Shandice

Gosh! Nasa mortal world na kme! Dito kame niluwa ng portal sa isang masukal na gubat...Teka saang bahagi ba to? Nasa Luzon ba kme? Visayas o Mindanao? I was about to ask Fire when she spoke.

"We're in the middle of the forest. . . The forest of EastCode University." I was wondering how we ended up in here but what's more unusual is EastCode University is a school for gangsters and it is found in the middle of the forest. 

"Where the hell is this? Saan ba banda ang EastCode University na 'yan?" Magkasalubong kilay na wika ni Xai. Nang makita ko ang reaksyon niya'y pinigilan ko ang sarili kong 'wag matawa dahil sa naalala kong nangyari.

"Shut up Lune, EastCode University in the mortal world is secretly known as a Gangster  University. That is why the portal  send us here."Fire explained. Nanahimik naman kaagad ito.

"You mean, school of gangsters yun?! I only know how to use my power but I don't know kung kaya kong makipaglaban ng mano-mano na kasing galing nila. . .pero don't worry nag-train naman kami noon kaya keribels 'yan!" Kylla said positively while clapping her hands in mid air.

"So what are we going to do about our hair and eyes?" Takang tanong ni Kendrick sabay kamot sa batok niya.

"I think mas better if hayaan nalang natin! Ayaw niyo yun? Agaw pansin?" Onyx smirk as well as Fire! Oh Noes! Mukhang may binabalak na naman ang babaeng 'to.

"Don't mind it, let them be like that. So lets go." Nauna na sa paglalakad si Fire kaya sumunod na ako sa kanya.

Phew! Remember may sense of direction ang isang 'yan! Kaya walang duda alam na niya kung saan ang daan. Well, don't ask me wala akong sense of direction kaya madalas ang naliligaw ng landas sa buhay.

"Wait! Laurice! Have you been here? Alam mo ba kung saan pupunta? Paano kung maligaw tayo? Are you even sure about the path we're going?" Sunod-sunod na naging tanong ni Xai sa kaniya.

"No." simpleng sagot ni Fire habang patuloy sa paglalakad. Lumingon ako sakanila na nakatayo pa rin kung saan sila nakatayo kanina. Wala atang balak sumunod kaya tinakbo ko ang distansya sa pagitan namin para pagsabihan sila.

"Pssstt! sundan nalang natin siya. She may not look like it pero may great sense of direction 'yan! Wag na kayong magreklamo!" I shouted. They should follow us, they don't have a choice kesa naman maiwan sila dito sa gitna ng gubat.

"Shan, talaga bang sa EastCode University tayo papasok? Yung school of gangsters na sabi ni Fire?"  Sena asked excitedly.

"Oo! Kaya wag na kayong magulat kung pagpasok palang natin sa gate paulanan na  tayo ng bala!" Ngisi-ngisi kong sabi sa kaniya. That was a joke, but there's still a big possibility it will happen.

"Grabe naman dito! Kung sa atin powers ang labanan dito naman mga armas? Gah, nakakatakot naman pala!"Kylla blurted out with exageration in her voice. 

"Boys! May kilos pang gangsters naman kayo 'di ba? Since mukhang mahahangin naman kayo." I snickered as I laugh upon my statement.

"Oo naman! Sa gwapo naming toh? Wala silang panama sa mukha ko palang!" Pagmamayabang ni Onyx. Hanep, mahangin nga pero buti nga sana pwede niyang gawing shield mukha niya sa mga bala.

Napahinto kami sa paglalakad nang biglang huminto si Fire. She took something from inside her pocket and when he opened her hands, there are seven rings with different colors of gems at the center. They look cool!

"This is the latest weaponry in this world. When you are in danger just think of a certain weapon and it will come out immediately." Inabot niya sa amin ang mga singsing at ang pinili ko ay iyong may diamante sa gitna. 

Latest weaponry in this world? If I were them, I would believe her pero dahil kilala ko si Fire ay alam kong iniimbento niya lang sinasabi niya. These rings are forged using her own power. There's no way this is only an advance work of technology by humans.

When I thought of using a dagger, it came out from my hands. Malawak akong napangiti nang masilayan ang disenyo ng mga daggers na hawak ng kanan at kaliwang kamay ko.This is so cool!

Nag ibaling ko naman ang tingin ko'y nakita kong may hawak-hawak na rin silang mga weapon. Sena's holding a pair of metal arnis, Xai have a mace on his left hand, Onyx with his shurikens, Kylla trying to strech her whip, and Kendrick checking out his shotgun. Pagtingin ko naman kay Fire ay may hawak itong katana.

Fire then sheathed her katana and started to walk again. Sinundan lang namin siya hanggang makarating kami sa isang dambuhalang gate. Napanganga ako kung gaano katayog ang gate na 'yon. There are even huge walls surrounding it. Fire touched the gate at halos mapatalon kami sa gulat nang may magsalita mula roon. 

"State your names." The robotic voice said.

"Fire." After her, we started announcing our names. Pagkatapos naing magpakilala lahat ay natahimik ang recorder.

"How can we help you?" Kumunot ang noo namin dahil sa naging tanong ng gate. I mean tanong ng robotic voice sa gate.

"Killing is the best thing to do in this selfish world." As if the words she said was a code, the huge gates parted open.

Walang sinayang na oras si Fire at pumasok na kaya naman sumunod kami sa kaniya. Looking around, I was amazed how huge the university is. Malawak ito't ilang-ilang ektarya siguro ang sukat. Everything looks expensive from the inside. Aliw na aliw ako sa pagtingin ng mga bagay-bagay nang mapansin kong nagbubulungan ang mga estudyanteng nadadaanan namin.

