"More!" He yelled.
"*Pant* Ca- *Pant* Can't we take a *Pant* bre-"
"You don't have the luxury to rest right now!" He cut me off.
"Manager? I- *Pant* I've been run- *Pant* -ing for-"
"Your stamina's already tripled from the past days that you've been in here, I cannot possibly become lenient right now? Your power seemed to be awakening!"
Is he serious? Or is this his way of punishing me?
"I can't!" Weakened by my tenth lap around the island, I let myself fall on the hard boardwalk to catch my breath and rest my legs.
"This is your last day and you still haven't showed your Gift, how can we prove that-" He kneeled in front of me.
"Shu- Shut *Pant* the- *Pant* ef- *Pant* up!" I screamed with every breath I make.
*Inhale* I pressed on my chest to compose myself.
"I've been telling you, I- I'm not like that! Quack Doctors are nothing but a quack, Manager!" I glared at him.
He's been so cold at me these past few days, and I know it's because of what I did to him that night- it was just a hug though...
Did I do it too soon?
It's almost a week since we made that deal, and it seems like he's still holding on in his belief.
"Rich people sure does know how to waste their money!" I chuckled.
Instead of wasting their resources at finding alternative medicine, they should have been investing their time and money on real cure!
"How many times do I have to tell you that your kind is the only remedy to the Young Master's illness?" He stared at me with those cold eyes.
That used to be so warm for me, I regret having a crush on this bitch!
"Magic ain't real, wake up!" I scoffed at him an got up to run back inside the house.
I guess I better try to move on now, we don't match, and I don't want to lose my way, the promise I told myself that day!
"How's the training slash test?" Miss Irene greeted me as she prepares some documents.
"You sure did expect me to pass, do you?" I smiled at her as I watch her carefully places the same contract last week on the lounge's table.
"YOU DIDN'T?!" She screamed as if she already thought of a different outcome.
"He did not, you can finally call back Roderick, he's not cursed, this one's a failure- I must find a real one!" Manager walked in, looking at me with those disappointed cold eyes.
"But?" Miss Irene tried to reason yet he already left us.
"Damn it! We have grown too close though!" Sir Clarence, the chief of security sighed.
In my short time here, I have made friends with a lot of their bodyguards, even miss Irene the Manager's secretary has grown closer with me.
"It still doesn't explain how that footage got corrupted, and the thunderstorm last week? Plus all the things Manager told us about you? There's no way you didn't inherited your father's Gift, yours could be just a little dormant-" Miss Irene insisted as she puckers her lips to think.
"Don't think too much about it, I already told y'all, my father's the greatest con artist that ever lived! Ask the ex president Realte!" I sat on the couch to relieve myself from my tiredness and the burden.
"Uhm, guys? When are we gonna come out?" Oliver, one of the newer bodyguards.
"No need, I didn't pass!"
"WHAT? But you have been so promising!" He ran to sit beside me, shoulders down from the disappointment.
"That means we won't be seeing you tomorrow..." Chief added.
"It's alright, we can still celebrate tonight, a farewell party!" Miss Irene concluded, popping a party popper on my face.
"Woooh!" They all screamed with joy.
The others joined, who seemed to be hiding on the dining room.
"We shall have a drink then!" I yelled, fueling them up.
"You know, it's been a while since the gang had a gathering like this, I'm glad that you're the reason!" Miss Irene spoke after we ate.
"It sucks that you have to go!" Oliver yelled, who already drunk a pint of beer without us.
"There there light drinker, you're already done for the night!" Brian laughed as he carry Oliver into their quarters.
"Achan, are you really not a Babaylan in Training?" Miss Irene jumped into my shoulders, she seemed tipsy after drinking a few glass of wine.
"Nope!" I said before gulping a shot of vodka and gnawing an entire salt rock.
Eugh! I really hate this drink, but I can't refuse them, it's our last night after all!
"Not even a Witch- oh sorry, a Warlock?" Chief added.
"No!" I laugh my irritation away.
Can they stop interrogating me? They really are a fan of fantasy- who would have thought?
"It sucks to learn that the so called Greatest Babaylan in history was nothing but a sham!" Miss Irene sighed.
"I know, and I'm sorry for that." I nodded as I continue to drink another shot.
"But really-"
"Aw come on, let's drop it!" I growled, she's still not convinced?
"But really, look?" She grabbed her tablet that's been sitting on the table and opened something.
"Oh? She's bringing up the big guns!" Chief laughed as he sway his head and dropped on the couch unconscious.
We have been drinking for a while now, they seemed to not handle alcohol well...
"Look here- well, I'm not suppose to let you or anybody see my research, but who the fuck cares? It's mine after all!" She slapped her tablet on my face and fell on my lap.
"Fuck!" I held on my forehead that felt like it was about to bleed.
*Thud* I looked at her tablet that fell on the floor.
There's a collage of pictures that looked like me, in fact, a lot of them were secretly taken...
"What the?" I picked it up and zoomed into one picture.
It's me, back home, eating alone. It looks like it was taken from my window-
"What?" I said as I drink another shot.
Shit, my head's getting heavy.
"What is it?" Brian asked and leaned next to me.
He's still not drunk?
"Look at this, is this a pair of hands?" I tilted the tablet to him as I zoomed on the pair of hands that was on the sides of my plate.
