Prologue: "The Homecoming"

"Ha!"

"One more time, Raven."

"Ha!"

Everyone was in training. They were all busy...

The sounds of them screaming in determination and the voices of the coaches crowded the place like people or soldiers battling with a great unknown foe... Some were battered. Some are bruised. In general, they were all tired.

"Well done, Raven! You've been improving since last month."

"Nah. I just have a lot of inspirations."

"Oh, really? Who?"

"My loved ones."

Both of them smiled as the sweet voice of Raven tickled their own ears...

"See yah again, coach!"

"Take care, Raven. Don't go fighting in the streets again."

"HAHA alright! You got me again!"

She is Raven Markeia Delos Reyes, a sister, a friend, and a fighter. She's the type of girl who's much braver than what anyone thinks...

She has this face of an angel. Her eyes were a deep well, her nose was perfectly sculpted, her lips were like a small but painful cut on the skin that caused bloodstain on white shirts, her eyebrows were going up, sideways, and down like the movement of the waves in a sea, and her face was like a heart that gets red when it feels the warmth... She looks exactly like what people could easily adore and she's everybody's favorite. Everyone loves her.

She can make the best out of you but she can also bring you down if she wanted to. Everyone commonly describes her as a good friend but a bad enemy. She can be childish most of the time but she can also be matured when needed...

She's an abstract painting that's unpredictable and can't be interpreted by everyone.

Raven left and went to her locker. As she opened it, the first thing she got was the picture of her sister wearing a striped yellow, pink, fuchsia, and white t-shirt with her wearing a white t-shirt with prints of a flower in a green circle as its background. They have these flower headbands with four different shades of pink and also a pair of bunny's ears and a pink shiny nose of it on their faces. They both looked very happy. Their hairs we're both within shoulder length in that picture just like plants that were free and have life.

She smiled.

"I miss you, Maddie..."

Just as she could return it back to her locker, someone called her on her cream-colored phone.

"Hello? Oh! Right! I almost forgot! I'm so sorry. I'm very sorry."

"Nah. It's okay. Besides, I'm here now and I don't have any appointments and meetings. I can wait for you... Please be careful and drive safely."

"Of course I will..."

"I know what that means, Raven. Drive only at a regular speed. Don't test me... I'll smack you in the face right after I meet you here."

"Fine, I will! Promise... Where are we going to meet?"

"Here at the bench at the Terminal Gate 11..."

"Okay. Wait for me there..."

She hurriedly changed her clothes drenched in her sweat and put on a clean one where she'd also feel comfortable.

She locked her locker, got her bags, and got ready to see the person whom she never saw for years and years... The person that she also adored and took care of for the past 20 years of her life.

She got inside her car and drove fast. She knows that she shouldn't because her sister would get upset about it.

She doesn't really hear everyone out especially her.

She looks at her sister just like a sister and a relative and nothing else more than that. She never really cares unlike others because, in her own mind, she's old enough to care about herself.

All of a sudden, she stopped.

"Damn it!"

Cars continuously beeping...

Ambulance siren in the distance...

Crying people...

Everyone getting so annoyed...

A stranger on the sidewalk passed by Raven. He came from the direction of the accident.

He looks like he was in his late 40's... An age that commonly already has children

"Wait, sir. What happened there?"

The man spoke with his low monotone voice.

"There was a road rage between them. A man was arrested for shooting the man he was arguing with and also its wife and its kids."

"That's so horrible!"

"Yeah, it is. You better stay in your car and not to take a look at it. If I were you, I'd follow what your sister said."

The man continued walking with a grin on his face.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Raven's POV

"Follow what your sister said."

I felt something went down to my chest.

It feels so heavy and I can barely breathe... What does he mean by that?

As soon as the road accident is fixed, I slowly drove to her sister's destination.

What does he mean? What is he?

I can't think about anything else but that only.

As I continued to think about it, I also think that I've seen him before... He looks so familiar.

He wears an all-black outfit...

A black suit...

Black pants...

He also held a black umbrella with a brown handle... He has this mustache that made him look like a Spanish person.

I want to panic now but I shouldn't... I'm in the middle of the road and I need to stay calm or something bad might happen... That really creeps me out.

Luckily, I got to my destination safely... I did what that man and my sister said.

"Rae!"

She ran towards me.

The smell of her skin was like springtime. The flowery fragrance makes me feel calm again. It all feels like I'm at the park while walking beside her.

"You look great, Maddie! Those kinds of clothing suits you."

"They look beautiful, right? Don't worry... I also have something for you. I'll just give it to you when we got home."

"Okay..."

We got inside my car. She had a long flight and probably she's jet-lagged or at some point, hungry...

"Maddie?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want us to eat in a restaurant first? Maybe you're already hungry."

"Yeah, I am. How did you know that?"

"I can see it in your face."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________Maddie's POV

"I can see it in your face."

I looked at the rearview mirror and I saw a reflection of me being pale. Yeah, she's right... I may be hungry.

"Yeah, sure."

"Where do you want to go?"

"You may choose where."