Mad Bloods

Running as fast as I can, I stepped forward reaching the downtown side of the town. Sharp turn to the right and I'm almost there. Adrenaline courses through my veins as I paced faster. Trees slowly decreasing in numbers, replaced by buildings and establishments.

The counteract of wind on my face feels freeing and without looking back, I conquered, and smiled when I reached my destination.

I entered a clothing store and took some clothes suitable for the occasion, leaving the tip behind to the absent-minded cashier who didn't even noticed my presence at all, works for me.

After some pulling of cloths and placing limbs where they should be, I got dressed. All good, no bones were broken.

Walking like a normal person, black leather shoes stepped out into the city road. Wrinkling nose welcoming the scent of industrial modernization.

Try not to run. I repeated. I need to be there before they start or else I won't be invited in. Fuck it, I'm skip walking.

Adjusting my tie one last time, I entered the gates as if I did not just escaped from my past life.

It feels weird to walk on fine tiles wearing expensive shoes, but I need to get used to it. If this is going to be my life now, let's just forget every training I learned in the woods and act as if I'm one spoiled brat who hasn't touched grass in his life.

If I got past the guards with no struggle, then this should be easy. Blending in isn't one of my skills, but I can learn.

Navigating towards suited shoulders and corsages, trying not to squint my eyes to the bright lights, and getting used to the artificial scent of expensive perfumes, I can get through this.

Once she sees me, she won't deny me.

I'm her son all along, they didn't save my life for nothing. I can prove my worth.

"Entertain the guests please, and the tables! Clean them up for god's sake", said that commanding voice I knew all childhood.

She brushes her bleached hair aside, trying to calm herself down, she must've been so stressed planning all this. And yet, unsatisfied with the results.

"Trina," someone called before I could. I stepped back and let the man pass beside me.

Turning her beautiful head towards the side, to another one of the blank-faced suited man who decided he's worth her attention talked to her.

"Of course the band's late, what else could go wrong?" she exclaimed, only loud enough in my short distance to hear, and well, anyone with super hearing. The man said he's sorry and walked away to fix something she told him to.

My adopted mother sighed and instantly put up a mask of emotions to show the world, no one would notice even if they watched.

I observed for a little more and I would've waited but I couldn't resist. Finally, I decided to walk to her and cleared my throat. I don't have enough words for this.

"Rome! Oh my God," her bright green eyes widened and just like that, I'm wrapped around tightly in her thin arms, just how much strength she has in that tiny body covered in glitters of an authentic dress.

"How's it going?" I said, although it's not exactly a question. How irrelevant.

"I missed you so much!" she almost jumped on her heels to kiss me. She never feels like a stranger, she never has. That's just her thing.

"We're putting up a school" she grabbed my hand and walked when the crowd automatically moves aside to give way. Of course they respect their royalty, as they should.

We reached the hall where people starts to fade away, and she slowly drops her mask, smiles fading, and there you can see how stressed she really is.

"Apparently, starting your own school isn't the same as managing it," she rolls her eyes. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. She didn't even bother to ask where have I been, or how was I doing, she just straights up complains and rants about her problems. Classic Kristina. I watched as the light glimmers in her dress and nails, waiting for her to continue.

"What kind of school functions without students?" she opens her arms to point out the hall, this building.

This must be the new establishment for the said school she's starting. "I've been an educator my whole life but this...is one whole new different job" she urged.

I crossed my arms to my chest, refusing to let the stress pass onto me but remaining to be a listener.

The men, I think, are business partners and connections of our families whose children they've invited to enroll at this new educational institution that seemed to be the current crisis of my beloved mother, who's hands are now on her waist.

"We need students," she nods. "That's their purpose!" she points out to the people that are now consealed by the wall, which I'm hoping, is soundproof. While she continued complaining about how the businessmen were talking about their own businesses and how it had gone against the purpose of this event, supposedly the launch of the school, she sighed when she finished talking.

"I'm here," shamelessly, I offered myself. Not that I want to learn or study anything in particular, but also not just because I want to help her... although if this is one way then so be it. After that, then staying here is going to be needed. I needed that.

"Of course, of course!" finding the idea as her light bulb moment, she drags me again to another hall. Turning her head back to me while we're walking, she smiled. "You're getting enrolled here whether you like it or not." she declares. Funny, it's not like she needs to force me, I want this.

We walked back when she realized we went to the wrong hall. I resist the urge to slap my palm on my face and remained calm. I'm starting to doubt the success of this so-called school.

"You seem...prepared." I teased and she just waves it off, trying to pretend to be the organized person she is. Watching her, she doesn't seem to have found where exactly we would be going.

"You don't exactly have a registration office, do you?" I tilted my head and watched her expression change as she remembers something. "I left the registrar person I compelled" she puts her palm on her forehead lightly.

"I'll go get it." for the second time, I offered myself shamelessly. Placing my hands on my pockets, I adjusted myself to appear to the public. No sign of worry is on Trina and so should I, not very obvious anyway.

"Thanks, she's in the truck. You're a life saver." she kissed me on the cheeks before she disappeared into the crowd, once again, masked as one elegant businesswoman who has everything figured out.

Life saver, how ironic.

I don't even know exactly what I'm supposed to do when I opened two large doors of the truck that I found at the back of the building. Hell, we can't even guarantee this person's still breathing.

Stepping up, I went into the darkness, hoping she hadn't traumatized this poor human typewriter. Or else we have to go find another replacement, and I don't want to add another work to do. This better be alive and well.

