10. Protector
Ysabel
"Ibang iba na talaga ngayon, ano? Ilang taon ba akong nakalibing..." inayos ni Rafael ang pagkatupi ng polo sa kanyang braso. Mabilis ko syang nilapitan para mas maayos iyon ng mabuti. Jett and Thalia stayed from where they are.
Wala ni isa sa kanila ang nangahas na gumalaw simula nang makapasok sa loob ng bahay si Rafael.
"Five hundred and nineteen years." Mahinang sabi ko dahil maging ako ay hindi padin makapaniwala.
How is he alive? I wanted to ask a lot of questions but the first thing I did when he went near me was to hug him tight!
At ngayon ay ang daming katanungang naglalaro sa isipan ko ang kaso ay hindi padin ako lubusang makapaniwala na nakatayo sya sa harapan ko.
Tumango sya sa akin tsaka nya binalingan ang dalawang kasama ko na hindi padin gumagalaw.
"I'm sorry we weren't properly introduced. I'm Rafael Arevalo, you're?" Pormal na tanong nya. Huminga ako ng malalim.
"Jett and...Thalia, don't you remember? She's from 1516." Ako na ang sumagot sa kanya. The two are too frighten. Of course, lalo na si Jett, he knows what can I do and now there's two original standing in front of him.
I must admit, I'm kind of frightened too...si Justin lang ang may alam kong nasaan ang katawan nya, it's very possible that it was Justin who awakened him. And now he's here, why? Because of Justin's command?
"I remember her. You're Justin's girl before, right? Before my sister here...killed him.." aniya. Mabilis akong umatras kasabay ng paglunok ko pagkatapos nyang sabihin yan. Thalia stood beside me. Ngumisi si Rafael sa akin.
"Did he awakened you to take a revenge on me?" Mabilis na kumunot ang noo nya ng itanong ko iyan.
"Who awakened me?" Takang tanong nya. Ako naman ang nagkunot ng noo ngayon.
"Justin." Si Thalia ang sumagot.
"Justin is alive?" Gulat akong binalingan ni Rafael. My lips parted a bit because of what he just asked.
"H-He isn't the one who awakened you?" Gulat na tanong ko. His eyebrows forrowed. Nangalumbaba sya marahil ay nagtataka sa nangyayari.
Umupo sya sa sofa, I immediately went beside him.
"Rafael, hindi si Justin ang gumising sa'yo?" I again asked him. His jaw clenched. Nagkatinginan kami.
"I'm afraid he's not the one who awakened me, Ysabel. And what revenge?" Pinilig nya ang kanyang ulo. "You think I came here fresh from the ground just to take a revenge on you? Why will I do that?" Bahagya nyang hinaplos ang pisngi ko. I closed my eyes for a bit before meeting his eyes again.
"Kong ganon ay sino?" Nagawa ko pading itanong. That means...he's not here because he's in Justin's side. He's here because he wanted to see me.
Binitiwan nya ang pisngi ko bago nagsalita.
"Justin burried me, Cole and Tristan...that's what you know. And yes he did. Ngunit hindi sa iisang lugar. Iba-iba, Ysabel. He all burried us in the different part of the ocean, for what reason? I don't know." Hinaplos nya ang aking kamay. "He didn't burried us like the ordinary burrials in the ground. He burried us in the ocean floor."
"P-Paano nya ginawa 'yon?" As the most curious one, Jett managed to asked. Tinignan sya ni Rafael. Nakita ko kong paano manginig ang kanyang labi nang magkatinginan kami.
"He had an affair with a witch." Aniya at tumingin kay Thalia. "I'm afraid you don't know that.." he added. Laglag ang panga ko.
"I know that." Diretsahang sabi ni Thalia. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at mabilis syang nilingon.
Is that the reason why she remained loyal to me instead of being loyal to Justin?
"That's probably the reason why he can do all those things." I murmured. Tumango si Rafael.
"He left us in the deepest part of the ocean and days ago...there's some humans who accidentally was looking for some golds in the part where he burried me." Aniya. "They saw the vault so they needed to think of a way on how to get it out underneath the ocean floor. Akala siguro nila ay ginto ang nasa loob."
"Turns out that it was you."
He shrugged after I said that.
"I needed fresh blood from the vein so I killed the five of them. That's how I got out from the vault...and you my sister, you're the first person who crossed my mind."
