ZODIAC GATES-Beware of the 13th Sign

25'LEADERS

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“. . . we don’t have to fight for it any longer,” I uttered to them. They sighed at bakas sa mukha nila ang pagod.

     “H’m,” they agreed and so we closed our eyes and just let go.

     “’Chinaaaa! Buti naman at nandito na kayo,” Suwan’s voice echoed so we opened our eyes and realized that we’re already back to the normal room. We loosened our hands and faced the other Bearers who fell before us.

     “Seems like we won,” Gemida talked before Zyke showed up behind us.

     “H’m. You won,” I confirmed pero imbes na maging masaya si Gemida’y nairita lang ito. Hindi kasi siya nagtagumpay na inisin ako.

     “Bearers,” Lorfia turned up. “It’s been decided; the leader of the Gate Key Bearers is . . . Racchina.”

     Everyone’s eyes widened.

     “Me? But―” I was interrupted.

     “Your team won,” Lorfia said.

     “What?” Kuting cut in in disbelief. “They fell before me; our time is a minute longer than their’s. I should be the leader,” irita niyang sambit na hindi matanggap ang desisyon.

     Lorfia faced him. “Racchina led her co-Bearers well; she let each one to speak; and she cared for them. Isn’t that enough for her to be the leader, Zyke?”

     Everyone went silent, waiting for his response.

     He sighed roughly, then walked out without requesting for a permission.

     “That attitude,” Suwan spoke, “is one of the reasons as well.”

     “Now,” Lorfia faced us. “You can already go to the dining room. Fill yourself up. And by the way, congratulations, Racchina.” She smiled.

     “I’m not going to be your leader,” agad kong sabi sa lahat. Kita ko naman ang pagkagulat sa kanila.

     “Why?” Lorfia asked.

     “I want everyone to be a leader in our own way.”

     They smiled, telling me it’s a good idea.

     “We’ll help each other. We will be leaders.”

     “That’s nice to hear from you, Racchina,” Lorfia complimented nang bigla na lang may nagbukas na pintuan sa ‘di kalayuan. Iniluwa nto ang isang lalakeng may gulang na. He whispered on Lorfia’s ear and her eyes widened. She felt anxious and scared. “Bearers, I’m already leaving.” And in haste they already vanished.

     From then on, hindi na ako mapalagay. I couldn’t get enough. Hindi ako makatulog. Kinakabahan ako. I remembered Madame Ruth, Taya and Raya. Kumusta na kaya sila? Isang buwan na mula nang magsimula kami ng training. I already missed them. Kahit na ilang oras lang sa labas ang isang buwa’y sana naalala pa rin nila ako.

     I sighed. I already wanted to go out from this time sphere. Gusto ko na silang makita’t makasama.

     I closed my eyes for a sleep and hoped that all the phases of the training would be completed nang sa gayo’y makita ko na sila.

•

“Good morning, Bearers!” Arda, the former Bearer of Aquarius, greeted. We bowed our heads slightly as a sign of respect. “We will now m-move on to the critical part of your training: the releasing of your n-nimbi,” she uttered.

     We heard our hearts pounding against our chests so fast. That’s it, the releasing of nimbus. Kunti na lang at magagawa na rin naming mag-summon.

     “F-first. You have to concentrate. Feel t-the energy within you. Feel the something that’s c-creeping inside your body. A―”

     “Mommy . . . are you okay?” Adiya asked her mother. Napatingin naman si Arda sa anak niya’t ngayon ko lang napansing hindi mapakali si Arda. Her face told us that she’s a little bit brittle. There’s something bothering the former Bearer, something that’s so great it affected the way she acted. Ang maypagkamalditang mukha nito’y napalitan ng takot.

     “Y-yes. I’m okay,” she replied at alam kong napapansin din ng iba ang pawis na dumadaloy sa mukha niya. “Now,” she continued. “Feel and release that s-something out of you body.”

     We didn’t move. We just couldn’t. We didn’t understand what she wanted us to comprehend.

     “What are you waiting for!” she yelled and it really did shock us.

     “Mommy!” Adiya couldn’t believe her mother yelled.

      Arda just looked at us for a moment and realized what she had done. “I’m sorry. I’m just . . . I’m just not feeling well. Excuse me.” And then she already opened her door and disappeared before us.

     “Do you know what bothers her?” Con―already wearing seriousness on his face―asked Adiya.

     “I don’t know,” she said worriedly.

     Nakaramdam naman agad ako ng kaba. I was nervous again. Kahapon lang ay nakaramdaman ako ng takot at ngayo’y nadagdagan pa. Something’s wrong.

     “There’s something’s wrong,” I heard Suwan whispered to herself beside me.”

     “H’m,” I confirmed.

     “Hindi ko mabasa ang isipan niya.”

     I halted from weaving thoughts. A mind reader. Suwan is a mind reader! “Y-you’re a mind r-reader?”

     Suwan looked at me. “Huh? Yes. I can read minds,” she answered quickly and honestly.

     I then heard my heart kept beating so fast. “You can read mine?” I questioned and waited for her answer.

     “I can read yours too,” she said, her eyes fixed on me, squinting.

     The fear crawled inside my body. “Then . . . you know what I am?”

     She answered, “Yes,” eyes narrowing.

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