"Nagbago ang ihip ng hangin. Uulan ba?"

Ito ang tanong ni Morgan kay Rouqe habang nilalakad nila ang gilid ng Mall at binabaybay ang patungong Parking Lot. Hapon na nang magkaayaan ang dalawang umuwi.

Napatingin si Rouqe sa kalangitan upang maikumpirma ang tanong nito. Tahimik at mabagal lang silang naglalakad at tila walang inaalintana. May araw pa naman ngunit mabilis ang ihip ng hangin, pati ang pagtianod ng mga ulap.

"Hindi ako sigurado," sagot niya.

Sabay silang naglalakad. Walang nangunguna, walang nahuhuli. Hawak ang kanyang palapulsuhan ay banayad niya itong hinila sa gilid nang sila ay lumiko upang tumawid sa kabilang parte ng kalsada.

They look and feel comfortable with each other like a couple who've known each other for a lifetime. But, they are not. They still don't know each other. Even a slightest hint of their shenanigans were concealed from one another.

Rouqe's life only consist of three primary activities; Bar, kill and sleep. He is just used to lurk behind the shadows, hide as he watches and studies his target. And when their Queen, Madame Vera, said shoot...then he'll shoot without batting an eye, creating and leaving zero mess. Perfect and untraceable.

A 'puppet' you may say, but a deadly one--the most lethal of them all.

The Agency doesn't extract the emotions of their pawns nor suppress them from having so. They can build relationships with other normal people, have a family. As long as the organization remains a secret, you'll live the life you want.

But, somehow, Zero is a special case. His condition is different. Emotional contact to the mass doesn't looks appealing to him. Hindi siya sabik sa mga ganoong atensyon. He serves to be the most apathetic rook, and that makes him on top of their list.

Ngunit, pawang mag-iiba na ang lahat.

"Uulan ba?" pangalawang tanong ni Morgan nang makasakay sila sa sasakyan, habang inaayos ni Rouqe ang pinamili nila sa backseat. "Uulan ba, Rouqe?"

Nilingon niya ito sa passenger's seat at napansin ang pag-iiba ng kanyang ekspresyon. Mukhang sumasama ang kanyang pakiramdam, lutang na nakatingin sa harap. He lean closer to her and pulled her seatbelt securely to its place.

"We'll get to your condominium fast. Don't worry," he said as he tucked a loose strands of hair behind her ears.

Ramdam ni Rouqe na may bumabagabag sa kasama kaya't ninais niyang paandarin na agad ang sasakyan at nang makauwi sila ng maaga. Sa gilid ng kanyang mata ay kitang mahigpit ang hawak nito sa seatbelt at malalim ang hugot ng kanyang paghinga.

Habang binabaybay nila ang daan ay tuluyang natakpan ng ulap ang araw at dumilim. Kasabay nito ang mga malalaking patak ng ulan na tumatama't bumabagsak sa windshield. 'Di nagtagal ay dumami ito at lumakas kaya't kanyang pinagana ang wiper.

Then, he heard sobs.

"Morgan?"

A rush of panic laced on him like a steel cable under too much tension. There were liquid running on her cheeks that drops on her chin down to her white top, a part soaked a little in tears already. Morgan sat with her hands grasping the belt tightly like it's her dear life. She was staring at nothingness, and her eyes had a wild, glassy look of someone hugging the event horizon of sanity.

Hindi niya alam ang nangyare. Wala siyang maisip na dahilan kung bakit bigla itong umiiyak. He was quick to pull the car over to the right side of the road. Wala siyang pake kung nakaantala siya sa mga ibang dumadaan na malakas namang bumusina sa kanya.

"Morgan?" He cupped her cheeks and made her face him. "Bakit? Anong nangyayare? May masakit ba sayo?" Ninais niyang maging kalmado habang pinupunasan niya ang sunud-sunod na luhang dumadaloy sa pisngi nito.

Hindi ito sumagot. Katahimikan. Ang naririnig lang ni Rouqe ay ang pag-iyak nito, ang wiper nitong dumudulas sa windshield ng sasakyan at ang ulan. Morgan's breath was coming in short gasps, as if the air was depleted of oxygen.

