Chapter 3

MOM says you will know that someone is for you when you have a strange feeling flowing from your heart. But every time I stare at Agatha I feel nothing, unlike when I first met her when we were kids.

She has been unconscious for several days and I can't wait to talk to her. I want to ask what happened to Aunt Amanda and Uncle Marco. I can't believe the fire was the cause of everything. I have a feeling that what happened was not just an accident.

Suddenly Agatha's fingers moved and her eyes gradually opened.

"Agatha? Can you hear me?" Zandro murmured.

"Who are you?" she said in a whisper.

Zandro was shocked when Agatha said that. "Don't you remember me? It's me, Zandro, remember? Your childhood friend. We used to play in your mansion when you were only six years old."

"W-wala akong mag alala. H-indi kita kilala. Where am I?" Agatha stammered. Zandro was stunned and immediately called the doctor. They noticed that Agatha has dissociative amnesia caused by trauma. A certain event even her identity and her history of life is forgotten.

Ara was standing in the doorway and just watching what was happening when Salem suddenly appeared beside her.

"What's with the deep sigh?" tanong nito sa kanya. "Ang ganda nilang tignan noh?. Finally, after so many years na paghahanap ay nagkita din sila."

In her curiosity, she could not help but ask "Is she that important to him?. I mean do they have a deep relationship with each other?."

"Hindi ko alam, basta ang pagkakaalam ko ay mahalaga siya para kay Lord Miller" sagot ni Salem.

Hindi na nagabalang sumagot pa si Ara at nanataling tahimik habang nakatitig sa babaeng nagngangalang, Agatha. "Baka kapangalan ko lang siya. She probably won't be a problem especially if she looks like a newborn baby who doesn't know anything" she thought.

When night came, Ara was quietly having coffee on her balcony in her room. She was deep in thought when she saw a man wandering outside the mansion. Agad niyang inilapag sa maliit na lamesa ang tasa na hawak niya at walang sabing tumalon sa balkonahe at tumulay pababa ng mansyon. Mabilis siyang tumakbo papunta sa may bakod at walang hirap na inakyat iyon. Matalim niyang tiningnan ang lalaki na nasa taas ng puno, tumalon naman ito ng makita siya at sinubukan na tumakas.

Ara chased the man but he ran very fast. She picked up the dry tree branch and threw it up then jumped high and kicked hard the branch targeting him.

The man was hit in the left thigh causing him to fall to the ground. "Gotcha" Ara murmured. Nilapitan niya ang lalaki at tinanggal ang itim na maskara nito. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya ng makilala ang lalake "Dy?."

Dylan is her best friend and stands as her older brother. "What are you doing here?" she asked full of concern.

"I j-ust wanna see you, I just want to know if you're alright," Dylan said.

"You should never have gone here." Ara tore the hem of her shirt and just took a piece to tie to Dylan's wound. She slowly pulled out the sharp branch that was stuck in his thigh, fortunately, the piercing was a bit shallow so Ara could easily remove it. She tied it with torn clothing to stop the bleeding. "Where's your car?."

"Outside the village" Dy answered sparingly.

Ara didn't say a word and just led Dy out of the village. When they both got into the car, Ara punched Dy lightly "I already told you, we will both ruin it if you just keep appearing without letting me know."

"Ouch," Dy complained "You shouldn't have chased me."

"I didn't know that was you, look at what just happened. I almost killed you... What if they find out?They'll kill me."

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again..."

"Dapat lang" ani Ara.

"Mag Ingat ka, come back alive to us." Dy said "Go, They might even see us... If you have the chance, meet with boss. He is waiting for you to come home safely."

Ara was slightly silent before speaking again "I won't promise. My mission was not that easy, that even your organization could not bring down the gigantic organization I belong to right now."

"Subukan mo pa din, don't forget where you truly belong, Ara. Mag ingat ka, I'm not ready to lose a friend yet."

"Don't worry before they kill me I'll go before them..." she said emphatically then got out of the car and returned to the mansion.

She went through the masonry fence again and slowly stepped into the door.

"What happened to your clothes?" Zandro asked who suddenly appeared just in front of her "Don't you know how to use a door? I saw you jump from your balcony. What if you fell and got injured?!."

Ara immediately averted her eyes and looked at her torn shirt. She wasn't comfortable talking to the First Archon alone, she might not be able to control herself. "I s-aw someone spying outside so I went out but he escaped quickly."

Zandro's emotions were shattered "Namukhaan mo ba?."

