The Cursed One

Years ago His throat was raw from screaming prayers into the wind. The storm raged around them, beating the cliffs and sending sprays of ocean water against the rock. The night was pitch-black, his drenched clothes were ice-cold but that did not stop him from chanting the prayer. He could barely hear himself over the howl of the wind and the roar of the sea. Yet he could hear the mother's cry and the father's words of comfort as he continued to spread his arms against the storm. His vision blurred but his voice never wavered as he shouted every line of the prayer that's been engraved on his mind for so many years. He shouted it to the storm, to the roaring water, and the heavens, as if it was a challenge to the gods. "Kaunting tiis nalang, Munira," he heard the father say. He was caressing his wife's face. "Kailan ba ito matatapos?" the father asked him but he did not answer. He continued to chant his prayers. The wind blew harder, putting off the little fire in their small lantern. It was as if it was the gods' answer. He already knew what their answer could be. But he still tried. Maybe they could change his mind. Maybe the gods will hear. Maybe the gods will listen. And then his chants became louder. Louder than the howl of the winds and the roar of the sea. And when he cried out the spinal prayer, he let it go with the wind, sending it away far from where he wants them to be. He collapsed on his knees on the stones and he could feel his body trembling. The storm slowly died. The wind slowly became a gentle wisp of a breeze. The ocean stopped crashing against the rock. The surrounding slowly cleared out. The storm was gone and the night became peaceful as if nothing happened. And then he heard it. He turned to see the mother and the father behind him. The mother was lying on a bunch of leaves and the father was kneeling beside her. In her arms is a baby. He stood up and looked at the little thing. Its body was bloody and is wrapped in thin clothing. It was innocently cooing, not knowing its birth was a sin. Inilabas niya ang punyal na nakatago sa kanyang damit. It shone under the moonlight. Soon, it will be covered with blood. The baby's blood. It's something he needed to do. The baby's father was quickly on his feet. Agad itong pumagitna sa kanya at sa mag-ina nito. "Pakiusap," saad nito. His voice was begging. He knew this would happen. "Pakiusap, huwag mong ituloy." He looked at the mother, hugging her baby tightly. She was staring at him with hateful eyes. Parang kailan lang nakikiusap ito sa kanya. "Alam niyong kailangan kong gawin ito." Ngunit nagmatigas ang lalake sa harapan niya. He spread his arms to protect his wife and his child. It only made everything harder than it should be. He knew they would change their minds once they see the child. At hindi nga siya nagkakamali. It was a mistake on his part too. How could he even think the gods will listen? They have already made up their minds. A prayer wouldn't change it. No matter how loud he screams to the skies. And when the gods won't listen, he knows it is his duty to do something. And that is to kill the child. "Please. We will live far away. Somewhere where there are no people. Lalayo kami. I can't..." The mother sobbed. "I can't let you kill my child." Sinubukan niyang huwag makinig and he stepped forward. Ngunit hindi nagpatinag ang ama ng bata at nakatayo pa rin ito sa harapan niya. "Move, Eliseo." "Nagmamakaawa ako sa'yo, Emil. Pangako ko sa'yo, wala kang maririnig sa amin. Lalayo kami. Sisiguraduhin naming walang mangyayari sa bata. Parang awa mo na." Lumuhod na ito sa harapan niya. He clenched his jaw. "You promised me earlier too that you would let me kill the child." "How could you even kill a child?" "Because that child will kill you both if I don't. Hindi lang iyan, ilalagay niya sa panganib ang mga tao sa paligid niya. She has the power of the Shadowborn. Alam niyong dalawa iyan. You both know the consequence. Magiging makasarili ba kayo dahil diyan?" Itinuro niya ang bata na payapang natutulog. Wala itong muwang sa nangyayari sa paligid. But he knows the child is dangerous. A ticking bomb. "I don't care, Emil. This child will live. I won't let you lay your hand on her," saad ng kapatid. Tiningnan niya ito sa mata. His eyes burned with determination. Something he knows he never had. Kaya naman napabuntong-hininga nalang siya at itinago