•••••Maura's POV•••••

Nagising ako nang biglang tumunog ang alarm clock sa bed side table ko. Gusto ko pa sanang mag-extend five minutes pero since ayaw kong ma-late, bumangon na lang ako. Besides, I still have to prepare breakfast para sa aming dalawa ni Raven.

Ginawa ko kaagad ang daily routine ko. Naligo, at nagsuot ng uniform para pagkatapos naming kumain ni Raven ay mag-to-toothbrush na lang ako.

After taking a very refreshing bath, I went out of my room. Bumungad kaagad sa akin ang pintoan ng kwarto ni Raven since magkatapat lang naman ang kwarto namin.

I was about to knock. But decided not to. Baka naghahanda pa siya o may ginagawa sa loob.

I did not bother her and just went downstairs instead to prepare breakfast. Hindi pa ako masyadong nakarating sa baba nang naamoy ko na ang agahan at naramdaman ko na may nagluluto.

Dahan-dahan kong sinilip ang kusina at nakita ko si Raven na nakatulala habang nakahawak ng spatula at may binabasang isang libro sa harap ng kanyang niluluto.

"Raven?"

"Shit!" Bahayga siyang napatalon sa gulat na naging dahilan upang mabitawan niya ang libro na kanyang binabasa. "Damn! You scared the hell out of me, Maura!"

"Ano ba kasing ginagawa mo at nakatulala ka jan sa librong binabasa mo?" I looked down at the book that was dropped on the floor at do'n ko na-realized kung ano 'yon. "Cookbook?"

Instead na sagutin ako, inirapan niya lang ako at pinulot ang libro. Nilagay niya iyon sa kitchen island.

"I am cooking, apparently."

Lumapit ako para tingnan ang kanyang niluto. There was already a plate full of delicious bacon on the dining table kaya yung niluto na lang niya ang pinagtuonan ko ng pansin. Do'n ko nakita na sunny-side up egg pala yung niluto niya.

Napatingin ako sa kanya tapos tinuro ang cookbook na nilagay niya sa kitchen island.

"You were reading that cookbook para lang malaman kung paano magluto ng sunny-side up egg?" Napatawa ako sa sarili kong tanong.

Trust me, I didn't intend to laugh pero hindi ko kasi mapigilan, e. Napaka-easy lang lutuin ng itlog tapos gagamitan pa ng cookbook ni Raven.

"Very funny," she said and rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, Raven. Nakakatawa lang kasi, e." Sinubukan kong pigilan ang tawa ko pero hindi ko lang talaga kaya.

"You can not blame me. I do not even know how to crack an egg."

Napatigil ako sa pagtawa nang marinig ko ang sinabi niya. She was looking goddamn seriously at me.

"You know how to use a sharp knife, your eyes have special abilities, and you don't even know how to crack and cook an egg?" She nodded. "Jesus, Raven. Baliktad ata ang mundo mo."

She shrugged her shoulders and leaned her back against the kitchen island.

"Ironically. Ethan will not let me cook, pero at least I tried making an ideal breakfast, 'di ba?"

I bit my lower lip. Bigla tuloy akong na-guilty dahil pinagtawanan ko siya. Damn. Hindi ko talaga mapigilan ang tawa ko sometimes, e. Hindi ko talaga mamalayan minsan na parang nakakasakit na ako ng tao.

In addition to that, I nearly forgot the she had a very serious and overprotective brother. Nakakalimutan ko talaga 'yon, e, every time nakikita o naiisip ko ang gwapong mukha ng kapatid niya.

Pero hindi ako obsess kay Ethan, infatuation lang ang nararamdaman ko.

"No need to worry, hindi ako na-offend." Inunahan niya akong magsalita bago pa man ako mag-apologize sa kanya kaya napatahimik na lang ako.

"J-Just let me continue this, then." Kinuha ko sa kanya ang spatula at inihanda na lang yung itlog na niluto niya.

Since it was already cooked, I just transfered it on a plate. Para rin naman mawala yung akwardness namin dahil sa ginawa ko, ako na lang ang naghanda for the rest.

But honestly, for a person who doesn't know how to cook an egg, Raven did it perfectly, though.

Nang matapos ko nang i-transfer ang itlog sa plato, nilagay ko na iyon sa dining table kung saan nauna nang nakaupo si Raven.

"You look like shit, Maura." Napatingin ako nang sabihin niya iyon sa akin nang maka-upo na ako.

