Mad Bloods

Chapter 1 - Return

Rome

Running as fast as I can, I sped up reaching the downtown side of the road. Sharp turn to the right and I'm almost there. Trees slowly decreasing in numbers, replaced by buildings and establishments.

Without looking back, 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.

After some pulling of cloths and placing limbs where they should be, I got dressed. 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. f**k it, I'm skip walking.

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

It feels weird to walk on tiles wearing expensive shoes, but I need to get used to it. This is 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.

I got past the guards with no struggle, 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, she didn't save my life for nothing. I can prove it.

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

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

"Trina," someone called before I could.

Turning her beautiful head towards the side, 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 put up a mask of emotions to show the world.

I decided to walk to her and cleared my throat.

"Rome! Oh my God,"

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 authentic dress.

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

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

"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.

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

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

This, I'm guessing, is 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"

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 concealed by the wall, which I'm hoping, is soundproof.

"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...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, she spoke.

"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'm starting to doubt the success of this so-called "school".

"You seem...prepared." I smiled and she just waves it off, trying to pretend to be the organized person she is.

"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.

"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 safer, how ironic.

I don't even know 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. 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, when I was hired to be a new school's head registrar." she could talk straight, 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."

"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. 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 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 man 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." He nodded. That familiar mark on his arms 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 with the woman away. Knowing I don't need to repeat what he's said, she has heard that already. She's probably 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, hell, it may have been his fault the band's late in the first place. I nodded, needing no more explanation.

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, I wondered.

"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.

"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, I saw 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 watched 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 because of you." I referenced what their saying, mocking their oath as I myself, truly, have been saved by the powerful, Kriselda, only I wasn't exactly part of their group.

Only Trina found the humor in it.

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

"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, 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?" Trina asked me.

I nodded, still looking at Elle, knowing she can't see me.

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.

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?