Two bright eyes looked up to me, no scent of bleeding, no evidence of harm. Nice work of keeping the human safe, mother. Now let's see about her power of manipulation.

"What do you remember?"

"I was...walking home alone, when I was hired to be a new school's head registrar." she could talk straight enough, which was good.

"And?"

"I was once an underpaid staff but Kristina Ramirez promised I could afford more than just rent, I could give my family a better life if I would just stay here and keep quiet." a slight hint of tears in her eyes are enough for me to know she's telling the truth, no matter how it made her feel.

"That's right."

I untied her from the chair and helped her get on her feet. She could stand straight, but that doesn't guarantee she's healthy, not enough to pretend like a normal person in this house full of smart men, they're not easy to fool.

"Look at me. You're going to a business party, they're going to announce the opening of a school where you'll work, and you have to be there to get students on the list. Can you do that?" my hands on her shoulders made her seem smaller than she is.

I don't exactly have the power of compulsion, but I do have good speaking skills. She nods.

"I can do that. Can you help me prepare? I don't exactly have the outfit to the party" I stepped away as she touched her clothes, only now did I notice they were dirty, not exactly bloody, but the sign of struggle is there. She's been kidnapped after all.

Placing my hands on my waist, I stepped away from her, thinking.

"I can help with that," a voice speaks from outside of the truck.

Suddenly, I became protective of this innocent lady, it's not her fault she got dragged into this.

"I'm Trina's guard, you must be Rome." His serious tone continued. That familiar marked ring on his finger I recognized.

I stepped down from the darkness and waited for the woman to follow. She stumbled upon going down due to weakness but at least she's alive.

He catches her and checks her, no bruises, no wounds, I made sure of that already. I rolled my eyes at the sight of his fake concern.

"I'll be taking her to prep. Tell Trina the band's here, we'll be back in five." he walks away with the woman. Knowing I don't need to repeat what he's said, she has heard that already, I proceeded to tell her anyway. She's internally jumping in happiness right now.

I hate to be one's messenger and errand boy but here I am, walking back to deliver Trina some message she's already know. "She'll be here in five." I whispered.

"Thank you, Rome, you've come back in such perfect timing."

"Who was that guard anyway?"

"That's James, he won't be staying with us any longer after this." she smiled.

He screwed up, bad. Either he's going to die or be fired from his job, or both.

It may have been his fault the band's late in the first place. I nodded, needing no more explaination.

Managing to not ask anymore questions, particularly that one about emerald eyes, I kept my mask in tact as well as Trina does. How can she do this everyday?

"So, this must be your son, eh?" one drunken old man approached us.

"He is. How much he has grown over the years, I know." Trina faked a laugh "which is none of your business" she said on the side note. Not that the man is sober to hear.

"The golden child whom we've never seen before, last time I remember, you were this small!" he gestured towards his thighs below his alcohol-induced belly.

I faked a smile too, as Trina touched my shoulder sending me a warning message.

"Let me take him," a woman, seemingly the wife of this drunk man, pulled him away from the scene. I felt my mother's hand tap on my shoulder lightly.

Looking up to the chandelier, on the higher floor, there was her sister, walking slowly down the grand stairs. Of course she'll make an entrance.

The band played a slow classical song while they introduced the appearance of their queen, with whom we owe our lives to, and that we've been blessed to be able to see her today. Elle.

I watched as the people watched in awe her so called goddess appearance, and witnessed that they really have been blessed, to see her here by their naked eyes. I watched the people watch her.

I couldn't look at her, not yet. Trina may have seemed thrilled by my presence but she's...different.

As the moment finished, she made her way on our side, her smile instantly drops as she sees me.

I didn't try to smile or play innocent, I came here by surprise after all, it shouldn't be a mystery why she's not happy. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm alive because of you, and I'm here to serve you." I referenced what their saying, mocking their oath even though I myself, truly, have been saved by the powerful, Kriselda, only I wasn't exactly part of their group. I'm an outcast of my own people. And yet, I'm here.

Only Trina found the humor in it. Elle sideeyed my mother's silent laughter.

"Come on, he's promised to help me with this school." Trina whined.

"He did?" Elle squinted her eyes. Staring at me like I'm a guilty suspect. I ran away after all, she had every right to be mad.

"I'm going to enroll at Trina's school." I said, almost declared, maybe a bit too much. "...If you may," I added and placed my eyes on the floor.

"Let him stay, please?" Trina's irresistible cute voice came out. She really is just like her younger self, she hasn't aged at all.

"You have decided." she finally took her eyes away from me, looking at the crowd of audience watching us. They're probably thinking we're having a typical family gathering.

"Stay if you must. But I do warn you, when the time comes, you'll want to go back. At which point you'll realize you can't, not anymore." she says without looking at me. Even so, I felt the whole truth in it.

"You've decided, are you sure about this?" Trina asked me.

I nodded to her, still looking at Elle, knowing she can't see me doesn't give me assurance. She's very hard to read.

Excitement fuels my mother once again and I couldn't help but smile. She's probably the only one happy to have me back here.

Elle never looked at me again.

Where her daughter is, I started to think. She's not the type to make an entrance like her mother, although she probably won't even show up in this one huge facade this family has fixed up for the people.

This isn't for us, this is for them. So that they can think we're one of them. This is how we built the connection that allowed us to prosper 'till this day.

All of this, just to build our empire, for the future, generations if there may.

For that child we all love and protect, that kid we once took care of, has now grown into a teenage girl, where the hell is she?