Did I just prevent myself from bringing trouble before I even could?
Just for a mere please? Really, Raven? Huminto ako sa paglalakad at problemadong napatingala. Sa sobrang inis ko sa sarili ay ipinikit ko na lang ang mga mata. I can break the rules without sweat, but I don't like breaking promises to myself.
Bumuga ako ng marahas na hangin, once again berating myself for having a weak judgment. Truthfully, I blame the heat. Sigurado akong may hypnotizing effect 'yon at nainfluence no'n ang mga decisions ko sa buhay.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring at a curious Giovanni.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
I silently wondered about our difference in height. He was almost as tall as Helios, because he can still look down at me even though he's standing right behind. Our recent matches flashed on my mind and I had half-control to stop myself from punching him.
"What are you doing?" asik ko. "Do you just come up behind every girl like some creep?"
The corner of his lips curved up in a smirk. "It bothered me. Bigla ka lang tumigil 'tas tumingala."
I guess, from someone else's perspective, that must be strange. Pero bakit ba nila pinapasok ang sarili sa mga business ko? Can't the students here just let me have my emotional breakdown in peace?
I lifted one brow at him as a response. Inayos ko ang tayo at aalis na sana nang maalala ko na hindi ko memorized ang school kaya hindi ko alam kung saan banda ang training hall. Nilingon ko si Giovanni na naghihintay lang sa likod.
"Saan magaganap ang Rank Assessment?"
He looked amused as he said, "Follow me."
The training hall was a bit far from the detention room. Ilang liko pa ang ginawa namin dahil sa malaking kastilyo. Thankfully though, it's situated in the ground floor so we don't have to take any stairs.
The lights quietly flickered when we pass them sometimes. At bukod sa mga paintings na akala mo'y pinapanood kami, the student's eyes also followed our every movement. Kahit ang mga sumasabay sa'min patungo sa training hall ay napapalingon.
Inunahan ko na si Giovanni papasok to avoid any chismis. But alas, the guy had to follow me so closely, and with his large build and the clicking of my heels, we loudly announced our presence in the room. Tuloy ay kahit ang mga estudyanteng nakaupo sa other side ng arena ay napapatingin sa banda namin.
Tamara waved at me so I didn't have a hard time finding them. She was already wearing our Type A fighting uniform, iyong parang bodysuit, and the rest of the participants for tonight's battle were also prepared in their fighting gear. Tinapunan ko ng masamang tingin si Giovanni sa likod nang sumunod pa rin siya. Kibit-balikat lang ang sinagot niya at pumwesto sa upuan na nasa likod, while I sat in between Tamara and Azriel.
"Ba't kayo magkasama?" bungad ni Tamara.
"He found me in the hallway and I needed directions." sagot ko. "How are you? Still feeling nervous about today's battle?"
Marahas siyang bumuntong-hininga. She attempted to make a smile that resulted in a grimace. "Kung matalo, e'di matalo..."
"Pero gawin mo ang lahat para manalo. What- Did AA not give you a talk?"
I glanced at the silent guy who was clearly listening to us. He blinked when I gave him attention, looking curious and lost like a newborn puppy.
"Talk?" tanong niya.
"Alam mo, for motivation and such."
"I... Should I? How?"
"Hindi, okay lang, Az!" pagpigil ni Tamara at mahina akong hinampas sa braso. "Sinabihan naman niya akong good luck at huwag magpa-intimidate sa mga kalaban ko."
Tumango-tango ako. Intimidation is one large factor when it comes to fights. The weaker would be intimidated by the stronger, at sa isipan pa lang na 'yan, you have already lost the fight. Kung ang tingin mo sa sarili ay weak at isang prey at iniharap ka sa isang true predator, rather than looking for ways to fight and survive, you would be throwing yourself in a pity-party of how the system was rigged and you have no chance of winning.
I've already mastered the will to ignore intimidation after losing against Conrad for the fiftieth time and being defeated by the foolish rumors outside our mansion. Simula no'n, kahit na ramdam ko ang lakas at bagsik ng kalaban, I let myself think of us in equal grounds, where we both have advantage and disadvantages. And when they're too complacent... I have about eighty percent chance of winning.
Another factor for losing is believing you'd already won a match that hasn't started, after all.