"No, he was wearing a mask," she said honestly.

"Hmm... Zyl will take care of it. Anyways, what happened to your clothes?" Zandro asked her.

"Sumabit sa sanga kaya napunit."

"Hmm okay— you can go back to your room and rest. It's been a too-long day. I know you're tired. Don't forget to lock your doors and windows."

She nodded and bowed and was about to walk when Zandro grabbed her arm. "Your bleeding—"

"H-huh" she immediately looked at her arm and grabbed her wounds to stop the bleeding.

"Huwag mong hawakan baka mainfection... Sundan mo ako, I'll clean up your wound—"

"Hindi, ayos lang--"

"No, you're not fine," Zandro exclaimed.

Zandro held her hands that's why Ara did nothing but follow him. Para bang may kuryenteng dumadaloy sa kanyang kamay ng hawakan siya ng unang Archon. Ito ang unang beses na magkalapit sila na ganoong kalapit. Palagi niya kaseng inilalayo ang sarili niya kapag nasa loob ng mansyon.

Pagpasok nila sa loob ng clinic ay agad siyang pinaupo ng unang Arkon sa clinic chair. Nanatili siyang tahimik at pinapanood lamang ang binata na kumukuha ng first aid kit. "K-aya ko naman linisin ang sugat ko na mag-isa" sambit niya.

"Really?" may pagka sarcasmong sabi ni Zandro "Mahihirapan ka kung isang kamay lang ang gamit mo kaya manahimik ka na lang diyan."

"Tsk!!" Ara smirked and accidentally rolled her eyes.

Zandro saw what she did so he frowned "Excuse me?!."

Ara raised her right eyebrows and turned poker face "What?."

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?... At bakit kung makatingin ka ay parang hindi mo ako boss" masungit na bulalas ni Zandro.

"Didn't you say I should treat you like we're just equal?."

Zandro just shook his head and began to clean his Sandra's wound. He lifted the sleeve of her shirt then poured a wound cleanser on Ara's wound. "Dapat ay nag iingat ka, hindi porket malakas ka ay kaya mo na lahat. Kahit pa ang tigre ay may kahinaan din. You should never go out alone. What if there were many of them around the mansion. Edi napahamak ka pa..." after he cleaned her wound he applied betadine then covered it with gauze. Bumuntong hininga si Zandro at tinitigan lang ang kaniyang Sandra na kanina pa walang imik.

Nagkatinginan silang dalawa, and that was the first time Ara stared into his dark brown eyes. She was stuck in that position and could not look away. "A-ang mga mata mo... had a strange effect on me" she murmured.

"W-hat?"

Ara woke up in her senses and immediately averted her eyes "W-wala" she stuttered "Alis na ako, salamat."

Ara left the room nervously and immediately went to her room "Wrong move Ara!!" she whispered. When she entered she immediately took her phone to her bolt and made a call. "I'll send my report tomorrow so please... stop sending your men," she said and immediately dropped the call. Pabagsak siyang humiga sa kama at malalim na bumuntong hininga. She could not do her job well if his men always interfere. She closed her eyes and thought deeply and had fallen asleep.

Ara woke up from a nightmare, she took a deep breath and gasped for breath. Paika-ikang lumabas siya ng silid upang kumuha ng tubig. Hindi niya magawang kumalma pagkat paulit-ulit na sumasagi sa kanyang isipan ang bangungot na nangyari, limang taon na ang nakakalipas. Parang sirang plakang paulit-ulit niyang naririnig ang putok ng mga baril. Para siyang mawawala sa sarili.

Ara found herself bridging the ledge leading to the first Archon's room. Ara is out of her mind and cannot control herself. She passed through the balcony and found Zandro sound asleep. She gulped and she pulled the knife out of her waist. Ara's cheeks were wet with her tears and her hands were shaking as she held the knife.

"You'll make my life hell, I will kill each one of you and leave not a single one," she murmured. "I'm not afraid to die... Because I'm already dead." She gripped the knife tightly with both her hands and pointed the tip at the chest of the first Archon. "It would be easier if I just killed you now," she thought.

She was in that position for a few seconds and couldn't move, her hands trembled, and doubtful if she would stab the knife into the heart of the First Archon. She was about to stab the Archon when she heard a voice from outside the room. She had just woken up to her senses and almost dropped the knife she was holding.

She immediately ran to the balcony and tread on the narrow pedestal and leaned against the wall. "That was too close," she whispered.