Fuck, goosebumps across my spine, was that place hunte- now I am getting scared of ghosts. I don't believe on it, right?
"Oh that? I took that last month, you have a pretty strong familiar Achan!" He said before grabbing his glass of wine.
"You believe in thi- wait, you saw this, in person? Not just from this pic?!" I turned to him as he sips his wine.
"Uhuh, that's why we couldn't believe that you're not a Shaman... Although I can't question your choice, it's your life, you can choose your own path to take!" He smiled before putting his glass down.
"Why are you only saying this to me right now?!" I punch him in his shoulder then took another shot of vodka.
"Guys, we gotta head back!" The others started getting up to go sleep.
"Ouch, what can I do? I'm just a security personnel, I don't have any say in those things... Plus, we do respect your people's wish, if you want to live as a normal human, who are we to stop you? We cannot possibly repeat the same mistake this family did-" He stopped midway, dropping his jaw in shock of what he just spat out.
"Let me take tha-" He tried to grab the tablet but I just pushed him off the couch.
"What mistake?" I looked at the tablet, swiped a few pictures of me away until I saw a very earie image.
An outline of what it seemed like a body of a woman, covered with black smoke, with a tag that dated 30 years ago.
"Oh no, I think I'm drunk!" Brian mumbled.
"Tell me, please? Is this connected to Young Master's illness?" I moved miss Irene and placed down the tablet to get close to him.
"I- I better go back to our quarte-"
"Sir Brian? That Maiden's Remains, is it connected to the Young Master?" I grabbed his face and meet his gaze.
"You do Practice?!" His eyes widens.
"Fuck that, tell me the truth first!" I tried to shake him up but a hand suddenly grabbed me away from the lounge.
"Excuse me?!" I tried to peak whoever's pulling me but my vision's starting to fail me.
The alcohol's finally hitting me!
"How do you know about my curse?" I heard a voice yet my ears seemed to muffle everything I hear.
"I guezz? T'was- *Hick* my feathers gore tew feaguwe out vat- *Hick* coursh!" I answered, yet seemed like my voice also muffles, or I'm just stuttering?
"A curse was placed upon my father, and now its effects have fallen upon me. Tell me, how can we break it? How can you set us free?"
"Wow, earlier- *Hick* you just hate me, now- *Hick* you wanna *Hick* talk to me? How much of a playboy are you, Manager?" I smirked while I reach for his face.
No doubt, I know he's been watching us earlier, miss Irene even wanted him to join yet she just ignored us!
"Can you just focus!" He snatched my hands away from his face and tugged it behind him.
With my messed up sense of balance, my face plummet on his broad shoulders.
"How come- *Hick* you never told me that- *Hick* you have this hunk of a body... I thought you're more of a nerdy type-"
"Stop it!" He pushed my head away from him when I tried to dig myself on him.
"Ugh, fine! *Hick* Anyway, about that dumbo's curse... All I know is that that- *Hick* curse was made by a witch's cry for help against- *Hick* man she thought who loved her- *Hick* sucks to suck i- *Hick* love!"
"Tsk, go back to your room, we can talk about this tomorrow!"
"Naurrrrrrr!" I protested, biting his neck.
There's no way I could still be here tomorrow, I must tell him to go fuck himself today! This is the reason why I chose to drink tonight.
"The fuck?!" I heard him curse for the first time.
He pushed me away that made me lose my balance, luckily I was still holding on his shirt.
"Let go!" He tried to hit my arm but I just jumped into him.
"You're not gonna stay unharmed for tonight!" I locked myself around him as he tries to fling me off.
"You made my life a living hell! Made me- *Hick* fall on you then you break me just like that? *Hick* What a fucking bitch!" I curse at him as I try to bite his ear.
"Don't you fucking dare!" He scream as he push my face away.
He took a step forward which made us tumble into the floor, I just felt myself on the cold solid ground, with him pressing down on me, our faces inches away from each other.
"Wha- *Hick* you did to your hair?" I giggled as I played on it.
"You reek of alcohol!" He said, still not moving away from me.
"No shit sherlock!" I laughed as I wrap my hands around his neck.
"Can you get off of me?" He whispered.
"Pfft, shouldn't I- *Hick* be the one saying that? You're surely taking your time!" I played on his cheeks and smiled.
I never thought Manager's cheeks could be this soft?
"Are you falling?" I can see his lips curved, is he smiling?
"Oh *Hick*, you thought? I'm sorry sir but my heart's not available! I'm not falling for a Stockholm's- *Hick* Stockholm's Syndrome dude!" I laughed, hiding away my feelings.
There's no way I would let him know what I truly feel after all that's happened, I am leaving tomorrow, an I won't admit defeat!
"Let's take you to your bed, it's getting late." He stood up and carried my like I was nothing.
"Wha- What?!" I tried to struggle but he just tightened his grip.
"I still don't wanna sleep, I don't want tomorrow to arrive!" I screamed as he easily throw me into the bed.
"Nu uh, stay!" He blocked me when I was about to run back out.
"Ugh fine, i- *Hick* of you're that eager to get rid of me!" I screamed before jumping back to bed, slithering my way inside the blanket.
And before I could realize, my body already fell into deep slumber- did their maids change my sheets? It felt softer and much more comfortable than before!