Third Person POV
Sinundan lang ni Lucien si Astraea at nang tumigil ito malapit sa park ay tumigil din siya para panoorin ito. She saw him following her but Lucien just shrug and just breathed deeply. They have been running for almost two hours at medyo umiinit na, namamangha na nga rin siya dahil nakailang ikot na rin si Astraea sa lugar and she doesn't seem to be getting tired. Ngayon lang ito tumigil para magpahinga.
Habang naghahabol ng hininga si Astraea ay nanatili si Lucien na nakatayo di kalayuan dito at pinaglalaruan ang maliliit na bato na nasa lapag, he's too focused on the rocks that he didn't notice that Astraea's watching her. Saglit lang naman iyon dahil tumikhim si Astraea at nag-iwas din ng tingin na nakakuha sa atensyon ni Lucien, and when she finally got his attention ay nagsimula na siyang tumakbo ulit pabalik sa bahay nila.
Astraea entered their house without saying goodbye to Lucien kahit na malawak ang ngiti na nagpaalam sa kanya bago tumakbo papunta sa bahay niya na malapit kila Astraea. He hasn't been there pero simula kagabi ay bumalik siya doon. Pagpasok sa bahay ay hindi na niya naisara nang maayos ang pinto at dumiretso sa bintana kung saan nakapwesto ang telescope niya. He saw from the window that Astraea went out to her balcony, ngunit wala na itong jacket at pinupunasan ang sarili ng towel.
Lucien took a peak from the telescope, at doon ay nakita niya ang sugatang likuran ni Astraea nang sumandal ito sa railings ng balkonahe. Parang piniga ang puso niya at nagsimula na naman siyang magalit sa sarili so he looked away and shut his eyes, pero kahit anong pagpikit niya ay hindi maalis s aisip niya ang mga peklat sa likod ni Astraea, at dahil doon ay bumalik ulit ang mga imahe ni Astraea noon na pilit niyang kinalimutan noon.He could hear her screams, her cries. He could see her pained eyes.
"Fuck!" Sigaw niya kasabay ng pagtunog ng telepono niya, he answered it without looking at the called ID. "What?"
"I was about to kill Hera but she is still firm on saying that it was Zeus who took Astraea away that night," Kapatid niya iyon, at hindi man lang siya nito pinagbigyan makapag-isip pa dahil dire-diretso ang impormasyon nito.
"Maybe she was lying. Astraea already explained everything." He argued.
"Lucien, Hera is everything but a liar."
"Astraea is also not a good Liar, Lysander." Pagtanggol ni Lucien.
"We don't know that, we don't know what happened in those three years, Lucien."
"So? Does it matter kung nagsasabi nga ng totoo si Hera? Astraea's here. She's safe."
"If she's telling the truth and we kill her, we might put Astraea in danger again. Hindi natin alam pa sa ngayon ang totoo, Lucien. What if this is also her plan? Paano kung may gawin si Zeus kay Astraea once he found out that we killed Hera?"
"Paano kung pinapaikot lang niya tayo? What if this is just one of her mind games? Just one of her moves that will distract us, to delay us from killing her?"
"Are you willing to take that risk? Should I just kill her and risk endagering Astraea's life again? I have my gun pointed at her right now, it's your call, Lucien."
***
Naligo si Astraea matapos magpahinga saglit. Dahil wala siyang dalang damit ay napilitan siyang isuot ang mga luma niyang damit na kung dati ay maluwag sa kanya ay ngayon ay saktong sakto na sa katawan niya dahilan para maging depina ang hubog ng katawan niya lalo na nang suotin niya ang isang fitted long-sleeve shirt na tinernohan niya lang ng high-waisted na skinny jeans. The shirt is in pink at hindi maiwasan ni Astraea na ngumiwi pagkakita sa sarili sa salamin.
"I look like a cotton candy, what was I thinking before?" Tanong niya sa repleksyon niya at bumaba na, kung saan naabutan niya ang kapatid na busy sa kusina at nagluluto.
She stared at him while working. At iniisip ang mga plano nila ni Zeus, at ang posibilidad na maapektuhan ang Kuya niya sa plano nila. Alam naman ni Astraea na naipit lang din ang kapatid niya sa sitwasyon kagaya niya, but he's still part of it. Their family is still part of it.
Hindi lang naman si Hera ang masama dito.
"You're dressed," sabay tingin sa suot ko.
"I have to go." Bumakas ang lungkot sa mukha ni Zepharos at nilapag ang hawak na sandok.
"I'm almost done cooking," saad niya at pinatay ang kumukulong pasta sauce na niluluto niya. "Look, it's done already. Can we have lunch? Wala pa naman ang sundo mo."
Napatingin si Astraea sa relo niya at hindi maalis ang lungkot at sakit kay Zepharos dahil sa pakiramdam niya na ayaw ni Astraea na kasama siya. She used to be so close to him, laging malambing, laging nakadikit, but now it feels like there's a wall separating them. And he knows it was not just about what happened before, but of what happened after she was able to escape Hera.
Astraea decided to join her brother for lunch. Tahimik na kumain lang siya habang ang kapatid niya ay titig na titig sa kanya.
"Can you stay here?" Her brother asked pagtapos nilang kumain at nililigpit na ng mga kasambahay ang mga pinagkainan niya. "I missed you, princess."
Uminom siya ng tubig para takpan ang mata niya. For the first time, she felt something, and she doesn't like it. Mas mabuti nang wala siyang maramdaman, mas madali.
"I'll ask."
"Kahit ilang araw lang. Just stay here during weekends. The house feels so empty, ako lang ang nandito, eh. It has been empty since..." Hindi na natuloy ni Zepharos ang sasabihin at bumuntong hininga na lang.
It's hard for everyone when Astraea was gone, especially for Zepharos. He had to continue kahit na nalulungkot siya, kahit na nasasaktan din siya sa nangyari. Wala siyang magawa, and just at that time when he realized that no amount of money can help him when his sister was gone.
He just wanted to give up that time, but he was still hoping that Astraea will be back, and she did. At akala niya ay magiging okay na rin siya, but it just feels heavier after seeing her. Alam niya, nakikita niya na may dala dala ang kapatid niya, he wanted to ask, he wanted to help her, pero pakiramdam niya ay wala na siyang karapatang magtanong pa dahil napabayaan na niya ito. He feels like he doesn't deserve to be her brother anymore.
Before Astraea could even say a word, dumating ang kasambahay nila. "Ma'am Astraea, nand'yan na po ang sundo niyo."
Kahit hindi komportable ay tumayo si Astraea para halikan sa pisngi ang kapatid niya at umalis nang hindi nagsasalita.
**End of Chapter**
