"Si Lucas?"
Tanong ni Shinshi at umupo sa tabi ni Wilder. Ash looked at the two at napailing nalang.


"Papunta na."
Sagot ni Archer at maya-maya'y dumating na nga si Lucas habang may dala-dalang kape para sa lahat. Walang-imik niya itong binigay sa team at umupo sa kabilang dulo, pinagigitnaan ng dalawang bakanteng upuan.

Those seats were supposed to be Zia and Blu's seats.


"Ang depressing tingnan ng dalawang upuan na 'to."
Sabi ni Atlas at tsaka itinabi ang mga upuan sa gilid.


"Any news on Blu?"
Diretsong tanong ni Xy nung makaupo na si Atlas. Saglit pang napaubo sina Ash dahil sa diretsahang tanong nito. "He's at the north border. Nasa village nila." Pasimpleng sagot ni Lucas at kuminang pa ang bagong ear piercing niya.

Now, he has two silver-cross earrings on the same ear.


"Ba't niyo pa ba pinag-uusapan 'yung umalis na?"
Tanong ni Audin at ininom ang gatas na binili mismo ni Lucas para sa kanya. Hindi sumagot sina Xy.


"He was bitten by beast demons and as far as we're informed, hindi na nawawala ang epekto nun. Kaya nung umalis siya, that wasn't him. That was the effects of the beast demon's bites."
Pagpapaliwanag ni Ash sa kanila.


"Kung nasa epekto nga siya ng kagat ng beast demons, who is he taking orders from? From Uno? As far as I'm informed, Uno stopped giving orders to him dahil sa pagkakaalam ko, isang beses niya lang pwedeng utusan si Blu."
Seryosong sabi ni Audin na nagpabigla sa lahat.


"The effects of a beast demon's bite are like using a disposable object. Isang beses mo lang pwedeng gamitin ito at pagkatapos ay itatapon mo na. Uno's chances of controlling Blu are already over, pero bakit umalis parin si Blu sa team?"
Sunod-sunod na sabi ni Audin.

The whole team looked at him with concern, especially Reed.


"So, I'm guessing that it might have been Blu's inner thoughts that made him want to leave the team. Hindi siya umalis dahil lang sa epekto ng kagat ng beast demons. Umalis siya dahil gusto niya. That's his true self and the beast demon's bite just showed it to us."
Dagdag ni Audin at sinara na ang librong binabasa niya.

After a month of training in silence, the kid in him got so lost in his passion that he's starting to develop a new character that was so not like him. He got serious.


"I get what you mean, DinDin."
Mahinahong sabi ni Xy sa kanya.


"But nothing in this world is irreversible."
Sandaling kumunot ang noo ng team dahil sa sinabi ni Xy habang nakatingin ito kay Lucas. "Kahit na sabihin nating ayaw ni Blu sa team, we're forcing him back because we're his only stupid friends." Dagdag ni Xy.


"Dude, did you really have to call us his stupid friends?"
Bulong ni Ash sa kanya.


"Kasi tanga lang ang pipilitin bumalik ang umalis na."
Agad na sagot ni Xy kaya nagkibit-balikat na si Ash dahil may point naman ang sagot nito.


"Lucas is finding a way to completely remove the effects of the beast demons bite."
Dagdag ni Xy kaya tumingin na sina Wilder kay Lucas. "Ahh, kaya pala palagi kang wala kasi gumagawa ka na pala ng bromance potion mo?" Tanong ni Wilder.

Tiningnan lang siya ni Lucas at tinapunan ng bottle cap.


"Pero mahihirapan na akong gumawa ng reversing spell."
Ani Lucas at sinuklay ang buhok niya gamit ang kanyang mga daliri. He didn't want to cut his hair for the whole month, making it grow, almost giving him a curly raven-colored mullet.

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