Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Nana

Presently, it was the time of the afternoon. On top of a tall skyscraper, a pair are stepping atop the grassy surface of the rooftop they're at; both are enjoying the restful climate.

The boy who has the name Efrein inhales deeply as his eyes remain gazing at the calm harmony of civilization beneath the rooftop.

"My name is Efrein Frentisilio Sorotias," he shifts his peaceful look towards the girl beside him, "Ngayon, maari ko bang malaman kung ano ang iyong pangalan?"

Nana's eyes remain to gaze forward, then her eyes catch a glimpse of a group of birds flying together. She says, "My name is Nana Keiltre. I'm inhabiting with my father n—"

Efrein suddenly shifts his eyes toward her, then he asks, "Why did you? Why did you hesitate to say the next— oh! Never mind."

Nana closes her lip and snuffs softly. "It is fair to ask me any question because you've already told me the most important information about yourself."

"Moving on… Can we," he takes a look at Nana, "have a snack?"

She chuckles while looking at him. "You're hungry already? What an appetite you have."

Efrein shifts his eyes forward with a sigh, and he shakes his head down with a frown. His expression makes her laugh greatly.

"I'm serious! Don't laugh at—!"

Efrein was disturbed by an audible growl of his stomach causing Nana's laugh to become even louder, igniting his irritation to arise.

The pair turns around and walks toward the closed mirror doors of the rooftop they're at. Unperceived to them, a figure wearing white clothing was watching them from the rooftop of a nearby tall building.

The soft blow of the wind goes toward him, and it brushes his white spiky hair sidewards, his calm stare at the pair turns into a look full of sullen annoyance.

"Tch! What was she doing? Befriending a boy?!" he whispered angrily, and then he stood up and moved forward, hence taking a fall from the rooftop.

His falling figure was caught by Efrein's eyes through the tall glass window beside him. Efrein abruptly stops in his footsteps as he moves his face leftward at the tall glass window only to see nothing but the half body of a tall skyscraper.

Nana also halts, just to change the direction of her eyes towards him. As a result, she wonders. "What happened, Efrein?"

Efrein glances at her. "No… I thought there's a… Never mind, let's just go."

Nana nods in response, henceforth they continue to saunter towards the first floor. While going downstairs, the pair commences a conversation between them.

"So… What did you say earlier?" Efrein asked.

"It's all about my father and me, living nearby." she breathed deeply.

Efrein asks himself. "What's wrong with living nearby? Would it be bad to ask her?"

Efrein veers his face towards her, he stares deeply into her attractive mug, he stares at it for a long period; that he didn't notice that he was looking too long at her face.

"Looking isn't bad but, staring for too long is… Maari mo akong tunawin ng iyong mga mata, ginoo." she shifted her face towards his mug.

Their eyes met and they ended up staring at each other. Then they didn't notice that their shoe stepped on the end of the tread of the stairs they were stepping on.

The pair falls towards the bottom of the stairs, during the process; Efrein holds Nana's clothed back, and hence he pulls her closer to him; enveloping her into a tight embrace while being hit by many treads.

Nana felt something that made her eyes broaden in shock, and she closed her eyes as she buried her face on his clothed chest. Efrein closed his eyes as he was prepared for the final impact of their fall.

Unexpectedly, he was harking back by a fragment of his memories. He opens his eyes as he twirls around making him stand while falling downstairs, he manages to land on another tread of the stairs while in a standing position.

"W-What happened?" Nana looked up as she saw Efrein's chin.

He looks down at her face and smiles at a slow pace. "Huwag kang mangamba sapagka't maayos na ang ating lagay, Nana."

Nana looks away as a tint of red develops on her cheeks. "I-Ibaba mo nga lang ako baka masapak pa kita."

Efrein smiles and then he agrees to put her down. Nana brushes her upper clothing with her hands and she also brushes her bottom clothing.

Nana looks at Efrein only to see him staring at her with a relaxed posture. Hence, he inaugurates to step towards their main objective.

"Where will you take me to?"

"Weren't you listening? We're going outside to eat."

Nana looks downward with a pouty lip. "You know… I've never eaten street food before, so I'm sorry if I'll get awkward later…"

He glimpses at her. "You know… Someone also said that to me." he lifted his hands as he yawned deeply.

Nana was confused by his speech, and it made her shift her eyes toward him. "Eh? What happened to that 'someone you're talking about?"

"Simple," Efrein shows his index finger to her; it's pointing upward, "he ate a lot of street foods causing him to be one of the 'valued customers' of the stall we went to."