"Na-guilty kasi ako na pinagtawanan kita, e," sabi ko. Nang tumingin ako sa kanyang mga mata, napakurap pa ako ng ilang beses nang parang may napansin akong kakaiba. "Is it me or parang mas lumaki yung eyebags mo?"

Umiwas siya kaagad nang tingin sa akin at tinuon ang atensyon sa pagkain.

"Raven, tell me honestly, natulog ka ba talaga kagabi?" tanong ko. She never threw a glance at me because of my question, not even a slightest. "Girl, trust me, nakakasira ng beauty iyan kaya sabihin mo sa'kin ang totoo."

She let out a chortle kaya medjo nagulat ako. At the same time, masaya rin ako kasi back when Raven and I first met, hindi naman talaga kami ganito ka-close. She was cold and cryptic. Habang ako naman ay takot na takot sa kanya. Well, natatakot rin naman ako sa kanya pero at least now, improving na ang friendship namin.

"Since when did you start caring about beauty?" she asked.

"Used to be close with Eli and she's really conscious about how she looks."

"Yeah, I nearly forgot about her existence." Napatawa ako nang mahina dahil sa sinabi niya.

"So, hindi ka ba natulog kagabi?" pag-uulit ko ng tanong sa kanya.

"Yeah." She idly nodded. Sinimulan ko na ring kainin ang bacon with my sunny-side up egg na nilagay ko sa aking plato. Pero hindi ko pa rin inalis ang tingin ko sa kanya. "The truth is, I sneaked out last night to go to our house... to go to Ethan."

Bigla akong napaubo dahil sa sinabi niya. It felt like everything I just ate came out of my mouth kaya dali-dali akong uminom ng tubig. Feeling ko, lumabas yung mga eyeballs ko for just a few seconds dahil sa gulat ko.

"W-Why didn't you wake me up? Raven, sinamahan sana kita," I said. I don't care if I looked like shit to her now.

"Yeah, right. You were drooling in your beauty sleep. Who am I to wake you up from that, anyway? It looked like you had a really good dream, Maura." Inirapan niya ulit ako matapos niyang sabihin 'yon sa'kin.

Tumikhim na lang ako. It's true that I was drooling and obviously, the fact na sinilip niya ako sa kwarto habang natutulog at tumutulo laway ko, sobrang nakakahiya! Takte.

"A-Anyway, bakit ka ba kasi bumalik do'n? Anong sabi ng kapatid mo? Hindi ka naman siguro pinagalitan niya, 'di ba? Hindi ka naman siguro niya sinaktan, 'di ba?"

Lumayas siya sa bahay nila kaya there's a huge possibility na nagalit si Ethan. But since mahal niya si Raven, hindi naman siguro siya violent sa kanya. But still, hindi ko pa ring maiwasang hindi mag-alala.

"First of, I came back to get Angeleeka Buenavista's necklace that I promised to give Benedict as a payment for telling us prolly one-fourth of the whole truth. Second, I could say Ethan did not say much because he kept on hiding secrets from me." Kumain muna siya ng bacon bago pinagpatuloy ang sinabi niya. "Third, he raised his voice at me because of asking too many questions and for having such a thick head. Fourth, he did not hurt me but someone did shot me a tranquilizer dart."

Napakurap ako ng ilang beses.

"That's it?"

"Sinagot ko lang naman ang initial, consecutive questions mo," she said, still eating the bacon.

"But that can't be the whole story, can it? Come on, Raven, sabihin mo sa'kin." Para akong isang bata na nagmamakaawa sa kanya na sabihin sa akin ang nangyari. "Look, I'm worried, okay? Seryoso ako. You can't just wander off on your own like that, Raven."

She can't blame me. It's true na nag-alala ako sa kanya lalong–lalo na nung mabasa ko ang binigay na folder sa'kin ni Eli nung nakaraang araw. I noticed my hands started to tremble kaya tinago ko 'yon kay Raven para hindi niya mapansin.

"Seryoso rin ako, okay? I know it sounded so uncanny but what I said was the whole truth." Huminga siya ng malalim bago nagpatuloy. "I do not remember a thing aside from what I told you. Alam kong mahirap paniwalaan, but it is the reason why I kept up all night."

Kumunot ang noo ko. Tinabi ko na lang muna ang pagkain ko, nawalan kasi ako ng gana. I just wanted to know what happened to Raven last night.

