Exoplanet: Guardians

Ikapito: Paghahanap

Crescent

" Si Handre?", tango lamang ang tinugon ko kay Kuya Chendrick. Mukhang nagulat siya nang magtanong ako tungkol kay Handre. 

" Bakit bigla ka yatang naging interested sa kanya?", puna niya habang pinupunasan ang coffee table.

" Ahm... I haven't met him so I just want to at least know him from you.", palusot ko, ang totoo talaga I'm starting to find anything interesting about him, for me to help Zion.

" Handre is Sehran's older brother and has the power of telekinesis. He can make anything move and it's cool but when you see an object float without knowing that it's Handre's prank, you'll creep out.", he chuckled. Mukhang maloko at masayahing tao si Handre  base sa kwento ni Kuya Chendrick. He's a total opposite of Zion.

" 'Di ba magkapatid sila, eh bakit magkaiba sila ng kapangyarihan?", usisa ko.

" Namana ni Sehran ang kakayahan niyang makontrol ang hangin sa kanyang Ama. As for Handre, it's from his mother.",  sagot niya.

" Hindi ba one descendant from every Guardian ang magmamana ng responsibility? Iyon ang kwento sa akin ni Mama.", the last words were almost a whisper. Napangiti naman si Kuya sa tanong ko.

" Yes and their parents were both Guardians."

Wow. Pwede pala 'yon na dalawang guardians ang magmahal sa isa't isa? Sounds interesting. Well, that wouldn't happen to me, I'll not.

" Anything that makes Handre weird?", tanong ko matapos mag-isip ng kung ano. Ginulo niya ang buhok ko saka ngumiti.

" Kung anu-anong naiisip mo. Just train, okay?", sabi niya bago ako iwan sa salas habang nakatulala sa ginawa at sinabi niya.

What?! Why can't he just answer all my questions?

" Kuya Chen--", napahinto ako sa pagtawag at pagsunod kay Kuya nang mapansin ko si Zion na nakatayo sa labas ng bahay. Kapag tinitingnan niya talaga ako, feeling ko tinatawag niya ako. Well, I have something to tell him either--about Handre pero bago pa man ako makalabas ay umalis na siya at hindi na lumingon pa.

What's wrong with him?

I still followed him. Hindi pa sya nakakalayo nang bigla siyang lumingon sa kinatatayuan ko habang nakataas ang kanyang kamay sa harapan. Is he telling me to stop?

" Be alert, next time.", he told me before he ran in the direction where my back was facing. Nagulat ako nang may makitang palaso na nasa lapag. Someone tried to kill me but...he saved me. What did he just do? Did he control the arrow to stop? Isn't that telekinesis? I thought he's just a skillful swordman. How can that be possible that he has the same abilities with Handre? Siya ba si Handre? Pero sino ang nasa libingan? Bakit siya nasa Titan?

" Ayos ka lang?", napapitlag ako nang marinig si Ysabelle. Hindi ko napansin ang kanyang pagdating dahil sa dami ng mga tanong na nabuo sa isipan ko. Napansin niya yatang nagulat ako sa presensya niya kaya hinawakan niya ang balikat ko, to make sure that I'm fine. Tumango lamang ako sa kanya.

" Anong nangyari?", nag-aalala niyang tanong habang nakatingin sa palaso sa lupa bago ilipat ang tingin sa akin.

" Someone aimed an arrow at me...", I told her, still not with myself. Iginiya niya ako papasok sa loob ng bahay. She even gave me a glass of water as everyone waited for me to explain what happened.

I told them the scene earlier but not how Zion stopped the arrow. I can't. I'm not sure yet and I may implant confusion that could affect them, especially Sehran.

" Who is it?", tanong ko kay Zion nang makabalik siya. Mabuti na lang at malayang nakakalabas-masok ng bahay ang lalaking 'to dahil na rin sa permiso ni Kuya Jun Yeon at ng iba pa.

" I don't know. Hindi ko inabutan.", aniya bago ilapag ang kanyang espada sa sementadong upuan ng pavillon na madalas tambayan ng mga Kuya. What a cold, young man I got here, he didn't even spare me a smile instead he fixed his eyes at me.

" Don't look at me that way. It brings me the creep.", I told him as I was hugging myself to make my goosebumps disappear. He held my shoulders and made me face him, to make sure I'll listen to anything he will say.

" Stay away from Ysabelle.", I saw sincerity and worry in his eyes. When he realized that it was very unlike him, he returned to his cold self and looked away, biting his lower lip. 

" You have something in mind. Spill it.", sabi ni Kuya Xian nang tanungin ko siya about Handre, the latter bits his lower lip whenever something bothers him so much. Maybe, just a hint to support my hypothesis.

" She hides something... I've no idea what it is but I feel uncomfortable whenever she's around. Para siyang may gagawing masama.", he explained. Nangunot ang noo ko dahil sa sinabi niya.

" Eh? Ysabelle's nice. She even take care of me though we only met few months a---"

" Just don't trust her, okay?", aniya na hindi na pinatapos pa ang sasabihin ko.

" For your safety.", dagdag niya bago kunin ang kanyang espada.

"I'm going.", paalam niya, hindi na hinintay pa ang sasabihin ko pero sinundan ko siya dahil gusto kong sumama sa kanya. Natapos ko na rin naman lahat ng bagay na kailangan kong gawin at nakatambay na lang ang mga Kuya kasama si Ysabelle.

" Teka, hintayin mo 'ko, Zion!", napatakbo na ako nang makita kong ang layo na ng pagitan naming dalawa. Huminto siya nang marinig ang aking boses pero hindi siya nag-abala pang lumingon.

***

"Na..sa'n t-tayo?", tanong ko kay Zion habang hinihingal pa, matapos naming pumasok sa isang portal. Kapag sa kanya talaga ako sumama, kung saan-saan ako napupunta.

" It's Rigel. Don't worry, we're just here in Titan.", he told me before he started walking again, without even beckoning. What the hell, Zion. Curse you for making me this tired enough.

" Catch it, Princess", there was mockery in his tone as he threw a bottle of water. Thanks for my keen eyes and ears, I heard him loud and clear for he didn't even glanced at me!

All I did was glare at him as if he would be slayed anytime soon.

" This is where I found unconscious three years ago..."

The wind blew hard, bringing up the silence between us. I kept my eyes on the wide field below me, illuminated by the full moon. Metal scraps from weaponry were scattered randomly like a war just happened months ago.

" This is where Zion fell."