Stagnant Water of Apocalypse - Chapter 25: Golden Goblin (2)

Sa gitna ng kabundukang binabalot ng misteryo, lumaki si Esmeralda, isang dalagang manunugis na may kakaibang lakas at talas ng pakiramdam, sa kalinga ni Ismael— isang albularyong umampon sa kanya dalawang dekada na ang nakalilipas. Ngunit sa kabila nito, nakatago ang isang katotohanang unti-unting mabubunyag— ang lihim ng kanyang pinagmulan na bumabagtas sa hangganan ng tao at mundo ng kakaibang elemento.Sa pagbabalik nila sa baryo ng kanyang lolo, harapin ni Esmeralda, hindi lamang ang sigalot sa pagitan ng kinalakhang pamilya, kun 'di pati na rin ang mga lihim ng kanyang pagkatao. Sa gitna ng pamilyar na tanawin ng baryo, magtatagpo ang landas nila ng mga taong magiging parte ng buhay niya— mayroong magiging gabay sa kaniyang pagtuklas at may iilan namang magdudulot ng kapahamakan at kalituhan sa kaniyang paghahanap ng kasagutan.Sino ba talaga siya? At ano ang pinagmulan niya?Ngunit sa bawat hakbang niya patungo sa pagtuklas ng katotohanan, lalong lalalim ang ugnayan niya sa mga anino ng mga nilalang na walang ibang nais kun 'di ang kaniyang pagkawasak. Sa bawat mutyang mahahawakan ni Esmeralda, sisigaw ang nakaraan— at sa bawat sigaw nito, unti-unting mabubuo ang kwento ng isang salinlahing nababalot ng hiwaga na siyang uukit at huhubog sa kaniyang pagkatao.

She was the most unpopular female wolf in the New Moon Pack, as lowly as a blade of grass. Eight years ago, her mother went missing, her father was killed, and her entire pack was exterminated. Thus, she had been demoted to the lowest servant level by her father’s murderer. For eight years, she had been beaten, cursed, and starved, but she kept her identity a secret.

This year, she turned eighteen years old.

He was the alpha of the largest werewolf pack in all of America and shone like the sun. With his perfectly sculpted face and a tremendous amount of money, no werewolf didn’t know his name, and he was the dream lover of every woman. Everything seemed perfect, except for the fact that he didn’t have a mate yet.

This year, he turned twenty-six years old.

What kind of spark or conflict would there be when they meet by chance?

“Rose, I can give you everything you want. In exchange, you have to be mine.”

“Alpha, the truth is, I’m—”

“Oh, Jesus f*cking Christ! Now, you will never escape me, my Luna.

The previous lords have committed as many atrocities as possible to fill their bellies. I, the only daughter of that house, had discovered that my servant and lover was a spy.

And as the people wanted, my life ended with my execution.

However, with the memory of getting beheaded intact, I began a new life. I was planning to shoulder the sins of my past life and become a nun, but by some trick of fate, I came to work as a maid for the current lord.

Under my former lover, whose name, age and even hair colour were all lies.

war, blood, and betrayal carved him into something else. A legend. A killer. A mercenary whose name struck fear into both criminals and so-called heroes alike.But now, the world had changed. Lines blurred between right and wrong, between justice and vengeance. Should he step into the light, wear the mask of a hero, and fight for a cause greater than himself? Or should he embrace the darkness that had always been his home, a place where morality was just another illusion?“Don’t box me in with your shallow ideas of good and evil,” he muttered, his voice calm but edged with danger. “I do what I want, when I want.”The air was thick with tension as he moved like a shadow through the dimly lit room. The writer had no time to react—one moment, he was scribbling nonsense about legends and myths; the next, a cold barrel pressed against the back of his head.The figure smirked beneath his mask, eyes gleaming with something between amusement and menace.“You wanna write fiction?” he whispered. “Then let me show you how real legends are made.”A single gunshot shattered the silence.As the writer’s body slumped over the desk, the man holstered his weapon, stepping into the faint glow of a flickering neon light.“It’s that simple,” he said, his voice unwavering. “I’m Deathstroke.”