POV TRAEVON ERIKSSON
Before going to Japan, I tried contacting the Thirteenth Werewolf Alpha. Sinasagot naman niya ang tawag ko, pero nagpapanggap na wrong number para hindi ako kausapin. Minsan kunwari ay naro-route ako sa automated system at nagpapanggap siya na robotic voice kahit obvious naman na siya ang sumagot. Minsan naman ay nagpapanggap siya na customer care hotline.
Kahit ilang libong taon na, minsan parang isip bata pa rin.
It seems that Polaris already talked to him, but he does not want to talk to me yet. Kung anong itinatago ng lolo ko, mukhang wala pa siyang balak sabihin sa akin ito.
Or maybe he does not want to talk to me as he does not want to lie to me.
"Saan tayo next na pupunta? Sa Meiji Shrine? Hindi ba Meiji ay name ng chocolates? May chocolate factory ba doon?"
"Meiji Shrine is from the name of Emperor Meiji. Mukhang kang pagkain. Kanina ka pa kain ng kain. Dapat ako kinakain mo para may pambayad ka sa ginastos ko dito sa Japan."
"Hungarian sausage lang ang kinakain ko, Traevon. Kung malaki ang sausage mo, sige baka kainin ko."
Mahirap asarin si Caelen ng mga green jokes dahil palaging may pambanat sa akin. Kung ibang babae ito na kasama ko, malamang ay magpapa-demure at magpapa-shy type. Pero pagdating dito sa newbie Werewolf na ito, wala siyang pakialam kahit magmukha siyang matakaw at bastos sa harapan ko.
Pagkatapos namin mamasyal sa ilang shrines at park ay dinala ko si Caelen sa tapat ng office building namin.
"Traevon, bakit tayo nandito?"
"This is where I work. Dima Worldwide Corporation, Tokyo branch. A company engaged in processing, manufacturing and packaging of food products. This is a company established by my father Tristan Eriksson who was known as Tristan Dimaculangan."
"Empleyado ka ng Dima Corp?"
"I am using the name Von Dimaculangan here. I can't use my real name."
"Traevon, sa Dima Corp din ako nagtatrabaho pero sa Taguig branch. Kung daddy mo ang big boss dito, baka pwedeng ilipat mo ko sa Tokyo branch para officemates tayo."
"Dahil gusto mo ng office romance?"
Ngumiti ito na tila kinikilig sa tanong ko. I can't help but to feel my warm cheeks.
"Dream guy ko ang isang Japanese guy. Baka kapag dito na ko nagtrabaho sa Tokyo branch, magkaroon ako ng Japanese boyfriend."
"What? Japanese boyfriend?" inis na tanong ko sa kanya.
I thought she is indirectly telling me that she wants to be with me, but I guess she just wants to transfer here to have a Japanese boyfriend. I want to kick myself for even feeling a rush of romantic excitement.
"I will make sure that you will be stuck in the Taguig branch," sagot ko sa kanya sabay lakad palayo sa kanya.
"Grabe ka naman! Pag-usapan naman natin ito, friend. Medyo fluent na ko sa pagsasalita ng Japanese in preparation to my future boyfriend. Teka, hindi ba wala pang asawa si Shintaro Kimura? Ipakilala mo naman ako!"
"No way!"
"Sige na, malay mo meant to be kami at ako na pala ang pinakahihintay niya."
"The answer is no."
"Please? My super friend?" nakikiusap na sabi nito sabay hawak sa braso ko.
"Von!"
Nasa kalagitnaan kami ng diskusyon ni Caelen nang biglang may tumawag ng pangalan ko. Zaphorah Kiana Everett or Zackie for short. She was my former secretary and my officemate now here in the Tokyo branch.
She is also my fiancee. The girl who appeared in First Heir Jedidiah's vision.
"Traevon, what are you doing here in Tokyo? I thought you were still on vacation?" tanong ni Zackie.
Tinignan niya si Caelen mula ulo hanggang paa, at bakas ang disgusto niya dito.
"I am still on vacation. I still have a few weeks and I am planning to extend it," sagot ko sa kanya.
"Von, who is she? A friend of yours?"
Tumango lang ako sa kanya dahil ayokong magpaliwanag kung sino si Caelen sa buhay ko. Hindi ko siya girlfriend at mas lalong hindi ko siya asawa para alamin niya kung ano ang ginagawa ko at kung sino ang kasama ko.
"Hi, Traevon's friend! Nice to meet you! I am Caelen San Rafael. Si Traevon ang aking tourist guide dito sa Tokyo sa loob ng linggo."
Inabot ni Caelen ang kanyang kamay para makipag-handshake pero tinignan lang siya ni Zackie na parang ayaw makipagkamay sa kanya. The disgust on her face is very much visible.
"Tourist guide? Von, who is she? Why does she know your real name?"
"She is a special friend of the Thirteenth Alpha. I volunteered to be her tourist guide. Caelen, let's go. Hindi ba gusto mo pa kumain?"
Hindi ko na hinintay na sumagot si Caelen at hinila ko siya palayo kay Zackie. Whenever Zackie is around, I always feel suffocated as if she has total control over my life.
But with Caelen, I feel free as I am truly alive.
Pumunta kami ni Caelen sa isang malapit na park at binili ko siya ng sangkaterbang street food dahil nagugutom na naman daw siya. Nabanggit niya sa akin na nagkaroon ng pera ang bank account niya, pero ayaw daw niya itong gastusin. Hindi niya alam kung si Sir Joe ang nagbigay nito o ang kanyang boss na si Aurelien Delacroix sa kanyang part time bartending job.
