I M A G I N E
N A T I O N
years while I enjoyed watching my fox mask painted on posters all over the cities. Innocent children wanted to be like the Phantom Huntress, whose face was never revealed, and only the locks of her lethal hair could wipe out an army in a blink. I was an instrument of death and vengeance without my mother's knowledge, but doing good things reminded me of her voice. Her kindness and words made me go against the Phantom principles, and now the Phantom Huntress' dream was to shed light and hope. "For me to grant your wish to regain your sight, you must be willing to sacrifice your greatest power." The oracle's reminder danced in my skull. "The oracle is a liar! Don't listen to her!" "She wanted to get rid our you." Hissing voices surged in the air while I continued chopping my hair. I was hungry to see life permanently, and giving up my past was part of the plan. Starting a new life as an ordinary villager with my mother would be a wish granted full of hope and happiness. Upon peeling my eyes into reality, curtains and walls of gold and silver surrounded the room. People wearing robes with hues of the ocean towered in front of me. The floor was filled with shredded locks of my hair, yet it was drenched with colors of rage, sadness, and fear. Slowly turning my gaze towards the stranger in the corner of the room, the reflection of light on the dagger took my attention. Pointing the weapon below the woman's face, the stranger's face was conveying an unmistakable warning. "Well done, Phantom Huntress. I never thought deceiving you was easy. Your friend was my greatest advantage that kept you in a cursed mirage for years." The oracle was securing the dagger with her old arms shaking hysterically. "I don't understand. Who do you mean, friend?" I stared at the hostage, with her eyes tired and powerless. Yet her heartbeat shared a familiar melody with mine, and I saw her glowing like sunshine, just like my mother's soul. With the last drop of energy escaping from my limbs, I flailed towards the direction of the oracle. I held my grip on their robes and landed on their feet to prevent her attack. Pain and agony conquered my body while a group of strangers pulled me away from my mother. Confusion stirred my vision upon witnessing Tenebris emerging from the door. She stood motionless beside the oracle, wearing darkness and chaos in her obsidian eyes. Her presence was not here to save us from danger, but instead, she peeled a smile and uttered something worse. She was a mirage that lured me into despair, pretending to be real and sincere until the end. "Ravi, you poor thing. How stupid were you to trust your life to an illusionist like me? But since you could now see the wonders of this world, how about watching your mother perish?" "I'll be glad watching you perish instead, Tenebris." Like a monster waking up from slumber, my hair grew violently radiating hues of bloodshed and rage. My vision began to darken once more, and the souls of my locks were rejoicing upon taking down the traitor.
illustration by Kalanie Saldajeno
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