Paige's POV

We gave up our flags.

Knowing Reign, she wouldn't stop until she could prove that even if she was a one-woman team, she was, and still is, the top student of the Academy.

I was the one in charge to carry the blue flag while Henri held the red.

We were supposed to fight against each other first to steal each other's flags and we did.

Then Grey appeared with the yellow and everything fell apart.

Habang nagbabasa ng libro, hindi ko binalingan ng tingin ang aurai na nagpaalam na may kukunin pagkatapos suriin kung gaano kalubha ang mga marka sa aking binti.

Nasa loob ako ng isa sa mga cubicles ng clinic, nakaupo sa dulo ng higaan at hawak-hawak ang librong kakaumpisa ko pa lang kaninang umaga.

Napabuntong-hininga ako.

For some reason, Grey just loves making things worse. He likes to create chaos, and though it's annoying, I know why he tends to be chaotic.

Grey knows he's powerful to the point that he grew to love chaos. He likes to make a mess of himself and others, and still enjoy the struggle.

Reign shows her dominance by releasing controlled power, while her brother shows dominance by causing chaos.

Because deep inside, he knows that he also has great control.

Kampante si Grey sa kahit anong uri ng gulo sa puntong minsa'y siya na nga ang naghahanap at nag-uumpisa nito, at hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong mamangha o mainis, sa mga pagkakataong nadadamay kami nito.

Not surprised, though.

It was his mother who summoned and proclaimed war against Chaos, the literal god of chaos and the most powerful.

Lumipat ako sa kasunod na pahina ng libro. Daglian akong napatigil nang maramdaman ang pag-inject ng serum sa aking paa.

"That should relieve the numbness and pain," sabi ng aurai na di ko namalayang nakabalik na pala sa pagkakayuko sa harap ko. 

She wore a nurse's uniform and glanced up at me with a smile. "It will take a few minutes for the lightning marks to disappear, are you okay with that?"

Inangat ko ang aking binti sabay piling ng aking ulo upang tignan ang mapupulang marka sa aking balat.

It looked like someone painted red branches around my leg. Though I know it's not paint, but blood vessels that burst from the electric discharge that crawled under my skin.

Tinanguan ko ang aurai at bumalik sa pagbabasa.

I sighed, again.

Henri and I decided to give up our flags after seeing the damage of the storm on the valley and our members. Vance was not happy, and so was Zack, but they changed their minds after being struck by lightning.

Kaya nasa ICU silang dalawa ngayon.

Lumapit si Ash sa kinaroroonan ko bitbit ang isang chart. "Hello, Paige," bati niya sa'kin nang nakangiti.

I slowly lowered my book on the edge of the bed and smiled back at him. "Hi, Ash."

Tinignan niya ang chart. "You and Henri got the least injuries."

Kumunot ang aking noo. "What about you?" tanong ko. "Why are you walking around the clinic?"

"I'm fine, don't worry," natatawa niyang tugon.

"Ash-"

"Please," he kindly insisted.

Matagal-tagal akong napatitig sa lalaking nakatayo sa harap ko. Nakabihis na siya at nakasuot na ngayon ng puting polo shirt at pastel blue pants. As if he didn't look immaculate enough, he also paired it with a white coat.

Gods...

I smiled at him, but then that smile disappeared once I saw a girl appear from behind him.

"Hi, Paige," bati ni Reign. Saka siya humarap kay Ash. "Ash, tulungan na kita?"

Halatang ipinagtaka ni Ash ang biglaang pagpakita niya. "Reign? I thought you're in the dorm sleeping?"

Reign had her hands behind her when she slightly leaned to the side. "Napadaan lang ako at nakita kita. Baka kailangan mo ng tulong?"

I gave Reign a bored look.

"Thank you, but Dad's on his way from the research lab," Ash answered.

Natawa nang mahina si Reign. "So, I'll leave everyone to your care?"

Tumango-tango si Ash. "Sleep well, Reign, you deserve it."

Pinaningkitan ko si Reign na nagpaalam na. Hinatid ko siya ng tingin papalabas ng clinic bago muling harapin si Ash.

"How's the others?" usisa ko.

He sighed. "Zack and Vance are still in intensive care. Amber's drifted to an exhausted sleep, while Bella just woke up," sagot niya. "And Grey's gone, as usual."

Dumako ang aking mga mata sa sulok ng aking paningin nang may maalala.

"Am I good to go?" tanong ko.

"Only Dad can discharge patients," sagot niya at napatingin sa kanyang relo. "He should be here by now."

