[Keon]

My head is burning... my skin is also burning, literally. Nakapikit ang mga mata ko, malalim ang aking paghinga. Nahihirapan ako sa bawat hinga ko, parang may nakabara sa dibdib ko na gumagasgas sa lalamunan ko.

I'm... still alive?

I slowly opened my eyes. Ramdam kong umaandar ang inuupuan ko. My eyesight is blurry. Now that I regained consciousness, I can feel my whole body aching, burning, as if my brain is begging me to get some help and to treat my injuries and wounds.

Unti-unting nag-adjust ang mga mata ko, kung saan bumungad sa akin ang mga kamay kong nakatali, pati ang mga paa ko. Nakaupo ako sa isang... kalesa.

As soon as I opened my eyes, the first thing I did was... to use my gift. I changed my eyes, or so I thought.

"'Wag ka ng gumawa o mag-isip ng kung ano, sulitin mo na ang natitirang oras na buhay ka pa."

Hindi ko makita ang nagsalita, pero alam kong nanggaling siya sa bandang kanan ko. Hindi ko pa rin maikot o maigalaw ang ulo ko.

Yeah... I can't use my gift.

I glanced at my leg. I forgot... I was shot.

Sumagi sa isip ko ang baril na ginamit sa akin. Parang narinig ko ulit ang pagputok ng baril na nag-echo sa tenga ko. I bit my lower lip. It's that gun... the golden gun with a clock.

 What happened?-

May lumapit sa harapan ko, at tumapat sa mukha ko para tignan ako mabuti. I can't see his face, I think he's the one who's talking earlier. He's wearing a black mask, that has a symbol of diamond on it.

"Akala ko kanina patay ka na eh," aniya.

"Iba na talaga mga bata ngayon," dagdag ng isang lalaki. Kapwa niya ay nakatakip ang mukha na may diamond.

Pareho silang kaswal na naupo sa harapan ko. They both lowered their guards since I can't use my gift, and I'm not in the state to fight.

Malabo at magulo ang memorya ko. Unti-unti, nagsipasukan ang lahat sa isipan ko. What happened from the start... to-

A glimpse of what happened flashed in my mind. Namulat kaagad ang mga mata ko at namilog.

You're kidding me... right?

Yeah...

I chuckled.

Yeah...

My memories are just blurry and messed up. There's no way... no way that 'that' happened.

My chuckled got louder, that it turned into a laugh.

"Y-Yeah," I said to myself while laughing. "That didn't happened."

Parehong nabigla ang dalawang kaharap ko sa biglaang pagsasalita at pagtawa ko. They both looked at me, confuse, at the same time, disgusted, as if I'm a crazy person.

"I-It's NOT REAL!" I laughed harder and louder. And just seconds later, I felt something dripping on my cheeks. It's not blood— it's clear.

My loud laugh... turned into a sob... "I-It's not real-" that turned into a wail. 

Walang tigil ang pagtulo ng mga luha ko habang pilit akong tumatawa. 

"G-Gin... Gin can't be dead."

That scenario popped in my mind. His burnt body... with holes. Gin, full of blood, his own blood, looking at me.

"R-Run, Keon!"

Parang masusuka ako, nanginginig ang buong katawan at nanlamig ako. "N-NO, NO, NO, NO!"

I stood, making the two guys in front of me flinch. Even though I'm tied up, I didn't hesitate to attack them both.

"Daganan mo!-" ani ng isa.

"Fuck! Ang gulo niya!-"

They both tried to pin me down. Even though I can take them both without my gift, in my current state, full of wounds and injuries... I don't think I can.

I'm wounded... both physically and emotionally.

"Gin..." I cried as they both pin me down. I'm sorry...

His face flashed in my mind, followed by the words he told me before that I won't forget.

"I have plenty of siblings... not by blood, still..." Gin chuckled, I look at him confused. He smiled. "Among all of them, you're more like a brother to me."

I continued sobbing. At this moment, his body is still there, left behind. I can't let it be... I must at least, give him a proper burial.

I don't have the power now... but I will... I will come back and retrieve your body, brother.

-TWO HOURS EARLIER-

"What... what are you doing here?" I asked, slightly irritated. 

Napatingin ako sa lalaking kasama kong maglakad. It's already night. I just finished my mission here, and I'm on my way back. When Gin, suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Nakanguso siya, nasa batok ang dalawang kamay. 

"Pinapasundo ka ni Aqua," sagot niya.

"Tsk, alam kong pinapabalik nila lahat! Bakit ka pa pumunta rito? Kailangan ka nga nila roon!" giit ko. "Tsaka, paano mo nalaman na nandito ako?"

Nagbingi-bingihan si Gin sa mga sinabi ko, na wala ng bago. Malalim na lang akong napabuntong-hininga. Wala ng bago rito, at sanay na sanay na 'kong napalilibutan ng mga taong matitigas ang mga ulo.

"Fine, what is it?" I asked, calmly.

As if I'm a parent who lowered my voice to my kid who's having a tantrum. And like a kid, Gin's mood change in an instant. Sinadya niya talagang magbingi-bingihan kanina.

"You know, right?" aniya. "The code red!"

Nasa daan ang tingin ko habang nakatingin siya sa akin at naglalakad.

"Yeah. It must be serious." I see, maybe Gin's here because of that. He's talking about the upcoming-

"Yes! It's serious! Cross is coming back!"

Mabilis na naglaho ang nasa isip ko. Hindi maipinta ang mukha ko nang lingunin ko siya. "Cross?"

"Yes! Papayag ka ba na bumalik siya?! I mean— he's not safe to be with."

Huminto ako sa paglalakad. Huminga ako nang malalim at napahawak sa noo ko.

"Of course he'll be back, he's one of us! And what do you mean he's not safe? He's your friend!"

"YOUR friend, Keon. Not mine! He's a weirdo."

And you too.

"We can't let him do what he pleases! He's also a threat to the academies!"

I know where this is getting. Gin is getting paranoid. His 'first son' instincts is coming up.

And this is because...

"A threat to the Portugals! A threat to Pri-"

"Principal Helena," pagtapos ko sa sasabihin niya.

I understand his frustration. Which is too shallow.

"See! You know it too! He's definitely way more stronger now than before, and if he chose to turn his back on us, we'll be doomed!"

He's getting paranoid because of Cross' past, which I can relate too. Cross is good to have as an ally, but deadly as an enemy. Knowing his past, there's a chance that he might-

No.

He won't do that.

I know him... I know him.

After all the things that the academy has done, they are still his family. And for him, family is all that matters.

"Hindi natin siya pwedeng hayaan!" muling sambit ni Gin. "It's hard, but if it's the two of us, maybe there's a chance!"

As if.

Sa lahat ng kilala ko... si Cross ang pinakadelikado. He doesn't have sympathy to anyone, he's the perfect judge. He's also the only one... only one I know, who managed to hurt Principal Helena once.

"Tigilan mo, Gin."

"We shouldn't come up with-"

Nahinto ako...

Hindi lang ako, kung hindi pati na rin si Gin. Sa isang iglap, nagbago ang ihip ng hangin. In this forest, in the middle of the night... there are people surrounding us.

Tumalim ang tingin ko at nagbago ang ekspresyon ko.

It's an ambush.

CHAPTER 50
AMBUSHED