𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀 𝟑𝟐 | 𝐁𝐎𝐍 𝐕𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐆𝐄

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘩𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘵𝘰! 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘶𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘵!

Napasabunot na lang ng buhok si Atlas dahil sa bago niyang gupit. When he looked outside, they are greeted by a high wall and huge trees. Tulak-tulak naman ni Sanzo mula sa kaniyang mga kamay ang wheelchair ni Will Luthor.

In every push he makes to his wheelchair, all they can hear are the breaking of twigs and dried leaves. Puno ng mga nahulog na dahon ang maputik na lupa na tila ba walang sino ang nakakatapak at naglilinis sa lugar na ito. Only a fool would mantain and clean this area, this is a forbidden boundary after all.

"The rumors are right, we are here in the boundary of Kazva and Shakrila," he paused and scanned their surroundings. They are greeted by tall trees higher than any buildings in the modern world as if the place on the other side shouldn't be seen. "And according to books, we will be crossing a town called Tibbanus."

Sanzo glances back at Will Luthor because it's not new that he knows explicit informations. Isang nagtatakang tingin naman ang pinukol ni Atlas kay Will Luthor.

"I heard that a town called Tibbanus is the closer place to the boundary between Kazva and Shakrila." Will Luthor glances at the leaves on his paralyzed feet. "Judging by these leave's colors, it's been one year since they fell. And it looks like during the last fall. Men in places near the boundary sweep every day yet no one dared to go to this place probably because they are afraid to be punished."

"Woah. You even know the age of a leaf?" Sanzo mumbled in disbelief. "Iba talaga ang nagagawa ni Will on the Wheel!"

Will Luthors scoff. "Of course, that's easy but the life span of a leaf varies. Did you observe why some herbs are easily disposed of? Kazva's lack of spices and herbs is the reason why some men cross this boundary to get herbs from the other side." He added.

However, spices and herbs aren't the only reason why men from Kazva go to Shakrila. Their primary reason is to hunt men from Shakrila

Will Luthor's words caught Atlas off guard. Aminado siyang wala siyang masyadong alam dahil hindi naman siya katulad ng kaniyang kapatid na laging nasa labas. In the back of his mind, he thought that maybe his twin, Adonis crosses the boundary a lot of times. Who knows? Hindi niya nga alam kung ano'ng klase ang trabaho ang pinasok nito.

"Why are we here?" Atlas's curiosity is making him hungry for answers. What does Adonis do for a living?

Only Sanzo shoots him a confused look. ''You're the one who told us about the boundary, Adonis. You're aware that Shakrila makes the best spices, right?'' he added.

Will Luthor chuckles and his voice darkens. ''Sanzo, didn't you notice? That man isn't Adonis...''

Atlas was caught off guard because Will Luthor finally revealed his identity while giving him a piercing gaze. While Sanzo stares at him ceased forehed. The truth is he didn't intended to crash his twin's privacy this far. Gusto niya lang malaman kung ano'ng totoong trabaho nito. Ngunit hindi niya rin inaasahan na mapupunta sa ganitong sitwasyon. And now, he realized that they went here in the boundary for a reason.

𝘜𝘵𝘰𝘭, 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘢'𝘯 𝘬𝘢 𝘣𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢? 𝘈𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘰'𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘢?

𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴?

He wanted to ask more but he couldn't think straight anymore. His gaze is stuck at the two men looking straight into his eyes. When he couldn't find the right words to say, he just wanted to apologize. Nagtatakang nakatitig sa kaniya si Sanzo habang nakahawak sa kaniyang pisngi na tila ba nag-iisip. When Will Luthor speaks, it's the hundred percent truth. He will never go wrong.

''Huh?'' Sanzo let out a deep sigh, ''What are you talking about? Why would Adonis lie to us about being an only child?''

Atlas felt a spang in his chest when he heard what Sanzo said yet he tried to hide what he heard hurt him when Will Luthor stared at his face, observing his facial expression. He tried his best to maintain a straight face yet his eyes started stinging immediately.

Umiwas siya ng tingin dahil agad na nanuyuo ang kaniyang lalamunan. Adonis told them that he's an only child? Why? Masyado na ba siyang pabigat? Is it because he can't work like him? Kung may problema pala siya rito'y sana'y sinabi niya sa kaniyang mukha.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥? 𝘞𝘩𝘺?

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴? 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩?

Atlas ignored him. Instead of running to problems like he always does, he decided to go for a change. ''How did you know about that? Adonis is. . . '' Atlas did a huge gulp first before finishing his sentence. ''my twin...''

Napaawang na lang ang mga labi ni Sanzo. ''Damn! Really?! That's cool!'' Imbes na magalit sa ginawa nitong pagsisinungaling at pagsama sa kanila'y napatakip lamang ito ng bibig at tila bang hangang-hanga.