Tamara played with her fingers, gulping at the sight of our housemates around the room. Only ten of us got ranked so there's forty participants to be concerned of. And she already has weak nerves and confidence from the start, kaya baka kahit sa mga low years of training ay matakot siya.
"Out of everyone here, well maybe except that Damon, you are a sure winner." panimula ko kaya nanlalaki ang mata niyang bumaling sa'kin. "You can read our weak points. You can land the most critical hits that will finish a game before we could blink. If you use your soulstone to your advantage, you won't have a hard time."
Napakagat siya ng labi. "It's... Mahirap kapag sobrang bilis o malakas ang defenses ng kalaban, Raven. I can't come close to them."
"Did you do everything to get close to them?"
Natigilan siya sa sinabi ko. Just from that reaction, I had the answer for my question.
"Do everything to get close to them, Tam." bulong ko sa kaniya. "Whether that's ruining your clothes, sliding into the dirty ground, jumping into their backs, or letting yourself have a broken nose kung hindi ka worried sa resulta ng face mo unlike me. If possible, actually iwasan mong mahit sa mukha at madumihan ang clothes mo- while brutes enjoy getting ugly in fights, let's not follow that tradition. Nakaka-" ngumiwi ako. "Ugh. Ang eww lang. Pangit tingnan."
Tumawa lang si Tamara sa sinabi ko. It's not the right time to laugh, with Andreas now stepping to the platform to start the event, but I'm glad she's loosened up.
"That's so Raven of you." aniya.
Is that a phrase they had for me? Or was that Tsukishima guy a loudmouth that the phrase had already spread?
Ngumuso lang ako at hinarap si Azriel. "You agree with me right, AA?" when he blinked at me, I added, "Ah, are you one of the brutes? Who likes having a broken nose?"
"In a fight, you can't avoid them sometimes." tanging sagot niya.
"Hmm..." I hummed. "You should start avoiding them now. Pangalagaan mo dapat ang gwapo mong mukha!"
Iniwas ni Azriel ang tingin at humalakhak naman si Tamara sa tabi ko. "You sound like her mother or older sister sometimes, Raven."
"I'm older than her." Azriel responded with a small glare.
"For a year." I argued. "You're older than me for a year but you still have a broken nose."
"My nose isn't broken!"
"Pfft." I heard chuckling from behind. The seats in the training hall are designed like in theatre, kung saan elevated ang upuan ng mga nasa likod. Siguro to get a better view of the arena in the center. "You should see Azriel as a young teen, Raven. Laging may black-eye 'yan."
Ngumiwi ako sa sinabi ni Giovanni. I almost cried the first time I suffered a black eye, not because it hurts, but because it ruined my face. Kaya noong tumama sa ilong ko ang sunod na suntok, I wore a fiery red dress for a whole week. Which actually resulted to being grounded for a whole month.
Their faces were worth it naman.
Azriel turned to glare at the other male, and I, once again, realized their closeness. Azriel also seemed to know a lot about Giovanni, from his expertise in weapons to being a potential soldier for the continent. At kung alam din ni Giovanni ang nangyari sa teenager years nitong isa, they might be childhood friends.
"Raven! Hi!"
Griffin entered my line of vision with his usual bright smile. Sa likod niya ay namataan ko si Matteo na tinapunan ng supladong tingin ang banda namin bago naupo sa pinakaharap. What is with their constant presence and attention to me? Parang everyday ko na nakikita ang mukha nitong si Griffin.
He moved his gaze towards Tamara. "Oi, ready ka na?"
Napakagat lang sa labi ang katabi ko bago tumango. It's obvious that she wasn't ready but she's just encouraging herself to be. Well, nothing wrong with nerves.
"Kaya mo 'yan!" Griffin encouraged. "Mabuti pa 'tong si Raven, pachill na lang, hindi 'gaya sa'min, may bakbakan pa."
"If I could choose, I'd rather fight down there than stay up here."
"Why?" Azriel asked.
I shrugged, smiling. "May mga itsura lang na kasapak-sapak, AA."
Sinulyapan ko ang pulang buhok ni Beatrix na agaw-atensiyon. Isa siya sa maglalaban ngayon, unlike her bestfriend Dustine, who probably had exemplary marks. Panay ang kausap niya dito pero nakatuon lang ang atensiyon ng kaibigan sa harap, kung saan nakikipag-usap si Helios kay Andreas.
