Eternal Promise: Fragments Of Us

SIDAPA

“SIDAPA!” Libulan shouted and bawled his eyes out. I was in turmoil, but he was suffering the most. He reached his hand out between the bars and wailed when he couldn’t even go by my side. “Stop this, please! I beg you! Don’t do this! You are not a bad person, my beloved! Stop punishing yourself!”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

While I was distracted by Libulan, Kaptan took that chance. It was already too late when I tried to block his attack. He had already pierced his right arm into my chest. Everything happened so fast that I wasn’t able to even think about it. I coughed out some blood and gasped for air. When I looked at Libulan again, he was screaming at the top of his lungs and crying so hard but I heard no sound coming out from him.

“I gave you the chance to back out and I could have given you time to repent, but you chose this, Sidapa,” Kaptan said to me in a low voice. There was no anger in his tone, just pure abhorrence. He was revolted at the fact that Libulan and I chose to love each other despite the consequences of our actions.

[Really, what was so wrong about loving another person?] I thought as I shed my tears again and looked back at my Libulan who already lost his spirit when he saw me slowly succumb to defeat. [Was it because we’re both men? What was so wrong about that? Nothing is wrong…]

What was wrong were these people and their stupid rules. In truth, they only made such restrictions so rebellion amongst Gods wouldn’t surface. And I made myself believe in that stupid lie. But I had no intention to waste another second of my life serving these selfish people anymore.

While I still had my consciousness, I grasped Kaptan’s arm that was buried halfway through my chest.

“What are you planning to do, Sidapa?!” He was alarmed but he didn’t pull his hand out.

“I wonder about that…” I pulled off a sarcastic smirk then the part of his arm that I touched began to rot. If he decided to pull it out now, it would split in half and he could lose a lot of blood and potentially die. Kaptan didn’t back down. He flicked a finger and suddenly the jail and Libulan were transported to the edge of this island. “What are you doing?!” I asked in panic.

Kaptan mocked me by smirking too. “With just a flick of my finger, I can make that jail disappear,” he stated. “Libulan already lost his powers because of you. What do you think will happen if I dropped him from this height?” he asked me, and Kaptan grinned maniacally when my face turned pale.

“You dirty-!” I halted when he raised his other hand.

Both of my hands were on his arm that had pierced my chest. If I let go and try to grab his other free hand, I might not make it. Libulan was a hundred meters away from where we stood. I felt like I was going to pass out any moment but my mind was so fixated on my beloved that my body became numb from the torment I was going through.

“Now make a choice, Sidapa,” Kaptan uttered.

My eyes were already fuzzy and I was feeling lightheaded. I lost a lot of blood and was losing even more. I couldn’t see Libulan’s expression and it frustrated me. He must be very scared at this moment. There was no guarantee that Kaptan would let Libulan live even if I chose to stop using my power. I was also accountable for committing the same crime they accused Libulan. Kaptan could either kill me first then get rid of my lover later, or he could drop Libulan because he knew exactly that I wouldn’t let it happen and he would stab me from behind.

No matter what I would choose, death was still our end game. I promised to do anything for him and I was about to do just that.

I bit down on my lip so hard and then I took out Kaptan’s arm that was inside my chest by force. It was already rotting but not rotten enough to fall apart. He groaned in pain and I pushed him away from me. Blood gushed out from his mutilated forearm. He screamed in pain and I took that chance to run towards Libulan’s location. It was only a matter of seconds until I made it to his side. But time wasn’t on my side.

Before my eyes, the jail that held Libulan captive disappeared. Everything happened in slow motion. The look on Libulan’s face as soon as he realized what was about to happen to him was imprinted in my mind. I reached out my hand to him in hope of feeling his warmth again, but it was too late. I was too late.

Libulan didn’t take his eyes away from me until he dropped down. Reality kicked in and he was falling down, fast.

“Libulan!” I screamed. Without any thought, I jumped off after him.

Our distance was an impossible case. I wouldn’t catch him in time to wrap him around my arms to lessen the impact once we reached the ground. I was wounded and weakened but I wouldn’t die from this fall, but Libulan would!

And when I was about to lose hope, a muscular man popped out of nowhere and caught Libulan in time, but their descent was too fast for the man to prevent. They both plummeted to the ground, and I followed after them.

A huge blow like something exploded echoed in the whole area. Trees were thrashed around, rocks were crushed, and big chunks of soil were dug out of their place.

Despite the injury I had, I forced myself to get up and searched for Libulan. I panicked when I didn’t see any trace of him. Then I saw a faint glow of light from a distance. I quickly sprinted but fell on my knees and wheezed. I barely had energy left to even go to where the light was. A few moments later, a maiden dressed in all white appeared before me. She was in a bad condition and her clothes were drenched in blood. Was she an enemy? An ally? I didn’t know anymore.

Then she left and went somewhere. Seconds later, she came back. She brought back a white robe with her. Something was wrapped inside it. She made the robe float towards me and carefully put it on the ground. She then went closer to me without saying anything and unwrapped the robe. It revealed Libulan.

“Libulan!” I exclaimed in mixed joy and relief.

The maiden cried before she spoke to me softly. “I’m sorry if we didn’t make it in time,” she apologized. “I am *Lisuga, Libulan’s sister. We never knew that our precious brother fell in love and the next we heard was him getting scheduled for execution,” she briefly introduced. “I can’t say that I trust you fully but Libulan chose you for a reason, Sidapa,” she uttered. “And I will entrust my brother’s life to you. My time is up as a God. My attempt to fight Kaptan was futile and I ended up getting stabbed from my back with his sword,” she revealed, and then she coughed out a lot of blood. “Our eldest, *Likabutan, also fought for our dear brother but he also failed and had just passed away.” When she said that, I saw the body of the man that caught Libulan earlier. Lisuga smiled at me one last time before she dropped dead.

I was speechless. Now I finally understood why Libulan was such an honest person. He was surrounded by good people and they loved him very much. That was why he saw the real me despite the way I looked. He was a man with the purest heart and intentions.

I reverted to my semi-human form and fondled Libulan’s cheek. “I am about to die,” I said to him in a weak voice.

Using my remaining strength, I carried Libulan back to my tree.

*Lisuga – Goddess of the Stars

*Likabutan – God of the Earth

[to be continued]