The Lawyer's Dangerous Lover (Ongoing)

1st

My palms were slick with sweat, and I could feel the coldness in the tips of my fingers as anxiety coursed through me. Drops of perspiration dripped down my neck, mixing with the adrenaline surging in my veins, my pulse pounding louder with each passing moment. The tension in the training room was palpable, thickening the air around me as I stood surrounded by Meast Trigon's men, their faces a blur of intensity and anticipation.

I kept my gaze locked on him, standing at a distance like a predator observing its prey. His presence was both reassuring and unnerving; I needed to impress him, but failure was not an option. Every instinct within me urged me to activate all of my senses, to read the movements of the men encircling me like vultures, waiting for an opening to strike.

I focused on angling and positioning my feet, grounding myself and preparing for the onslaught. Sa paraang madali ko itong maihahakbang ano mang oras.

Sino ang unang aatake? Saan manggagaling?

"3 o'clock?!"

"6 o'clock?!"

"4 o'clock?!"

"6!" I hissed, my heart racing as I quickly ducked low, swinging my arm with all my might. My elbow connected hard with someone charging at me from behind, the impact reverberating through my body.

Just as I regained my balance, the floodgates opened. Attacks came at me from all directions like a storm—swift and relentless. I focused on dodging, feeling the rush of adrenaline heightening my senses. Each punch and kick required precision, and I poured every ounce of strength into my movements.

When a figure lunged at me from the left, I executed a roundhouse kick, my foot slicing through the air and connecting with their midsection, sending them stumbling back. Almost simultaneously, I pivoted on my heel, delivering a powerful blow to the person on my right, feeling the satisfaction of a successful counterattack.

The room echoed with grunts and the shuffle of feet as I continued to navigate through the chaos, my body instinctively responding to each threat, driven by the instinct to survive and prove myself.

Mahigit limang minuto ang tinagal ng laban at halos mapakapit ako sa dalawang tuhod sa sobrang hingal. Walang emosyon na kumilos si Meast sa kaniyang kinatatayuan at naglakad palapit sa akin. He handed me a bottle of water na kaagad ko namang tinanggap. I drink all the drops of water from the bottle until nothing's left.

"Ang laki ng ipinagbago mo sa pakikipaglaban, Pisces." Mariin ko siyang tinitigan habang nanatiling nakayuko at nakatukod ang aking dalawang kamay sa aking tuhod. Matapos ng ilang segundo ay umayos na rin ako ng tayo bago siya tiningnan. Meast was wearing black cargo pants and black high-cut combat boots paired with a gray round-neck shirt. Medyo magulo ang midnight blue niyang buhok na halata namang mas gusto niya ang ganoong ayos.

"Anong oras ang alis natin?"

"This twelve, handa ka na bang bumalik?" I took a deep breath.

"Limang taon na simula noong makulong ako at palayain mo—" he stopped me.

"Hindi ka nakulong," seryoso ang kaniyang boses habang nakatingin sa akin. Maya-maya ay kinuha niya ang kaniyang phone at may kung anong binuksan dito matapos ay itinapat niya sa mukha ko ang screen nito—I saw my old self and my old face.

"Siya iyon, si Titania Adriane Logan. An ex-convict, a black sheep, and a battered wife. She's already dead. Limang taon na. And you? You're Thara Vergara. The member of Red Society, the Pisces of my twelve zodiacs. Licensed Architect." ilang beses akong lumunok habang nakatitig sa mukha ni Meast. He's cold, madalas masungit-pero hindi ko maikakaila na utang ko sa kaniya ang pangalawang buhay na ito at ang kalayaan ko. Inalagaan niya ako, binigyan ng matutuluyan, ng sasakyan, pinag-aral at tinuruan lumaban. Malaki ang utang na loob ko sa kaniya.