Lucas Octavian Harper

Scythe Orion Harper

Ace Piermont

Lucind Dark

Nakasama ko na sila sa loob ng isang araw. And I can say that they are the ideal friendship everyone wish to have. Sino ba namang gagawa ng mansyon para sa kanilang magkaka-ibigan? Edi sila!

Kahit bisita lang ako, hindi nila ipinaramdam sa akin iyon. Napaka-maasikaso nila, lalo na si Luk at Ace. Kaya as a thank you gift, ginawan ko sila ng meryenda dahil may lessons sila ngayon sa basement ng mansyon na'to. Hindi na rin ako naliligaw dahil nag-tour kami ni Lucian kagabi dito sa loob ng bahay.

Hindi ko alam kung magugustuhan ba nila ang ginawa kong bacon sandwich para sa kanila, tsaka fresh apple juice na rin pero atleast I exerted much effort making these snacks.

I took my eyeglasses before picking the tray on the island counter. Syempre may eyeglasses na rin ako para sa disguise ko, tsaka balak ko rin magpakulay ng buhok maybe tomorrow o sa mga susunod na araw.

I have to do this for the sake of my disguise. It's not really for Lucind's friends but for the public. Naisip ko kasi na kung palagi akong gagamit ng prosthetics kapag aalis ako, masyadong nakakapagod. Kaya I came up with the idea of changing my eye, hair and skin color. Pati na rin ang hairstyle ko, isama pa yung eyeglasses ko. Syempre medyo matagal pa kami dito.

After reaching the last step of the stairs here in the basement, I knocked at the door twice. Pagkatapos ay binuksan ko ng kaunti ang pinto para silipin kung anong ginagawa nila.

I can see Lucian throwing a football up then catching it when it falls, Scion is doing something in his laptop on a swivel chair far away from all of them. Si Ace naman ay tinitingnan lang ang mga codes na nasa malaking screen habang naka-indian sit siya sa sahig. While Luk, he's probably decoding it. Nalaman ko kasing favorite daw ni Luk ang subject na ito.

Tuluyan akong pumasok sa pinto at tinatawag ang atensyon nila. "Guys! Eat your snacks first."

Isa-isa silang lumingon sa akin pagkatapos ay tumakbo sila papunta sa tray na nilapag ko sa lamesa, ofcourse, except for Lucind.

"Oy, Luk! Don't you want to taste the snack that I made?" I asked him.

Nginitian niya ako pagkatapos ay iniwan ang ginagawa niya. Kumuha na rin siya ng sandwich.

I watched them as they eat their snacks. Nakikitawa na rin ako kapag nagbibiruan sila. Nalaman ko na mas matanda pala si Ace sa amin ni Luk ng isang taon at magti-twenty palang ang kambal. Hanggang sa tanungin ako ni Lucian kung may gusto pa akong malaman about sa kanila or sa friendship nila.

Nag-isip ako ng pwedeng itanong sa kanila and a question occured in my mind. "Do you have a girl member or girl friend?"

They all nodded. And after Lucian finished eating his sandwich and drinking the juice, he started talking.

"Pangaea is consisted of five members. Me, him, him, him, him..." Tinuro niya ang mga kasama niya. "And Alex. She's the newbie in this group and also the youngest."

Napa-ow na lang ako sa narinig ko. So yung Alex pala na narinig kong binanggit ni Ace ay isang babae. "Where is she?"

"She's on a leave that's why she's not here. Got into a family problem," Scion answered.

"Nasabi na ba sa'yo ni Lucian kung bakit Pangaea ang tawag sa grupo namin?" Tanong sa akin ni Luk na inilingan ko naman. Bakit nga ba?

"It's because we, the Pangaea, connects every good organization around the world to make it whole. We support everyone of them, and build an army to prevail peace."

My mouth parted in amazement. "You mean, you're the spider at the center of the web?"

They all nodded proudly. Paano nila nagawang sa edad nila ay may ganitong responsibilidad na silang ginagampanan? Ibig sabihin rin, I'm not really dealing with ordinary people. It's like they're the brain behind every organization.

"We have atleast one branch in every country but different names," pagpapatuloy pa ni Ace.

"Is AV one of your branches?" I curiosly asked.

He glanced at me before returning his gaze towards the three of them. "Yes."

Kung kasama naman pala ang AV sa mga branches nila, "Then why are you still working for AV? I mean, nagtatrabaho ka na dito sa Pangaea. At para sa akin, mas maganda maging agent dito, you get my point? Pero bakit gusto mo pa ring magtrabaho sa AV?"

Binigyan lang niya ako ng kibit-balikat. "For some reasons, that I wish I could share to you."

I smiled. Naiintindihan ko naman. Kung hindi pwedeng sabihin, hindi ko na ipipilit. Binalingan ko naman ang tatlong lalaki na nakikinig lang sa pag-uusap namin.

"Bakit ba ayaw ninyo sa subject na'to?" Tanong ko sa kanila. Pag pasok ko kasi kanina nakita kong wala talaga silang interes dito kahit katiting man lang.

"He wanted to help your country gaining its peace. Kasi kaming mga miyembro ng Pangaea, at ang mismong Pangaea, walang karapatang pakialaman ang organization na nangangalaga sa bansa nila. Except kung hingiin nila ang tulong namin."

"But your boss swear that he would not ask for our help unless worse comes to worst," biglang saad ni Ace.

