LAN'S POV

"Onii-san!!! Wake up!!!"

I don't want to wake up, sobrang aga pa. Tinakpan ko na lang ng unan ang tenga ko at muling bumalik sa pagtulog.

"Onii-san, wake up!" she said again while shaking me.

"Could you please shut up! It's still early." sabi ko habang ginugulo ang buhok. I still need some sleep. Late na akong nakatulog kagabi dahil may ginawa pa ako.

"Come on onii-san, we need to have an early exercise!" she happiliy said while pulling me.

"Get up already you sleepy head. Go to your bathroom and take a bath. Go! Shoo!" pangungulit niya tsaka ako tinulak-tulak papuntang cr.

This girl si really different, ang kulit lang. Naligo na lang ako para hindi na mangulit ng sobra. After kong maligo, nagsuot na lang ako ng jogging pants at white shirt. Paglabas ko ng room, naabutan ko ang magaling kong kapatid na nakabihis na rin at hinihintay ako sa may sala.

"Let's go Onii-san!"

I just followed her and didn't say anything. She keep on talking and talking while I'm not listening to everything she said, because she's blurting out nonsense things.

"By the way Blade invited us to go in their house tomorrow, christmas eve."

What she have said now caugt my attention. Paano siya nagkaroon ng contact sa isa mga guardians ni Althea?

"How did he contact you?" tanong ko while still jogging.

"Cause I have my own phone?" she playfully answered.

"Tinatanong kita ng maayos, sagutin mo ako ng maayos." I stop jogging and face her.

"Okay... Relax Onii-san. Oh, and stop using filipino words to me, you know I can only understand a little in that language." she said

"Fine."

"Wangja gave it to me. He said that maybe I should have a contact with them since the game will start any time soon." she said to me then continue jogging.

"I just want to have some bonding time with him since we met again after how many years. But look what he did, he rejected me." I heard her whisper

I suddenly stop from jogging dahil sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko naisip na ngayon nga lang talaga ulit kami nagkasama dahil matagal kaming nagkahiwalay. Me on China while her on Japan. She just want to fill the times that we are not together. Nahihiya tuloy ako sa kanya. Ako ang panganay but I find no time for us.

"Onii-san!!! Faster!!!" she shouted. Ang layo na pala niya sa akin. I hurriedly run towards her at may napansin akong kumislap sa may bandang gilid niya.

What's that? Tiningnan kong mabuti kung ano iyon. After realizing what is that, I run faster towards her this time. Nang makalapit na ako sa kanya, tinulak ko siya palayo tsaka ako lumuhod para hindi ako tamaan.

"What was that for?" naiiritang tanong niya sa akin. Tinitigan ko lang siya. She should understand me, and I know that she can understand me.

"Dodge!" I shouted when I saw another one again.

"We are under attack?!" tanong niya sa akin right after niyang iwasan ang patalim na dapat ay tatama sa kanya.

"Yes, so we should go back now." I said to her and pulled her but she stopped me. I look at her and tiningnan lang din niya ako.

"We can fight them." she firmly said.

"No, not now that its the only two of us her near the boundary of our territory. Once they made us step outside, we will be dead." I firmly said.

"But---"

"No buts Phoebe, when I said no, no." I said to her and pulled her again. Tatakbo na sana kami pabalik pero hinarangan na nila kami. We're trap now.

"I'll make a way. You go run back to the mansion and ask for help." sabi ko sa kanya ng mahina.

"B-but..."

"No buts."

"Do we still have other choices?"

"Did you bring your phone with you?" I ask her habang nakatingin ako sa mga humarang sa amin.

"Yes." she smiled.

"We caught a big fish." sabi nung lalaking nasa pinakagitna. I think its their team leader.

"Give me your phone." I whispered to her.

"It's the Oujo. A big catch for us." sabi ulit ng isa pang lalaki. They were all wearing balck clothes and holding different weapons. Kinuha ko ang phone niya at may nagsimulang magpipindot sa phone.

"They recognized me." she firmly said.

"Its okay. Let them be." sagot ko sa kanya.

"Hey, you two! Stop murmuring to each other. And come with us." nakangising sabi nila sa amin.

"No." I firmly said.