"Si Zackie ba ang fiancee mo?" tanong ni Caelan habang kumakain.
"Yep."
"Dati boto ko sa love team niyo, pero ngayon ayoko na. Suplada at matapobre, hindi naman sobrang kagandahan. Mukha lang mayaman."
"Judgmental ka pala?" nakangiti na tanong ko sa kanya.
"Hindi ako judgemental, pero nakita mo ba kung paano niya ako tignan as if isa akong microorganism? Nakipagkamay ako, aba tinignan pa ko mula ulo hanggang paa na parang hindi ko deserve mahawakan ang kanyang kamay? As your friend, hindi ako boto sa kanya kaya tutol ako sa kasalan na magaganap!"
"Kailan ko ba sinabi sa'yo na gusto ko siya pakasalan?"
"Kapag kailangan mo ng tututol sa kasal ninyo, sabihan mo ko ah? Magpapanggap akong nabuntis mo!"
"Bakit ka pa magpapanggap? Pwede naman kitang buntisin?"
"Talaga? Gusto ko made in Japan ang baby natin ah?"
Tumawa lang ako at pinasakan ang bibig niya ng isang fried squid na nabili namin kanina. Parang gusto ko totohanin ang suggestion niya.
"Dahil ayoko sa fiancee mo, bakit hindi natin sirain ang engagement niyo?"
"That is the most ridiculous proposal that I have heard, but yeah. I like the idea. Any plans on how to break a vision from the First Heir himself?"
"Na-kwento mo kasi sa akin ang short summary ng love story ng parents mo. Parang hindi naman tama na ikakasal ka sa babaeng hindi mo gusto. Change that, make it plural. Hindi natin gusto!"
"It is really unfair as I cannot choose the one that I want to marry. So if you have plans on how to stop my wedding to Zackie, go ahead. I am listening."
Humarap sa akin si Caelen at tumingin ito sa mga mata ko. She really looks serious with her plan, except that I can hear her chewing the squid inside her mouth.
"Traevon, what if hindi naman totoo na nakita na vision na ikakasal kayo ni Zackie? What if the vision of First Heir Jedidiah was manipulated?"
"First of all, Jedidiah cannot manipulate it. The vision was confirmed by all the First Heirs. It was a legitimate vision."
"Eh paano kung may naglagay ng vision kay Jedidiah? Someone who is capable of creating illusion and hypnosis? 'Yong mga ganun na superpowers?"
"Ako lang at si Alpha Ezraikiel ang may kakayahan ng Halucinatio. I am sure the original Alpha was in the Morpheus Castle when the First Heir Jedidiah received the vision."
"How about the Thirteenth Alpha? He is capable of Halucinatio dahil may powers siya ng twelve Alpha. Paano kung siya ang gumawa ng vision ni Jedidiah? A misleading vision?"
Joaquim Hidalgo can easily use Halucinatio to plant a vision in Jedidiah's head. He can even use the combined powers of Phantasma and Obscura to conceal his presence. He can also alter Jedidiah's memories using the Halucinatio and Historia.
He can easily do it using the advanced power of Kairos Impeditio or time freeze ability and Ultimus Vecto, the advanced teleportation skill.
"You are right. Sir Joe can do it, but I don't think he will do it. Lolo Joah would not do such a thing."
And he sent you to me.
If my Lolo Joah is behind my engagement with Zackie, he will not surely send Caelen to me to mess with my head. And my lolo will never put me in this difficult situation. That old dude loves me like I am his own son.
"Kung hindi si Alpha Ezraikiel ang may gawa nito at hindi ang Thirteenth Alpha, sinong nilalang ang may kakayahan na tulad ng sa Thirteenth Alpha?"
Napatingin ako sa sinabi ni Caelen. There is another creature in this world who is capable of such advanced ability, the Thirteenth Knight of Lilith.
"Care to share kung sino ang unang tao na pumasok sa utak mo?" tanong ni Caelen nang tumahimik ako.
"The Thirteenth Demon Knight of Lilith."
"Si Lilith na demon goddess na galit sa Werewolf Clan?"
"The Guardian Raviael created the twelve Werewolf Alpha and the Thirteenth Alpha. They are called the Twelve Cavaliers of Raviael. Our skills were patterned to the Twelve Demon Knight of Lilith. Their leader is called the Thirteenth Demon Knight."
"Mukhang tunog fantasy story kalaban sila. Nasaan naman 'yang si Thirteenth Demon Knight at ang kanyang twelve minions?"
"They were defeated by the twelve Alpha thousands of years ago. It is believed that they are imprisoned in the middle of the Australian desert. Your theory is far-fetched but there is a small chance that it is possible."
"Traevon, sino ang magbe-benefit ng kasal mo at ni Zackie? Sino ang makikinabang sa joined forces ng Everett at Eriksson Family."
"No one, not even the Everett Family. As far as I know, they are good people. Zackie is an exemption as she was raised like a spoiled brat queen. Her mother was a celebrity before she became part of the Werewolf Clan."
"Akala ko magaling na ako parang si Detective Conan. Wala palang pag-asa ang pag-iimbestiga natin. Mukhang legit ang vision ng First Heir niyo."
"I know someone who can give us more information about the Thirteenth Demon Knight, but it requires us to go to Ireland. Game ka ba? Don't worry, sagot ko pamasahe mo."
Tumango lang si Caelen sa akin. Wala akong alam tungkol sa Twelve Demon Knight of Lilith. It is much better to ask the former Guardian himself, Guardian Raviael.