She chuckles, and she shifts her eyes away from him. "He's lucky you know?"

Her chuckles ended, she moves her face down a bit; her eyes see the reflection of the ceiling lights on the white tile she's stepping on.

"Being a value to someone… It wasn't a word, it's a feeling that someone who experienced being unloved desires to

feel," she whispered.

Efrein looks at her with sympathy, he slowly extends his hand towards her hand.

Nana's right palm felt an object enclosing to it, her eyes broaden in shock at the unexpected recall followed by a masculine voice that's calling her name.

"Nana. Nana. Nana!"

Nana's eyebrows met as her forehead scrunches. She grits her teeth and she slaps Efrein's hand away from her. Nana steps closer to his body, and then she extends her right hand forward at a speedy pace towards him.

Efrein only stands at his position embracing himself for the impact of her hand, yet she abruptly pauses.

She stares at his eyes that are looking into her eyes, and she hyperventilates; she bends her body downward.

"I-I didn't mean it!" she looked upward only for her eyes to witness a hand being entrusted to her.

"Ang sabi ko'y maayos na ang ating kalagayan, kaya't ikain na lang natin 'yan ha! Kasabay ng masayang kuwentuhan." he grinned at her.

"S-Sige..." Nana held his hand.

A figure with anger painted on his face was walking among the crowd, once he gets out from the crowd; he immediately notices a pair walking in his direction.

"Nana…" he continued to walk slowly towards them, still furious about something.

Hence, he stops walking 3 feet away from them, he shouts, "HOY! BITAWAN MO SI NANA! SASAMA SIYA SA AKIN!"

Efrein and Nana were put to a halt by a loud masculine voice coming near them. Nana's calm eyes stare at the figure of a young man radiating a threatening impression.

He continues to walk forward to the pair, his eyes never go away from both of them, Efrein raises his arm, he uses it to block Nana's chest.

"Let me deal with him…" Efrein started to go at him at a slow pace, he clenches his hands as his face shows a severe threatening impression.

Nana was left at her spot, her eyes remain staring at him in skepticism. She moves her lip as she releases words that are only for her to be heard.

"Who are you? And what do you need?" he clicks his tongue, "oo nga pala, hindi sasama sa'yo si Nana! Ano nga pala ang nais mo ha?!"

The man with white spiky hair, white upper and bottom clothing remains in his state of tranquility at his position.

"Stop asking about what my main objective is," he raises his index finger and points it in the direction of the female teenager behind him, "My name is Tiempo, and that woman over there is what I desire to have."

Efrein turns around at Nana only to see her eyes widening at him, hence he turns around and witnesses the white bottom of sandals going to his path. Efrein raises his arms only to blocks his upper body, the feet of Tiempo kick his joined arms, moreover, the force was strong that it results in Efrein's feet in stepping back.

The man with white spiky lands finely on the ground, a smile forms on his lip in a condescending way.

"You've got some guts eh—!" he stepped aside from an incoming kick towards him.

Efrein moves his eyes toward him, and he twists his body around making him land on the ground with ease. Henceforth, Efrein runs towards Tiempo and then he delivers a double punch toward him.

Tiempo dodges the first one but was hit on his chest by the second punch, yet it wasn't enough for Efrein as he comes closer to his body. He jumps upward as he twirls delivering a sideward kick towards Tiempo's face.

Tiempo steps to his left and right until he falls on his knees, indeed, he was left stupefied by his kick. Efrein walks toward him while glaring fiercely at his situation.

Nana steps in front of Efrein, wherein she begs, "Please, you don't know what you're doing! He's just my—!"

A hand clenches her clothed shoulder very tight making Efrein change the direction of his eyes towards it.

"DOON KA WALANG KWENTANG BABAE!" Tiempo raised her a bit by her clothed shoulder, hence he tosses her aside.

Efrein's eyes broadened in extreme shock at what happened to her, and it urges his anger to arise. With so much anger, he switches his attention towards him but his face greets a big ice fist.

The big ice fist hits his face, as a result: he flies away and hits a nearby glass wall, his body crashes inside.

Civilians nearby start to run away from the situation with fear painted on each face. Tiempo's big ice fist vanishes away into thin air, he breathes deeply as he turns around to walk away.

A foot comes in a quick forceful way towards his face which causes him to step sideward, and then he veers beside him only to see Efrein; hence a jab hits his face, and also a stronger kick hits his gut which causes him to fly away towards the nearest wall of a building.

Efrein takes a look at Nana only to see her standing at her position, henceforth he walks toward her. Their eyes meet once again.