Oh... I didn't notice that that guy was here. Sana pala siya na lang pinaturo ko ng directions.
"You hate her that much, huh?" Giovanni whispered on my ears.
Hinayaan ko ang ngisi na pumorma sa labi. "Not really. I just dislike people who crosses me. And if they continue to do so, I love making their lives a living hell."
"What a villainous line." sabay halakhak niya.
"And since I got defeated by you twice, are you supposed to be the hero?"
Nilingon ko siya para magtama ang mata namin. He lifted a brow, amused at my statement. Pero umiling din siya.
"Nah, I'll just be a bystander. A brother, sister, or cousin na lang ang pipiliin kong role."
Disappointed by his answer, ibinalik ko ang tingin sa harap at humalukipkip. I found Helios staring at our seats, catching my eye, before sitting next to the elites. Nasa kabilang side sila ng training hall. Eva and Theus waved at me when they saw me looking, stealing the attention of a conversing Dawn and Tsuki. The boy smiled and waved at me, attempting to stand up but was prevented by Helios himself.
Inikot ko ang paningin at nakitang marami nga ang nanood. The seats are almost full, save for the blank spots in Giovanni's either side because no one wanted to sit next to him. Except Damon who arrived a few minutes later. Kahit sa naglalakihang pintuan ng training hall ay may nakatayong estudyante.
I sighed. What a crowd.
"Good evening, everyone." tumahimik ang buong training hall nang marinig ang malalim na boses ni Andreas. "Tonight, we'll have forty students from House of Blades fighting again to gain their respective ranks. There are no time limits and the fight will conclude once one goes down or surrenders, so for the rest of the houses who came to watch, this may continue until midnight. So you are free to leave, including the Elites, except the House of Blades."
"But what about our sleep?" reklamo ko sa kawalan. "And what about my bath? Kailangan kong magshower. Before twelve, because that would already mean the start of a new day."
"May rank ka naman so pwede ka na atang umalis, Raven." sagot ni Tamara sa'kin.
Napanguso ako. "But what if I leave and you still haven't fought? I want to watch your match!"
"No one in the House of Blades is allowed to go out." Andreas was staring at us, as if he heard my complaint. "You have to stay until the Rank Assessment ends."
I couldn't help the frown on my face. I want to voice out my opinion and argue with Andreas, pero ayoko rin namang tumagal pa ang event na 'to. I figured that if I speak my thoughts now, it will attract some arguments from the good students which will result in a fiery exchange of words. Pagdating pa naman sa sumbatan, ayokong natatalo.
So before I can create an outcome I would later regret, ginamit ko ang buong self-control to bite down my tongue and prevent myself from speaking.
"Raven, baka naman maaga matapos." Tamara tried to reassure me.
Sana nga. Or I might be in a foul mood tomorrow, and they will regret locking me in here.
"The match will be decided given your performance at the initiation. We'll have the bottom ranks fight first. Ang mga mananalo ay kakalabanin ang average, and the winners there will face the students with higher points. Pagkatapos, ang mga natalo naman ang makikipaglaban ulit para sa final analysis nila. So if you lost a match, you only have one chance to save yourself."
Hm. It has the same principle as the first fight. Mga lower training years ang pinaglaban bago sa mga matatagal nang nakikipaglaban. However, in here, the student's scores from their last match will determine if they're in the low, average, or high batch. At may chance ang nasa low points na makakuha ng high ranking kung maipapanalo nila ang average at high batch. And students who scored higher points in the last match is capable of getting a low rank.
Depende na lang sa amin kung kaya naming baguhin ang sistema o hayaan na maging totoo ang scores last time.
"Another note. The ranks you'll receive here won't be higher than the ten students who ranked last match. But it will determine your place in the house for the whole year."
Tamara clenched her fist beside me, looking every bit determined. Tinawag ni Andreas ang mga unang maglalaban. The twenty-five students who had the lowest scores last match. Tamara's name was called and she stood up with shaking knees. Sinulyapan ko siya at i-iencourage sana nang harapin niya ako at binigyan ng malapad na ngiti.
"I'm going to do everything tonight to be strong, Raven. Hindi ako maggi-give up doon." she promised me.
