Hii~ Nagbabalik mwamwa ( 〃▽〃)

-chapter eleven-

LEALIS

"They're known for their recklessness. Their guild, Outlaws, are said to be worse than the Warbeasts."

"SIGURADO AKONG hahanapin ka nila, 'bal. Kaya hindi ba't mas magandang magkasama tayo?"

Kagat-kagat ng kambal ko ang labi niya habang nag-aalala akong pinapanood. Mula nang makawala kami sa baliw na lalaking 'yon ay hindi na mapakali si Rae. He became a bit paranoid. Hindi ko na mabilang kung ilang beses siyang lumingon. Tila hinahabol kami ng pulis sa sobrang pag-obserba niya sa paligid. 

He has always been like this... kahit kapag nasa labas pa kami ng game. Maybe he got it from our fatherㅡ the sense of responsibility and overprotectiveness. And now that we're the newbies who are heavily disadvantaged against these strong high-level guilds, he has become even more guarded. 

I sighed, shaking my head. "'Bal, I can hide. Hindi na din nila ako makikilala ngayon. Dividing the group would make this ticket hunting easier and more efficient."

Ngumuso siya. Ayaw magpatalo.

"Pero..." 

"Your twin makes sense," sang-ayon ni Chae. "Don't you trust her to take care of herself?"

Her statement gave me mixed emotions. Hindi ko alam kung sasaya ba ako sa pagtulong niyang kumbinsihin si Rae o maiinis dahil sa tono ng pananalita niya. 

I don't know if I was imagining things but I could hear mockery and insult on her tone. Na para bang bata akong hindi pwedeng iwan unsupervised. 

"I trust my twin. The people around her are a different matter, though. Paano kung i-trap ulit siya gaya kanina?"

"That just shows her stupidity. Who would even fall for the same trick twice, right?" 

Sa sobrang direktang sagot ni Chae ay parang hindi lang ako nakatayo sa tabi nila. But when she turned to me with a challenging look on her face, I realized she was just trying to rile me up.

It... almost worked, though. Lalo na at hindi pa rin ako nasisiyahan sa nangyari kanina.

"Are you stupid to fall into the same trick twice, Soleis?"

I directed my cool gaze to a fixed front, not giving her any attention. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself, Chastity."

That's what I confidently told them but my twin won at the end. Sure, they let me go ahead as I wished but I knew Eurie was following me closely behind. Mabilis ko lang siyang nahuli at pinasabay sa'kin. Sunod kong namataan si Vys na nagtatago sa bawat alley. Eventually, he joined us in walking and finding tickets too. 

Twenty minutes passed since the event started and we're still looking for tickets. The first phase required us to look for five 'O' tickets inside the town. I've collected three 'O's and seven 'X's. Once I have five, which is enough and complete, I can head towards one of the doors where I'll be meeting the guards - which are the best players tasked to challenge the participating players. 

And by best players, I meant the strongest and the legends. Halos mapaatras nga kami nang makita ang mukha ni Vesta doon. Bawat miyembro ng Oddcredibles ay nakatayo sa may doorway, sporting a bored face but still emitting an intimidating aura. Ang pinakamabigat na ere ay nagmumula sa gitna ng arena kaya sigurado akong si Solace ang nakatayo do'n. For a few seconds, I was glad that she couldn't hide her power so that we could avoid meeting the King.

Walang katao-tao ang kalyeng dinaanan namin. Pinapagitnaan ito ng bayan at gubat. It was Vys' suggestion. Baka daw nasa mga monsters ang ibang tickets. 

"So talaga bang babae ka, Lei?"

Napabuntong-hininga ako sa nagtatanong na mata ni Ella. Kanina pa siya sa tanong na 'yan. Mula nang marinig ang lalaki kong boses.

"Do I look like a man to you? Isa pa, hindi tayo pwedeng magchange genders sa game na 'to."

"E ba't ka boses lalaki no'ng sinundo namin? Tapos tawag sa'yo no'ng lalaki e him o 'di kaya his."

"She used a voice-changing potion," si Vys na ang sumagot para sa'kin. "Pero hindi din epektibo because she still attracted attention as a male."

Ella chuckled, "Ganiyan talaga kapag magandang lahi galing, Lei!" 

But it's uncomfortable when people start to flock like I'm an item on display or... when they get the urge to kidnap me. Kahit na laro lang 'to, nakaka-kaba pa rin. Paano na lang kaya kapag naglaro rin si Mama nito? She would attract even more attention for sure. Baka itago na lang siya ni Tito River. 

