"Ako po?" Kio pointed nervously at himself.
"Do I need to repeat myself again? Okay, umalis ka rito, Synkio!" umalingawngaw ang boses ni mom. Napatalon pa kami sa gulat dahil sa lakas ng boses niya.
"Bakit po?" naguguluhang tanong ni Kio. Lumipat pa ang tingin niya sa'kin. "Hindi ko po maintindihan."
"Umuwi ka sa bahay niyo nang maintindihan mo. Don't you dare come back here again. Ako ang gagawa ng paraan para hindi ka na rin makalapit pa kay Aciellin. Mark my words. Now, leave."
"M-Mom?" nagtatanong ang mga mata kong nilalabanan ang titig niya. My mom's men dragged Kio out of the house while my friends were taken home. I was left alone with my mom who seemed to be burning with anger. Hindi ko na rin siya maintindihan.
Mas gusto niya nga si Synkio noon kaysa sa'kin na mismong anak, eh!
"He killed your dad." Seryosong sabi niya habang binitawan na ang tingin sa akin.
Nanghihina ako and I feel that I will fall anytime from what I heard. "Who? Who k-killed dad?" napalunok ako't kinakabahang marinig ang magiging sagot niya.
"Synkio," she answered.
Umiiling ako nang marinig ko ang boses niya. N-No! Hindi niya naman magagawa iyon.
"Is there an evidence?" mahinang tanong ko. Napaupo na 'ko sa sahig dahil hindi ko na nakayanan ang narinig ko mula sa kaniya.
Sinenyasan niya ang tauhan niya upang lumapit sa akin. Bitbit niya ang laptop before playing the video. That was the accident that happened when dad died a long time ago. A guy wearing a hoodie and cap flashes his hand into our car, making it to destroy our car. Nabangga rin ang kotse namin ng isang truck. Kitang kita ko kung paano ko gustong labanan ang lalaki kaysa tumakbo para makalayo sa kotseng sakay namin.
I wanted to fight that man but dad stopped me because he didn't want me to use the power I have. I insisted that we use the remaining energy to fight him instead of running away lalo na't lima kami laban sa isa.
"We'll wait DOWN before taking an action. But now we need to run to have protection. Kayong dalawang magkapatid, you should assist Yana. Don't make simple things complicated. Mauna na kayo sa'min!" I can hear dad's last words with us while carrying Nico na walang malay. Mariin niyang tinitignan ang mga sugat na natamo namin. Iyong dalawa ang mas natamaan kaysa sa'min ni ate.
"No, dad! We need to fight that man! We have powers!" I shouted.
I can see in the video dad's hesitation to use the power we have. And thus began my mistake, which I have been carrying around with me for a long time due to regret. Kung sana lang hindi ko siya pinilit.
Dad used his last powers to defend us from that man. He was attacking us, and dad wouldn't let the four of us get attacked. Masamang tinignan kami ni dad when he saw me and my twin standing up to use our remaining power. He was furious to see the two of us standing behind him while he was busy holding the barrier to prevent those throwing pieces from entering our area.
He used all of his power to kill that man, but he was shot multiple times by a fireball. It suddenly hit me. A fire.
"Yes, a fire. Your husband's clan killed your dad." Mom said. "You're so dumb. Ang bata mo para sundin ka ng dad mo! Alam niyang kapag mahina ang isang tao at pilit gamitin ang kapangyarihan na mayroon siya, posibleng mamamatay. Ilang beses ko kayong sinabihan na maaari ring mawalang permanente ang kapangyarihan na meron kayo. Hindi talaga kayo nakikinig sa akin!"
She can read my mind again like when I was in the hospital after that accident. She can control me again. I c-can't believe she can now control me after how many years. Paulit ulit akong umiiling dahil ayaw kong tanggapin ito. I close my mind using my powers but I just can't. I-I'm too weak.
"Hindi pa ba malinaw sa'yo na ang gusto mong tao ay ang pumatay sa dad mo, Aciellin?"
"H-How? You said back then that it was hard to open this case again because all the footage are deleted already before the investigation. I can't understand, mom. I need to talk to ate," I sobbed.
"Sige, talk to her! Tignan lang natin kung magbabago pa iyang reaksiyon mo. Umuwi ka muna sa station 5 nang makausap mo ang kapatid mo. Kambal nga kayo, parehas matigas ang ulo! Hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin kayo nakikinig sa mismong mom niyo!"
"You don't look like our mom, that's why—"
She cut me off before I could finish what I was saying. She slapped me right away. I noticed her eyes... She is... She is crying.
"Mom, I'm s-sorry," I gulped in fear.
"Alisin niyo na siya sa harapan ko. Now!" malakas na sigaw niya. Galit na galit ang itsura niya ngayon na parang papatayin niya na 'ko sa tingin. "Hindi ako pumapatay ng anak," malamig na sabi niya bago ako iwan para umakyat. Hinayaan ko ang sarili na sumama sa mga tauhan nila upang makauwi na sa station 5.
