to me that night,” I said. “I love you, too… more than my own life, Libulan. I’d do anything for you.” “You really exceeded my expectations,” I chuckl
LEON “WHY…? “Stay with me…” “Where are you going?” “Don’t leave me behind, (.....)—” My alarm clock woke me up with a loud ring. I became aware that I was drenched in cold sweat and that my heart was racing rapidly. It happened once more. I looked around, relieved that it was still the same location. I was staring at my ceiling when I realized it was my room. If I had awoken in someone else’s room, I would have been terrified. Despite my tiredness, I sat up and brought my trembling right hand to my face, covering half of it. “Today’s the third time,” I said quietly to myself, terrified. “What in the world is going on?” I pondered as I leaned against the wall. It was the same dream as before. I’ve been having strange and repetitive dreams that I couldn’t explain. At first, I assumed they were the result of stress from work and everyday problems, but they got worse the more I tried to ignore them. It had already had an emotional and psychological impact on me. I tried talking it
LEON “CUT!” yelled the director. My co-actor and I immediately broke the tension by smiling at each other. “That was exhausting,” she remarked, laughing. “Tell me all about it,” I said. “Way to go, you two!” The director rose from his seat and approached us. As he moved, his belly fat jiggled. He stood about 4 feet 8 inches tall and had a rounded body. Natasha, her stage name, said, “Thank you, Director Kim.” It was an honor for her to be praised. Director Kim laughed and looked at me, saying, “And you, Leon, you’re getting better at this.” I scratched the back of my head lightly with my left hand. “Thank you, Director,” I replied. “It’s also because of you. You really assisted me in bringing out my best,” I added. My words of thanks made the middle-aged man blush. “You, Leon!” He then smacked my arm playfully to show his delight. “Enough with the flattery. Now, I want you two to rehearse your next scene,” he changed the subject and reverted to his “director” persona. “Okay, s
LEON I DIDN’T know where to begin at first. I had no idea how it all started. I had no recollection of any traumatic pasts that could have been the source of what was happening to me. “Does something bother you, Leon?” Sheldon inquired. I agreed by nodding. “This may sound strange, but I had this vivid dream that kept repeating,” I began. “At first, I thought it was because of stress. I mean, we’re currently filming a movie, and I’ve barely gotten any decent sleep, so I assumed…” After that, I exhaled. “Yeah, I know,” Sheldon said softly, implying that he understood what I was saying. “What exactly is this dream you’re talking about? Is it really that unusual?” he inquired. “Voice…” I almost said it in hushed tones. “Voice?” Sheldon arched his brow. “There was a voice... It was a man’s voice. He was calling out for someone, but I’m not sure who,” I explained. “If you put it this way, he seemed to be talking to me when he said those words.” “What did you hear in your dreams?” Sh
LEON THE next day, Alynna barraged me with questions. “Are you all right, Leon? Why aren’t you responding to my messages? I understand you don’t like chatting, but I messaged you before it was too late in the evening. I was so worried about you,” Alynna said when she approached me. Her words made me frown. “Messages? What are the messages?” I inquired, completely unaware of what she was attempting to say. She clicked her tongue, then yanked out her phone and handed it to me. “You just read it all. Everything,” she emphasized angrily. It shocked me to see it, and I read them all before defending myself. “Alynna, look, I slept right away—” I halted and returned my attention to Alynna’s messages. When I noticed something suspicious, I was horrified. “Derrick came to my dressing room yesterday, Alynna. He didn’t come inside, but he told me you were looking for me,” I told Alynna, and her jaw dropped. “I also turned off my phone before going to bed last night. When you sent all those m
LEON THE instant when Sheldon answered his phone, I said, “It’s me.” “Hi. What’s up with the abrupt call, Leon?” my boyfriend asked from the other line. “I’m going to have my phone checked today, Sheldon. I’m telling you now in case you can’t reach me later,” I said to him. “Oh, right. Did it malfunction in some way?” he asked. “Not really. I’m not yet aware of what’s wrong. I’ll call you back when it’s done,” I said, and overheard him sigh. It was subtle but loud enough for me to hear. “Leon, do you have a moment to chat briefly?” he begged, which surprised me. “Go on,” I concurred and perched on the edge of my bed, noting that I wasn’t in a rush anyway. “Well… I get that you are busy and you’re almost done shooting your movie, but can I ask why you didn’t answer my calls the other day?” he calmly asked. “Huh?” I was dumbfounded and confused. “You called? What time?” I asked him back. “Around eight in the evening, maybe? I called many times, but you didn’t pick up at all. Di
