ZODIAC GATES-Beware of the 13th Sign

28'BOTHERED

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“Your region . . . is under attack,” Loki said, looking at me while wearing his serious and worried facial expression.

     A minute of silence.

     My heart slowed its beating.

     Everything went into slow motion.

     My region . . . is under attack. “Sasama ako.” I whispered. “Sasama ako!” I raised my voice and moved my feet toward where his door was.

     “Pigilan niyo siya,” Loki ordered, brows almost meet with the demand.

     “No! I want to see my region! I want to go outside!” I insisted, but Xayl’ and Suwan already grabbed my arms upang pigilan ako. “Bitiwan niyo ko!” I begged, my voice broke, to escape from their grip but to no avail. “Please. Sasama ako. . . .” And then, a tear already made its way down from my eyes no matter how I fought against it.

     Madame Ruth, Raya and Taya―they’re in danger. Kailang ko silang protektahan. I couldn’t just stay in the time sphere inside the castles and wait for what might happen.

     “Racchina, everything will be okay,” Suwan tried to cheer me up, her voice calming, nang tuluyan na akong napaupo sa sahig at napaiyak.

     “’China, mapoprotektahan nila ang rehiyon mo. The former Bearers will do everything,” Euai comforted but I knew it did nothing to move my fear.

     “But I want to be there and protect my people.”

     “Really? Protect your people?” Zyke entered the conversation, his voice was mixed with sarcasm as it always did. He stood before me. He glanced at nowhere for the space of a heartbeat, then fixed his eyes on me. “How are you going to protect your region when you’re weak? You don’t even know how to summon your region’s Spirit.”

     “That’s enough, Zyke,” Xayl’ commanded.

     Zyke drew a breath and calmed himself. “Don’t think that her region is only on the line. Our regions might be at risk any time.”

     Bigla namang nagkaroon ng takot sa bawat isa. Tama si Zyke. Hindi lang ang rehiyon ko ang nanganganib kundi pati na rin sa kanila.

     Everyone became silent, thinking and praying that each region was well.

     “We can’t just stay stagnant like this,” Irgo talked. He gave us his determined gaze, telling us to do something other than doing nothing.

     “What do you mean?” Taru.

     “We have to continue training how to have our Gate Keys,” Drok concluded.

     “How? We don’t have any preceptor,” Gemida asked.

     “Then let Zyke, Adiya and Xayluz be,” Con, this time, painted his face with considerable expression.

     “No need. I will teach you how to.” Agad naming hinanap ang may-ari ng boses. A man―with faint red squinty eyes, beard creeping on each corner of his cheeks and skin, and somehow taller than Xayluz―just appeared from his door. But it was not Loki.

     “Father,” I heard Xayluz uttered.

     Kung gano’n, siya pala ang tinutukoy ni Zyke na si Opoles, ang ama ni Xayluz.

     We bowed our heads down, feeling the little uneasiness one usually gets when facing someone you just seen for the first time―or was it just me and others except Zyke, Taru, Drok and Con?