Sa sobrang protective no'n kay Mama, iniisip ko pa rin kung paano siya nakumbinsi ni Papa. But well... maybe it also just shows that Papa's a good guy who deserves Mama at sinang-ayunan ni Tito River ang pagpapakasal nila.

Pity to the others, though. I still remember the other suitors who were blocked from Mama's social medias because of Tito. Kaya tinutukso tuloy siya ng asawa na may sister complex. 

"But that man was crossing the line."

I glanced at Vys when his voice dropped to a serious tone. His brows were knitted as he glared at the empty street in front. 

"May problema?" tanong ko.

He held my gaze for a few seconds before looking away. "Wala."

Tahimik kaming pinapanood ni Ella na biglang natawa. "Alam mo kasi, Lei, may chismis akong nasagap mula kay-"

The deafening sound of the bomb almost shattered my ears before my vision was filled with a thick, white smoke. Nauubo ako at gustong pumikit pero pinilit ko ang sarili na hanapin ang mga kasama. But when I couldn't see either of them, I started panicking. 

"Lei!" 

My head snapped towards the direction of Vys' voice. He called for me and I shouted back too. Even with the heavy smoke around us, I could briefly make out a figure coming closer. Naaninag ko ang anino ng isang kamay ngunit bago pa iyon matanggap ay may humatak na sa'kin patungo sa isang eskinita.

My eyes widened when I was slammed against the wall. Hindi masakit dahil naramdaman ko ang kamay ng estranghero na sinalo ang impact. I could feel the heat radiating from the person's body as he pressed himself closer to me. Sandali akong napatingala dahil mas matangkad ito sa'kin. Magtatanong na sana ako kung anong nangyari nang may kamay na tumakip sa bibig ko.

Then, I felt the sharp blade of a knife touching my neck.  

What the fuck? Bumigat ang bawat paghinga ko nang maalala ang lalaking ganito din ang trip kanina. Siya na naman ba? Bakit laging sa eskinita kami nito nagkikita?

Sa gilid ng mata ko ay napansin ko ang pagkawala ng usok. Umuubo-ubo at luminga-linga ang dalawang kaibigan ko. Ella kept asking where I went to, while Vys was busy shouting my name with a dark expression on his face. It was a bit refreshing to see my ever-calm bestfriend look this stressed. 

"Leis? Where the fuck are you?"

"Nagtataguan ba tayo ngayon, Vys?"

Kung hindi lang ako nasa bingit ng kamatayan, napahampas na ako sa noo.

"No. Inatake tayo. Let's go our separate ways and look for her."

"Sige, pero baka mag-alala si Rae kung sabihin nating...?"

"Just tell him we went in different directions to speed up the ticket hunting. We will meet her in the arena later."

Actually, nandito lang naman ako.

Nagpaalam sila sa isa't isa. My breathing hitched when Vys passed the alley we were in. Mas dinikit ng tao ang katawan niya sa'kin nang sandaling huminto ang kaibigan ko. I was praying hardㅡthat he turn around and notice me being held at knifepoint. Ngunit ilang sandali lang ay nagpatuloy siya sa paglalakad. 

My heart constricted in my throat. Lalo na nang makaramdam ng hapdi sa leeg. 

"His perception isn't that high to notice my stealth yet," isang baritonong boses ang narinig ko. It was familiar. "Lucky." 

The man tipped my head back, making our eyes meet. The sharp facial features and almost-supladong look reminded me of Nigel's leader. His piercing gaze made me lean back a little.

Habang tumatagal ang pagtitig niya sa mukha ko ay mas nararamdaman ko ang pagka-ilang. Even when I averted my eyes, the intensity of his stare made my cheeks hot.

"...Waitㅡ" naningkit ang mata niya. "You're not the person Nigel wants."

I blinked. Tapos? Ano naman ngayon?

"Pero kamukha mo siya... babae ka nga lang," he paused. "Twins?"

Did he assume that the male and female me are two different persons just because the voice was different? Ang dali lang pala mauto ng mga tao dito. 

I hesitated over answering him. Kung tatango ba ako, hindi niya ako ibibigay do'n kay Nigel? 

I think that would be a more preferable option.

Mahina akong tumango.

He placed his face dangerously close to mine and I couldn't move further away because of the wall behind me! I'm thankful for his big hands that served as our barrier. I thought the answer would push him away, pero bakit hindi pa din niya ako binibitawan?

I mean, I am not the male Lealis that they want which meansㅡ

Is he smirking?

"That's good." 

Chills ran down my spine when he breathed those words near my lips. Even with his hand between us, his minty breath tickled my nose. 

Should I have never left Rae's side after all? Whenever I become his shadow, I encounter less danger. 

