Xai

Napahilamos na lang ako ng buhok ko. Is she really dead? That can't be possible! She's one hell of a strong woman! She can't be defeated, nor get killed with a Meteor Manipulator. She's more than what she is, I'm sure of that.

She can even surpass my strength so there's no way she's dead!

"B-buhay pa si Fire, hindi ba?" Naluhaluhang sabi ni Sena. She looks so devastated and in her eyes sge couldn't believe what happened as well.                               

"I-I can't believe this! She's too strong to Die!" naguguluhang wika ni Kylla.

Right now, we're in the clinic. Binabantayan si Shandice habang nag-uusap na rin. She'd gone mad when her bestfriend vanished in thin air. We're all heresharing our thoughts to each other.

"ANONG IBIG MONG SABIHIN FIRE!?" Muntik na kaming mapatalon sa kinauupuan namin nang sumigaw ng napakalakas si Shandice. Vincent was about to approach her when she shouted once again.

After a loud shriek from her she opened her eyes and abruptly raise from thr bed looking so confused. Para bang naguguluhan ito't hindi mawari kung ano ang iniisip nito.

"Are you okay?" tanong ni Vincent. Wala sa sariling napatango naman si Shandice. Inikot niya ang mga mata niya na parang may hinahanap.

"Where's Fire?" Nagtinginan kaming lahat sa naging tanong niya. Mukhang napalakas ata masyado ang paghampas sa batok niya't wala siyang maalala.

"H-hindi namin alam. T-teka, wala ka bang maalala?" Pinky murmured, the Sub- Wind Elementalist

Umiling- iling lang si Shandice. I guess she really can't remember. Should we tell her tho, she's her bestfriend after all. However, for sure she'll be devastated. We don't want the air gettinf thin again. It would kill us.

"Shan w-wala na si-" Kendrick never had the chance to finish what he said because the door suddenly opened at iniluwa roon ang isang matangkad na babae.

Ganoon na lang ang aming pagsisinghapan nang makilala kung sino ang babaeng 'yon. She stood so confident and proud. Her lips sealed firmly, and her eyes that speak authority.

Both the vampire twins run towards her and hugged her tightly.

"A-ate Linne, a-akala ko po talaga w-wala na po kayo!" At kamuntikan pang humagulgol si Josh ata? na kaagad namang binatukan ni Jas sa kaartehan niya.

"Shandice, are you okay?" tanong ni Laurice dito. Napakunot ang noo ko.

Matagal nakasagot si Shandice. Parang nagtataka pa ito pero kaagad din naman itong ngumiti sabay yakap kay Laurice. She hugged back. Saglit na napatigil sa pagkukulitan ang kambal dahil sa nakita.

"Hello, Xai!" At nang ngumiti siya nang matamis sa akin ay tuluyan ng napakunot ang noo ko. When did she ever smile so sweetly? And she used to call me Lune, not Xai.

"Huh?" Iyon na lang nasabi ko. Nangunot ang noo ko. I was looking at her sheepishly. What's with the sudden change? 

"Nevermind...let's go Shandice." Bigla niyang hinatak si Shandice at pati na rin ang magkambal. Nagsitinginan kaming natitira sa clinic at isang salita lang ang lumabas sa bibig namin...

"Weird."

JOSH'S POV

I felt goosebumps when she Ate Shandice. She don't let anyone hug her. Kahit nga ako saka ang kapatid ko. She's so  conscious about physical contact.  Bakit parang nagbago siya? I pouted. Yes, we hugged her but she never hugged back unlike earlier which is giving me a weird feeling. 

"May problema ba, Josh?" Takang tanong ni Ate Linne. I stared at her. First was hugging back and now speaking in tagalog. We never heardher speak any language aside from English. 

"N-nothing," nasabi ko nalang, nakakapanibago talaga. Hindi ako sanay. It seemed like she's a different person. 

"I'll be going." Biglang lumamig ang boses niya nang umakyat sa spare room. Her voice doesn't seem so cold when it used to. Kapag naririnig ko ang walang kagana-gana niyang boses ay nanlalamig ang katawan ko pero ngayon, parang wala lang. I couldn't take it anymore. 

"Jas! Waaaaahh! Inabduct ng alien si Ate!" Impit na sigaw ko pero seryoso lang ang pagmumukha nitong kakambal ko. 

"Let's just pretend para hindi sya maghinala." Napaayos ako ng tayo. Looks like he felt it too. But I'll make sure just in case he mean something else. 

