Station 6

"C'mon, Fey. You can do it."

Fey felt tired but still try to climb on the inclined plane with the help of the rope.

Sinubukang muli ni Fey umakyat kahit na hinihila na ng bigat niya ang sarili pababa. She tried to raise her left foot, holding tightly on the rope, trying to balance herself all at the same time.

She felt her hand burned as it slide down to the rough texture of the rope.Ibinuwelo niya muna ang katawan bago muling ihakbang ang isang paa pakyat sa matarik na

Brio was true to his words. Fey has been through to different obstacles that Brio prepared for her in a room wherein other Wayfarer strengthen their selves too.  The place have a gym with equipments together with some obstacle course she saw in some reality show. And to her surprise, everything in the room was free to use.

"Finally," Brio said as he held out his hand to Fey which she grab instantly when she reached the top. She lay on the plane, massaging some part of her arm that felt like hell.

"Are you okay?" Brio kneel beside her—Looking at her whole, checking if she gets injured.

"My arm hurts." She groaned.

"Your body will be used to it." She almost flinched when he held her arm. "Tulungan na kita."

With his help made their way out. Dumiretso sa shower room si Fey habang si Brio naman ay lumabas na.

Pagkatapos ni Fey nagshower at magbihis ay dinala na nila ang kaniyang gamit at lumabas. Habang naglalakad ay iniisip niya kung ano ang pwede niyang kainin pagkauwi sa bahay ngunit napahinto siya nang maabutang nakatayo si Brio sa labas. Nakalagay ang mga kamay sa bulsa at mukhang may malalim na iniisip.

Lumapit siya rito saka tumikhim. Ang kaninang nangungunot na noo ni Brio ay parang bulang biglang nawala at napalitan ng isang ngiti.

"I figured you're done?"

"Um-hmm." She played with her hand. "So, um… Why are you still here?" Brio just shrugged and started walking. Mabilis siyang sumunod at naglakad sa tabi nito.

"Maybe I'll treat you for today?"

He stopped walking.

"Not gonna let it pass. I knew some good milkshake," he said, wiggling his brows making Fey chuckled.

"But first, we need to get you a Cirquer. You're late for the third time."

"Hindi ko maintondihan 'yung oras dito, e."

"Kaya nga ipapaliwanag ko. Tara."

+++

Fey was looking for her Cirquer. She come to the conclusion that every Cirquer is like a mini version of a Ferris wheel with twelve pods.  Then in the middle was a number, telling the remaining cirque of the owner in Ludovia—well,  that's what Brio told her. Maybe she'll ask him more later about it.

Different Cirquer that only varies in colors, pods shape and sizes are in front of them. She watch each and every design until a a circular pods with different metalic color and a pure white. It has a black stand that have a small screen.

[it's like this]



She smiled. She was about to tell Brio about it. But then, she heard something that fall and broke. She looked at Brio who suddenly go to the other section of the mall. She hurriedly followed him only to be rooted on her place.

A man stood frozen in front of them. His hand slowly turned into circular particles until it float into the air, moving to the nearest door. It's like the glitters on the feet of a flying fairy twirling in the air that she watched when she was a kid. Except that this one gave her chills.

+++

Cherry's was glowing at night. The neon colors around it was aesthetically arrange with the glass windows and black-and-white checkered floor. The milkshake shop have a booth seating style and a counter with high stools in front.

[Booth Seating Style]



Behind the counter—with some cookies in a glass container on it—was Cherry on her pigtails, a red and white checkered dress with an apron.

"Hey, Cherry!" Her eyes instantly landed on them as the door open together with a jingled bell.

"Brio! Haven't seen you for a while!" Brio show her his charismatic smile.

"Bring a new for you." he motioned Fey using his head who's silently listening to them beside him.

Lumapit ang dalawa sa counter. Binigyan ng isang ngiti ni Fey si Cherry bago ilahad ang kaniyang kamay. "Fey."

Kinuha muna ni Cherry ang basahan sa harap at nagpunas ng kamay bago iniabot ang kamay niya. "I'm Cherry. Ikinagagalak kong makilala ka!"

Cherry speak in a languange new to her. But at least, Fey understood her.

Cherry handed the menu to her. Then look at Brio. "The usual?"

"Yup."

She wrote it down and looked at her for her order. Fey smiled. "Chocolate Chip Milkshake and Burger champ with Fries."

"Chocolate Chip Milkshake, Burger champ with Fries, Banana Smothie and Bakedmac and Cheese, coming up!"

They silently leave the counter. She didn't  know but she just felt like they needed to talk something  away from others's ears. They looked around as they tried to search for unoccupied booth.

They walked around until they settle into the booth on the corner. There's a silence between them. Even the playfulness of Brio was off that moment. In the end,  Brio tried to break the silence.