"That means I can keep you to myself, right?"

Ha?! Anong pinagsasabi ng lalaking 'to? Baliw na nga siguro lahat ng members ng guild na 'yon!

Binawi niya ang kamay na nakatakip sa labi ko. I thought he would let me go, pero hindi man lang niya dinagdagan ang distansiya naming dalawa. His hand greedily captured mine. Naging mahigpit ang pagkakahawak niya nang pilit kong bawiin ang kamay.  

Masama ang tingin na ibinigay ko sa kaniya. "What do you want?" I spat every word with fury dripping from my voice.

"Hmm. You look exactly like Nigel's interest but... you're not the man he's looking for," walang-emosyon nitong tugon. "Which means I can have you."

Baliw nga silang lahat!

I challenged his stare, frowning. "Ayoko."

"I wasn't asking." 

Tangina, ang hirap naman nilang kausapin. Can I pull out my arrow and stab this guy in the eye?

"Well, I don't care. Basta ang sagot ko ayoko."

He smirked, eyes narrowing at me dangerously. "You don't know what I'm capable of, pretty. I say just follow my words so you don't lose that gorgeous head of yours."

"Mabuti pang mamatay ng libong beses kaysa mapunta sa'yo," I equalled his glare and tone.

I had hoped that my attitude would make him back away. Ngunit sa halip na mainis, magalit, o layasan ako, mahina siyang natawa. His eyes danced in amusement as he pulled me even closer, as if he wanted to merge our bodies into one.

"I find that such a delicious challenge, doll," dahan-dahan at may diin ang pagkakasabi niya.

Umawang ang labi ko. Fucking hell, they're all batshit crazy! Nakatakas nga ako kay Nigel pero mas malalw pa pala ang leader nila! 

He stepped back and a relieved sigh almost left my lips. "Don't worry. I won't pressure you about your twin. It's fun to see Nigel suffer."

Ako pa rin naman 'yon. Tinitigan ko lang siya at hindi na sumagot. Their stubborn heads won't listen to whatever I say anyway. Better to act mute than entertain these weirdos. 

"How many tickets do you have?"

Kumunot ang noo ko. 

"Tickets," ipinakita niya ang event tickets. "How many?"

I held up three fingers, leaning on the wall with an uninterested face now. I've been itching to run away since he stepped away but I know better than to underestimate his skills. He managed to Vys, who is a scout, earlier. If I tried to slip through his grasp now, maghe-hello Cathedral ako bago pa makapasok sa arena.

He smiled, now gentler than before. "Alright. I got two extras. You can have them." 

Kinuha niya ang kamay ko at nilagay ang dalawang 'O' tickets doon. I looked up at him, wide-eyed. 

"What are you doing? You're helping me?" tanong ko.

Lalong lumaki ang ngiti niya at tinaasan ako ng kilay. "That's yours. I always take care of what's mine, doll."

I didn't have a chance to answer because he caught my wrist and dragged me away. Nagpatianod na lang ako dahil tinatamad na akong lumaban at well, free tickets, huh?

Lumipas ang ilang minuto na hindi ko na kayang sumunod-sunod lang kaya nagsalita ako, "Alam mo... this is kidnapping."

He threw me a look over his shoulder, raising a brow.

"You're taking me against my will. You're treating me as an object. You're despicable."

"If I let you go now, will you run?" seryosong tanong niya.

Bahagya akong nagulat dahil talaga bang kailangang itanong 'yan? 

"Of course, duh." 

Tumigil siya sa paglalakad. The sudden halt made me a bit nervous. Malay ko ba kung bigla na lang siyang magpapalabas ng kutsilyo at itapon ako sa Cathedral.  

"I'm Deus, the guild leader of Outlaws. I like cats. I usually drink coffee. I'm starting university next year and I'm taking up engineering," he said that so quickly, I almost didn't hear some of it.

"Uh..." my brows knitted, "Bakit mo 'to sinasabi?"

He turned around to face me. "You said you don't know me so I'm telling you now. My favorite season is winter because I have liked playing in the snow since I was a child. Varsity ako sa school basketㅡ"

"Wait, wait, waitㅡ" iniharang ko ang kamay sa walang-preno niyang bibig. "I don't need to know all those useless information!"

"I can't let you go or you'd run, so I'm telling you everything about myself. That would make you stay, right?"

Huh. Nasobrahan na ata sa paglalaro ng bola ang isang 'to at tatalbog-talbog na ang isip at wala sa klaro.

"Are you fucking alright in the head?" 

My heart dropped when he suddenly laughed. 