LEON/LIBULAN “I WILL.” Sidapa was taken aback by my quick response. “I was very disappointed when you told me that what Leon and Sheldon had were all lies,” I began. My spear reappeared, and I let it float up. “Because, as far as I know, I loved you both, whether it was you or Sheldon. You may be two different people, but I spent so much of my life as Leon. I treasured everyone who had been a part of my life. I value each and every one of you. In terms of my real name, I’m not sure why I didn’t tell you I was Luan. But I did hear someone’s voice whisper in my ear for a brief moment. “This is not the time,” the voice said. I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long, my beloved,” I said. “I’m also sorry for not listening to you at the time,” he added. “It’s all right. I now understand why you did it. Sidapa, you kept your promise to me that night,” I said. “I love you, too… more than my own life, Libulan. I’d do anything for you.” “You really exceeded my expectations,” I chuckl
LEON/LIBULAN “PLEASE don’t get any closer!” He growled and fixed his gaze on me. But I insisted on walking forward rather than back. “It’s fine. This time, I’m not going to leave you behind,” I assured him. “I told you not to get any closer!” he growled again. His lower body began to wither and shrivel. Whatever was causing it had to be related to his overwhelming power. From where I was, I could feel its heaviness. It was sucking my life away. “You don’t have to bear it all to yourself. If you want to lash out, you can do so with me,” I told him. Sidapa began panting and shaking his head violently. “No,” he refused, but he was clearly holding back. “I told Agui to get you out of here!” “He did, but I chose to stay,” I said, a faint smile formed on my face. “It’s all right, Sidapa. I’m sorry for abandoning you. I should’ve fought alongside you until the bitter end. I’m truly sorry.” “No!” he denied. “Get the hell out!” I came to a complete stop in front of him and was about to t
LEON/LIBULAN SIDAPA was about to stab me when a massive ball of fire crashed into him, trapping him inside and separating him from the rest of us. Only then did I realize Roark had vanished. “What happened to Roark?” In a panic, I inquired. “He was only here a short time ago,” Lisuga confirmed. She, too, began to be concerned. I could feel my entire God power flowing through me. Despite regaining my true form, I was not satisfied. I felt compelled to return just to end something else. Instead, it made me feel terrible on the inside. “Libulan, please stay here. Sidapa is dead set on killing you. He’s completely insane!” Likabutan tried to persuade me. I knew he had good intentions and was only concerned about my safety. But would anything change if I continued to flee? I couldn’t stand to do nothing and watch everyone die in front of me. “Please forgive me, brother. I will face Sidapa and stop him no matter what,” I declared emphatically. “You and Lisuga must find a safe place
SHELDON/SIDAPA [WHAT is this? These fires are very familiar,] I thought as I stared at the flames that tried but failed to burn me alive. It didn’t, however, leave me unscathed. “Sidapa!” exclaimed a familiar voice. The fortune teller appeared in front of me when I looked up to see who it was. “Who is that pathetic fortune teller? No. “You’re not the fortune teller,” I told myself, and when I realized who he was, he grinned maniacally. “Agui?!” I exclaimed, perplexed. It was the fortune teller’s body that appeared just now, but his voice and mannerisms were unmistakably similar to Agui’s. I’ll never forget his arrogant demeanor. He was a particularly vexing God. The fortune teller (Agui) jumped to his feet and boasted the moment he spoke to me. “Behold my grand presence, you arrogant God of Death!” he exclaimed, pointing at me. “I dare you to a fight!” “Because I hadn’t felt your presence before, I didn’t think much of that guy. If only I had known, I would have killed you back t
