Maki shook his head as he stared at the ridiculous scene in front of him. Magnus and Maddox got out of the van to present some ID's that the roaming guards of Cain District were requesting. He watched as the guards took one single look at Maddox's ID and started acting as if it was the president in front of them.
They were on their way now towards Adelphia Village where Makoto is. The Cain District is said to be one of the strictest districts of the country. It houses the Finance office of Triton from the government which makes it hard to get inside but they guess coming from one of the prosperous cities in the country would immediately give you a free pass.
"Does something like that always happen?"
Maki questioned Maddox the moment they got back inside the van.
"What?"
"People seemingly respecting you just because you're from Sakura City"
"Most of the time. These people also just follow those with power. The more power a person has, the more people follow them"
Maki took a moment to let that sink in, he remembered their mother, she craved for power and it brought her demise. He grimaced at the sudden thought and stared right ahead when their van drove past the arc that hovers at the top indicating the opening to Cain District.
"Adelphia Village should be at the Western end part of the district"
Maddox told no one in particular and Maki immediately finds himself looking at the Western part. So far all he could see were the buildings that stood tall and proud all around.
"There's a large field of flowers past this"
Maia said before squinting her eyes once more, possibly trying to see if he could spot Makoto but Maki doubted that. They both don't know what Makoto looks like, only their three older siblings and so far, it's only Maddox who could see from a long distance.
"You think he'll come once we find him?"
He asked Maddin who immediately turned her attention towards him. His older sister plastered a grin before ruffling his hair.
"Makoto had some gift similar to being a doomsayer, I'm pretty sure he would have seen the bad future if he didn't go with us"
But Maki couldn't help but think that reuniting might be a bad thing. Then again, regardless of any prophecies or future he still wanted all of them to be together. He wanted to know more about his siblings, he wanted to get along with all of them.
Maki took one look at both Maddin and Maddox and wondered if they knew about the prophecy too. He could talk about it but right now he's too scared to ask and bring it up. He stared at Maddox longer, he's his brother and yet he can't help but feel a foreboding sense of danger around him. He can't even pinpoint what it was.
"Maia"
Magnus called back towards Maia to which the lass immediately looked at him.
"Makoto was in the games, same as you"
This made everybody freeze but Magnus kept on driving.
"What?"
"Games Kuya? What Games? The Herculean Tournament? Maia went in there?"
Maddox continuously questioned as he looked back between Maia and Magnus.
"Damian was in there too"
Magnus said to which the lad looked away from. Damian never wanted to remember the games anymore. Especially since it has a deeper meaning now that they learned that all of that was premeditated. Since he realized that he killed those classmates of his for nothing.
"Oh Maia"
Maddin's tears fell as she hugged Maia but Maia could only stare back at Magnus. She remembered the monitors, she remembered how Magnus had been keeping tabs on every one of them. He knew about her tournament, he watched that damned thing, he watched his little sister run and fight for her life.
But now, she realizes he had done the same to his own little brother.
"How did he survive it?"
Was the very first thing that came out of her mouth. Because no one ever won the Herculean Tournament, it was a game within a game, all until there was no one else left.
Magnus' grip on the steering wheel tightened as he remembered Makoto's games.
"Not pretty. You can ask about it when you see him. I'm pretty sure he knows about us now."
Maki, who was silent when Magnus had dropped the bomb suddenly spoke up.
"If Ate Maia's scream was the conduit for you guys to remember then he should be remembering all of us now"
Magnus nodded and drove further into the flower field that Maia had mentioned. Until Maddox grabbed Magnus by the arm making the older lad stop driving.
"Wait Kuya"
They all turned towards Maddox but the male just looked outside the tinted window in front of him. Right past the cornfield, on the top of a cliffside, he could make out a male figure. Slender and tall, his long black hair tied behind his head and a stern expression planted in his face. He stared at their direction before he turned his back to walk away from the cliffside.
"What did you see?"
Magnus asked but was met only by another question.
"That was Makoto wasn't it?"
Maia clarified to which Maddox only nodded at. Makoto's features didn't change, they just got older which was why Maia can pinpoint who he was.
"Kuya right past that cornfield, above the cliffside. He's there"
As soon as the words left Maddox's mouth, Magnus drove fast to their younger brother. The road beside the cornfield was hard and rocky but no one said a word or minded the bumpy ride. They were eager to meet Makoto, especially Magnus, Maddox and Maddin who had been separated from their younger brother for far too long.
But Makoto wasn't that happy to see them.
Because as soon as they set foot at the only bungalow sitting on top of that hill, an arrow shot past Magnus' face. It nicked his cheekbones just enough for blood to trickle down from it.
With an arrow tugging along the strings of a silver bow, Makoto faced them. An expression of deep annoyance etched across his face as he let out the words.
"You never should have come"