Nakatunganga lang ako nang biglang tinapik ako ng isa sa tauhan nila para sumunod na bumaba ng sasakyan. "Hanggang airport lang kami, lady. Minha is here to accompany you on your flight until you arrive at the mansion, and there is also a man of ours who will follow you to protect you. Be careful," they bowed to me, but my gaze was drawn to Minha, who was running towards me.
"Are you okay?" napabuntong hininga ako nang niyakap niya 'ko agad. Hindi ako sumagot sa tanong niya pero inalalayan niya 'ko dahil aalis na rin kami agad.
Kararating lang namin sa mansyon at dumiretso agad ako sa comfort room. Napahilamos ako sa mukha at napayuko nang nahihilo na ako. "Ayos ka lang ba? Gusto mo bang magpahinga na muna bago mo kausapin ang kapatid mo? Manang, water po, please." Nilapitan ako agad ni Minha.
Hinihingal akong umiling sa kaniya. Kailangan ko siyang makausap ngayong hindi na naman siya umaalis at iiwan muli ako.
"Nasaan siya?" seryosong tanong ko sa mga nakapaligid sa amin. They got it right away, so I followed them to see my sister. I was taken aback when we went down to the mansion's basement. "Did you lock her up?" I asked in disbelief.
"Utos po na kailangan naming sundin."
"Bullshit! Open the door!" galit kong pinilit buksan iyon ngunit nakalocked!
"Oh my gosh! Ate?! Wake up!" sinilip ko siya sa isang maliit na bintana. Nakahandusay siya sa sahig tabi ng kama. Binasag ko tuloy ang maliit na bintana bago nagpatulong para tuluyang makapasok doon. Kung ayaw nilang buksan, ako na lang ang mismong papasok. "Ate! Ano ba?" naiirita ko siyang ginising.
"Why?" umupo siya habang humihikab. "Oh! You're here na pala," she smiled at me. "I've been waiting for you for a long time. You're a few weeks late." She motioned to the people outside the basement to leave us alone.
"Edi sana sumasagot ka sa tawag ko, 'no?!" naiirita ko siyang inirapan. Ako pa ang late?
"Late ka talaga, late malaman kung ano ang totoo. Halla! Bakit nababasa ko ang isip mo?! Isara mo 'yan!" napatakip siya bigla sa bibig. "Chin? What happened? You're not okay." Hinawakan niya ang balikat ko at hinarap niya 'ko.
"I can't process everything I heard," hindi ko namalayang umiiyak na 'ko. Pinunasan niya ang pisngi ko gamit ang mga kamay niya. "Hindi ko yata 'to kakayanin," I suddenly hug her tightly. "It makes me cry to think that he can do that to us. Ate, ayokong paniwalaan 'to. Hindi naman totoo ang sinabi ni mom, 'di ba?" hindi ko binitawan ang yakap ko sa kaniya. Gusto kong marinig ang totoo nang hindi siya tumitingin sa akin. Ayokong makita niya 'kong ganito pero gusto ko pa rin malaman ang totoo.
"Kio was extremely small and weak at the time, Chin. Kio was under their control at the time. It got to the point where he could hurt us and kill Dad without his knowledge. He had no idea he had murdered our father. It's because of their clan. I still don't understand why they did that and used Kio." Binitawan niya ang pagkakahawak sa'kin at siya'y tumayo para lumayo.
"Bakit si Kio pa ang ginamit nila? Hindi ko maintindihan, ate. Ano bang kasalanan natin sa kanila? Sa clan nila? Hindi ba talaga tayo okay?" sunod sunod ang tanong ko.
"That's my question too, Chin. But, if you think about it, the night that happened was also the night that we were heading home after the one above us signed the agreement with their clan about your mission today. It had been submitted to the Justice of Jamer for several years, but it was only last year that it was carried out. Last year lang kayo ikinasal. Hindi ba iyon nakakapagtaka? They've been working on something for a long time na pala. Hindi ko lang malaman kung ano 'yong plano ng mga gagong 'yon," malinaw na paliwanag niya.
"Pa'no mo nalaman ang agreement? Pumunta tayo sa mansyon nila that night dahil wedding anniversary ng parent ni Kio."
"Hindi ka pa rin ba nagtataka? That same night, they ordered us kids to stay away from the first generation pero si Kio lang ang wala sa tabi natin noon. This is why we were sent away because they would sign that contract. Hindi si dad ang pakay nilang patayin noon, Chin. They intend to murder all four of us. Tayong lima lang ang batang nandoon kahit may mga anak din naman ang nasa ibang clan."
"Mom noticed something was wrong right away, so she asked dad to take the five of us away from the adults, but he only found four of us. Wala roon si Kio."
"What? But why? Anong mayroon sa atin?" nagtataka kong tanong.