''So, that's why something looks different!'' Sanzo exclaimed. Napailing na lamang si Will Luthor habang tulak-tulak siya nito. Saglit pa itong tumigil sa pagtulak sa kaniya't naningkit ang mga matang tinitigan si Atlas na pinagpapawisan na dahil sa kaba.

''It's his eyes, Sanzo. His eyes are different. It's all in the eyes." Will Luthor whispers as his voice goes to a hitch tone while observing the man in front of them.

Atlas stares at the ground, embarrassed of fooling himself. "Pasensya na." From all the things he wanted to say, only those words came out of his mouth. Yet he heard a soft chuckle from Will Luthor.

"What do we do? We have no choice but to take you with us." Will Luthor shakes his head, ignoring the tension forming around them.

Kahit na malaking palaisipan para sa kaniya ang pagsisinungaling ng taong kaharap nila'y alam niya ay walang naiipit sa ganitong sitwasyon nang walang malalim na dahilan.

"Oo nga." Sanzo whispers agreeing to Will Luthor's decision. He can't question him. "Pero astig naman, akalain mo 'yon? Alam mo na hindi siya si Adonis. Kambal ba sila?"

"Oh, no. They aren't! They are just two random dudes who have the same faces born in the same place," Will Luthor managed to pull off a sarcastic response in a monotone voice.

"Pasensya na uli." Atlas gulped a huge amount of hair, knowing that the two is staring at him. "Gusto ko lang sana malaman kung ano ang ginagawa ng kambal ko habang nagpapaalam siya umalis para sa trabaho," he added.

Will Luthor gave him a nod, an approval of forgiving him. "So my conclusion is right, you often go out from home." Will Luthor glances down at Atlas's hands. "Your palms say it all, it was full of veins, an indication of full and loaded household chores."

"Totoo ba 'yon? Kapag maugat ang kamay, ibig sabihin ay babad sa trabaho?" Sanzo's amusement can be seen as he stares back at Atlas. Isang ngiti naman ang binigay nito sa kaniya. He gave him a thumbs up afterwards.

"I cook and clean the house while Adonis works outside." Atlas didn't know if this information was relevant but it felt like he needed to tell them somehow. However he thought that he already lied, so what's the point of telling them everything?

"Woah! That's cool!" Sanzo gave him a clap. Muli silang tumingala upang pagmasdan ang naglalakihang mga puno na tumatakip sa kontinente sa kabila.

According to books and scriptures that Will Luthor read, they need to ride a boat. Tibbanus is a town that has an extension island, and he were thinking if they could go there.

"What you say about riding a boat?" Will Luthor asked, suggesting what to do with his wheelchair yet his companions got the wrong idea when their eyes started twinkling. Sa huli'y napasapo na lang siya sa kaniyang noo.

Sanzo stares at Will Luthor while he was seating on his wheel chair. Napaawang na lamang ang kaniyang mga labi. "Woah, Will Luthor, you can swim?"

Will Luthor narrowed his eyes. "Fuck off, Sanzo. Noong umulan ng kabobohan, sinalo mo lahat," he groaned at him.

"What?!" Sanzo let out a confused groaned while scratching his head. Wala namang magawa si Atlas kun'di panoorin ang tila walang katapusang bangayan ng dalawa.

The three walked for another 15 minutes until they stood in a rusty silver gate. In the middle of a green forest, there is a big, rusty silver gate. It separates two continents. The gate used to be shiny and strong, but now it looks old and worn out. It is covered in rust and has a reddish-brown color. Vines and plants grow on it, making it blend in with the surrounding forest.

Atlas felt anxiety crept down to his body. "Sasama ba ako sa inyo?" He asks as he fixes the documents that they took with them a while ago.

He was just asking for assurance yet Will Luthor gave him a challenge smile. "Are you willing to come with us?"

Sanzo's warm smile never fade to his face yet Atlas felt that he didn't know them enough. However, since they are his twin's companions, he knew that he will be safe. Isa pa'y hindi niya man maamin sa sarili ay gusto niya rin makita ang kabilang bahagi ng matayog na boundary na 'yon.

"What do we do?" He sounded anxious. "Did Adonis come here often?" Hindi niya mapigilan ang kaniyang bunganga.

"I think it's better if you ask him with yourself. It isn't right to drop private answers." Will Luthor shakes his head as he observes how they can cross the river.

"Say what, Will Luthor? What if you sit on my lap instead? You know that we can't travel in your wheelchair, right?" Sanzo suggested yet Will Luthor gave him a piercing stare which made him raise his hands as a white flag.

Atlas observes as Will Luthor picks something in his pocket. It is a gold card made exclusively for PWD (Persons with Disabilities) men is exclusively for men who belong in the same bracket as him. It is made of shiny gold material and has a rectangular shape, so it's easy to carry around. The card is carefully polished to be very smooth and shiny, giving it a beautiful golden glow.