"Pretend? Ang alin?" takang tanong ko. Binatukan niya naman ako na naging dahilan upang muntik na masubsob ang mukha ko sa lamesa. Ang sakit! 

"Tss! nevermind that. Alam kong nagtataka ka rin sa mga kinikilos niya," nakingising sabi ni Jas.

"Tsk! Slow mo talaga bubwit!"  Napasimangot ako. Just because he's a minute older than me he can call me bubwit? Dahil ba sa childish ako kaya niya ako tinatawag na bubwit? Well, yeah. I pouted.

"Yuck! Wag kang ngumuso! Nahihiya ang pato sayo!" pangaasar pa nya kaya mas lalo akong napasimangot. He's such a bully. 

"Pero seryoso Josh.. Alam kong nagtataka ka sa kinikilos niya." Bumuntong hininga na lang ako.

"Oo nga. She almost felt like a different person." Kinakabahan ako at hindi ko alam kung bakit!

If she's not her, then who is she and what is she doing here?

Morning came and I didn't have enough sleep at all. Parang nakakatandang kapatid ko na si Ate Linne. We owe everything to her, including our life.

"Good morning, Ate Linne!" masayang bati ko sa kanya sabay ngiti nang matamis. It was a genuine smile kahit na may panghihinala ako sa kaniya.

" Good morning too!" aniya sabay upo sa hapag at kumain na. The real her don't smile. Kung makita mo  man siya ngumiti napakasuwerte mo. Maliban doon ang ngiti niya kanina ay nag-aalanganin. It looks so fake.

Nakita kong nakangisi ng nakakaloko si Jas. When my brother does that annoying smirk he's probably planning something. Kung ano man iyon ay nakakaramdam ako ng excitement.

"Ate Linne baka gusto mo namang I-share kung paano ka nakaligtas sa meteor kahapon? Akala ng lahat patay ka na." Parang wala lang nitong tanong habang kumakain. She suddenly stopped from eating. Tinapunan niya ng seryosong tingin ang kapatid ko.

"I use my invisibility spell." She directly replied. 

"Talaga, Ate Linne? Napaka galing mo naman! Pwede mo ba ako turuan ng spell na 'yan?" She went uneasy because of my question. 

"Y-you should learn on your own." Tumaas ang sulok ng labi ko nang binalik niya ang atensyon niya sa pagkain.

"Sige na nga!" I acted I already gave up.

"Ay Ate! Naalala mo ba yung pinainom mo sa amin nung isang araw? Masarap kaya 'yon pwede po bang patikim ulit?" Walang bahid ng paghihinala kong wika. Well, I'm just checking. Gusto kong malaman ang palusot niya. 

It' s always fun to know how people would lie when you already know the truth.

"A-ahh. Iyong juice ba kamo? Sige! Pagtitimpla ko kayo." She stood up and went to the kitchen. And there we confirmed it's definitely  not her. I almost laughed. 

"Oo nga ate! ang sarap ng juice mo kahapon! Anong flavor ba no'n? Basta pula!" Jas said preventing himself from rolling on the ground laughing his ass off.

 Anong juice? Wala siyang maloloko rito. Kung sino man siya para maglakas loob magpanggap bilang si Ate Linne ay napakatanga niya. Anong juice e dugo ang pinainom niya sa amin kahapon. If you tried to pose as someone you have to know certain happenings recently, how she talks, her attitude, her mannerisms and other details. Napakatagang impostor niya. 

The only question I have in mind now is where is the real Lauice Fireilline Gwyneth Apostle and her whereabouts.  

Your impostor is ruining you! If I can just tell the whole world this girl with us is an impostor edi sinigaw ko na sana. But right now I just can't, we can't. We need to observe her if ano ang kailangang niya dito.

We went back to reality when she approached us holding a tray with glasses of red juice.  Let's call her demonyita. 

So gano'n nga feeling ko nakangisi siya sa amin. I straed at the juice she's holding. Anong akala nya? Iinumin namin ang juice nya? Lalo na't kahit half vampire na lang kami matalas pa rin ang pang-amoy namin at naamoy namin ang lason ng Dark Chi.

Dark Chi, she's probably sent by the Dark King. Pero bakit ang tanga-tanga niya?

Dark Chi  is a poison that will cause your vessels from your organs bleed till you die. Every seconds, minutes passed you will experience the most painful and excruciating death in your life. 

Napangisi kami ni Jas at napatango, meaning parehas kami ng nasa isip na wala siyang kaalam alam sa amin. 

"Salamat, Ate Linne! Sige, una na po kayo iinumin lang namin to at saka magbibihis!"sabi ni Jas.