Saktong pumasok ang isang babae. "Amber?!" Luminga-linga siya at napatigil nang makita si Ash. "Ash?! Sa'n yung kapatid mo?!"

"Ang ingay!" Amber screamed on the other end of the clinic.

Pumasok din si Doctor Seht na napangiti habang sinusundan ng tingin si Mrs. Sol na patakbo-takbo sa clinic at isa-isang hinawi ang kurtina ng bawat nakasaradong cubicle.

"Asa'n ka, Alexandra?!" She panicked. "Amputa- putek pala. Magsalita ka, anak!"

"Language, Thea," tugon ni Doc.

"Tumahimik ka, Seht! Yung anak natin natamaan ng kidlat sa unang araw pa lang ng eskwela!" 

"But it's not the first time-"

Malakas na suminghap si Mrs. Sol. "Amber, baby ko!"

"Ma! Napanaginipan ko si Lola Matilda- aray!"

Napabuntong-hininga nalang si Doc at nilingon kami. 

"Ash? You updated the reports?" tanong niya nang makalapit sa'min at tinanggap ang inabot na chart ni Ash.

Napangiti siya habang tinitignan ang bawat pahina. "You're learning, huh?"

"I think I made a mistake under the blood report." Ash pointed something on the chart. "See?"

Doc tilted his head and looked at his son in amusement. "We all make mistakes sometimes, don't we?"

"But Dad, making mistakes is dangerous, even in reports."

"It's a good thing I make sure to review everything, then."

Yes. This is exactly what I came here for. To get a glimpse of the father-son duo. The gentle doctor and his kind son.

The clinic in the Academy is literal heaven.

Aside from the all-white interior and light-colored furniture, the nurses have wings and the doctor...

Nilingon ako ni Doctor Seht. "You're good to go, Paige."

"Are you sure, Doc?"

He nodded before turning to face Ash. "You too, Ash. Go get some rest."

"Can I check on Amber first?" ani Ash.

"Yeah, let's do that." Hinawakan siya ni Doc sa balikat at sabay nila akong tinalikuran pagkatapos magpaalam.

Pagkatapos sundan ng tingin ang mag-ama, sinarado ko na yung libro na nasa kamay ko. Inangat ko ang isa kong tuhod at nagsimulang suotin ulit ang aking mga medyas.

I wonder why Mom didn't fall in love with someone like Doctor Seht. Instead, she loved Dad, who she constantly bickers with.

How they ended up together is still a mystery to me, to be honest...

Bumaba ako ng higaan at sinuot ang mga sapatos ko. Kinuha ko na rin ang cape ko. Yakap-yakap ang libro at nakasampay ang kapa sa braso, lumabas ako ng clinic.

I didn't bother to return the gaze of the students I encountered while walking in the halls. I was about to walk towards the entrance of the Academy to hitch a ride on the levitating platform when my feet automatically stopped.

And then, it moved again, to the direction of the mall.

Nang makapasok ako, dumiretso ako sa grocery store na nasa basement, pati na rin ang malaking cafeteria namin.

Nilagpasan ko ang food stalls at agad sinalubong ng mga babaeng nagbubulong-bulungan habang dumadaan sa'king harapan.

"Did you see him? Gods!"

"Bakit hindi, diba? A descendant of both Aphrodite and Zeus?"

"I wonder if someone has slept with him..."

Nababagot ang aking mga mata nang sundan ng tingin ang huling pangkat ng mga babaeng dumaan.

Umikot ako. I changed my mind.

Marami pang mga babae ang nagmamadaling pumasok dahilan na mapaatras ako at mabitawan ko yung libro ko.

After I regained my balanced, I looked around to search for it on the floor. I let out a sigh of relief after I found it a few meters away from me.

Akmang lalapitan ko na ito nang mapatigil ako dahil isang shopping cart ang nakita kong gumulong patungo rito.

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata. My book!

Isang portal ang panandaliang bumukas sa sahig at nahulog rito ang aking libro. Tapos, narinig ko ang pagbukas ng isa pang portal sa ibabaw ko.

Kusang gumalaw ang aking mga braso para saluin ang libro.

Grey.

"Paige."

Nilingon ko si Grey na nasa gitna ng aisle. Nakangiti siya habang nakasandal ang mga braso sa hawakan ng isang shopping cart.

Kumunot ang aking noo. "How long have you been there?"

"I was on my way to the cashier when I saw you," sagot niya.

Sinulyapan ko ang mga pinamili niya. "Is that all?"

Umayos siya sa pagkakatayo. "This is the last cart."