SHELDON/SIDAPA I MADE a huge mistake. I had not intended for things to end in this manner. All I ever wanted was to see my beloved Libulan again. But I messed everything up. All I wanted was for us to have another opportunity to be together. Our story was brief, and we didn’t even get to savor the moments we did have. I was well aware of the consequences from the start, but I chose to disregard them. In comparison to Libulan, I should have been able to accept our fate with ease, but the tables have turned. Death, which had always been a normal occurrence for me, became my greatest fear and weakness. I was terrified of losing Libulan forever. It drove me insane. But my desperation only exacerbated the situation. Time slowed down as Libulan stood up and confronted me bravely. He was looking down, but I could see that he was enraged at me. This was not how I intended for him to feel. And I was certain he would be disappointed in me, which is why I sealed his memories away. Part of m
LEON/LIBULAN “LIBULAN!” It was Likabutan’s voice. He dashed out and caught me just in time. The impact of my fall greatly affected Likabutan’s body. “Argh!” He groaned and growled in intense pain as he became my cushion. He coughed out some blood after receiving my harsh fall. “Libulan! Likabutan!” I could see Lisuga running towards our direction with a panicked voice. When she arrived, she quickly bent over and checked our condition. [This is not making any sense at all. Why is Sidapa doing this?] I asked myself inside my mind. I looked up to him one more time and he just remained unmoved in midair, waiting for us to beat him up again. “Why won’t you talk to me?!” I shouted at Sidapa. As expected, his mouth remained shut. “Talk to me, damn it! Was the Sheldon that this body of mine met six years ago was nothing but a fraud?! All those passionate nights that we shared together, were all of them lies?! Did you really love me?! Answer me! Don’t make me look like a clueless fool here!
LEON/LIBULAN I SNAPPED back to reality when I heard a loud explosion a few meters away from me. Beside me was my crying sister, Lisuga, who clearly tried to shelter me from whatever that was going on around us. When I lifted my head, I saw two figures endlessly attacking each other without a care in the world. The two of them were badly wounded, but none of them gave a damn, not even the people around them. When I found the strength to speak up, I shouted at the top of my lungs and called out to the man I called ‘beloved’. “Sidapa, please stop this!” But he didn’t even budge or bat an eye on me. He was simply lost in his urge to finish everything with his own hands. [Why are you doing this, Sidapa? What are you trying to prove by dragging everyone else in our problem? Shouldn’t you talk it out with me instead of acting this way?] I thought to myself while clenching my fists in anger. “Get away from here, Lisuga,” I told my sister who was trembling by my side. She quickly refused to
ROARK “RING a bell?” The man smirked at me with full confidence. I stared at him for seconds and tried my hardest not to ruin his mood, but nothing would come to mind. “Are you a psychic like—” “Ah, damn! I’m Agui!” he growled angrily and threw childish tantrums, making the fire on the fireballs hotter and larger. “How can you not tell?! I thought you were way better than Leon, who couldn’t even remember the tiniest bit about his past life, but you’re far more worse!” he grumbled. “How would I even know?!” I snapped at him. “But you’re a psychic, right?!” he retorted. “That’s not how my psychic ability works, jerk!” I retaliated. “Jerk?!” His eyes widened, and he was suddenly covered in fire but he didn’t look like he was hurting. “You dare call a God like me a jerk?!” “God?!” I exclaimed, baffled. “Don’t tell me… You are that kind of God?” “I just told you my name!” he yelled. “I am Agui, the God of Fire!” “What?!” I gaped in disbelief. “That’s impossible! What do you want f
ROARK “WHY did you do it, Sidapa?!” Leon asked his lover, sounding betrayed and hurt. “Did I oppose the judgement that was passed on us? If we were supposed to die right here before, why did you change our fates?!” Sidapa let out a sigh before answering, “There is no point explaining myself, is there?” he said sarcastically. Then, a cloud of black smoke started to disperse around him, giving all of us chills down to our very spines. “You were not supposed to retrieve your memories. If this psychic here,” he threw a quick glare at me before talking back to Leon, “didn’t find the necklace, none of these would have happened. We could have spent our lives happily.” Leon, Lisuga, and Likabutan took small steps back. Sidapa was brewing with danger. He was serious about taking us on. Even I could feel his menacing power. He was no doubt the God of Death that people feared nowadays! [Seriously, am I going to get caught up in this mess? What am I now, some kind of eye witness?!] I panicked