Blood Menace

1- Kam

Halos hindi makahinga si Kam dahil sa sobrang saya habang pababa na siya ng barko. She had a grueling eleven-month journey but her exhaustion could not spoil her excitement.

Finally! Nandito na siya sa Morland City, sa continent ng Vergaemonth kung saan naroon ang Sentry Academy, her dream school.

"Kailangan n'yo ng tulong, Miss?" isang lalaking nakasuot ng kulay yellow na t-shirt at black jeans ang sumalubong sa kanya habang hinihila niya ang kanyang dalawang malalaking luggage at may malaking backpack pa siya sa likod.

"Oh my god! Thank you so much. Mababait pala ang mga taga-Vergaemonth," anang dalaga. Laking ginhawa nang ilagay ng lalaki ang kanyang mga bagahe sa isang metal cart na may mga gulong.

"Siempre naman po. First time n'yo rito?"

"Yes. Galing akong Chilakest," ang laki ng ngisi ng dalaga saka niya inayos ang pagkaka-ponytail ng kanyang kulay gintong buhok.

"Chilakest? Hindi po ba 'yan 'yung maliit na continent malapit sa Ribenly?"

Maliit? Perhaps, but it wasn't as small as Narguille. Besides, their continent was the second richest continent next to Blackbourne, that awful place. She heard so much horror from that continent enough to almost ruin her day. Almost because she would not allow anyone or anything ruin her wonderful day.

She was finally free. Far from her parents and their controlling tendencies. She could finally have a life of her own.

What a wonderful day indeed.

Until she found herself standing outside the port without any money.

That man whom she thought was helping her was a robber who took her wallet the moment they stepped out of the arrival area. Akala n'ya mabait lang ito kaya siya tinulungan! How naive could she be?

She had nothing!

"Ano ba 'yan? Ang malas ko naman!" hindi na niya mapigilan ang sariling sumigaw kaya napatingin sa kanya ang mga taong nasa paligid.

"What's wrong with her?" narinig n'ya pang bulungan ng mga ito.

Akala niya pagkarating niya ay agad na siyang sasakay sa taxi at magpapahatid sa academy. This was not in her plan! She didn't expect this!

Unang araw pa lang ng pag-apak n'ya rito ay may kamalasan na agad na nangyari? Hanggang dito ba naman ay susundan siya ng malas?

Frustrated na napaupo na lang siya sa kanyang luggage.

Ano na ang gagawin n'ya ngayon?

"Okay, Kam, hindi ka magpapatalo sa pagsubok. Malalampasan mo ito," bulong niya sa sarili. Tumayo siya at bahagyang hinila ang buhok para higpitan nanaman ang kanyang ponytail.

Hindi siya nagpunta rito sa napakalayong lugar para sumuko sa maliit na bagay.

Walang pera? Big deal!

Okay, aaminin niyang big deal talaga 'yun. Not once in her life that she had no money. Everything was solved by money. 'Yan ang itinatak sa utak n'ya ng kanyang mga magulang.

But she also learned from Kray Hayes that money was not everything in this world. She could do stuff even without money. Basta marunong lang siyang gumamit ng kanyang utak.

She looked around and noticed that some people were walking towards the other side of the road.

"Excuse me. Excuse me," pigil niya sa isang babae na siguro ay kaedad n'ya lang. May hawak pa itong phone at agad na tumaas ang kilay nang mapansin siya. "Ah, where are these people going?"