"I need you to calm down," Rouqe hushed. "Focus on your breathing." Banayad ang haplos ng kanyang hinlalaki sa kanyang pisngi upang pakalmahin siya. Napansin niyang sinusubukan nitong gawin ang inutos.

"I...I can hear g-gunshots," hirap na bulong nito.

"What do you mean?"

"A-andyan na sila."

Napaatras si Rouqe sa kalituhan ukol sa mga ipinahayag nito. Morgan hadn't moved, but her muscles were tensed as if she was experiencing a kind of internal pain. She was looking at him, but she couldn't seem to focus. It was like she was looking though her eyes are into the back of her head.

Rouqe could be a cautious driver, but on the way into their destination he took every corners like there were judges awarding points. His heart was a throbbing pulse in his chest as he gripped the steering wheel with cold, bloodless fingers. The trip was like a rollercoaster as images whipped past in a blur of red and grey.

They were back at the Cruz building in less than ten minutes.

Pinarke niya ang sasakyan at agad lumabas, bumungad sa kanya ang malakas na buhos ng ulan. 'Di ito inalintana ay umikot siya't binuksan ang pinto sa gilid ni Morgan. Hindi nagbago ang ayos nito.

"Morgan, let's go."

Hindi ito gumalaw, bagkus ay lalong nanginig. Ang ulan ay mabilis na tumatalsik sa loob ng sasakyan. Yumuko si Rouqe upang tanggalin ang hawak ni Morgan sa seatbealt nito. Bahagya pa niya itong pwinersa sa higpit ng kanyang kapit. Kita sa pulang marka ng kanyang mga palad mula sa malalim at matagal na pagkakabaon ng kanyang mga kuko.

Rouqe circled her arms around his neck and scooped her off the car. Her head perfectly placed on the corner of his neck, eyes closed like she was afraid to see a horrible creature. He ran his way in to the building as the guard noticed them.

Isang malakas na magkasunod na kulog at kidlat ang nagpagitla sa kanyang buhat bago sila tuluyang nakapasok sa gusali.

"Nako! Si Ma'am Vienna," tarantang saad nong gwurdiya na tila alam agad kung anong nangyayare nang nadaanan niya ito. "Sir, iyong ulan!" pahabol niya bago magsara ang elevator.

Naguluhan siya sa sinabi nito pero nagkaroon ito ng ideya kalaunan.

Limang katao ang nasa loob ng elevator na kyuryusong nakatitig sa kanilang dalawa, pawang nagtataka sa hikbi ng dalaga. Nang makarating sa kanilang palapag ay balewalang naglakad si Rouqe palabas, 'di alintana ang kanilang titig at ang iniiwang bakas ng tubig-ulan.

Sa unit ni Jax sila tumuloy dahil hindi niya alam ang passcode ng kay Morgan. Sinubukan niyang ilatag siya sa puting sofa, ngunit hindi ito bumibitaw.

She's obviously seeking comfort to anything she first touched and grasped as thunderstorm continue to roar, clinging to it like it's the safest thing to do. Her hands were in a tight grip, locking it around his neck. Mas lalo itong sumiksik sa kanyang leeg nang umalingawngaw ang panibagong kulog. Lumakas ang iyak nito.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay..."

Wala itong nagawa kundi iupo na lang ito kasama siya. With her trembling body, cold like ice on his lap, all weight leaning on him. He placed his hand on her back to fix their position comfortably, almost hugging her.

Sinipat niya ang basa nitong buhok and started combing it, playing with every strand gently. Ramdam ni Rouqe and bilis ng tibok ng puso nito. Probably mirrors his, too. He knows he needs to dry their bodies up from the drizzles, but it seems like he's stuck.

"It's okay. I'm here. 'Wag ka na matakot."

For half an hour, she was crying until it slowly fades as she fell asleep in his embrace. Kasabay nito ang pagbaba ng kanyang munting kaba sa nangyare.

