#14: The Way of Crystal

Azer remains standing in his position while his eyes are darted on Lifia.

A short blow of wind strikes his cheek and his eyes widen immediately, in front of his eyes, Lifia appears as she pulls her sword from its sheath.

"Tapos ka na," she swings her sword towards Azer, "matapang ka ngunit hindi 'yan sapat para manalo ka, baguhan."

Azer begins to grit his teeth as a voice flows through his mind, telling him. "At natutulala ka nanaman, bata. Anong problema? Nais mo bang ako ang lumaban para sa iyo?"

Lifia remains standing in front of him whilst Azer moves his eyes everywhere and his eyes stop moving in a certain direction.

There, he sees a white humanoid; its face is empty, and no clothes can be seen on him.

Azer moves his eyes once again towards Lifia. "Tila huminto ang lahat mula sa paggalaw."

"Ang abilidad na nakikita mo ay ang abilidad mo rin," the white humanoid rests his back on the stone wall while standing, "sabihin mo, kumusta ang buhay mo?"

Azer shifts his eyes to the white humanoid and he begins to move toward him.

"Sabihin mo, ikaw ba ang nagbigay sa akin ng abilidad na ito?" Azer halts near the white humanoid, "bakit sa dinami-dami ng pwede mong piliin bakit ako pa?"

"Sapagka't nagkasala ka," the white humanoid appears in front of Azer and puts his hand on his forehead, "ikaw ay hindi nararapat na tumawid sa mundong ito, sapagka't hindi rito ang mundong dapat mong galawan."

Azer moves his eyes downward and opens his hands and stares at his white palm with lines embedded in it.

He speaks, "Hindi ko nais na tumawid at wala akong kasalanan sa pagdating ko sa mundong ito.

"May humigop lamang sa akin at sa kasama ko, biglang narito na ako sa mundong ito."

Azer moves his eyes everywhere, and then everything around changes to a scenery of nothingness.

"Hayaan mong turuan kita," the white humanoid begins to radiate bright piercing white light, "turuan kung ano ang daan ng crystal."

Azer's upper eyelids begin to lower as his bottom lip drops a bit from its position.

His eyes open wide, and he is standing in front of a wide scenery of mountain silhouettes, clear blue skies, and multiple trees below the silhouette of mountains.

"Nasaan ako?" Azer said.

"Ang kinatatayuan mo at ang nakikita mo ay siyang parte ng mundong," the white humanoid who's standing beside him speaks, "mundong nilikha ng crystal habang nananatili ito sa loob mo."

Later on, the white humanoid and Azer are sitting on the soil while being surrounded by tall trees.

The white humanoid says, "Pumipili ang crystal ng kahit na sino. Pero kapag nakilala ka na nito ay hindi ito kailanman titiwalag mula sa iyo.

"Dati pa kitang nais makita at makausap harap-harapan subalit wala akong mahanap na tamang oras."

Azer nods and looks at his hands once again. "Magmula noong nagagamit ko ang abilidad nito, tila napapaisip ako kung karapat-dapat ba akong gumamit nito."

The white humanoid closes his hands, and he raises them; he points his index finger at Azer's chest.

He says, "Kilala ka na ng crystal at alam nito na mabait ka, hindi ka natatakot sa kahit na sino.

"Hindi ka nangangambang magsakripisyo ng iyong buhay kapalit ang kaligtasan ng iba."

Afterward, Azer and the white humanoid are walking on a narrow pathway surrounded by multiple flowers, butterflies, birds, and bees flying everywhere.

"Paano ko magagamit ang abilidad nitong crystal?" Azer moves his eyes beside him, "ako ba ay malalagay sa kapahamakan kapag ginamit ko ito palagi?"

The white humanoid begins to utter waves of soft laughter, and he tells Azer. "Pakiramdaman mo ang presensya nito na nasa kaila-ilaliman ng iyong pagkatao.

"Parang pulso ito kung magparamdam at kapag naramdaman mo na 'yon ay doon mo lamang mapapalabas ang kakayahan nito."

"Pero paano ang–!" Azer's eyes widened upon witnessing a white index finger settled on his forehead.

"Bumalik ka na," the white humanoid says, "bumalik ka sa mundo mo."

Azer's eyes closes and it opens; his eyes widened while standing in front of the blade of a sword moving toward him.

"Teka!" Azer whispers, "nakabalik na ako!"

Lifia narrows her eyes at him as the blade of her sword strikes Azer's neck.

He flies and hits the ground, and his sight becomes dizzy.

Azer puts his hand on the wooden floor and pushes himself until he's standing on the ground.

He's inhaling and exhaling at a fast rate while staring at Lifia.

"Pagod ka na?" Lifia swivels her sword and points it on the ground, "diyan na lang ba ang hangganan ng iyong kakayahan? Paano mo naisalba si Dillian kung ganyan ka kahina?"

Azer begins to close his eyes as he witnesses the white humanoid pointing his finger at his heart.

A voice echoes in his ear as blue lightning flickers around his feet; the blue lightning soon travels around his head while his dark hair begins to move as if the wind is moving it.

"Pulso." Azer opened his eyes and the blue lightning around him disappeared.

He moves his hand towards the handle of his sword and pulls it from its sheath, and blue lightning suddenly appears on the blade of his sword; the blue lightning on the blade releases a strong force of the wind.

"Aba," Lifia swirls her sword and points at Azer, "ayan ang aking sinasabi."

Lifia begins to fold her upper body and she moves at great speed toward Azer.

Azer begins to move forward, thence, he runs toward Lifia. Upon reaching each other: both swing their sword toward each other.

Lifia's eyes widened as her feet strike each other causing her to lose her balance, but she regains her balance and jumped toward Azer.

Azer swings his sword upward and its blade blocks the blade of Lifia's sword.

Both of their eyes are narrowing while staring into each other's eyes.

Blue lightning appears once again on the blade of Azer's sword. He pushes his sword and its force pushes Lifia's sword away from him.

Lifia's eyes are widening as her sword is flying from her hands, and she lands on the wooden floor.

She moves her eyes upward and Azer settles his sword on her neck whilst blue lightning remains flickering around the blade of his sword.

"Nakapasa ka," Lifia steps back from Azer, "magaling."