My eyes instantaneously drifted to this man who tightly gripped my wrist when I heard him sarcastically chuckling. When he saw me looking at him, another disgusting smile on his lips greeted my eyes.

Habang ako naman ay naguguluhan kung ano'ng nakakatawa.

"This guy seemed interesting, Del Grosso," he said.

A disgust gaze grew tremendously upon Rory's eyes. He was looking at him in disgust and disappointment. At kapansin-pansin ang umaapaw na galit niya sa taong 'to. According to their exchanging gaze, I assume they knew each other.

"Hands off," malamig at may diing utos niya rito.

Tumatawa namang binitawan ako ng lalaking ito. Itinaas pa niya ang kaniyang dalawang kamay. Tila sinasabi niyang suko na siya. Pero 'yong nakaririndi niyang ngiti sa labi ay nandoon pa rin. Napatingin ako sa paligid nang maramdaman ko ang mga matang nakatuon sa aming tatlo.

'Yong tatlo pang kasama ng lalaking ito ay lumapit na sa kaniya. Napabaling ang aking atensyon sa kamay na inilahad ng lalaking humawak sa akin kanina. He even whisper to me earlier that he wanted to drain my blood.

That doesn't make sense.

Iwinakli naman ni Rory ang kamay ng lalaking ito. He then stood in front of me. As if he's trying to protect me from this man. Patago kong kinurot ang aking hita nang bigla kong naramdaman ang mga paru-paro sa aking tiyan.

What the hell was that? For goodness sake, Kai, why are you smiling secretly right now? I scolded myself. Napatikom ako ng aking bibig nang makita kong nakatitig 'yong lalaki sa akin. This guy really get into my nerves.

Nakaririndi 'yong mapang-asar niyang ngiti sa labi. And I really hate someone like him.

Bullying someone doesn't give you peace. What made me hate them is that they were doing these nasty things against others for their own concept of fun. Yes, every one of us had a story to tell. And our actions are sometimes influenced by what we've been through.

Or perhaps, some of our actions were intentional and just pure evil. I can forgive people. But if I can't see the genuineness of trying to change in you, well, I advise do not expect me to forgive you that easily.

I am someone who is timid, shy, silent and blunt. But, warning, I am the kind of person whom you shouldn't mess with.

"What are you doing here, Chavez?" tanong ni Rory sa kaniya.

"Oh, please, spare me, Del Grosso." Nagulat ako nang biglang itong sumeryoso. Napairap kaagad ako nang tignan niya ako nang may ngisi sa labi. "Let me introduce myself first to your lover." Hindi ko alam pero bigla akong namula nang tinawag ako nito bilang 'lover' kuno ni Rory. He then placed his palm on his chest and bow his head. "My name's Akihiro Chavez, Your Highness," pagpapakilala niya sa kaniyang sarili.

What the hell did he just call me? Your Highness? Ano'ng akala niya sa akin? A king or a prince of some sort? Sumunod pa ang humahagikgik na tawa nito. Napansin naman niya ang nangungunot kong noo.

"You didn't know?" he asked. That made my forehead furrowed once more in confusion. "Rory is a prince together with his siblings. Their family is the first of our kind," he added.

Sumakit lang ang ulo ko dahil sa sinabi niya. Rory and his family is the first of their kind? Nanatili pa rin ang pagkunot ng noo ko. Dahilan para sunod-sunod namin narinig ang malakas niyang tawa.

This guy! Wala siyang kuwentang kausap sa totoo lang. Napahinto ako sandali nang maalala ko ang pinag-uusapan nina Lupus at Rory noong nasa toilet sila. Lupus also mentioned about Rory's kind. Geez, are they keeping a secret from me?

"Oh, dear," pagpapatuloy pa nito. "You didn't know that as well?" he once again asked.

Nakatingin lang ako sa kaniya. Nakakunot pa rin ang noo ko. Napaalerto naman si Rory sa kinatatayuan niya nang bigla itong maglakad paikot-ikot sa amin.

"Well, you see, a Del Grosso is impossible to kill." Humahagikhik na kuwento niya. Habang paikot-ikot pa rin sa amin. Tumatalon-talon pa ito na parang bata.

I must say, this guy is a psycho! Kanina binulungan pa niya ako na gusto niya raw ubusin ang dugo ko. "They are the first of our kind. And I am his first sire. But there's one particular weapon that can end the rule of the originals. A lapnisan stake. They were afraid of that because they will cease to exist."

What the hell is he talking about?

"But, unfortunately, lapnisan trees had already been burn for centuries. It is said that the Del Grosso siblings burned every one of them, so that their enemies couldn't use the very weapon that they feared against them." Iniling ko na lamang ang aking ulo dahil sa pinagsasabi niya. "But you can put them in eternal slumber using a blade that made of silver," he added.