"Oh. Acting brave ha? Wait, are you the Oujo's guardian?" natatawang sabi nila sa akin

"You're petite boy, what can you do to us? Pinch us?!" natatawang sabi ng isa sa mga kasama nila.

Masyado nila akong minamaliit. At sinabihan pa akong guardian, mga walang kwenta. Looks can be deceiving. Inabot ko pabalik kay Phoebe ang phone niya sabay bulong.

"They will be here in just a minute." sabi ko tsaka ako ngumiti. Ngiti na nakikita lang nila kapag nilalabas ko ang totoong ako. Ang sarili ko na nabuo dahil sa mga hirap at sakit na dinanas ko sa nakalipas na taon.

Naglakad ako papunta sa mga lalaking humarang sa amin. Tinitigan ko lang sila. I can feel na tense sila dahil sa ginawa ko. I just smile at them, again.

"You will pass on me first before you get her." I said then point Phoebe.

"Are you insane?" narinig kong sigaw sa akin ni Phoebe

"No, its my responsibility, remember?" I answered while looking at her. You're my responsibility since you are my sister.

Pagbalik ko ng tingin sa harapan ko, pasugod na pala sila sa akin. Dirty play, I hate this kind of game. I just stand still and watch them get close to me. Hindi pa sila nakakalapit sa akin, bumagsak na sila.

They're here already? Fast enough. Nagsilabasan sila sa mga pinagtataguan nila at pinalibutan kaming dalawa ni Phoebe, building a wall between us at yung mga lalaking may balak kumuha kay Phoebe.

"How did that happen?" she asked me

"Codes lil sis. Codes." I said while smirking.

Nagsimula na silang patumbahin lahat ng kalaban. May nakita na naman akong lumilipad na patalim papunta sa amin. They want us dead or alive huh? I wonder why.

Tinulak ko palayo si Phoebe at tsaka ko inabot ang isang kutsilyong nakakalat sa sahig. I quickly throw the knife papunta sa direksyon ng pinanggalingan ng patalim na tatama sana sa amin kanina. After few seconds, may nakita akong nahulog mula sa isang puno. So doon pala siya nagtatago.

Tumagal din ng 25 minutes ang nangyaring labanan sa border ng territory namin dahil sa dami ng bilang nila. We went back to the mansion safely. Dumiretso ako sa kwarto ko para maligo ulit. Pawisan kasi ako dahil sa nangyari kanina. After taking a bath, nagsuot ako ng casual clothes and went down stairs.

"Going somewhere?" Phoebe asked me

"Yes." sagot ko habang inaayos ang sleeves ng polo ko.

"Can I go with you?"

"No."

"why?"

"Boys hangout." sagot ko tsaka kinuha ang susi ng kotse ko sa may side table.

Sumakay na ako ng kotse ko at tsaka iyon pinatakbo. Pagdating ko sa destinasyon ko, I saw my 3 friends chatting with each other. Mukhang ako na lang ang kulang dito. Pinuntahan ko na sila tsaka binati. Pupunta dapat kami ngayon sa isang golf course to have some leisure. But hindi natuloy yun dahil nakita namin si Althea holding a jar for cremated bodies.

"So she still gave them a proper funeral even though they are not her true parents." Ace said

Tiningnan lang namin si Althea na sumakay ng isang bangka at pumalaot.

"Maybe we should go in the golf course some other time. You should go and comfort her. She's your cousin after all." Spade said

Tumango na lang ako at tsaka sila nagsialisan. Sinundan ko naman si Althea papuntang isang restaurant. Naghintay pa ako ng ilang saglit tsaka pumasok. Umupo ako sa upuan sa harapan niya. I talked to her pero binabara niya lang ako. Niyaya ko siyang mamasyal after naming kumain.

Sa simula ng pamamasyal namin ay nararamdaman kong hindi siya masaya kaya ginawa ko ang lahat para sumaya siya. At salamat naman dahil sumaya naman siya kahit papaano. Hinatid ko siya sa bahay nila Blade, dahil alam kong doon muna siya pansamantalang nakatira. Pagkababa niya, umalis na ako kaagad.

"Happy Birthday Althea. Sana kahit malungkot ang kalahati ng araw, nagawa kong maging masaya ang natitirang kalahati para sa'yo." sabi ko habang tinititigan ang imahe niyang nakatayo sa may gate nila through the rear mirror.

[EDITED]