Alluring Remedy

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14.

"What the hell is this, Baste?!"

Gusto ko sanang simulan ang araw ko nang kalmado at maayos dahil ito ang unang umaga namin dito sa guest house, pero ang gago at walang hiyang Baste, sinira ang magandang gising ko.

I nearly choked as I spat the coffee back into my cup, my entire body shuddering at the overwhelming bitterness of it. Ang walang hiyang Baste, ibinuhos na yata lahat ng coffee powder dito sa tasa ko. Sobrang pait niyon na talaga namang mapapangiwi ang kahit na sinong iinom. Kung ganito lang din naman pala kape ko edi sana pinapak ko na lang 'yung powder 'di ba? Gago rin talaga eh.

Baste, sitting across from me, burst into laughter. "What? That's how real men drink coffee. No sugar, no cream. Just pain."

"Oh ikaw uminom nito," I said, pushing the cup away as the rest of the team chuckled.

"I told you not to trust Baste with the coffee," Savi smirked, stirring her own cup. "Last time, he almost sent Matthias into cardiac arrest," aniya kasabay ng pagtango-tango ni Matthias na animo'y nire-recall ang near death experience niya.

"That was one time!" pagtatanggol naman ni Baste sa sarili niya.

Naiiling na lang naman akong naglakad papasok sa kusina at kinuha iyong pitsel saka nagbuhos ng tubig sa baso. Lasang-lasa ko pa rin kasi 'yung pait sa bibig ko kaya gusto kong magmumog.

As I gulped down the water, hoping to erase the lingering bitterness, a familiar voice spoke beside me.

"You alright?" Perzeus asked, his voice softer than I expected.

I glanced at him, still grimacing. "I'm okay. Nakatikim lang ng kape na tinimpla ni satanas."

A quiet chuckle escaped him, and I caught the slight shake of his head. "You should've known better than to trust Baste with coffee."

"Yeah, lesson learned," I muttered, setting the glass down with a sigh. "Feeling ko tuloy nag-evolve panlasa ko."

Perzeus hummed, tilting his head slightly. "Want me to make you another cup?"

Mabilis kong ibinalik ang tingin ko sa kaniya. "You make coffee?" tanong ko.

Simple naman siyang tumango bilang tugon.

"Hoy! Hoy! Anong pinaplano niyo riyan ha? Secret bonding moment?" pareho naman kaming napalingon kay Baste nang magsalita siya.

Yssa smirked. "I think our leader is taking pity on Ren. That coffee must've been really bad."

Perzeus only sighed, ignoring them as he gave me a small nod. "Come on. Let's get you something actually drinkable."

Natawa na lang naman ako at wala na rin nagawa kundi sumunod sa kaniya.

Nagpatuloy naman kami sa pagkain ng almusal habang nagtatawanan pa rin. Maya-maya pa, sabay-sabay kaming napalingon sa pintuan nang dalawang tao ang pumasok doon.

And the moment we saw who it was, silence fell over the room.

Standing at the doorway were a man and a woman, both giving an aura that immediately screamed power and authority. They were dressed elegantly, looking far too polished for an island visit. The man had sharp features, dark hair slicked back, and piercing gray eyes that reminded me of someone. The woman beside him was beautiful, her refined presence is commanding attention without even trying.

"G-gusto niyo pa ng bacon?" pabulong na sabi naman ni Baste, halata ang kaba sa boses.

I glanced at Perzeus, and there, I saw him looking as composed as ever, but there's an obvious surprise in his eyes. Gulat man ay seryoso pa rin ang tingin niya sa dalawang tao na nakatayo ngayon sa pintuan ng guest house.