Napansin kong napaangat ng konti ang gilid ng labi niya. She smiled but no, I don't think so that's a smirk. A wickedone. Dali dali kaming lumabas ng spare dorm at ibinuhos ang juice sa halaman at hindi ito natagalan ng tatlong segundo nangitim ito at kaagad na nalanta.

Isa lang ang nasa isip ko. Masama ang binabalak ng babaeng yun! She can't just easily trick us! Siya nga 'tong dakilang tanga at mang-mang!

KYLLA'S POV

Mahinang bumukas ang pinto ng classroom namin at nakita ko si Fire pala ang papasok. Hindi niya kami pinansin at agad na umupo sa kaniyang silya malapit kay Xai. As I lok at her, she looks so weak. Bakit kaya ang tamlay niya ngayon?  May problema kaya siya?

Dumukdok siya sa arm chair. After a few seconds she sit straight looking so pale. She  then stood up. Muntik na siya matumba kung hindi siya nahawakan ni Xai sa bewang upang sambutin. 

"Are you okay?" May halong pag aalala sa boses ni Xai. I smiled. Sa nakikita ko kung paano siya mag-alala sa tingin ko'y may gusto si Xai sa kaniya.

Ganito kase 'yan. Si Xai kahit kailan hindi siya nagpapakita ng kahit na anong malasakit sa babae. Sa katunayan nga niyan wala siyang pakialam at mostly nagsasalita siya ng mga masasakit na salita para lang maiwasan siya ng mga babae.

Even if that's how ass he is. Marami pa rin nagkakagusto at nagkakandarapa sa kaniya. But he's still cold towards girls. Kahit nga siguro madapa ka sa harap niyan hindi ka niya papansinin.

That's why I think he likes Fire. I can see concern in his eyes, an emotion I cannot see whenever a girl is beside him. I went back to reality nang lumabas na si Xai habang karga karga si Fire. Hinayaan na lang din namin siya since they need time.

XAI'S POV

Nahimatay siya kaya dinala ko kaagad siya  sa Clinic. Napatigil ako sa paglalakad nang narinig ko siyang humihikbi. Sa hindi ko malamang dahilan ay bigla akong nataranta. A woman just cried as I carry her in my arms.

I can't help but to worry about what has gotten into her. When I arrived in the clinic, I laid her down the clinic bed. Tinakpan niya ang mukha niya habang umiiyak. She looks so pale and weak. Tiningnan ko siya at sinubukang tanggalin ang kamay sa mukha niya.  She didn't resist and let me.

"Stop crying. " I said softly as I wipe her tears on her cheek using my thumb.

"X-xai ayoko n-na..." Mahina ngunit malungkot niyang wika.

"Why? What happened, Laurice?" Nag aalala kong tanong habang pinapatahan siya.

"Y-yung mga magulang ko na n-namatay...napaginipan ko na naman sila..." panimula nito.

"...p-pinatay sila ng mga D-dark Wizards...I-iniwan nila ako! S-sabi nila hindi nila ako iiwan pero..." Hamagulgol pa siya kakaiyak kaya napayuko na lang ako sa inis.

Napaka hayop talaga ng mga Dark Wizards. I don't know what happened to me but I have the urge to get revenge because of her story. I know Dark Wizards had caused chaos and cost a lot of people's lives, broken families, and unhappy people.

But right now, seeing her crying like this. I want to gave her the justice she seeks. what am I thinking?  I just, I just...

"Laurice, stop crying please. Hindi mo sila mababalik sa iyak mo." Mahina kong bulong sa kaniya.

I felt something just pinched me in my heart. I felt a sudden pain seeing and hearing her cry. Sa hindi inaakalang pagkakataon niyakap niya ako nang mahigpit. I was stunned and wasn't able to react right away. Gusto ko man siyang itulak dahil hindi ako komportable kapag niyayakap ako ng babae, hinayaan ko na lang siya.

It felt soft between her hugs, so gentle and safe.

"X-Xai, please p-promise me hindi mo ako iiwan ha? W-wag kang magpapaloko sa iba, ha? Ako at ako lang ang pagkakatiwalaan mo."

What does she  exactly mean by that? Hindi ako tanga para hindi malaman na double meaning ang sinabi niya. I was hesitating to answer her when I just found myself saying yes to her.

"I wil...I promise...I trust you. Ikaw lang ang pagkakatiwalaan ko." She smilee widely and hugged me again.

I promise her I will never let anyone tricked me, but neither did I knew I was already tricked that time.

Itutuloy...