Nakatulala lamang si Rouqe sa itim na screen ng television, kita ang kanilang repleksiyon. He was breathing the fruity smell of her hair as she sleeps peacefully. Her warm breath on the side of his neck felt like it's comforting him to sleep too. And so, he did.

Tumila na ang malakas na ulan. Natuyo na rin ang  bahagyang nabasa nilang mga damit at buhok.

"Rouqe?"

Gabi na nang maramdamang gumalaw ang kalong, kasunod nang mahihinang tapik sa kanyang pisngi. Agad naman itong nagising at tumayo ng tuwid.

"Rouqe..."

"Ano 'yon?"

"Nagugutom na ako," mahina at pagod nitong saad.

Inayos niya ang pagkakaupo nito at inalalayang maglakad patungong kusina.

"Asa unit tayo ni Jax. Here, uminom ka muna ng tubig," he placed a glass of water on her hand that she gladly obliged. "Can you wait for a few minutes? I'll just cook."

"Oo, s-sige lang."

Rouqe thought of preparing a quick and easy soup first for the girl to warm her stomach before the main dish. Tahimik lang sila. Morgan sitting on a wooden stool dizzily while Rouqe faces the stove.

"Here."

"Salamat..."

Tumabi ito sa kanya at pinagmasdan ang ekspresiyon ng dalaga. Rouqe glanced at her. Her eyes were red, as she'd been crying before, and now she looked like someone who had cried all of the tears they are going to and had found themselves in the strange, still waters beyond.

With slightly shaky hand, she took a mouthful.

"Okay ka na?"

"I-I..ah," she drawled. Pilit itong ngumiti. "Sorry. Pasensya na sa nangyare. It's one of my panic attacks," tuloy nito at napayuko. "I'm just an--"

"Ombrophobic," he guessed. Kanina niya pa ito iniisip na dahilan. "You're afraid of rain," he concluded.

Dahan-dahan itong tumango at nagpatuloy sa pagkain.

Morgan value her strengths and weaknesses. It's a knowledge that fuel power to other person's mind, and as much as possible she doesn't want to openly share it. Pero sa pagkakataong ito ay mukhang nararapat lang na ibahagi.

"That car accident happened few years ago," umpisa niya. Rouqe remained silent. "I woke up from that sudden hit a few minutes after. That's the first time I noticed that I lost my sight. And it was raining. Iyon lang ang nararamdaman at naririnig ko, ang malalakas na patak ng ulan."

Pinagmasdan ni Rouqe ang blangkong ekspresiyon nito, pero kapansin-pasing ito'y nasasaktan sa ibinabahagi. Every phobia can be really associated with related trauma at some point of person's life.

"I can clearly hear the thunders and how loud my cry was...as well as the dying voice of my father. Sinubukan kong mangapa at hanapin siya. Pero wala akong nagawa dahil wala nga akong makita," her voice broke on the last sentence.

Rouqe held on her hand on top of the marbled table, signalling that it's okay not to finish the story. Pilit itong tumawa bago sipatin ang namumulang ilong.

"S-Salamat. Sige, mauna na ako."

Tumayo si Morgan at naglakad palabas ng kusina habang umaaktong hinahanap ang kanyang daan. Ni hindi niya pa nakakalahati ang kinakain. Sinadya niyang talikuran ang kausap upang hindi makita ang panibagong nagbabadyang mga luha nito.

Hindi pa ito nakakalayo ay napatigil agad siya. I loud thunder echoed in whole place as another set of rain fell again. She stood there, frozen. Hands clasped hardly into a fist shakingly. She was like hit by an attack caught her in a sudden paralysis.

Then, suddenly...

Like the time slowed down, she felt a warm hand touched and glided on her back as another on the back of her head. Swiftly, her body was pulled on someone's hard chest, enveloping her into a hug.

"Shh, I'm sorry. Everything's okay. Hindi na mauulit iyon."

She trembled in cries that whole night again suffering from heart palpitations, chest pain, sweating and profused breathing as Rouqe continues whispering comforting words that he never thought he'll ever say in this lifetime.