In the middle of the card, Will Luthor's full name is engraved in a fancy font. The letters are clear and easy to read, and they stand out against the golden background. On the back of the card, there is a small raised symbol that represents disability awareness.

It is a discreet reminder of the challenges that PWD men face and their important contributions to society. The card is also protected with a special coating to keep it safe from scratches. It comes in a nice case made of fine materials like leather or velvet.

"I guess we have no choice but to use my card differently. I prayed society would forgive me for this." Will Luthor holds the PWD card in between his two fingers as he lets out a heavy sigh.

This card indeed contributes a lot to his daily life, transportation, bills, and so much more yet he didn't though that this card would be their key to entering Shakrila.

Atlas might never go out to their house often, but he knows what Will Luthor was holding. Minsan na rin kasi siyang makakita ng ganito.
"What do you mean?" He asks as his eyes widen.

"Do you think men like us who came from the other side will get easy access to Shakrila?" Will Luthor's words were followed by a soft chuckle.

"Sad life." Pahabol na sabi ni Sanzo at isang malalim na buntong hininga ang kaniyang pinakawalan. Yeah, Will Luthor was right. Hindi magiging madali sa kanila ang pagtawid mula sa kabila.

Yet Will Luthor has another plan for them.

"Your Highness! He's barely breathing!" Will Luthor's group saw a group of men. But what caught them the most was the odd-looking person who wore a matching robe with the man barely breathing while lying on an empty boat.

"Who are they?" Atlas whispered while Sanzo was busy tapping his finger to his chin. When he can't think of any answer, he glances back at Will Luthor for an answer.

"I guess a royal." Will Luthor glances back at the woman. At first glance, he knows that she is a she. He breathed shakily while feeling the urge to move his wheelchair closer to her place. He knows what he feels right now upon seeing the woman is just a natural body response, his hormones kicking yet he didn't know how to stop it.

"Woah. He looks injured!" Sanzo exclaimed. "Tsk! Tsk!" Napailing na lang siya.

"We need to hide." Will Luthor almost groaned as he loosen his tie because his body urges something else. Hindi niya alam kung bakit sa lahat ng palusot na kaya niyang gawin ay ay 'yon lang ang nasabi niya. Napapikit na lang siya habang nakahawak sa mga gulong ng kaniyang wheel chair.

Relax, Will Luthor, this is just a man's body's natural response and so he thought.

"What's wrong? Your face is turning red." Sanzo pointed out and Will Luthor's face flustered more because of embarrassment. It looks like he's the only one who notices that one of the men's groups in front of them is a woman.

"Stop mumbling nonsense things, Sanzo. Just think about how we can cross the other side." Will Luthor whispers while closing his eyes tightly and leaning back against his wheelchair's foamed chair.

The woman is a few meters away from them yet he finds himself in an emotion he never felt before. So this is the effect if a man is near her, huh?

Will Luthor tried to maintain his composure while staring at the group of men he saw with a woman. He observed them and noticed that the royal man they were busy lifting the wounded man. Based on the silk of his clothes, and how pale his skin is, Luthor Will concluded that he's a royal man yet the reason why he was wounded is a big mystery to him and for everyone.

''Damn, that looked like it hurt.'' Sanzo hissed when he saw how men surrounded him to lift him desperately.

When the woman lifted the royal's shirt, Will Luthor felt his whole system freeze because he knew that those sharp crystalized-black things buried deep in the royal's flesh weren't something they should take easy on. Despite his initial plan to cross the border, he didn't know why he started moving his wheels in their direction.

''Will Luthor! Where are you going!'' Sanzo exclaimed as he walked in pace, trying to catch up with Will Luthor. Sinundan niya ng tingin ang mga ito ngunit huli na ang lahat dahil nakasakay na sila ng barko. He watched in concern as the royal man breaths in pain, thinking of what else he can do to tell them the truth.

''Don't remove the crystals from his body! He will crave for pleasure!'' Will Luthor exclaimed yet he only saw the woman's face. She stares at him with confusion written on her face.

''Will Luthor! What are you mumbling about?! Pinagod mo pa kami!'' Sanzo and Atlas pants. Panay ang tulo ng mga pawis mula sa kanilang mga mukha habang hinahabol ang kaniyang hininga.

''That man.'' Will Luthor's voice shivers as he points to the woman's boat drifting away from them. ''That royal man has a black dwarf's curse.''

Sanzo's eyes widened in fear. ''The curse that makes you either die in sharp dark crystals or craving for more lust?''

Atlas can't help but to butt in. ''Totoo ba 'yon? Akala ko gawa-gawa lang at panakot.''