Pare pareho kaming natigilan dahil sa kwento nya. He burried them in the ocean floor while I just burried him in the ground...that's why mad ape Aaron easily found Justin. Ngumiwi ako.
Hinawakan muli ng kapatid ko ang aking kamay. Our eyes met.
There's just really things that disturb me right now.
"Now, we have some clarifications to do but first, I need to eat dinner...a real dinner at that." He smiled at me.
Thalia
It was such an unexpected come back from Rafael Arevalo.
Hindi ako makapag isip ng maayos habang magkakaharap kaming apat sa lamesa. Rafael was in the middle because he's much older than Ysabel, I think, that's a sign of respect. Sa kanan nya ay si Ysabel. Ako sa kaliwa at sa tabi ko ay si Jett na alam kong walang kaalam-alam sa kong anong pwedeng mangyari ngayon.
What's Justin's plan?
Pinilit kong kumain habang nakikinig sa usapan ni Rafael at Ysabel. I've met him in 1516's. And he's actually nice but too formal, ganon padin hanggang ngayon. Walang pinagbago. Para bang lahat ng lumalabas sa bibig nya ay iniingatan nya. He doesn't speak that much but when he speaks, it'll mean something...or everything.
I'm just thinking if Ysabel's planning to tell him everything, though.
Besides, for the originals, it's family over everything. There's no exemption I just don't know now. Things change.
"How about you." Baling ni Rafael kay Jett kalaunan. "Are you from 15 something too?" Nagtaas sya ng kilay. Huminga ako ng malalim. If Ysabel looked very intimidating, he's more than that. Intimidating is actually an understatement.
"He's new." Ani Ysabel.
Ngumiti si Rafael.
"I'm afraid your friends here aren't comfortable of me being around." Nagpunas ng labi si Rafael. Mabilis akong nag angat ng tingin dahil doon. "Am I interupting your privacy? I will gladly leave if that's the case..." pormal na aniya. Lumunok ako. Nagkunot kaagad ng noo si Ysabel.
"This is ours, Raf. This was our home so you're not interupting anything." Mariin na aniya.
"I'm sorry...it's just a bit uncomfortable sitting with you in the dinning table. Sitting with one original is uncomfortable, now that there's two..." mukhang wala sa sariling sinabi ni Jett. My eyes immediately darted at him.
You idiot, do you still wanna live?
"Jett." Iritadong sita ko. Kumunot ang noo nya at tumingin sa'kin. The expression on his eyes were weird. I sighed exasperatedly.
"Do you wanna leave my house?" Pinanliitan sya ng mata ni Ysabel.
"Ysabel, ayos lang." sawakas ay muling nagsalita si Rafael. A smile is still plastered in his face. "He's new, I understand." Dugtong nya. I closed my eyes for a second and then looked at him. Ngunit sa kanyang kapatid sya nakatingin.
This one's really loving when it comes to family. He's very intimidating but you can see the passion on the way he looks at Ysabel.
"Now where did we stopped earlier.." pinagsalikop nya ang kanyang daliri sa lamesa pagkatapos uminom ng wine. "Back to the part where I'm supposed to ask if our brother ,Justin, is really alive..." aniya.
I finished my wine before looking at him again. I don't think we need to hear this matter, it's a family thing.
"Do you need privacy? We can go out for a minute." I interupted him immediately. Binalingan nya ako tsaka sya ngumiti.
"Yes please." Aniya.
I nodded. Sinenyas ko kaagad kay Jett ang labasan, luckily, he got my gesture fast.
Nang nasa labas na kami ay tsaka ko palang narinig ang normal na tibok ng puso nya. Mukhang ngayon lang makakahinga ng maluwag.
"I can't stay with them in one house." He immediately spats as we got out. Lumayo kami doon para na din hindi nila marinig ang usapan namin or vice versa.
"I know you can't but you need to or you'll end up dead. You don't know what Ysabel can do." I said.
"I know what she can do! I don't fucking know what he can..." pinanlakihan nya ako ng mata. I clenched my jaw.
"Does that matter? That's Rafael, Jett. He's nothing like Justin!" Inis na sabi ko. Kumunot ang noo nya bago sya umiling.
"You really think some oceanographer or some gold-seeker found him underneath the sea, Thalia? Wala akong alam dyan pero kong inilibing sya sa ilalim ng dagat ay hindi sya basta basta makikita." He made a point.
