My mind is drifting. Eyes locked on the ceiling.
That Deceptor. Now, where is the place called Redwoods?
After a while, the girls arrived bringing an immense amount of food. Are we going to a picnic?
"Here's our food!" Thala excitedly shouted.
Hanna and Celestia arrived. "We can get the footage later."
"It's good that Hanna's parents have a huge connection here," Celestia said.
Rizzy started to unpack the food and prepare them. "Kain muna tayo, gutom na 'to si Sera."
While eating, Thala is ranting about how the students in the PU are so gossipy. She said that there are too many students who send her a private message or talk to her personally asking about what happened to me. She keeps on ranting and complaining about those actions. She said those students aren't really concerned but just want to gossip.
I listened to her rant but my mind is still occupied by the third note. So, hesitantly, I asked, "Hmm… do you guys know where is the redwoods?"
Celestia looked at me with her questioning look. "Redwoods?"
"That is so nakakatakot na lugar, Sera."
I wondered when I saw Thala's reaction. "Is that a haunted forest?" I murmured.
Rizzy looks hesitant as she tries to open her mouth but closes it again. "Uh, it's haunted but not a forest… isa 'yong haunted aquarium hall. Malapit sa subdivision niyo."
As far as I remember, haunted houses are the most common place that is terrifying for the mortal human. An aquarium? That is where they store fish and make them as entertainment.
I tilted my head slightly, blinked slowly. I don't understand. "How does it become a haunted aquarium? Do fish become ghosts?"
All of them blinked in disbelief. Then, laughter filled the room, especially Thala's that looks like she would shorten her breath.
Uhmm…
"That's a good one, Sera. Good one," Celestia said between her laughs.
"Thank you," I politely stated.
They are laughing for 3 minutes. I calmly watched them. Rizzy is the first one to get over what I said. "Wala ng mga isda don puro maruming tubig na lang. Bakit mo ba natanong yung redwoods?"
"Nothing, I just heard it somewhere," I innocently shrugged, showing a gentle smile on my lips. They shrugged and believed it, and continued eating those unhealthy foods. "When can I be discharged?"
"The doctor said na the day after you woke up pa pwede ka madischarge," Thala stated.
I pouted. I need to leave later. I need to meet that Abyssal Order.
"All of your bills are paid already. Your mom takes care of it even though she's out of the country."
In a cold voice, Freya said, "She should be..."
She murmured something that I didn't hear clearly. I looked at her confused. I wonder what's happening to her. Do she have any problem to Ms. Gale or to my acting mother?
I disregarded it when she rolled her eyes at me. "How about the university?" I asked to divert my attention.
"Don't worry about it. I already talked to our professor," Celestia said.
I sweetly smiled at them. "Thank you, girls!"
After eating, they decided to watch a movie. It's about a woman leaving her daughter in the street because she doesn't have any ways to provide her a good life. The child turns out to be brave and successful despite many struggles she faced, but loathes her mother.
The movie is heartbreaking. I saw Thala and Rizzy crying out of it while Freya left, she said she hates those kinds of movies.
The movie ended. Thala is still crying about how people born a child when they can provide for them. She's ranting again and hating the world. Celestia and Rizzy started to clean up the mess in the room.
"Get well, Sera," said Celestia, offering a warm smile.
"Magpahinga ka!" Rizzy reminded me with a soft voice but with a bit of threatening.
"You pahinga ha, dear!" said Thala, still sobbing and teary eyed about the movie we watched.
Hanna just waved her hands.
After they left, I closed my eyes. Letting the silence embrace me. My mind started to form a plan on how to leave this place and how to find that place.
I need to make a plan, a perfect plan. I am disadvantaged in this fight as if I was blindfolded in the boxing ring while my opponent can freely see me. I cannot go into that place like going into a war without any bullets.
Though, I can easily escape because as Rizzy said, that place has waters. I can use it to my advantage even if it is dirty, that is still useful for me.
Too many plans and thoughts drifted in my mind. It's been 10 minutes. I realized something.
That's it. I almost forgot about that thing because I am too preoccupied.
I don't need to go there. I don't need to meet him.
I can just summon that necklace. I put my sacred water on it, to mark that thing.
After remembering that, another memory came to me. The necklace have tracker. Alpha put tracker on it.
"Another thing, Aella! Come here!" her palms shines so bright. "There! Please, take care of it. In case something bad happen to it or you lose it, I put a tracker on it. You can use your water construct to create a map that will show you the location of that necklace."
That's it!
I immediately recited the enchant, "From the depths, I call and shape, a watery form, I command."
A water formed a map that suddenly appeared. I immediately noticed the red mark, that should be the location of the necklace.
High Hope Subdivision? I know it's near University. Deceptor is there. His house or whatever he's living in is there.
Deceptor. As the name suggests, I know that he would never go in that place. He would create an illusion, how deceptive.
I can summon the necklace. I already have an idea where he might be found. Now, what?