The students were staring at us, gossiping. Siguro ay pinagchichismisan nila kung gaano kami kamukhang adik dahil iba-iba ang kulay ng buhok namin. Nang malampasan ko ang isang babae ay narinig ko ang pagtili nila dahil nagugwapuhan ang mga ito sa mga kasama naming lalaki.

"They look hot!" 

"Right? Type ko yung light red ang buhok!" 

"Ang hot sheesh! Lalagnatin 'ata ako!"

"New student ba sila? All of them look gorgeous!" 

"Shawty, pare." 

"Pupusta tayo, I will get one of them as a girl friend within a month." 

"Hina mo naman, how about a week?" 

I rolled my eyes at them. Bulong pa ba ang tawag doon kung rinig na rinig ko? Malayo pa lang ay nakikita ko ang grupo ng kababaihan na may planong humarang sa daraanan namin. Sinilip ko si Fire at nakita kong diretso lang ang lakad niya. 

I just shrugged my shoudlers at naglakad pa rin habang sumusunod sa kaniya. Dalawang metro na lang ang layo ng grupo ng mga babaeng haharang sa amin. Nakangisi ang mga ito't halatang-halata na may balak itong gawin sa amin.

Ang susunod na mga nangyari ang siyang nagpakagat ng labi ko upang pigilan ang sarili kong tumawa. Hindi huminto si Fire sa paglalakad kaya naman noong bumangga ang balikat niya sa babae ay bigla itong natumba. Kung napigilan ko naman ang pagtawa'y hindi naman ito nagawa ni Sena at Kylla kaya naman mas lalo itong nainis.

"How dare you!" Galit nitong saad nang makatayo na. She looks so angry. Her gazes towards Fire were intense pero mas lalo lang itong nainis nang makitang walang kahit na anong emosyon sa mga mata niya. 

Nilagpasan siya ni Fire kaya hindi makapaniwalang suminghal ito, samantalang kami'y naglakad na rin at sumunod sa kaniya.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me." Maawtoridad na sigaw ng babae. Imbis tumigil ay hindi na lang namin ito pinansin.

As the Wind Elementalist, I felt a disturbance in the air. Naramdaman kong may nagtutulisang bagay ang papalapit sa gawi namin. All of us seemed to noticed it dahil nagkatinginan kaming lahat. As if on cue, before those tiny blades could even pierce us, humawi kami sa gitna para maiwasan ito. Nanlaki ang mata ko nang makitang nakatayo lang sa gitna si Fire at wala atang plano umilag.

"Gaga! Magpapakamatay ba sya?"  Aniya ng babaeng may hawak na mansanas.

"Ayan kinalaban kase ang Campus Queen!" I scoffed upon a girl's statement. Campus Queen? Even a Gangster School have them? What a cliche. 

"Right? Oh my-"

In a swift, bumalik ang mga blade sa may hawak ng mansanas kanina. I laughed. She looks so shock and terrified. Paano'y kakagat na sana siya sa mansanas nang may tumarak na blade sa kinakain niya. She paled at maya-maya'y nawalan ito ng malay. 

Of course why wouldn't she? If Fire didn't calculate it, baka tumagos ang blade sa ngala-ngala niya at mamatay talaga siya.

"Try harder next time, Halley." Dahil sa lamig ng boses ni Fire ay napaatras ang iilang malapit sa kaniya. Her voice is a reminder that she's not one to be messed with if you still value your life.

"Oh? Y-you think you can scare me off like that? Hah!" She started to act tough even though I can see Fire scared her off a few seconds ago.

"Kilalanin mo kung sino nag binabangga mo. I can make your life  a living hell if I want to." Fire gave her a smirk.

She's probably thinking she's a living hell and she can just burn her to ashes if she wanted to. She's literally the fires of hell itself.

"Pwede ba? Stop wasting our time." Iritang wika ni Sena habang magkakrus ang mga braso.

"Are you done? Will you excuse us?" Xai said looking so impatient. Umirit ang mga kababaihan at nakita ko ang mariin na pagpikit ng mga mata niya.

"Ang sexy ng boses, tangina!" 

"He's so handsome!"

"I could die if I'd be his girlfriend!" 

Nagulat na lang kami nang biglang lumapit sa kaniya si Halley at inangkla ang braso kay Xai. I look at Fire and she just stared at them coldy. She was about to take him somewhere else when he shoved her arms away from him.

"You and your dirty hands, bitch." Walang preno nitong saad.

"Awe, come on. Don't play so hard to get." She playfully said. Xai then smirk at her and lean in closer to whisper something.

"You really can't get me because I hate girls like you." Ginawaran niya pa ng ngiti ang babae

"Well, I like girls like you! "Onyx grinned and wink at Halley. This time Halley shifter her gaze at him.

"Oh really? I know no one can resist me! Meet me tonight at the Girl's dormitory room 302. Don't be late." I saw in my peripheral vision Kylla turned her back and her shoulders started to move up and down.

I gasped. What the hell!

"Remind me to kill this bitch later." 

I just heard Fire's voice in my head and I believe she shared her thoughts with me. 

"But you know, I changed my mind." Hinapit ni Onyx ang bewang ni Halley sabay ngisi rito. 

"I don't want myself to get tangled up with a woman like you. . ." He paused and smiled at her sweetly. 

". . . who had a vagina with more users than Instagram." Nagsinghapan naman ang mga nakarinig ng sinabi niya't natawa naman kami. 

Way to go Onyx! 

To be continued. . .