"Yes and that was 500 years ago, don't you think the sand in the ocean won't move and the vault wont move too? Of course it will. That's logic. He won't lie about that. He hates Justin too. Justin killed him. Kong si Justin man ang bumuhay sa kanya ay siguradong hindi sya hahayaan ni Justin na basta basta nalang bumalik dito, they need some brilliant plan if that's the case."
Tinalikuran ko sya.
It is a bit impossible for simple human researcher to find the vault...that's the first thing that crossed my mind. Pero hangga't hindi pa kami nakakapag usap ni Ysabel ay maniniwala ako sa sinabi ni Rafael. That some human found him. I will stick in that.
Because it will frighten me a lot more if I'll keep thinking that he's here because of Justin's will.
"That's crazy. I'll live with two originals? Baka hindi na ako magsalita sa loob ng bahay kapag nagkataon! Ysabel is more than enough!" Sinuntok nya ang puno sa garden. Ngumiwi ako tsaka ko sya nilingon.
"Don't be dumb, Jett. If you don't do something stupid, you'll remain alive!" Iritadong sabi ko at mabilis syang iniwan doon.
That kid is too afraid of the consequences. Hindi pa si Justin ang nakakaharap nya ay nanginginig na sya sa takot.
And then as expected, I saw Brenna Hernando in the porch of her grandmother's house. Kahit wala ito sa plano ay nagawa ko syang lapitan.
She almost jumped in place when she saw me.
"W-What are you doing here?" Gulat na tanong nya. I managed to smile at her.
"I'm here to check on you." I mumbled simply to make her calm. All of the people around us right now are all scared of the impossibilities. What's good at returning home?
"Talaga? Pati ba naman pagtulog ko ay gustong istorbohin ni Ysabel? What is it that you want?" Now her afraid self is gone.
"Since hindi ako makapasok sa bahay nyo at ayaw kitang pilitin..." umupo ako sa upuan sa kanilang porch. She got what I want. Umupo din sya sa harapan ko.
"There's something wrong. I feel it." Biglang aniya kahit hindi pa ako nagsisimula. Kumunot ang noo ko.
"What do you feel?" I asked.
Umiling kaagad sya. "I don't know yet. Anong sadya mo? Mukhang mas mabait ka kaysa kay Ysabel. She's always smiling and you're definitely not." Pinanliitan ko sya ng mata dahil sa sinabi nya. I smiled slightly because of the thought. That's either a compliment or not at all...
"So if the person smiles a lot, she's more dangerous." I raise my one brow. Huminga sya ng malalim at medyo umirap sa ere.
"If Ysabel Arevalo smiles at you a lot, it means there's danger." She rephrased what I said. Tumango ako sa kanyang sinabi. That's a fact, I must admit. "So? Hindi mo ba sasabihin kong anong meron at kong anong sadya mo dito? I'm used to extraordinary things since last last week and I haven't digested everything in yet. That's horrible so saying a surprising thing won't be new anymore."
I again nodded because of what she said. I don't think this witch needs a protection from anyone. She's more dangerous as I thought.
"There are three originals alive out of four." Diretsong sabi ko. Kumurap lamang sya. I guess she couldn't really digest everything in.
"Justin Arevalo, Ysabel Arevalo and who?" But then, she managed to ask that. One tough girl.
Now I know why Ysabel wants her and her help. Pinilig ko ang aking ulo.
"Rafael Arevalo." Maliit ang tinig na sinabi ko. Pumikit sya at huminga ng malalim pagkatapos. "It's shocking, isn't it."
"It's more like terrifying." Aniya. Tumango ako bilang pag sang-ayon. "And you want me to do what?" she asked straight to the point. Mabilis din akong umiling.
"I just need you to protect Joshua Joaquin no matter what."
"Hindi ko alam kong bakit lahat kayo ay gustong protektahan si Joshua. If he'll ends up dead then why are you still protecting him?" Kunot-noong tanong nya. My lips parted a bit.
"We don't want him dead, Brenna." Maagap na sabi ko. Huminga sya nang malalim at mabilis na tumayo.
"Ysabel does."
At pumasok na sa loob ng bahay. Minasahe ko ang aking sintido nang makapasok na sya. I heard her footsteps and the sound of the lock of her door.
Tumingin ako sa malayo kalaunan.
Deep deep down inside Ysabel's heart, she doesn't want Joshua dead. She simply wants to...protect him.