MALAPIT nang magtanghali nang magising si Jasia. Sabi niya pa ay kaunti lang ang iinumin niya pero dahil tuluyan silang nakapag-usap nang masinsinan ni Ameri, nawala na ito sa utak niya. But, oh well, if it meant talking to her without any punch of their cold war, she would be glad to get drunk over and over again.

She had been wanting to make their relationship better. Right when she just arrived at the Portal Shoe Company, Ameri was the first to catch her attention, and she wanted to be friends with her. It was just quite eventful that they were always competing at the end of each roles.

Bumangon na siya sa kama at tiningnan ang kaniyang phone. Nag-iwan ng mensahe ang kaniyang sekretarya na wala silang rehearsal mamayang hapon dahil nagpatawag ng meeting ang presidente ng kompanya at kailangang dumalo lahat ng instructors at directors.

"Sounds convenient to me." She subtly swayed her shoulder while getting up to bed. Doon na lang muna siya sa bahay ni Xibel mananatili buong araw.

Hinanda na niya ang kaniyang mga gamit. Dinala niya rin ang kaniyang bag na naglalaman ng mga damit para sa pag-eensayo. Nasasayangan siya sa oras kaya mag-eensayo na lang din siya sa kaniyang routine mamaya.

Nang handa na ang lahat, lumabas na siya sa kaniyang kuwarto. Dinaanan niya rin si Isabella ngunit napansin niyang nakaawang ang kuwarto nito. Sinilip niya ang loob pero walang tao. Hindi kaya'y nauna na itong pumunta sa bahay ni Xibel?

Napasingkit naman ang kaniyang mga mata. Dali-dali siyang bumaba at nagtungo sa kaniyang kotse. Pinaharurot niya kaagad ito sa bahay ni Xibel. Pagkarating niya, hindi nga siya nagkamali. Nandoon na si Isabella na abalang makipagtalo kay Imris. Nakaupo sa sofa ang dalawa.

"Ang panghi mo naman, hindi ka ba naliligo?" ani ni Isabella at inamoy ang buhok ni Imris.

"I bathe everyday!"

Hindi naman nagbago ang ekspresyon ni Isabella at mas lalo lang inaasar ito. Umakto itong nasusuka habang napapatakip pa sa ilong.

Napunta ang tingin niya sa lalaking nakaupo sa kabilang sofa. Nakatalikod ito kaya hindi niya makita ang pagmumukha ng lalaki pero paniguradong nakasimangot na naman ito.

Bahagya siyang napangiti sa isip at saka naglakad sa dulo ng sofa na inuuupan nito.

"Good morning, Xibel."

Hindi siya nito sinagot. Humalukipkip lang ito at tumingon sa kabilang direksyon. Kahapon pa ito hindi namamansin sa kaniya.

"May problema ba? Did I do something wrong?" She slightly tilted her body in hopes to see his face but she could only look at the side of his cheek. Kaunti na lang kasi talaga at haharap na sa direksyon ng kusina ang katawan nito.

"Hey, why aren't you talking to me? Invisible ba ako?" Nilingon niya ang dalawang babae na nagsasabunutan na. "Nakikita niyo naman ako, 'di ba?"

The two paused and nod. Binalik ulit nito ang atensyon sa pakikipag-away.

"Then why is this man treating me as if I'm an air?" pagpaparinig niya. Pabagsak niyang nilagay ang bag sa sofa dahilan para bahagyang mapaigtad si Xibel. Hinintay niya ang magiging reaksyon nito subalit wala.

Bumuntonghininga na lang siya. Maybe she was asking for too much. It was just recently they reconciled, and somehow, made spaces for each other, after all. Xibel had a phobia for women that he experienced intense panic every time he came across one. And he was one of them.

Siguro nga, hayaan na lang niya muna ito. She was already thankful that he wasn't spitting foul words to her anymore.

Binuksan na niya ang zipper sa kaniyang bag upang kunin ang pointe shoes niya nang may mahinang boses na umalingawngaw sa kaniyang tainga.

"Aren't you tired of seeing my face?"

He looked at Xibel. Nakatalikod pa rin ito sa kaniya. The ends of her lips curved. "Nope. I like how you look."

His shoulder flinched. It was subtle yet the expression of his back told him the story of his expression. He was surprised.

Magsasalita pa sana siya nang biglang umeksena si Isabella. Tumikhim ito dahilan para mapalingon siya. Nawala na si Imris. Mukhang nagtungo yata sa kusina para kumain at makipaglaro kay Arator.

"Xibel, can I talk you for a minute?" saad nito,

Xibel glanced at his maker while she put her gaze on him. Surprisingly, she couldn't feel any sense of panic from his expression. He didn't look away; his palms didn't waver; his shoulders stayed at rest. It was beyond different from how he used to look at her.

This must have been the space between her and the person who made him.