''That's true...'' Will Luthor stares at the woman's boat.

''O, may PWD dito. Special gold boat! For PWD and two people!'' Their thoughts were interrupted when a tall man wearing a simple white shirt with long sleeves and a black corset approached them. He has faded ginger hair and silver eyes. He puffs his cigarette and blows the smoke to their faces making them cough.

''Ano ba naman 'yang sigarilyo mo, pre!'' Atlas can't help but yell. He waves his hand because he can't bear the smell of the cigarette's smoke yet the man stares at them with a wide grin and sheepish face.

''Are you guys. . . from Kazva too?'' The man asks in a low tone and the moment when he notices their pale reactions, his grin becomes wider. ''Because I am from Kazva too and will ride a boat to cross the boundary. Do you wanna come with me, mate?''

Just then they realized that they weren't alone and there was much more come to in their journey to Shakrila. Bon Voyage.

Meanwhile, Tiara struggles to keep her composure in riding a boat. She is currently with three people; Zander, Travis, and father Cohen Azlaec. Zander's hands tremble are he tries his best to prepare nice silks and clothing for Anthonus yet they already changed his shirt four times, and he keeps on bleeding more. He rejected the offer to be saved by Tiara so his condition worsened.

''Pasensya na, mhie. Wala talaga, e.'' Travis leans closer and whispers at Tiara. ''Ngayon ko lang nakita 'yang mga nakabaon sa balat niya. Tama na siguro, mhie. I-hulog na lang natin siya rito sa bangka. Ipagdasal na lang natin siya.''

Tiara pinches his waist. ''Gago ka, hindi p'wede. Gusto mo bang bitayin ako ni Arthur?''

Kapwa silang napailing habang nanatiling nakahiga si Anthonus sa mga hita ni Tiara. His chest slowly moves up and down. Muli niyang tinanggap ang panibagong tela mula kay Zander upang punasan ang walang tigil na pag-agos ng dugo mula sa balat ni Anthonus. He groaned in pain. She bit her bottom lips as she glances back at Travis.

''Baste. Are you sure you didn't know what are those?'' Zander pointed to the long,  black, and sharp crystals buried down to Anthonus' waist causing him a lot of pain. Tanging isang iling na lamang ang ginawa ni Travis.

''Callen said that Anthonus offended a black dwarf,'' Tiara whispers.

''Why don't we try pulling out the crystals to his body?'' Travis suggested. Tumulong siya kay Zander at humanap ng malinis na gloves. He found three vials full of disinfectant.

Tiara agreed and leaned closer to Anthonus and he glanced down at her body. He looked up to the vast sky he felt her pulling one of the sharp crystals out of his flesh. He endured not to make any noise despite the tingling pain that he felt all over his body. Tiara wiped his sweat and he wondered why out of a sudden, his senses heightened as she could smell his sweet natural scent. He exhaled as she carefully pulled out another shard of crystal from his flesh.

''Ahh!'' He groaned and held her hand to stop her from pulling another giving her a  cold gaze despite the jolt of pain and odd burning sensation that he felt all over his body. He didn't know what to do anymore with the mixed emotions he felt.

Out of a sudden, he feels pain yet he feels pleasure with her touch and it's driving him frustrated.

''What's wrong?'' She asks.

He took a deep breath. ''What did you do? Your touch feels weird, witch.'' He hid his discomfort as he clenched his fist and gave her a dark chuckle.

Tiara gave him a confused look and she was offended by what he said. ''What are you saying? We are helping you here—'' He cut her off by covering his nose because her scent smells so sweet to his nose.

Her forehead creased. ''Why are you covering your nose? Three times a day ako naliligo, excuse me.''

''Don't talk,'' he warns her which leaves everyone in the boat confused. The pleasure that he felt overwhelmed any sense of shame he had.

''We only have one room on the extension island.'' The both of them turned their heads in horror when Father Cohen spoke. They couldn't believe what they had just heard, and Anthonus felt like he just wanted to die on the spot.

He let out a long groan as he felt his opened wound tingles in pain yet Tiara was quick to cover it with a clean cloth and put disinfectant. The moment her shoulder brushed his skin, his heart raced as he noticed her body's curves.

Just like then Anthonus' mind is spinning with confusion and he thinks that something is making him feel this way. Tonight isn't gonna be easy because they need to spend a night somewhere. . . And there's only one bed.

𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥...

• -- ٠ ✤ ٠ -- •
F.F: Adonis, Lee, Will Luthor or Atlas? Choose one :>

𝘕𝘌𝘟𝘛 𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘚𝘕𝘌𝘈𝘒 𝘗𝘌𝘈𝘒:

''You know," he began thoughtfully, his eyes roaming over her face, "I could get used to this." He leaned in close again, his lips brushing against her ear.