"How come you don't remember a thing?" I asked. "At tama ba yung narinig ko? Someone shot you a tranquilizer dart?"

"Exactly," Tumango siya. "at sure ako na that was the reason kung bakit ako nawalan ng malay at bakit wala akong maalala."

"Paano ka nakauwi kagabi?"

"Who knows." She shrugged her shoulders. "The next thing I knew after I recalled I was shot by a tranquilizer dart, nasa kwarto na ako. Wala akong ideya kung paano ako nakauwi. It was like... I teleported, somehow."

Bigla akong napalunok. Mas lalo pang nanginig ang mga kamay ko.

"N-Nakita mo ba ang tranquilizer d-dart?" I tried myself not to stutter but I just couldn't. I didn't want Raven to notice that so I looked away from her and just looked at the table.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just c-curious. I guess?"

There was a short silence after that. Akala ko hindi na siya sasagot pa hanggang sa marinig ko ang pagdaloy ng tubig sa baso at nang maramdaman ko ang pag-inom ni Raven ng tubig.

"When the tranquilizer dart hit my nape, kinuha ko kaagad iyon gamit ang natira kong lakas," she continued. "When I looked at it, there was a symbol."

Gulat na napatingin ako sa kanya na nakatingin lang sa kanyang baso ng tubig.

"Raven, what s-symbol?"

She looked at me with no emotions in her eyes.

"A symbol of a violet, raven bird."

Kaagad na nanlamig ang aking buong katawan nang marinig ko 'yon. Bigla na lang bumalik sa isipan ko ang lahat ng mga nangyari sa akin at ng mga kaibigan ko noon. The bloody image of that time kept on flashing back in my head.

"T-That can't be..."

"Wait, what exactly do you mean? Why are you surprised, Maura?"

Hindi ko na kayang sagutin pa ang mga tanong ni Raven. It was as if my whole system has stopped functioning at parang umiikot na ang paningin ko. I couldn't even feel my whole body; it just went numb. Nakita ko ang paggalaw ng bibig ni Raven na parang may sinasabi siya sa akin pero hindi ko narinig 'yon.

Dammit, get a hold of yourself, Maura!

"That is it!" Napakurap ako nang ilang beses ng maramdaman ko ang pagdampi ng napakalamig na tubig sa balat ko. "Get a hold of your goddamn shit, Taylor! What the fuck is happening to you?!"

She was now standing in front of me, holding a bucket in her left hand while she placed the other on her hips. Napakurap lang ako ng ilang beses na nakatingin sa kanya, nakatulala. Honestly, I never realized when she got that bucket she was holding.

"Well?" She raised a brow at me. "Stop blinking your eyes looking like a shitty prey in front of me and tell me what the hell is happening to you."

Napalunok ako nang marinig ang sinabi niya. She was so serious and because of that, the more I struggle to find the right words to answer her.

Nagbuntong-hininga siya at nilagay ang bucket na hinawakan niya sa sahig.

"You know, I hate forcing people kaya hindi kita pipilitin na sabihin sa akin kung ano ang iniisip mo," she said in a cold voice. "Just get ready. Otherwise, we will be late."

"O-Okay." 'Yon lang ang tanging nasabi ko hanggang umalis si Raven sa kusina.

Siguro pumunta siya sa kwarto niya para magbihis. Napabuntong-hininga na lang rin ako at napatingin sa mga kamay kong nanginginig pa rin.

"I never should've opened that."

-----

Dumating kaming dalawa ni Raven sa garden na usual meeting spot namin last minute before kami ma-le-late. Kinabahan nga ako kasi baka tuloyan na kaming ma-late.

"Bakit malapit kayong dalawa ma-late?" Blade immediately threw the question when he saw us.

Tinuro ako ni Raven. "Ask her."

Blade then averted his gaze from Raven and looked at me.

"W-Wala! Mabagal kasi ako kumilos kaya gano'n." Tumawa pa ako ng peke para hindi nila mapansin.

Though, Raven just scoffed because she knew I was just bluffing. Blade, on the other hand, just nodded and I believe he was convinced of my reason.

"Anyway, may itatanong sana ako sa inyong dalawa, e," sabi niya.

"Ano iyon?"

"Si Hades," he whispered at bahagyang tinuro si Hades na tahimik lang na nakasandal sa puno na parang may malalim na iniisip. "anong nangyari sa kanya?"