"How's your feeling?"

She didn't know if he's asking her about her physical condition because of their training; or because of what they witnessed. She  decided to choose the former.

"Still sore."

He chuckled, making the atmosphere lighter. "You surely didn't do things like this before."

"Not really. Pero sanay naman ako sa gawaing bahay. Halos lahat na ata ipinapagawa sa akin nung kapatid ko."

"But still, it wasn't enough. By the way, I forgot to bring the book, maybe we could go to my pad later? Don't worry, Ako na magbabayad ng pamasahe mo."

Sinamaan ng tingin si Fey na ikinatawa ng kaharap.

Brio is always like that. Teasing her in simple things which really annoys her or make her uncomfortable.

A girl wearing the same dress as Cherry approached them with their order on the tray she's holding.

"Thank you," he said to the lady which gave him a flirtatious smile. She focused herself to her milkshake which looked so delicious with a wafer stick on the side and cream with chocolate chip sprinkles. The lady got something from her pocket and faced her. She raised her arm and show her wrist to which the lady tapped immediately with the thing she's holding.

She saw Brio glancing on her Soulcule. "Don't brag it again that you have a lot of it." She almost pouted to which Brio laughed.

"I never said anything!"

"Yeah right. You're not rich." she tsked. "But curiously, how did you achieve that?"

He looked at her for a few seconds then there was an amused look on his face. "Do you purposely treat me just to asked questions?"

Naglikot ang mga mata ni Fey kaya naman natawa ang kaharap. It wasn't the question that really bothers her at the moment, but that will keep her away from thinking of the scene that happened earlier.

Sa tatlong araw na magkasama sila, hindi pa nasasagot ang ilan sa tanong niya. After the training, Brio will leave while she's in the shower. She understood it that Brio have things to do. He already told her that and it's really okay with her.

She actually didn't thought that he's waiting outside earlier and didn't knew he'll accept her invitation; and to her surprise, he even bring her to a milkshake shoppe.

"Okay, you can ask me now. But I still want some hotdogs." He wiggled his brows to her.

She smiled softly. "Deal."

They ordered another set of food and shakes which was paid by Fey. The lady in checkered dress smiled at her before leaving their booth with a tray in hand.

"You told me to spend for the things I need but never but never buy too expensive things. Why?"

He sipped from his strawberry milkshake and lean back on his seat.

"Well, Maliban sa kailangan mong iwasang maging pula ang soulcule mo, kailangan mo ring bantayan ang Scule currency mo. Kapag naubos lahat ng Scule coins mo, didretso ka na sa Veredictum. It's where the final judgement happened. The judgement will be based on your performance in the Survivals. And I already told you about Cycle Stay here right?"

"Um, that's like paying if you want to prolong your stay, right?"

"Right. It cost a hundred and fifty thousand Scules."

Napaubo si Fey at ibinaba ang iniinom na Milkshake. "What?!"

He laughed at her rection which she found amusing. She's seriously asking and he's like this; always finding a way to have fun.

"I'm not repeating myself. So here's where I'll explain the time dimension here in Ludovia."

Inilabas nito ang Cirquer na binili nila kanina. "Each circle is called a Dlum. It actually represent where the ball of light—the sun of Ludovia— is located. 12 Dlum is a Cirque or full cycle of the sun. It's like the equivalent of a day. Then a 360 Cirque is equal to a one cycle stay."

"A year you mean?"

"Like that."

Fey slowly nodded as she let the new information sinked.

"Earlier..." She looked up at him. There's an undeniable seriousness in his face that scared her. When he looked into her eyes, she abruptly looked away.

"I think he spent his last scule that's why he turned like that. His soul might be in the Veredictum now. Arranging how he'll be reborn in the Mortal World."

+++

Fey slept that night on the convertible sofa in Brio's condo. She just cannot be alone that night. Brio also offered it anyway—maybe because it's evident on her face. And the book.  She thought she really need to read it.

Umuwi siya ng umaga na. She's still sleepy so when she arrived, she go straight to her bed and slum her body to the soft white mattress.

She's slowly drifting to sleep,  when she heard a knock on her door. She remembered that day when she saw a figure floating.

She was hesitant but the curiosity got better in her. She went downstairs  slowly. Still deciding if she will open the door or not.

Another set of knocks echoed on her house. She moved slowly to the door and turned the doorknob.

There stood H, rubbing the back of his neck. As if he's a kid guilty of doing something he shouldn't.

"Hey..."

She didn't know how to react.  Noong huling kita nila ay hindi maganda ang kinalabasan. Saka paano nito nalaman kung nasaan siya?

It's rude but asked him anyway.

"Um, hi... How did you knew I'm here?"

He didn't answer. He just stand in front of her with a smile while looking at her making a shiver run through her spine.

That smile... There's something in there...