He pushed the cart and when he walked past me, I felt his hand gently press on my back to force me to take a step forward.

Binilisan ko ang aking mga hakbang nang maunahan ko siya at makawala ako sa hawak niya. Saka ko narinig ang marahan niyang pagtawa.

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin.

"Paige," sambit niya nang makarating kami sa hulihan ng linya. "Why do you always conceal your presence?"

I continued to throw knives at him with my eyes.

"You know how powerful you are," aniya. "Why hide it?"

My eyes drifted down after I realized that he must be talking about how I easily got shoved by the group of students that almost ruined my book...

"I don't like attention," sagot ko.

"Not like your brother and your best friend, huh?"

I gave him an empty look. Really? He's only referring to Vance and Reign?

"Not like you," I included him.

Namuo ang isang namamanghang ngiti sa kanyang labi. Napansin ko rin ang dagliang pagbaba ng kanyang paningin bago magtanong, "How's Reign?"

Marahan kong itinulak ang cart nang mapansin ang espasyo sa'ming harapan.

"It was unusual, wasn't it?" I asked. "She immediately flew to the sky instead of just using the mist to fight us on the ground."

He chuckled. "My sister's threatened."

My lips formed a subtle smile. "She's been agitated ever since he arrived."

"Reign..." bulong niya. "All her life, she only wants to be the best."

"You can't blame her," tugon ko. "She carries not just her own power, but also everyone's expectations."

"She always sleeps, but she really doesn't rest, does she?"

"Mmm." I hummed in agreement.

"She's like your Mom." Inangat ko ang aking tingin kay Grey. "She always thinks about others."

"And at the same time, she also thinks about herself like Dad," dugtong niya.

"She has to," I said, while remembering all the times Reign showed power to remind others what she's capable of. "Because if not, how else would she tell others who we are?" 

"Which is why..." He pushed the cart and grabbed a bag of sliced pork from the pile of groceries. "You're going to help me cook dinner."

Isa-isa niyang nilapag ang pinamili niya sa counter.

Tinulungan ko rin siya. "I don't know how to cook," paalala ko sa kanya.

Napahinto siya at nilingon ako nang nakakunot ang noo. "Kahit sinigang?"

Umiling ako. 

Between me, Vance, Mom and Dad, it's Dad who cooks for us in the family. He has spoiled us with a lot of home-cooked food that we prefer the food at home instead of high-end restaurants.

Pinapadalhan din kami ni Dad ng packaged meals habang nandito kami ni Vance sa Academy. My brother and I both have our own mini fridges in our rooms where we keep them, and when we miss his cooking, we'd just heat it in the microwave.

My Dad takes pride in his cooking.

There was one time Vance joked that it did not taste good and we ate take-outs for a month. 

Nalaman ito ni Mom nang mapansin ang expenses namin kaka-order ng mga pagkain kaya umuwi agad siya kahit di pa tapos yung business trip niya para kumbinsihin si Dad na magluto ulit.

They may like to argue a lot but my parents are just one call away from each other. When one senses that the other one is bothered, they'd drop everything to talk personally.

"Want me to teach you?" ani Grey habang nililipat ang groceries. "It's my sister's favorite."

"Mom cooked it for her, the day before she left for school but she wasn't able to eat it," pagbibigay-alam niya. "My father's to blame."

I lowered my head to hide a smile.

It's always his father's fault, even if their dad has done completely nothing wrong. Simply because Grey saw him as a competition, and he still does, of his mother's love and attention.

Naglaho ang namumuo kong ngiti sa sandaling naramdaman ko ang mga mata niyang nakatuon sa'kin. Tumikhim ako, bago salubungin ang kanyang nanlalambot na tingin.

I almost took a step back when Grey lifted his hand and moved a strand of hair that escaped from my braid. 

"There," he said. "I can see you now."

Nginitian niya ako at ibinaling ang kanyang atensyon sa counter.

I watched him hand his ID at the cashier who made sure to slightly touch his hand before grabbing the card, but instead of looking back, Grey just glanced at the screen.

Nilagpasan ko siya at tumungo sa dulo ng counter kung saan nakapatong ang isang malaking box. Pagkatapos, sumayad ang aking paningin sa apat pang mga kahon na nasa sahig.

Using my power to control gravity and enhanced strength, I lifted the five boxes above my head without raising a finger and slowly turned around to face the students who stopped on their tracks and looked at me.

Nakapamulsa si Grey sa tabi ko. "I thought you said you don't like attention."

"I owe you for using your power to save my book."