Sinundan niya ito ng malakas na tawa.

"Rory Colmillos Del Grosso isn't someone you can have a future with, darling. He is not as kind as you see in him. He had a lot of masks behind his pretty face. He committed tremendous mistakes for centuries. A mistake that will surely make you hate him."

Napansin ko kaagad ang galit at poot ni Akihiro habang binibigkas ang mga katagang 'yon. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako maniniwala sa mga pinagsasabi niya. Pero talagang walang kabuluhan lahat ng 'yon.

"Better listen to me, darling. Because if not, it will be your downfall," he warned me with his stares full of hatred, grief, and disappointment.

Naglakad siya papalapit sa akin. He was about to touched me when Rory suddenly grab his collar. Dahan-dahan pa niyang itinaas dahilan para makita kong hindi na makaka-apak sa sahig si Akihiro.

"You talked too much, Chavez." Hindi ko alam pero kinabahan ako sa pamamaraan ng pananalita ngayon ni Rory.

Nag-iba siya sa paningin ko. They are now exchanging death glares. I saw how their jaw simultaneously moved. Nakakuyom na pareho ang kanilang mga palad. Kapansin-pansin ang matinding galit nila sa isa't isa.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on him, Chavez. Or else you'll realize how monstrous I can be," I heard Rory warned him.

Akihiro sarcastically scoff. He didn't even flinch after what he heard from him. "I already saw how monstrous you are, Del Grosso. After you lay a hand of the person I loved the most," nanggagalaiting sabi niya.

This time, it was Rory who disappointingly scoff. "She deserved it, Chavez." Walang emosyong sagot niya.

Habang ako ay hindi makapaniwala sa mga narinig. Hindi naman ako tanga para hindi makuha ang pinaghuhugutan nilang dalawa. Whatever happened between them, sigurado akong mabigat 'yon.

They both committed something that made both of them hate each other. Hindi ako sure if tama ako, pero gaya ng sabi ni Akihiro, may ginawa si Rory sa taong minahal niya. Habang si Rory naman ay tila parang takot na takot sa posibleng gagawin ni Akihiro.

My eyes grew wider when Akihiro suddenly kick Rory. Dahil sa ginawa niya ay napatapon ito sa lamesa kung saan ako kanina. Sa impact niya ay nahati ito sa dalawa. Sa mga nakasaksi sa nangyari ay nagulat. Ang iba ay nagtakbuhan papalabas ng cafeteria.

Nakita ko pang tumayo si Rory sa pagkakabagsak sa sahig. At walang pag-aalinlangang sinugod si Akihiro. He give him a hard punch on the face and strangle him using his left hand. Kinabahan ako sa posibleng magawa niya nang makita kong halos hindi na makahinga si Akihiro.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. I can't find the courage to at least stopped them from fighting because of the tension I felt between them. It's overwhelming. Sinasabi ng utak ko na hindi ako dapat makialam.

"Everything that you've done to those innocent people isn't enough to pay for it with your life, Chavez." Nanggagalaiti rin sa galit na wika ni Rory. For some reason, I couldn't move from where I was standing after hearing his voice.

He is furious. He had the blood-curdling rage in him that was impossible to stop in the middle of the tension. "You let yourself go blind to that woman who is trying to manipulate every one of us. A woman who conspired with our nemesis to try to assassinate my family. I gave you a second chance to live when you beg me to turn you into one of my kind. And now, ito ang ibabalik mo sa akin?"

Those words from Rory made my eyes grow wider. I don't completely understand the conflict between them. Their nemesis? Akihiro begged Rory to turn him into one of his kind? What the hell are they talking about? And Akihiro's woman was planning to assassinate Rory's family?

I must say, bloody. And for goodness sake, kanina pa gustong sumabog ang ulo ko sa mga binibitawan nilang salita. Seconds later when Akihiro almost lost his life, binitawan ni Rory ang kamay niyang nakahawak sa leeg nito.

Bumagsak si Akihiro sa sahig. Umuubo pa ito at hinahanap ang hangin para makahinga siya ulit.

"I will give you one last chance to stay away from me and for those people I love. Because if our paths cross once again, I'll end you," pagbabanta niya kay Akihiro.

That warning made me tremble in fear. Tinalikuran naman niya si Akihiro at naglakad sa akin papalapit. Habang ako naman ay napapaatras dahil sa takot. When Rory saw how I am frightened of him, he stopped walking. I saw his jaw moved. And his palms turned to fists.

For a matter of second, his expression on his face softened.