TWELVE

Serenity

A warm, inviting ambience welcomed me. I looked around and saw a wide rectangular space. At the far end of the space were two wooden bunk-beds with thin padding and sheets. Four lamps were lit around a shabby little desk. There was a carpet with worn out cushions in front of the fireplace—it was a wide hole dug in the wall, wide enough for cooking. My stomach grumbled at the smell of roasting meat.

"You're just in time!" A girl with straight black hair came bursting out of a curtained door at the left side of the entrance where Kota and I came in. No doubt she's Yukino. She's Kota's girl version.

She rushed in to help her brother when she saw him carrying Dime.

"Thanks sissy!" A lump went right to my throat at that. I watched them with envy as they helped each other out in settling Dime on the bunk-bed. Ethan. I miss you. I sat down in front of the fire and hugged my knees close to my chest. "I miss you Ethan. I wish you were here."

"Hey." Kota sat beside me and though he didn't touch me, I felt his warmth. His energy. "I'm sorry you lost your brother—"

"He wasn't my brother." I felt the weight of his stare and when I said nothing he sighed then stood up to leave me alone.

"Where's Sensei Rosario?" Kota's question made Yukino's hands froze in mid air as she tended Dime's wounds. I should be helping her but I'm too tired to do anything else.

"She-she's outside." She said hesitantly then went back to what she was doing. I stared at her and felt the same strong energy stirring inside her just as her brother's and Dime's. Marco's felt stronger and wicked. I shivered at the thought.

"You let her out?" Disbelief rang in Kota's voice as he ran his fingers through his straight black hair.

"Yes, I did."

"Dammit, Yuki! It's dangerous out there. Those stupid men from the Brotherhood has done enough to lure the Risen close to our parameters!"

"I'm sorry, onii-san." Oni—what? "But Sensei Rosario needs to get herself ready. The Risen can't harm us, anyway. It's no big deal."

"Ready for what? And why can't the Risen harm us?" I said finally due to curiosity overload. They looked at each other as if mentally debating on who would speak first. "Oh for fuckssake!" I mentally winced as I imitated Ethan's words, "Just spit it out. You know, I am grateful enough that you helped me and my friend but can't you just give me answers since you seem to know so many things."

"You will find your answers in the due time but for now, you have to rest." We all turned back towards the source of the voice and there at the stone entrance stood a frail old woman with long wavy and white hair that fell above her waist. Her skin was withered by age and her light blue eyes looked even older than she was. I didn't have to think hard to know that she's Rosario.

"How do you think I could rest?"

"Oh believe me you could." Instead of looking at me or anyone else, she stared straight ahead as she spoke. "Yukino, take her to the bathroom so she could clean herself. Kota take care of her friend."

No hesitation came from me as soon as I heard the word bath. Despite all the exhaustion, confusion and emotional battle, I couldn't help but not resist the thought of warm water and soap. "Where are you getting all your supplies?" I asked as we entered one of the curtained doors and saw an old tin tub filled with warm water, and beside it was a small table with soap and oil lamp.

"Nii-san gathers up some of the things we need. He hunts for food, looks for water and things we'd need but most of the time we use our senses and gift to sustain our needs and keep us safe." Yukino said as she helped me remove my soiled clothes. It would've been embarrassing to be seen naked by someone else but I was too exhausted to be embarrassed and was hoping too that I could squeeze a little information from the petit girl.

"Gift, huh?" I paused and stared at the little fire swaying and dancing in the oil lamp. "Rosario, who is she? Please don't tell me that she was the one who took you in, I already heard that from Kota. And why do you call her Sensei by the way? What does that even mean?"

She giggled and I smiled to myself. Such a sweet sound amidst the agonizing cries and horrifying growls from the men and Risen above. "Well, Sensei is like addressing a teacher. Sensei Rosario taught us to control the gift we have—"

"Yeah obviously, otherwise you guys won't call her Sensei, right?" Yukino cast me an apologetic smile.

"Sensei Rosario is a Seer. A blind Seer since birth." I looked at her pointedly, urging her to go on as I got into the tin tub. "Well, she gets a glimpse of what's going to happen in the future—like a prophet. And we have the same gift!" Her singsong voice raised an octave as she proudly declared her ability but I couldn't join her enthusiasm. How could she be so happy, so full of life when death's written over the entire world?

"Mmm..." I nodded then laid back to stare at the cracked mud ceiling. "How could she wander around like that if she's blind? What did she see? In the future I mean."

In the corner of my eye, I saw her lean on the wall. "Sensing things is as good as seeing. And what she saw were awful things. I saw some of them too." The grief in her voice made me tilt my head and stare at her. Yukino watched her fingers as she twiddled them and though lowered, I saw dread peeped through her little onyx eyes. "It scares me most of the time. I don't want to see how I or nii-san would die but Seers unlike others can't control what they'd see."

"It must've been hard for you." I said finally, though I have no idea what to say to make her feel better.

To my astonishment, she cast me a vibrant smile. A smile that could lift up the darkness that loomed over everything. "It's okay. I have Sensei Rosario and nii-san who helped me get through it. And now we have you and your friend. I've been waiting for you guys to come along, I thought it would be nice to have some friends."

I felt my strained face softened, and I had to turn away so Yukino won't see how that single word made me vulnerable. Friends. I've been together with a group of teens in Babylon before, but I just can't relate with them so I never made real ones. For a long time it was just me and Ethan. He's been my everything and with him gone, nothing will ever be the same.

"Thanks, Yukino." I said but thought otherwise. Not even an entirely new group of people can replace someone like Ethan. Or maybe I was secretly hoping that they could.

"I'm sorry about your, um, about Ethan." Yukino said hesitantly. "I'll just get you some clothes."

The idea of staying there with them was tempting but should I trust them? They seemed to know lots of things, they could give me answers. But does it matter? What am I doing here anyway? Ethan's dead, I should've followed him to wherever he's gone.

Images of Dime's face came into my mind. He looked so sad, so hurt but aren't we all the same? Then I remembered Kota and Yukino—they must've lost someone too, well who didn't? Everyone has their story, probably the same as everyone else but why? Why can't everyone just choose death? Why did I run away from Marco, from the Brotherhood when I knew they'd just take me where I wanted to? Or was that what I really wanted?

Was death what I really wanted?