A grin formed in my lips. I shall play with him. This is not typically me but I felt like Aerona's attitude had been absorbed by me.
I can create a water illusion. No need to physically go there, a water illusion will do.
It's a previous aquarium. There's water on it, even dirty. Finally, an advantage for me. I just need to wait until 12 am.
Bored, and nothing to do. I watched the map when the red dot moved. Probably, going to the place.
The clock ticks, it's 12 am.
To start, I put a water barrier and illusion in the room. If someone goes into the room, they can see me as a sleeping woman but my mind would be wandering in that place.
I recited the enchant for my watermancy. "The waters whisper, secrets they hold, I listen, may truth unfolds." I keep on sensing the water near the necklace.
After a few minutes, I found it. I can sense it and the necklace. I stayed in the water, not showing myself.
Using the water, I can sense everything in the area. And, I was right. The Deceptor just made an illusion.
How unfair. Oh… I'm doing it unfairly too. This is okay. This is okay. I need to save people. I felt guilty of doing this unfairly.
A few minutes of watching the illusion. "I know you are here, Water Bearer. Come out now."
I spoke through the waters. "Hello."
He smirked. "Where are you?" I saw the illusion roaming around its eyes.
I sighed. He is an illusion and I am an illusion too. It would be unfair if I didn't show myself.
I showed myself in a water form, it is like a clone made of water. It is me but in an illusion and water form. I am in control.
A glint of amusement and shock exhibited in his deep eyes. It only lasted for seconds. Then, a grin unfolded in his face. "That's too unfair."
I kindly tilted my head. "It will only be unfair if you are in your true body," I calmly stated, gently emphasizing the last two words.
He laughed in an eerie and scary way. It made my water body crawl. I looked at him, unfazed and unwavering.
"Now, I am in my own body."
I heard a deep voice, not that far away but not too close. The illusion is still laughing. He did not say anything.
How?
I realized something. I immediately recited an enchant. "Water's will, I now command, move and flow, at my hand."
I got the necklace. The illusion stopped laughing, a line formed in his brows. But, I disregard that and go back to my body.
A faceless person in a full black color, looking like a void one, is standing a few inches outside of my water barrier. He looks like a shadow blending in the dark room.
Even though he is faceless. I felt like he grinned. "I found you." He glanced at the necklace in my hand.
"Deceptor...." I softly said, still remained calm. I removed the water barrier. Now, this is kinda fair.
But, how does he know?
He laughed again with those eerie laughs. I felt like he smirked again, "Ohh… so you realized."
The surroundings changed. It didn't shock me. I expected it as it was one of his powers. He cannot change the physical but he can manipulate the perception of someone's mind.
Though, he cannot completely manipulate me as I can fight him with my own power. He cannot trap me or kill me with those mind manipulations.
In reality, our position remained the same. Though, it will look like we are staring at each other.
"What do you want?" I softly asked him.
"You know what, Ms. Water Bearer.... I am not as evil as you think," he assured.
All my life, I was raised to acknowledge that all Erebos are evil. But… I felt like it wasn't totally true. That is why I never kill any Erebos. I fought them, won, but still let them live.
"What are you doing in this world?" I spoke in a hush. Still calm and collected.
He put his finger to his chin, thinking deeply. "Hmm… I felt like I was the one who needed to ask you that."
I offered a warm smile. "You know it already, right?"
He laughs again in that eerie way. I felt like his faceless face became serious. "Don't find him. I would never let you touch him."
"Tell me why. I would do so after I heard a senseful reason," I stated kindly.
"I know where you can find the missing Beta," he said deeply.
That statement stunned me. "What do you mean by that?"
"You heard me. If you touch the Obsidius in any way. I would kill the one who bears the fire stone."
I swallowed hard, that should be impossible. Should I trust him? He is a Deceptor, this might be a deception.
"Any proof?"
"See it yourself. On the night of the next full moon, the unstable fire stone will manifest itself, creating chaos and trying to unfold," he seriously said. "Until then, let's stop doing our mission and enjoy being a college student," he added, trying to make me believe him.
I sighed. I will lose nothing if I try to acknowledge it. "Who is it?"
He giggled. "You know, I am a fan of exciting and fun things. It will not be so fun if you will know who he is, right?"
I gently smiled, calming myself. "If you are not telling the truth, I will get that water out of your body together with all of your body water." I put sacred water on his body that I can command if he lied to me.
"That is unfair, Ms. Water Bearer!" He shortly retaliated.
I reassured him. "I just need to make sure and get an advantage right? It is also unfair that you're just the one who has an advantage. So, I need to make one for myself. Don't worry, it will leave after I find out if you are telling the truth."
He shrugged, not worried about it. "I am telling the truth. And, the water you put on me doesn't have any tracker, right?"
"It's just water that would act in relation to our deal. I will fight fair."
He grinned and said, "The fire bearer is so near to you. So near."