I frustratingly bit my bottom lip as the man in front of me suddenly covered the light coming from the sun along with his brooding face. I can hear the guards talking, commanding not far away from our direction, but he seems stiff and does not even care if someone might catch us.

“Move…” I said and lightly pushed him in order to run away from the apostles.

Parker scoffed and looked at me with disbelief, and instead of moving, he used the strength of his muscular body and leaned his body to mine. The warm sensation of the wall clung to my back, making me glared at him.

“You have the guts to expose yourself in front of the apostles, so why run away?” He bitterly asked.

“You’re having a good time earlier… So, why do you care?”

I mightily kicked his leg pero tiniis lamang ni gago ang sakit no’n at nanatili sa kanyang puwesto. Nang tinuon niya ang kanyang palad at pinangharang ang kanyang braso sa aking gilid ay napairap na lamang ako sa kanya.

“Anong sabi mo?”

“Maybe ask the one holding your hand earlier,” I whispered.

Pinagtaasan n’ya ako ng kilay dahilan upang makipagtagisan s’ya ng tingin sa akin. Sa sobrang hina siguro nang pagkakasalita ko’y hindi niya iyon narinig pero wala akong pakielam kung narinig man niya iyon o hindi.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang dahan-dahan niyang sinubsob ang sarili sa akin kasabay ang isang nakaaasar na ngisi. Tila nabato ako sa aking puwesto nang bigla na lamang niyang pinatong ang kanyang noo sa ‘kin, ilang mura ang nais lumabas sa aking bibig ngunit nanatili lamang akong tahimik.

“Why are you angry? Hindi ba dapat ay ako ang magalit?” I tried avoiding his eyes, but given the position we have, I can’t. I can feel disappointment in his eyes, and the way his lips trembles somehow scare the shit out of me, “You freaking put Katalina’s name in their system! Cara immediately knew it once she tried hacking that old guard’s computer, and now you’ll show up to the apostles like that! You knew that we are doing everything to protect you from your father!”

“Then stop protecting me! You can still walk out, Parker—napakadali lang!”

He suddenly scowled and bitterly laughed, “Do you really think that walking away from you is easy?”

“You can still—” I wasn’t able to finish my sentence when he suddenly covered my mouth using the filthy hand that Sierra held. We heard footsteps silently walking towards our hiding place while Parker was trying his best to lean over me to cover my body.

“Hmmm!” I struggled and gave all my might to remove his dirty hand covering my mouth when both of our eyes automatically widened because the door behind me suddenly disappeared, making us fall to the ground.

“Tangina…”

“No one is here, Commander.” I looked up and saw Parker on the top of me, and behind him was a thick wall.

The sudden change of the surrounding made me baffled. I roamed my sight around and saw myself in a living room. Buong lakas ko naman na tinulak si Parker dahilan upang umangil s’ya, dahan-dahan akong naglakad patungo sa pader at kinatok ito. Nang pinatong ko ang tainga ko ro’n ay narinig ko ang walang humpay na sigawan ng mg apostles maging ang kanilang mabibigat na martsa.

Laking pasasalamat na lang dahil may sikretong lagusan dito, kung hindi umikot ang pader na ito ay siguradong mahuhuli na kami ro’n. Pero bakit hindi nila alam ang lugar na ‘to? I mean, this place is part of Besodiah, right?

Nang muli kong ginala ang aking mga mata ay napansin ko na walang kahit anong pinto o bintana sa palapag na ito. Ngunit maayos at maaliwalas ang paligid dahil isa itong bahay, kung sino man ang tao sa lugar na ito ay hinihiling kong hindi isang bozo iyon dahil ipalalapa ko talaga si Parker kapag nagkataon.

“Where do you think you are going?” He asked.

I sassily flipped my hair and rolled my eyes at him, “Upstairs, moron.” He was about to pull me using his dirty hand when I immediately hid it behind my back, “Don’t you dare touch me again with that filthy hand of yours!”

“Napakaarte mo!”

I gasped, “Oh! Ngayon ka lang na-inform? Didn’t you notice that when we first travel with each other?”

Parker suddenly glared at me, making me smirk. I turned my back at him and silently went upstairs, and without any words, he followed. The house looks meticulous, yet the silent vibe it’s generating is kind of creepy. Out of curiosity, I opened one of the doors in the hallway, and a bedroom welcomed us. There are two beds, and it looks like that it was used not so long ago.

Which reminds me, I wasn’t able to get enough sleep, especially that I left with the other apostles during the afternoon yesterday, and I was locked in the underground for 12 hours with Tita Alleona. Without any hesitation, I slammed my body on one of the beds.

“This is not the time for you to sleep, Amira—”

“Don’t you dare touch me with that hand of yours, Parker!”

“Anong bang problema mo sa kamay ko? Para kang tanga ha.”

“You let Sierra held that hand, you cheater!” I screamed. It was too late to realize what I just said, which made me immediately cover my face with a pillow while turning my back on him. You are so stupid, Amira.

“Cheater? I wasn’t informed that I have a girlfriend?” I can feel him smirking even though I’m not looking at him, and it is embarrassing as hell.

“Blah! Blah! Blah! Blah!”

He suddenly laughed while I continued making awful noises, “Very funny, Amira. Now, look at—”

“Sweety, it is just Mr. Gesmundo and Ms. Fernandez who are ruining our peaceful tea party.” Mabilis akong napaupo dahilan upang mauntog ang noo ko sa noo ni Parker at kahit na masakit iyon ay agad kong sinilip ang pamilyar na boses.

“Principal Del Valle!” We shouted.

Spencer’s mother, Principal Del Valle, warmly smiled at us and gestured to come with her. And on the other room was his husband, who was busy having a cup of tea. My eyes immediately shifted to the building of the entire room. It has a lot of formulas and papers pasted to the wall. Still, among the information on the wall, the gigantic name of Alejandra Nakamura caught my attention.

Many details about her profile were written along with her photograph in the glass coffin she imprisoned, “Why do you have these?”

“We can’t just sit back and relax while we knew that Tristan and the others are doing their works,” Mr. Del Valle said.

I gulped and analyzed their detailed paper works. Nagtatakha kong nilingon sina Mr. Del Valle dahil sa impormasyong nabasa ko sa kanilang papel dahilan upang pagtaasan nila ako ng kilay, “Progeria?”

“It is just a theory, Ms. Fernandez—”

“If Alejandra has a rare disease of Progeria, then why the hell is she still alive until now?” I asked. Both of them looked at me with surprise as they exchanged glances with each other.

“Is Progeria the rare disease that involves the mutation of LMNA Genes?” Parker asked.

“Precisely. But unlike regular Progeria, Alejandra’s body processed way differently. She started with a fragile old woman’s body, but through the years when she achieved her teenage look… Her body stopped aging. As well as that, she began to live longer than her children and grandchild until the day her body stop moving… But she’s still alive,” Mrs. Del Valle explained. She looked at me from head to toe and heaved a sigh, “Her LMNA Genes mutated… And she wanted to live a normal life. Alejandra Nakamura broke the taboo,”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“In order to keep living and to gain a normal, beautiful body… Alejandra adapted the western tribe’s tradition and began to eat human flesh along with the intake of Lycoris Radiata.”

That is sick! I can’t believe that her blood is running through my veins! “She’s the source, right? What if we kill her? Everything will be put to an end?”

“Are you sure that Alejandra is still the source?”

#