The corner of my lips tugged upwards, glad of her answer. "Sure. Show me how badass you can be, Tam."
Tumango siya at nagpaalam na rin kay Azriel bago sinamahan ang iba sa ilalim. There were about eight girls down there with her, and the rest were fighters who went down against Dustine and Damon. Andreas was talking to them, probably instructing them about what to do.
"H-Hi! R-Raven!"
Napabaling ako sa uutal-utal na nagsalita. My eyes narrowed at a male student from the House of Wind. He was biting his lower lip and tugging at the end of his shirt while trying to meet my eyes. I crossed my legs, before regarding him with a cool look. He pointed at the seat that Tamara used.
"P-Puwede bang umupo sa tabi mo?"
Nagulat siya nang biglang lumingon si Griffin na nakaupo sa harap. "Bakit? Marami namang bakante ah?"
I felt Giovanni leaning close to me, his intertwined palms resting on the backseat. "There are good seats down there, boy. Mas malapit sa stage."
Namutla ang lalaki sa atensiyon nila. I turned around and found Azriel staring coldly at the boy and Damon at the back with his dark expression. Ibinalik ko ang tingin sa lalaking unti-unting nawawalan ng confidence na lumapit. His friends was also trying to pull him far away from the beasts around me. Cute.
Mapaglaro akong ngumiti sa kaniya. "Sure. You can sit here."
If you can handle the tense and dangerous atmosphere, that is. Kaya mo pa bang huminga kung sila ang nakapalibot sa'yo?
"S-Sige na lang, Raven. S-Salamat. Sasama na lang ako sa k-kaibigan ko..."
"Then what are you waiting for?" that was probably the first time I heard Damon speak. And his voice was deep and threatening. "Scram."
Agad ngang tumakbo ang lalaki palayo. Malapit pa siyang madapa sa pagmamadali.
I leaned comfortably in my seat, lalo na't dahil walang nagtangkang lumapit o umupo sa tabi ko. Takot lang ata nila sa mga kasama kong halimaw.
Nilingon ko si Damon dahil nagulat talaga ako na sumama siya sa usapan kanina. We have never interacted before. When he caught me staring, he raised his brow. His jet black hair was tousled attractively. While Giovanni exuded the presence of a beast, Damon's almost like his name, a demon. Someone who wouldn't blink after taking your life. Someone whose mere gaze feels like danger or, terrifyingly, death.
"Nagugutom ako." bigla kong sambit.
Azriel glanced at me, surprised at the confession. Ramdam ko namang eepal ulit si Griffin kaya pinandilatan ko na siya bago pa 'yon. Kung wala lang naman siya pagkain, huwag niya na akong kausapin pa.
"Sorry, Raven. I just finished eating when I met you in the hallway." nagsosorry si Gio pero nakangiti.
"I only have water here." ani Azriel.
"Bilhan kita, Raven?" suhestiyon ni Griffin.
"Hindi nga kami makalabas na wala kaming kinalaman dito, ikaw pa na parte ng event na 'yan." I replied, rolling my eyes.
Someone tapped my shoulder so I looked back at Damon. He handed me a transparent tupperware at kita ko ang nacho fries sa loob. Heavens! Saan niya nabili 'to? It's my favorite!
"Eat that." simpleng sabi niya lang.
"Okay. Thanks."
Hindi na ako tumanggi pa dahil baka bawiin niya. It's my favorite food after all. I have no idea what this guy wants but a free food can fight whatever that is.
I never saw this in the Awanggan before o baka wala lang ito sa bandang kinauupuan namin? Sa dami kasi ng pagkain, hindi ko na naiisa-isa lahat. Ayoko din namang pumili kung mayro'n na sa harapan ko. That would be a form of disrespect to the well-cooked blessings!
Tamara wasn't one of the first people to fight. Although I told her and myself that I only want to watch her match, I didn't take my attention away from the others. I took note of their fighting styles, whether they use their left or right fist first when punching, whether they opt to attack first or defend after. I guess most of them right now are desperate to get a decent rank, one they could at least boast, because the first match took about twenty minutes before Stuart was announced winner.