"I'm kidding," he answered, chuckling. "You caught my eye, doll, and I wanted to test you. See, I'd let you run and we can have a little chase but I can catch you in no time. Kaya naman tutulungan na lang kitang makapasok sa arena."

"I'm still going to run away from you, creep."

"Of course, of course. Let's have our little chase how many times you want," he said huskily.

"Maghabol ka mag-isa mo."

Muli siyang natawa. "I never knew you could have such an honest mouth. Is that why Nigel almost killed you? 'Cause you pissed him off?"

Hindi ko siya sinagot at sinamaan lang ng tingin. He accepted my silence with a sly smirk, dragging me off to who-knows-where again. I keenly watched every alley and street we walked on, a bit focused on trying to remember every detail in case he decided to kill me right now, and I was surprised when he stopped.

"Here we are."

Huminto kaming dalawa sa harap ng malawak na daan papuntang arena. A large door was waiting at the end of the road. The presence of the player guarding the doorㅡpossibly an elite and strong playerㅡmade the air a bit thick and menacing. I couldn't properly see who it was but the figure was petite.

Binitawan ni Deus ang kamay ko kaya napabaling ako sa kaniya. Ibinulsa niya ang isang kamay.

"Goodluck, doll. She's feisty."

His comment made me frown. I wanted to ask but I didn't want to spend one more second with him. Kaya naghanap na lang ako ng lakas at nagsimulang maglakad patungo sa pintuan. The large door took about half of the arena's height. Sobrang taas nito na kakasya ata ang apat na elepante patayo.

The nearer I got, the thicker the atmosphere was. It was like walking in a foggy forest with no clear vision and only the blood guiding me. And there's the anxious feeling that someone would quickly appear and take my life. I just find it lucky that this wasn't Solace I'm facing because her door had such a heavy presence.

Isang pamilyar na mukha ang naghintay sa'kin. My feet stopped with my emotions now in turmoil. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang dapat na maramdaman ngayon na kaharap ko na si Feyre.

She was so unserious and was a bit of a headache when we met her, but this smirking rogue in front of me spelled trouble. Kumikinang ang berde niyang mata at pale-yellow na buhok. The chains made a jingling noise when she raised a hand to wave at me. 

"Well, well," her chuckle gave me goosebumps. "If it isn't the newbie, hmm. Sumali na agad kayo sa isang malaking event kahit na ilang oras pa lang kayong naglalaro? Color me impressed."

Hindi ako nakasagot. How am I supposed to win against this formidable rogue? She's considered the trickiest player in Arth. Maraming masasamang tsismis na naka-konekta sa kaniya. I bet that the chances of someone passing her is less than 30. 

Am I so unlucky that she's the guard I encountered?

Hindi, Leis. Hindi mo 'to kasalanan. Ang pesteng Deus na 'yon ang dahilan! Siguradong alam niya na si Feyre ang nagbabantay nito kaya dito niya ako hinatak!

"Tama ba? Tama ba? Color me impressed? Hehe, ang cool ng line na 'yon, 'no? Nakuha ko 'yan do'n sa asul kayaㅡ"

Tumigil siya sa walang-prenong pagsasalita nang kumunot ang noo ko. She cleared her throat and tried to look serious again.

"Ready your coins for the resurrection and new items, newbie." nakangisi niyang tugon. "Bago ka pa lang naman so I know marami kang gold. Ilan ba?"

"... 80,000." 

Napaatras ako nang bigla siyang umubo ng pagkalakas-lakas. Hinampas-hampas niya pa ang dibdib, kaya hindi ko maiwasang mag-alala na baka lumabas na pati baga niya. 

"A-Are you okay?" walang-kwenta kong tanong.

Nanlalaki ang mata niyang bumaling sa'kin. "May 80,000 gold coins ka?!"

Nagdadalawang-isip akong tumango.

"Shit!" she cursed loudly and started tapping the air. "Okay! Maganda 'to!"

I can't help but look at her frantically because her speed in moving and speaking doubled. Tila nagmamadali kaming dalawa pero para saan... hindi ko alam.

"You have the five tickets?"

"Uhㅡoo," I hurriedly gave her the tickets as if I was handing money to the cashier in a rush hour with a long queue. 

Ni hindi man lang ito tiningnan ni Feyre at tumango na. "Now, I'm giving you your test."

Napalunok ako. Handa na akong kunin ang pana nang bigla niyang ilahad ang kamay.

"Give me 25,000 gold coins and you can enter the arena," ipinagsalikop niya ang kamay. "Please huwag kang tumanggi. May utang ako kay Hex."

I stood there, frozen. What the fuck?

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-chapter end-