Clash Of Crowns I: Shadows Of Love And Sacrifices.

LII || Betrayal?

Please note: This story may contain errors and grammatical mistakes. Your understanding and patience are appreciated as this is a work in progress.

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MAXINE'S POV

The first thing I felt when I woke up was the warmth beside me. I blinked my eyes open and found Aiesha sleeping peacefully, her face nestled against the pillow.

Her breath was soft and steady, and for a moment, I just watched her, my heart swelling with love. Pag katapos nang lahat ng nangyari samin, kung gigising lang ako na siya ang katabi ko parang ayoko na lang bumangon at mag stay lang sa tabi niya.

Gently, I leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Good morning, love,” bulong ko rito kahit alam kong tulog pa siya.

Gumalaw naman siya ng bahagya at dahan dahang dumilat at ngumiti, “Good morning,” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. Mas lumapit siya sakin at umunan sa dibdib ko, f*ck ang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko.

“I love you,” I said, my voice quiet, yet full of meaning.

“I love you too, Max,” she replied, her eyes closing again as she relaxed against me.

Nakahiga lang kami sa kama at pinakaramdaman ang isa't isa, hanggang sa makarinig kami ng ingay mula sa labas.

I sighed, knowing our peaceful morning was about to be interrupted. “Sounds like everyone’s here,” I said, my voice tinged with reluctance.

Aiesha stretched, her body still half-draped over me. “Guess we should get going then, for sure magugulat sila at andito ka na.”

Reluctantly, we pulled ourselves out of bed. I changed into something casual, and Aiesha did the same. As we made our way downstairs, I could already hear the familiar sound of chatter and laughter coming from the common area.

Pag baba namin ay agad napunta samin ang lahat ng attention nila, halos nanlaki ang mga mata nila nang makita nila ako.

“Max, you’re back!” gian said, pulling me into a tight hug.

“We missed you so much!” shee added, throwing her arms around both me and gian, nadamay na siya at nakayakap parin siya sakin.

“You’ve got some explaining to do!” skye chimed in, punching my arm lightly. “Solo mission? And you didn’t even tell us?” dagdag naman ni yves.

Solace was beaming, her eyes wide with excitement as she joined the group hug. “You have no idea how much we’ve been worried!”

Aaminin ko na miss ko rin sila, halos isang buwan ko rin silang hindi na kita. Habang nakikipag kwentuhan ako sa kanila meron isang tao sa utak ko na gusto kong makita pero mula kanina ay never pa siyang lumapit sakin.

I look around and there she is......cole my bestfriend.

She stood off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes locked on me. Unlike the others, she wasn’t smiling or bombarding me with questions.

Instead, her gaze was piercing, serious. That look on her face told me everything I needed to know.

Alam ko ang tingin niya na yan, it's either galit siya sakin or may mahalaga siyang sasabihin.

Tatawagin ko na sana siya kaso bigla siyang umalis..... agad akong nag pa alam sa iba at sinundan siya.

Pumasok siya sa loob ng training ground kaya sumunod ako at naabutan ko siyang naka harap na sakin at mukhang alam niya na susunod ako.

We stood there in silence for a moment, neither of us speaking. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, but I kept my face neutral, waiting for her to make the first move. I already had a hint of what this was about, but I wasn’t going to say anything until she did.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Cole broke the silence.

“Bakit mo ginawa yon max?” seryosong tanong nito.

I stared at her, my expression unchanging. “Do what?”

“Tang *na, alam mo kung ano yung tinutukoy ko Max!,” she said, her tone more forceful now.

“The last mission.... tumuloy kami sa plano kahit wala ka dahil nauubusan na tayo ng oras, Kung nakuha lang sana namin yung files na yon na ayos na sana lahat ng problema, pero hindi kami na tuloy dahil may nag pasabog ng gulong namin..." tuloy tuloy na sabi niya habang may pag dududang naka tingin sakin...

My heart clenched, but I didn’t let it show. I kept my face cold, emotionless. “That’s none of your business, Cole.”

Her eyes narrowed, anger flickering behind them. “None of my business? Team tayo, Max! You disappeared for almost a month without telling anyone, and now you’re sabotaging missions? What the hell is going on with you?” galit na saad nito, alam kong gusto na niya kong saktan pero pinipigilan lang niya.

Umiwas na lang ako ng tingin ayokong makita na nag babago na ang tingin sakin ng kaibigan ko....

Cole was my best friend, and she knew me better than anyone. But there were things I couldn’t explain, things she wouldn’t understand. And right now, I couldn’t risk letting her or anyone else get too close to the truth.

“I don’t owe you an explanation,” I said coldly, my voice flat. “Just let it go, Cole.”

“Let it go?” halos hindi maka paniwalang saad niya sakin. “Max, Hindi ikaw yan eh...hindi ito yung max na kakilala ko hindi ganyan ang bestfriend ko!. You would never leave us in the dark like this. You’d never betray the team.”

Her words stung, but I kept my emotions locked away. I couldn’t afford to let them surface now. I had made a choice, and there was no turning back. I had to protect all of them....I had to protect Aiesha, no matter what.

“I’m doing what I have to do,” I replied, my voice cold and distant. “Just stay out of it.”

Cole took a step closer, her eyes searching mine for any sign of the friend she knew. “Max... talk to me. What are you hiding?”

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t tell anyone. If they knew the truth, it would only make things worse.

“Wala nang dapat pag usapan pa," I said, turning my back on her. “This conversation is over.”

“Max!” tawag niya sakin pero never na ulit akong lumingon. Someday cole.....I promise...

Because in the end, I wasn’t protecting myself anymore...

I was protecting everyone....

And if it meant pushing them away to keep them safe, then I would do it. No matter how much it hurt.

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