Raven raised a brow at him and crossed her arms.

“Are you retarded, Blade? Hindi mo nga alam kung ano ang nangyari sa kanya, e. Now, you’re asking us na kakarating lang rin namin?” She rolled her eyes. “How do you expect us to know?”

"Isn't he just being in his normal self? I mean, ganyan naman talaga siya palagi," sabi ko.

"I don't think so." Tumingin siya kay Hades. "He's been like that since I got here."

Hearing what Blade said, Raven and I exchanged confused glances.

"Since you got here?" pag-uulit ko sa sinabi niya na tinangoan niya lang.

"I thought you come together to school everyday?" Like me, Raven was perplexed as well. We both were.

"Not today," he answered at tumingin ulit sa amin. "kaya nga sabi ko iba siya ngayon, 'di ba? Nag-text siya sa'kin na mauna na lang daw ako dito sa Blandon High tapos pagdating niya dito, para pa siyang walang tulog kasi medjo malaki rin yung eyebags niya."

Napatingin uli kami kay Hades. Looking at him, it kind of reminded me that time when our friend died. Ilang taon ring hindi nagsalita si Hades. Like, literally. Akala ko nga never na talaga siyang magsasalita, e. But a few years right after that incident, he spoke to us again pero hindi na siya naging masyadong energetic pa.

Bigla akong kinabahan. Simula nang binasa ko yung files na binigay sa'kin ni Eli ilang araw na ang nakaraan, naging nerbyoso na ako sa lahat. Madali na akong kabahan at matakot.

"Attention, Students!" Nagulat kami nang biglang may boses na lumabas galing sa speaker. "All students are advised to come to the school gymnasium immediately. I repeat, all students are advised to come to the school gymnasium immediately!"

“What could it be?”

“Only one way to find out,” Blade answered Raven.

We didn’t waste any more time and we all ran, including Hades to the gymnasium.

When we got there, there were already a lot of students. The seats were also full, so, we had no other choice but to just stay at the side.

“What could’ve happened?” tanong ko. “Bakit tayo pinapatawag lahat? May nangyari kaya?”

“Beats me.” Blade shrugged his shoulders, habang si Raven at Hades ay tahimik lang.

After a few minutes, the ASC President, Sniper climbed up on the stage, mic in hand.

“Good Morning, my fellow students,” he greeted. Only Blade, Raven, and I exchanged glances, while Hades was just looking at Sniper seriously.

May ibang mga bagay pang sinabi si Sniper pero hindi ko na ‘yon napansin nang biglang mag-vibrate ang aking phone sa loob ng bulsa ko. Kinuha ko kaagad ‘yon at nakita ang message ni Reo-sensei.

Raven, Blade, Maura, Hades, nasaan kayong tatlo? Nasa gymnasium na ba kayo?

It was a group message, like the usual. I looked at my friends but they were too occupied listening to Sniper.

It looked like I was the only one who noticed the message kaya ako na lang ang nag-reply kay Sensei.  Opo, Sensei. Nasa gilid lang kami nakatayo since wala ng vacant seat.

Hindi ko na lang binalik ang phone ko sa loob ng bulsa ko dahil baka mag-reply pa siya. Nakinig na lang ulit ako kay Sniper kahit medjo na-out of topic na ako.

“We are more than proud to announce to you all that Blandon High has another student that you should all meet.” An indistict chatter started to envelope the gymnasium.

Nag-vibrate ulit ang phone ko kaya do’n ulit natuon ang atensyon ko.

Maura, whatever happens, do not leave Raven’s side. Huwag niyo siyang pababayaan. Understood?

I was confused. So, I turned to Raven to tell her about the message.

“Ra—”

“My fellow students, kindly welcome the new student, Jugg Fuentes!” I don't know, but what Sniper just announced was just like somekind of a magnet.

My attention diverted to the stage as I saw a very charming man. The girls uttered a squeal but the more I saw the guy, the more my heart pounded so fast.

Not because of infatuation, but because of anxiety.

Sniper handed over the mic to him. He flashed a smile that gave almost all of the girls an ultimate romantic excitement. But to me, it sent a chill down my spine and he was filled with dark aura.

“Looking forward to meeting you all, beloved students of Blandon High.” That was the last thing I heard before my body suddenly went cold and numb with a thought in mind,

Who is this guy?