THE GLIMPSE OF THE PAST

SAMANTHA'S POV

"This is the family picture of the Santiago family." Introduction of the tour guide when we entered here inside the hacienda.

The interior of the hacienda is beautiful, it doesn't look old, unlike the outside. I looked around for a while before looking at the frame that the tour guide pointed to earlier.

I was very surprised to see the people in that photo. "W-why does it look familiar?" I asked myself in my mind. I looked at the photo again, my chest tightened, and I closed my eyes for a moment.

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"Oh miss, are you the one sent to sing?" A beautiful lady asked with a smile.

"Yes, that's me," a young woman's answered in a polite voice.

"Then go ahead, get ready," Mrs. answered with a slight smile at the girl before turning her back.

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Woah, what is that memory? Where is that from? Is that mine? Impossible. I looked again at the family picture in front of me. That woman, she is the lady.

"This is Don Felix Santiago, the pillar of their home." Introduction of the tour guide in the family of Santiago while pointing at Don Felix's face.

"This is Doña Felicidad Santiago, his wife who is also from a rich family. The Santiago family was one of the most powerful and wealthy known in their era." He continued to explain and looked back at the frame, "these are their three children, Eli Santiago who is the eldest, the next is Lily Santiago, and the youngest child, Nathaniel Santiago." He completed the introduction to the Santiago family. Once again I felt the squeeze in my heart, I couldn't help but touch it and close my eyes in pain.

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"Eli, just run away, believe me, our mother won't let you go." A young lady said worriedly while looking at Eli and a young woman.

Why is her face blurry? Everything is clear, why can't I see her?

"No Lily, I'm sure they'll find me too so I'll just ask for their permission rather than punish Camilla's family for our escape." The handsome gentleman named Eli answered and tried to smile at his sister.

The three looked at each other and slightly sighed at the same time.

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Why can I see the past of yours? I asked in my mind while looking at the frame. Why do I remember this as if it happened yesterday? Am I part of your family? Who am I? Lily?

"Are you okay?" Leslie asked worriedly as she grabbed my attention.

I tried to smile, "yes, my head just hurts a little." I answered while looking away.

"Do you want us to go back to the bus? so you can rest," she suggested worriedly. Well, this is her being OA again.

I just shook my head and smiled slightly, "no, this is important because it's part of our exam, we shouldn't miss it." I answered and she nodded in response.

The tour guide introduced many more, including the Santiago family's maids and staff. After that, we proceeded to the second floor of the hacienda.

When you go up here, you will see a lot of photos and paintings placed in a terrarium with a brass metal frame, it's very nice to see.

"Let's start here, with Camilla Gabriella." Re-introduced by the tour guide.

Once again I felt a pain in my heart when I heard Camilla's name, I couldn't understand it.

Our classmates walked slowly and looked at Camilla's terrarium one by one. When they finished looking, they also looked at me one by one, which surprised me.

"What's up?" I asked in my mind. Leslie and I looked at each other and slowly walked towards Camilla's terrarium.

"Woah... b-bestie..." Leslie said in disbelief while still stuttering.

"Stop, don't continue. I know, I can see it too." I whispered what she wanted to say.

I slowly looked up at our companions and gave them an awkward smile.

"You look like..." they were all amazed at the same time while looking at me.

"Yes, I know. I also have eyes, oh, I see too." I sarcastically broke them while smiling slightly and turned to another part of the second floor.

"E-ehem, hmm." The tour guide pretended to cough to grab our attention and change the topic.

"Camilla Gabriella comes from a poor family. And she's here because she got involved with the Santiago family." Continuation of the tour guide's story. I feel heavier.

"How did she get involved?" Xaji asked curiously.

"Good question, young lady." My tour guide's initial response. "Camilla was invited to a banquet to sing, and unexpectedly, the eldest son of Don Felix, Eli Santiago, fell in love with her." When my tour guide told the story, it was as if he had witnessed all that.

Wait, invited to sing? Couldn't she be the girl that Doña Felicidad talked to earlier that said she was going to sing? Why do I look like her? What a coincidence.

"You don't want to show me your face from earlier as if I will not see you, tch." I snarled to Camilla in my mind as if I was actually talking to her in person.

"What happened?" Lucas asked while holding Xaji in his arms. This couple is really in love, but nothing lasts forever.

"Their love was called "The Forbidden Love" because the Santiago's had a law to their family at the time that they could not fall in love with someone who was not their type. Rich to rich, that was the policy of their family because for them; it is a disgrace to their family's reputation to love the poor or to be with the poor." The tour guide spoke seriously, and we just nodded.

That policy is terrible, if I was Camilla in my past life, I would not want to fall for that man. gosh.

"Did they stay together? Did they change the policy of the Santiago family?" Xyreen asked with a curious frown as she looked directly at our tour guide.

"No," he answered sparingly and gave Xyreen a brief glance, "how I wish they had changed it, but no, the story between the two of them is complicated." Saying this in his attitude, you can hear the sadness as if Eli and Camilla are close to him.

"Is there a book about their story? Where can I buy it?" Xyreen asked again, obviously interested in Eli and Camilla's story.

"No more, the only copy of their story was burned so it was just passed by generation." Our tour guide said sadly again.

"Ahh, is that so? Do you know their whole story? Even just the summary. If yes, can you tell to us?" Xyreen asked the tour guide again and again.

He smiled a little and laughed a little, "yes, but it's later on the bus because it might get dark if we were still here while I'm telling the story." He smiled and continued to introduce the pictures and paintings in the terrarium.