ang punyal na bitbit kanina. "Ipangako niyo sa akin na lalayo kayo dito. Umalis kayo dito sa lalong madaling panahon." Kinuha niya ang isang piraso ng papel sa kanyang bulsa at ibinigay iyon sa kapatid. "Magpunta kayo sa bayang iyan. May bundok diyan na tinatawag na Hurphes. Doon kayo manirahan. Siguraduhin niyong walang makakakita sa inyo doon. Naiintindihan niyo ba?" Bakas ang tuwa sa mata ng kanyang nakababatang kapatid. Lumapit ito at kinuha ang papel na hawak niya. Tumutulo ang luha habang pinapasalamatan siya nito. Nilapitan niya ang bata at tiningnan. The child that bears the cursed power has been born. He reached for the child's forehead and gave her an invisible mark. Tiningnan niya ang kapatid at ang asawa nito. "I don't want to hear from you ever again," he said. Tumango ang kapatid ngunit may lungkot sa mga mata nito. "Naiintindihan ko, Emil." His brother, his wife, and the cursed child disappeared without another word, leaving him in the dark forest alone. He shut his eyes firmly and stared at the moon. He failed to do his duty as a Reaper. Alam niyang pagbabayaran niya ang pagkakamaling ito. But he hopes it won't come too soon. Days turned to months and months turned to years. Wala nga siyang narinig sa kanyang kapatid at sa asawa nito. He didn't hear any strange events that could be related to the mistake he did years ago. For five years he has been keeping track. For five years, he has been getting himself involved with any mission involving death. For five years he heard nothing. Until one day he found his brother in his apartment. Dead. Nakabukas ang mga mata nito and yet it was...blank. It wasn't white. It was grey. It was as if life was seeped out of him. He instantly knew what happened and using his brother's scent, he was able to track down where he came from. They indeed lived in the Hurphes Mountain. He walked and walked until he found a hut in the clearing. He stopped in his tracks when he saw dead wolves around the house. He crouched down to inspect one and just like his brother, the wolves' eyes were grey. The same thing happened to them. The surrounding was quite. The door of the hut was slightly open. Dahan-dahan siyang pumasok. His steps were quiet as he stepped inside. His gaze did not falter as he saw a dead woman on the bed. There was no blood or anything. Life was just simply taken from them. He looked to the corner where he saw the child. She was staring at him with curious eyes. Alam niya agad ang nangyari dito. Wolves probably attacked the hoise and that only triggered the child's power. His hand went immediately to the dagger's hilt. He was about to pull it out when the child opened her mouth. "Are you my father's brother?" inosente nitong tanong. He froze but did not say anything. "Because he told me everything's going to be fine once you arrive. Are you him?" He couldn't understand how this powerful being could be so innocent at the same time? "Do you know what you did?" tanong niya sa bata. Tumango naman ito na labis niyang ikinagulat. "Mom and dad said this is fine. I saved them from the wolves." He walked closer to the little girl. It's dangerous. He needed to rely on his powers not to get overpowered by this little girl who has no control of her own power. He stood in front of her and looked down. "This is not fine. Your mom and your dad are dead. And that is because of you. Unless you control your power, you will kill more people. Do you understand?" his voice was icy-cold as he looked down on the child. The girl only looked at her but then her eyes got teary as she realized what he said. He knows he will end up like his brother and his wife if he isn't careful. So he crouched down in front of the little girl and touched her shoulder for the first time. "You have to learn to control your power, girl." And he felt it. The tension in his surrounding. It's what comes before the doom. So before the child could even wail and cry, he placed his palms on her face and chanted a prayer. He felt his heart skip a beat and he felt his knees being pulled to the ground. But he remained firm and drew another invisible mark on the child's forehead. It was a spell. A spell that was long gone as it disappeared with the witches who were executed many years ago. The child fell into his arms and he carried it. And as he looked at her sleeping peacefully, he realized he wasn't able to ask her her name. * * *