Tumayo si Xibel. "Follow me."

Pinanood niya ang dalawa na umakyat papuntang third floor at mawala sa paningin niya. For some reason, she had hoped Xibel could act like that around her too--straight without faltering.

"WHAT do you want to talk about?" panimula ni Xibel nang makarating sila sa balcony. Naglakad siya papunta sa railing at sumandal doon. The black sement was hot yet he liked it warmth on his sutane.

Tumabi naman si Isabella sa kaniya. But unlike him, she was facing the door they got out from. "August."

"Call me Xibel." He gazed up, letting the rays shone on his withered face. "Only the heavens can call me that."

"But I'm your writer though? You are named August by the heavens because you are from the light. You are saint of spring that was born on summer." Bahagya itong natawa. "Crazy, right? Tell me why do you think I made it that way?"

Napangiwi naman siya. "No particular reason. You fancy putting information that looks like needing of in depth thought and explanation. But the truth is, you just feel like doing it."

Lumakas ang tawa nito. Napahawak ito sa tiyan. "Because it sounds good in my head. I just wanted to spark some what ifs from my readers, you know. I wanted to know what would they think about your birth."

"Sounds like a playful child." Napailing na lang siya. "How old are you?"

"Wow, you're asking a personal question na, ha." Ginaya nito ang kaniyang position at humarap sa direksyon ng langit. "I'm twenty."

"You wrote me when you were fifteen . . . a child indeed." Muli siyang napailing. Hindi niya rin mawari kung bakit nga ba siya pumayag na makipag-usap dito. Kahapon, ayaw na niya itong makita ulit. Subalit kahit gusto man niya itong itaboy, hindi niya magawa dahil magaan ang pakiramdam niya kapag malapit ito.

There was a sense of comfort coming from this woman, similar to the feeling he felt towards Imris. His body was not reacting they way it used to do with other women. It looked like he had to be thankful for the system for making an exception; for making him breath. What just bugged him was the loud voice in his head.

His writer's grief were way louder than Jasia and Imris.

What happened to you? He wanted to ask her, but he couldn't seem to think of any reason to do it. He couldn't change something for her, anyway, so what was the point of knowing. Grievances were meant to be carried for as long as how stubborn the body forgets. Even if he knew, Isabella would not feel any better regardless.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" He looked at her.

"I just wanted to ask." She clasped both of her hands; her gaze remained on her fingers. "I wrote you hating women while fearing them at the same time. But why can't I see that in you right now?"

"Silly. The system made you an exception, so I--"

"No. I am asking you about Jasia."

"What about her?"

"You can strike a conversation with her." She stated with an obvious look. Isabella's eyes were just as dark as mud like Jasia's. Now, there were three people who could look at him with the eyes he couldn't decline. "As far as I can remember, Xibel. You don't talk to women."

"You are right, Isabella." After he became a necromancer, he locked up opportunities to strike a conversation with them in fear they would just hurt him. "But you also shouldn't forget you write me a character of comprehension. I can still understand people. In my heart, there are still emotions willing to listen to others. And this dimension opened those I thought I have lost."

Isabella remained her gaze fixed. But her expression moved into a subtle smile. Her eyebrow curved in a manner of surrendering; relieved on what she just heard. As if she was reminded of the very thing she had forgotten.

"Right. You're a saint."

He nodded while mirroring her expression. "I was a saint."

Pagkatapos ng kanilang pag-uusap, nauna siyang bumaba. Napatigil siya sa ikalawang palapag nang makarinig ng isang mapaglarong tunog. Every beat felt like there was a sneaky fairy with little tiptoes trying to get in a prohibited room. His gaze then instinctively moved to look at the woman entertaining a child.

Her pointe shoes sang everytime it met the marble floor. How could she not slip? She was wearing a white leggings and a leotard, and it was his first to see Jasia dancing close. Although her skin was covered, he could tell the muscles bulking on the thin cloths. If only she wasn't wearing the pink ribbon on her head, he would mistake her as someone else.

She always became different when she danced.

He sighed when he felt like the sneaky song was trying to sneak something inside his soul.

"Papa!"

Napatigil sa pagsayaw si Jasia nang mapansin ang kaniyang pagdating.

"Mama is dancing the sugar plum fairy!" natutuwang saad ni Imris.

Lumapit naman siya rito at hinawakan ang noo nito. Pansin niya kasi na mas mapungay ang mga mata nito kaysa kahapon. Did she not get enough sleep?

"Sleep later," utos niya.

"Okay!"

Dinapo niya ang tingin kay Jasia na umiinom ng tubig. "Are you practicing for your next rehearsal?"

"Magpa-practice pa lang. Nag-warm up lang ako while using other routine," hinihingal nitong sabi.

"I see." Tumalikod na siya at kinarga niya si Imris upang dalhin ito sa kuwarto para matulog.