Nana starts to smile slowly, Efrein's eyes sparkle while seeing her smile, he stops in front of her.

"Hey!"

Efrein glances beside him only for him to be blown away by an even bigger fist of ice, therefore the impact made Efrein hit the nearest group of trash cans causing it, and all the garbage inside of it to fall on him.

Efrein grits his teeth. "Darn it! I can't even use my ability either my full strength to defeat him! Due to our battle against that creature.

"Causing me and them to lose half of our stamina! B-But I need to help her."

He puts his hands and knees on the ground, and he pushes himself upward; as a result of it: slowly, he manages to stand up. He runs at great speed towards Tiempo and Nana.

"BITAWAN MO SIYA!" Efrein yelled.

Efrein jumps toward Tiempo, and then he delivers a kick on his nape; Tiempo pushes Nana away as he steps aside.

Tiempo grabs Efrein's foot using both of his hands, henceforth he moves him upward, and he slams Efrein on the ground causing a bowl-shaped to form on the ground.

Efrein was left senseless in the crater on the ground, Nana goes beside him and she kneels on the ground.

"Let that man," Tiempo uttered noisily while staring daggers at Nana.

Nana gnashes her teeth, she gives Tiempo a threatening look. "Hayaan mo ako, Tiempo!"

Tiempo frowns as he breathes out in a short gust. "Sige... Sabi mo."

A growl of a wolf disturbs the pair, Tiempo looks in the direction of where the growl came from; his eyes see a man with a white wolf sauntering towards them.

"Tantanan ninyo ang aming kaibigan, mga mababang nilalang!" Relov pointed his index finger at Tiempo and Nana.

"Umalis kayo bago namin kayo durugin na parang langgam!" Seji moved his long blue staff with a turning motion.

Tiempo stares at him in a calm state, and then he looks over at Nana who was still kneeling beside Efrein.

"Halika na, hindi natin sila makakaya." he demanded to her.

Nana stands up from her position, hence she commences to walk away without taking a last look at Efrein.

Relov runs towards Efrein who's laying down on the ground without consciousness. He kneels beside Efrein, he examines his condition. "Tch! THOSE BASTARDS!"

Seji halts beside Relov, the white wolf sniffs Efrein's face. Seji looks at Relov. "Halika ka na't dalhin natin siya kay Tito at Tita."

Relov remains staring at Efrein with pity, he replies to Seji. "Sang-ayon ako."

At a large house. Nana was thrown with a lot of force at the living room. Tiempo was staring at her mercilessly. "BAKIT! Bakit mo pa kinailangang makipagkaibigan sa lalakeng 'yon! Mahina lang naman siya."

"Huwag na huwag mo siyang babastusin sa aking harapan!" she stands up from her position, and then she glares at him.

Tiempo was left tight-lipped at her sudden outburst, all of a sudden a tiny dark circle forms on the ground and it expands into a bigger one.

"Ang bibilis talaga lumaki ng mga bata." A figure slowly emerges from the expanded tiny dark circle.

Tiempo bows his head down in front of the figure, whilst Nana didn't do the same; she just stared fiercely at the standing figure of a taller man in front of her.

The expanded tiny dark circle fades away. Then the tall man speaks while looking down at Nana.

"Hindi ba't pinag-usupan na natin ito? Kalayaan mo lamang na gumala ang ibinigay ko. Hindi ang makipagkaibigan sa kahit na sino." the tall man said.

Nana nods her head. "I believe so, hindi na kailangan pang ipamukha sa akin iyon!"

"You shall take care of yourself so that you can fulfill your destined fate." The tall figure narrowed his eyes.

Nana gnashes her teeth as she looks down madly on the cemented ground.

Somewhere else, on top of a house, three male teenagers are sitting on it; while holding wooden tumblers containing cold soft drinks of their own choice, furthermore they were basking in the peaceful atmosphere.

a big smile forms on Relov's lip making him yell, "Ang sarap talaga ng mainit na tsokolate! Nakakaadik!"

"Lagi naman..." Seji said

"Hindi na natanggal sa kanya 'yan! Sa tuwing iinom siya ng mainit na tsokolate ganyan ang maririnig natin." Efrein sighed.

Efrein moves his face downward. "Teka, paano nga ba ang pumasok sa eskwelahan na 'yon?"

His topic made Seji and Relov shift their attention towards him.

A grimace of hate and rage forms on Efrein's face as his hand is shaking due to his anger building up in him. "I want to be stronger but for me to get stronger, I must expand my knowledge about my ability."

"I've made up my mind," he puts his hand on his clothed chest, "magpapalakas ako!"