When Tamara's fight came, I finished the food and was already attentive. Thankfully, ang nakalaban niya ay si Glenn, a mediocre fighter. Pero kahit na sabi niya kanina e gagawin niya ang lahat, the nerves was still obvious. She wasn't using her skill to her own advantage so I had no choice but give her some push.
"Kick him in the balls!"
Tumigil ang laban pagkatapos kong sumigaw. Their faces were funny, mortified at the dirty words that travelled their holy grounds. Andreas almost looked like he wanted to throttle me out of here, but I was more focused at the way Glenn froze.
"Tamara! Suntukin mo!"
Like a woman controlled, Tamara followed my advice, throwing a heavy punch at Glenn who was a second too late to react. After landing two critical hits, Glenn was down.
Napangisi ako. Nahagip ko ang matatalim na tingin ni Beatrix na tumayo at tinuro ako. Napaka-attention seeker talaga ng isang 'to.
"You can't just interrupt a fight like that, Tempest!"
"I think I just did." I replied nonchalantly. "And I wasn't interrupting. Right, guys?" nakanguso kong tiningnan ang mga lalaking kasama na tumango ng walang karea-reaksiyon.
I smirked at Beatrix' defeated face. She began mumbling complaints at Dustine who was staring at the stage.
Oh, I just love creating trouble so much.
The last fight was a three-way battle since the number of students was odd. Twelve students will be mixed with the eight people who scored average. Isa doon si Griffin na nanghingi pa ng goodluck sa'kin pero tinanguan ko lang. Dahil umalis siya sa harap ko ay medyo kita ko na si Matteo. He won quite a few rounds after all, so he probably has a high score. Ang tanging rason lang ata kung bakit lalaban siya ulit ay dahil one-hit siya sa'kin.
Azriel handed me his water bottle when I complained about being thirsty. Tuloy ay parang nagkaroon ako ng mga alipin dito. Although all Gio did was complain and comment about the game behind me. Doon ko rin nalaman na close siya sa lahat dahil nagkaka-usap sila ni Damon tungkol sa laban, o sadyang feeling close lang silang dalawa.
I was already starting to get sleepy, with the urge to wash my hand, when Griffin was up to fight. Kalaban niya iyong Kaizen na natalo ko rin, the guy who looks nerdy and neat.
"Griff's pretty ruthless in his plays, but he's straight-forward. Kaizen's... hm, you fought against him, Raven. Ano tingin mo?" once again, Giovanni's asking me about the fight.
"Didn't she fight them both?" tanong ni Damon.
"Yeah, bro. But Griffin's fighting style is already obvious, from the way he carries himself. On the other hand, that guy," he paused. "He looks like the kind that plays dirty."
Tumango si Azriel. "He has underhanded tactics."
"Think it's a bad match-up?"
"Depends. Griffin looks simple-minded at first, but who knows how sharp he is in fights."
"That's easy," muling saad ni Damon. "Even if the opponent is making cunning plans, the trick is to bash the skull and make them bleed."
"Damon, that's just terrifying." sabay halakhak ni Giovanni bago ako tinapik. "So, Rave? What'cha think?"
Nakatitig lang ako sa palad. "I think kailangan kong magbanyo. I need to wash my hands."
Hindi ko na hinintay pa ang sagot nila at umalis. The students I passed looked a little distracted, siguro dahil sa ingay ng heels ko, pero nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad. I stopped near the door, watching as Griffin continued to block Kaizen's continuous attacks. He looked in the zone, brows furrowed and jaw clenched, as he looked for ways to retaliate. Sa ngayon ay wala na masyadong tao sa may doorway dahil siguro palalim na rin ang gabi.
"Raven, where are you going? No one can leave yet."
Sinulyapan ko si Andreas pagkatapos makita ang pagbalibag ni Griffin sa kalaban. "No bathroom breaks allowed too?"
He stared at me for a minute, siguro tinatantya kung nagsisinungaling ba ako o hindi. Then he nodded outside, "It's right there in the front."
"Alam ko."
I looked at the stage where Griffin was smiling widely after winning the fight. Tumingin siya sa kinauupuan namin at sumimangot. His eyes roamed the place until it settled on the doorway where I gave him a small smile.
"Raven! Para sa'yo ang panalong 'yon!" sigaw niya pa.
I scoffed a laugh, turning around to leave the hall. Such an idiot.