Author's Note (The Villain Series 1)

Kabanata 29

"WHAT now?" He greeted Anais with his eyebrows furrowing. "Will you stop pestering me?"

"I'm sorry. I just want to see you."

"I'm not your brother." Matalim niya itong tinitigan. Anais kept on coming back because of his face. She wanted to see his face out of longing for his brother. Kitang-kita niya sa emosyon nito ang pangungulila. At kahit sinabi na niya kung sino siya, may parte pa rin sa babaeng humihiling na siya si Adamas Laurien.

"I'm sorry." Napayuko ito. "I just . . . Can I touch your face?"

"No."

Bumagsak ang balikat nito. "I see."

Pinagmasdan niya ang emosyon nito na hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin nagbabago. "How can your brother be a murderer? He can't be me. And besides, aren't you worried about your family members that I killed?" He stepped towards her. Squinting his eyes, he stared intently at the color of her emotion. "When I told you I killed them, you seem not to care."

Natigilan ito sa kaniyang sinabi. Inangat nito ang tingin at bakas sa mukha nito ang kaba.

"You're not afraid of me nor find pleasure in the murder I did. I suppose you just don't feel any pity towards your family, is that it?" He tilted his head. "You're not even guilty of not telling the authority that the murderer is talking in front of you right now."

Unlike Logan and Gon who easily quiver every time he spills anything about his murders, Anais remained calm. She wasn't happy nor guilty. Her emotion seemed like a neutral line, unwilling to curve for fear over her family's life.

She looked away. "It's hard to care for them. I barely know them as a sibling and a parent."

"I see. You hate them." Hinawakan niya ang pulso nito at hinila papasok.

Nagulat ito sa kaniyang ginawa. "What are you doing?"

"Since you're here, we might as well talk. I'll lie if I say I don't have things I want to ask you." Pinaupo niya ito sa sofa.

When he went back after he used the gift's extent, he found out what life his Noa lived, however, one more question had been added to his curiosity. And he promised himself to know more about it.

He didn't want to involve anyone and he wanted to do it alone. But since Anais kept on bugging him, he might as well get some information from her.

Umupo siya sa couch. Pinasadahan niya ng tingin ang babae bago ulit magsalita. "I want to ask you about Adamas."

After witnessing the memories, he was still confused. Hindi niya nakita lahat. Ang mga memoryang naranasan niya ay ang mga memorya lang na kayang abutin ng kaniyang gift base sa mga imahe. Hindi niya nagawang makita lahat lalo na ang pagkamatay ni Adamas. It was so sudden. And just like what his Noa felt on the day they announced his death, he was also troubled.

"What was the cause of his death again?"

"It's Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy," malungkot nitong sabi. "It was his third episode. It's actually reversible and he could've survived if he was given immediate treatment. Pero huli na bago pa siya makarating sa hospital."

"Why does he have that?"

"Well . . ." Napayuko si Anais. "No'ng bata pa si Adamas, mahina na talaga siya. He has severe asthma kaya pabalik-balik kami sa hospital sa tuwing inaatake siya. He doesn't have Takotsubo, but he was diagnosed after Dad keep on beating him."

He squinted his eyes. "He was abused?"

Tumango si Anais.

"How about you? Sinasaktan din ba kayo?"