I frowned. Anong connect no'n sa huling tanong ko?

"Atleast, in my point, that's the only reason Luk could share to you," dagdag pa niya.

Ow. Kaya pala. I gave him a smile and thank-you-look bago inulit ang tanong ko sa kanila.

I really don't know Luk deeply except for he's my groupmate and a member of Pangaea. But for now, okay na ang nalaman ko tungkol sa kanya. Alam ko namang marami pa akong malalaman about him dahil matagal na panahon ko siyang makakasama.

"So...bakit ayaw niyo nga?"

Una namang nagreklamo si Scion sa di maipintang mukha. "That subject is torture! Keeps on torturing my mind."

"And boring," dagdag pa ng kambal niyang si Lucian at mabagal siyang napahiga sa sahig. "But Scion, I don't understand why you keep on doing your business on your laptop. It's full of numbers. What's that? A mathematical joke?"

Nakita kong sinamaan naman siya ng tingin ni Scion. "Atleast, I can help you using my skills. You know upgrading things in this home like the security and ofcourse, help you find secrets that you can use in blackmailing."

I chuckled at them. Bakit ba ang cute nilang tingnan habang nagtatalo? But nalaman ko rin pala na si Scion ang tech geek sa kanila. A professional hacker. And siya ang incharge sa security ng bahay. Kung may makita ako na astig dito sa bahay and it involves technology, siya raw ang may pakana. He can also do programmings.

"You know you should stop arguing. You guys are hurting Lucind's feelings so much," awat sa kanila ni Ace.

Lahat naman kami ay napatingin kay Luk. Pagkatapos ay sabay-sabay kaming natawa. Nakita kasi namin si Luk na inirapan kami. Sanay na rin naman ako sa pang-iirap ni Luk.

"Fine! We're gonna help you solve that cipher or something," sabi sa kanya ni Lucian.

"Yeah, but I love being with my laptop more than you know, solving some alien letters and numbers," Scion whispered.

I heard Luk tsked. "No need. I'm done. I don't need your help."

"Aww, nagtatampo na tuloy," natatawang sabi ni Ace. "Ayan kasi."

Luk mumbled some things that we can't clearly hear but after that, he rolled his eyes kaya napa-irap na lang rin ako. Napaka-attitude naman.

"But I know someone who needs your help, Scion. You can use your skills here," sabi niya kaya nagtaka ako.

"Sino naman?" Tanong ko sa kanya.

He gave me a tinatanong-pa-ba-yan look kaya mas lalo pa akong nagtaka.

"E'di ikaw!"

Ano raw? Ako?

Mabagal kong tinuro ang sarili ko. "Bakit ako?"

"I know, you've been trying to get information about Raphael, but the friend of yours cannot get through a very big wall," he said with action.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "Paano mo nalaman?!"

"He told me. But it doesn't matter now," he answered with coolness. "So tell him what you want to do with that issue."

I brushed my astonishment and thought about something that could help Callix to get more information about the pince of Tyran. Then I found one.

"I don't know if he's still collecting information about Raphael but I just want you to get off that wall that Lucind is saying."

May choice naman ako para si Scion na mismo ang kumuha ng impormasyon pero mas pinili ko na tanggalin na lang ang humaharang kay Callix para makahanap pa ng impormasyon. Kasi sayang naman ang efforts niya kung gagawin ko 'yon. I want him to complete the task that he started. For sure sa huli, magcecelebrat siya kahit wala ako sa tabi niya.

"Sure! What do you want me to do? Make the culprit's laptop explode?" He asked.

I'm pretty sure my mouth formed an o shape but I shook my head. "Just stop him from tampering my friend's business, you know what I mean. Destroy the wall thingy."

"Noted," he saluted at me then took his laptop, pumunta siya sa pwesto niya kanina at tahimik na ginawa ang sinabi ko.

"Matatagalan ba 'yan?" Pasigaw na tanong ko sa kanya para marinig niya.

"Ten to fifteen minutes!"

"Okay, thank you!" Binalingan ko naman ng tingin sina Ace, Lucian at Luk para magpaalam.

"Alis muna ako, ililigpit ko lang ang mga kinainan niyo."

Luk and Lucian nodded but Ace said that he will come with me.

"Anastasia, wait."

Narinig ko agad ang boses ni Ace nang makalabas na kami sa kwartong 'yon. "Why?"

"I'm going straight to the point," he told me. "Lucind really care about you so much. I observed that he's taking full responsibility of you."

Tumango ako. Napansin ko rin. "Yes, and I'm thankful for that." Kasi kahit na groupmate niya lang ako, hindi niya pa rin ako pinapabayaan. Pero ano bang nais iparating sa akin ni Ace?

"And as his friend, can I request you to don't put yourself in danger or in a situation that will make Lucind very worried? I guess you already know that when he takes full responsibility of a person, he will do everything just to always keep that person safe. I'm worried on what he could do."

"Like what?"

"Like almost closing a mall just to find you," he dropped those words, making sure that our eyes are in contact. Then he winked at me before leaving me behind.

Ako naman ay naiwan na nakatingin sa papalayo niyang likod habang mabilis na pakurap-kurap ang mga mata ko.

Sinabi ba niyang 'ipasara ang buong mall para lang mahanap ako?' Can he really do that...for me?

"S-sure," I mumbled while trying to calm my rapidly pounding heart inside my chest.