Sandugo

Eric follows me and saw me eavesdropping. He whispers at me what's going on but I just shook my head and smile. I told him that I am going to the forest for training and to harvest some food. He grins and said that he will go with me, knowing that I can't win this I just nod and took his hand. We immediately leave the city so that we can arrive early.

We first harvest fruits to those beasts whose now willingly gives them to us. Greeting and thanking them all beside Eric who jumps, waves his hands and say hi to them. All of the beasts call him pretty human which I rely to him. This makes him smile and becomes tsundere.

That day, Halakhak, kapre and tikbalang wants me to be their blood brothers so we perform the sandugo. That is where we made a cut on our left arms and we poured our blood on a cup then drink it. They also want to include the pretty human which I readily agreed. I relied it to him that turn him pale for a second. "Can I be just a friend? You know the one where I don't bleed?" He whispers at me, but I told him this will protect him more especially when I'm not around. So he eventually agrees.

Halakhak made a makeshift cup from wood then cut his arm from his nail. He poured his blood to the cup then tikbalang follows. After kapre poured his blood to the cup, he gave it to Eric who looks at it with dread. I ask Halakhak to make a small cut to Erics' left arm; he carefully cut him and bleeds it out on the cup. Eric shouts some colorful word and looks like he is going to faint. They laugh at him and called him pretty again. I put the cup on the ground and slice my arm using my Arma. When I pour it out on the cup, the blood sizzles so I suggested that we wait for a while before we drink or they're going to burn their tongue.

The one who drink first is Kapre, next is Halakhak followed by Tikbalang. Eric looks like he is going to cry when he reaches the cup. He sips and almost chokes but he forcefully swallows. He grimace and give me the cup and drink all of it. The three beasts shout proudly and scream "Brothers!" multiple time which Eric and me follows. All of the beasts in the clearing howl and shout to congratulate us.

I trained with them again from my Arma to how to create portals. It took some time but Eric patiently waits for me as he entertained the duwende kids who want to play with him. Aside his dirty mouth, he really is a nice guy. He get closed with them so fast even though they are scary looking. Especially those blood sucking sigbins that acts like a puppy beside him. Watching them for a while, I decided not to tell him about that small detail.

Four months have passed and this became our routine. Eric always comes with me to the "Enchanted Forest" as he cheekily named it. He is the only one who calls the forest that because the other people still think that the it is something to be scared of and there's nothing enchanting about it.

I can now create portals but not to cross planes. It pains me to think that time passes by without any merit. I can't even create my own space, apparently Halakhak don't know how to create it because his mom died before he can teach him. That's why I arrived to a dead end. The sun is setting when I admit to myself that this day will be unfruitful and decide to come back home. Eric asks me to shift and walked home, I notice that he brought my clothes inside. When we are walking he suddenly holds my hand, I startled and looks at him in question. This is the first time that he holds me as we walk, I always the one who initiate to touch him.

"Thank you." He said to me as he tearfully smiles at me. He hesitated for a second, resolved and walks again slower this time.

"For what?"

"For everything, for patiently waiting for me, for taking care of me… for taking it all when I snaps at you even though it is not you who to blame."

"It's nothing. Just seeing you smile makes it up for it." I muttered, why am I blushing? We are near the settlement but Eric stops and drag my hand to the nearest tree. He sits to one of the roots and pats the other.

"Sit with me for a second." I sat and look at him awkwardly. He stares at the settlement, watching people walk and work there.

"Do you want to talk about something?" I ask him when we just sit there for a while.

"I always asked myself if I will be happy again after what happen that night. Running and hiding and never facing my fears hoping to die and let the pain whisk away as my life perish." He still looks at the settlement as he said it.

"Why are you---"he lightly slaps my shoulder and laughs tearfully asking me to let him finished.

"But later on, when we arrived in Biringan that I realized something. I am the one who let the opportunity to passed, never grasping the times that will make me happy. If it's like I'm punishing myself for the thing that happens to me as if it is my fault. Then I saw this opportunity again but I am once again afraid… afraid that if I let this one inside my life that I will be hurt once more, so I pushed and run as far as I can." He inhales deep, curse and finally looks at me, he is in tears but his face is full of determination.

"Then this moron who gave me this opportunity to be happy always stays there, this time even if I tried to let go… even if I tried to run, this idiot always stay by my side. He shows me that I am capable of loving someone even if I am tainted. Now I decided that it will not happen again. I will not let my life be dictated by my past. I will give myself a chance to be happy." He looks at me waiting for me to speak.

"Why are you trying to say?" I ask him.

"What I am trying…" He crawls near me, his eyes never leaving my sight.

"… to say…" he touches my cheek as his face comes near me.

"…to you, my dear moron…" he whispers as I feel his breath to my lips.

"This day you will be mine…" then his kisses me.

An overwhelming feeling surrounds my senses, heats envelop me and my heart beats stronger than before. His soft lips burn mine as he lightly kisses it, since I became a Four Child I never feel this scalding hot feeling again and I want more. I hold the back of his head and kiss him back, he holds my shirt as he startles as the kiss deepens.

I let go of him and I see his eyes full of amazement, looking at me with adoration. He smiles as he wipes my tears and sighs. I put my arms to his waist and embrace him, laughing tearfully and thinking that finally he is mine. He puts his head at my neck and stays there for a while.