The Tale of the Ascendants

CHAPTER 2: To save or be saved

Malayo-layo na rin ang tinakbo namin nang higitin ko si Terrence para tumigil saglit. Halos pangapusan na ako ng hininga.

"Terrence, can we take a rest first? We've been running for almost thirty minutes," I whined. He just gave me a reassuring smile which earned a grimace from me. I stopped and sat on the pavement. This running thing was draining all my energy, yet this guy didn't seem to sweat.

Naupo si Terrence sa tabi ko. I looked at the unfamiliar houses here in the nearby village. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, malayo na ito sa amin. Hindi na ako matatagpuan ng grupo nina Steve dito. I sighed in relief. Mom would definitely throw a fit, but I knew she'd get over this after giving me an earful.

"Seems like my little apple pie has lost her patience, huh." I heard him chuckle. I glared at him. This guy didn't know when to be serious. "Come, we're here." He stood up and offered his hand to help me.

"Thanks." I stood on my own. "Where are we going?" Instead of answering my question, he held my hand once again and led me to one of the houses here.

We stopped in front of a grandiose metal gate. Napamasid ako sa bahay na nasa harapan ko. It was more of a Victorian-style painted with cream and grey. Very manly, indeed.

Beside me, Terrence was punching the security code to open this huge gate. After a few punches, I heard a click then the gate automatically opened as if welcoming us. Whoa! I remained standing, perplexed.

"Let's get inside." Terrence got me out of my reverie. We walked inside, and the gate automatically closed. Bago naming marating ang front porch ng mismong bahay, nadaanan naming ang isang minimalist garden na mukhang well-maintained.

"Your place is amazing," I commended. For a guy like him, having this kind of place was not what I had expected. I pegged him more as a condo-type guy.

"Yeah. Wait until you see the interior. Amazing will be an understatement." Pride. That was what his words conveyed. Well, I wouldn't blame him. This guy could really brag sa ganda ng exterior ng bahay niya.

Few more steps and we reached the front porch. Terrence punched another security code and the door unlocked itself for us. Security freak. Mom should talk to him about having this kind of security para hindi na siya laging paranoid.

Holding my breath as the door opened, I took the liberty to look at the interior of the house. Man! He's right! It's beyond amazing. If the outdoor facilities were already high-tech, its indoor facilities were more.

"AC on," Terrence said. I looked at him with confusion. He just shrugged at me.

"Turning on the AC." A female voice replied. Voice recognition facility at its finest! I wanted to laugh. Maybe I could ask Dad to have one in my room.

Like a kid entering a museum, I looked around. Typical guy house. Black sofa set, grey cabinets, white curtains. Very minimalist. There's a digital frame on the side near the LED TV. I went closer and watched the slideshow of different pictures of Terrence with his friend, Ex. Even in pictures, Ex seemed to be serious. Terrence was always all smiles, though. I could see how close they were based on these photos. How did they even become friends? They're totally opposite.

I continued to look around the living room. I noticed that there's no family picture like a usual house had. They had paintings, though. Hindi ko rin akalaing maka-sining ang isang ito.

Iginiya ako ni Terrence sa kusina. Kahit ang mga appliances na naririto ay latest mula sa double-door refrigerator hanggang sa state-of-the-art, built-in stove. This wasn't a normal kitchen. Marunong ba talaga siyang gumamit nito? O display of wealth lang lahat ito?