CHAPTER 6

As the night sky with thousands of twinkling stars from afar and the golden moonlight illuminating the vast darkness below together with the artificial lights of the city, slowly turned blue and as the sun rises from the east as a start of another day and another life, I slowly open my eyes. The sunlight passing through the glass window of my room fangs my skin. I close my eyes again as hit me right to my pupils. A few moments later, I open it again, and a bright smile, as bright as the sun crept in my lips.

"Good morning, the universe," I mumble.

I push myself up and do my morning routine. After that, I went downstairs for breakfast. I found Zhairo sitting on one of the chairs with his omelet. He simply greets me a 'good morning' and went back on his food. I didn't bother to ask where are our parents since I already know.

They probably went to their work earlier than usual.

As I prepare my breakfast, the doorbell rang. My brows furrowed for neither of us are expecting visitor nor package delivery—especially early this morning.

With my brows still furrowed, I walk to the entrance door and went to our house's gate. As I walk, the only thing that I see from the person outside is the shoes—a pair of white sneakers. And the moment I opened the gate, I was surprised to see who it was.

The world stops revolving when his entrancing, exquisite ocean blue eyes laid on me.

"Hahaha!"

Dion and Zhairo's laugh echoed to the four corners of the living room. They were talking about their favorite movie a while ago, and eventually, their conversation turned into something funny.

Nurse Stell, Dion's bodyguard—Daniel, and I are just sitting on the sofa while listening to them.

Yep, he's with them now.

Our supposed to be today's trip was canceled for Dion decided to stay here and talk with Zhairo the whole day. These two got along easily, perhaps because Dion was an only child, and he yearns for a younger brother.

We watch them as they talk and laugh, a smile plastered on my lips as I see fine happiness in their eyes. They are having a good time and getting along very well.

"Cool! I want to have original collections too." Zhairo happily said.

Looks like their conversation topic is about Zhairo's favorite Dragon Ball and Bakugan, which turned out to be Dion's favorite too. Well, that's what I heard.

And as I listen more, I hear Dion saying that he has original items of Dragon Ball and Bakugan collectibles.

"In our house back in Los Angeles, there is a separate room for my collections. I personally hired a skilled and known interior designer in America to design the room. And the design is a mixture of a ring on Dragon Ball's Martial Arts Tournament, and when the cards of Bakugan brawlers are activated and their game field is open."

"Cool!" Zhairo exclaimed. His chocolate eyes are glowing in delight. "I want to see it. Do you have a picture of your collection room?"

Dion smiled. "No, I don't."

"What, why? Seriously man, don't you flex it on social media? On Facebook?"

He chuckled and shakes his head. "No, no. I don't do that flexing, may it be in person or social media. I don't even have a Facebook account."

Zhairo's jaw drops, which made me laugh.

"You're impossible."

Dion looks at me with his brows arched. Probably he doesn't understand why Zhairo told him he is impossible. I chuckled before saying,

"Zhairo is active in all official Facebook groups of Bakugan and Dragon Ball. And he always flexes his new merchandise, may it be original or Class A, even when he has a new manga volume."

He nods his head several times, a sign of he got what I have said. And then he asks Zhairo how many collectibles he has.

"Only seven. Four Dragon Ball and three Bakugan, all Class A. But I have a complete manga volume."

Again, Dion nods his head.

Their conversation continued. Indeed, they are getting along not just very, but very, very well. Especially that they are both fans of Dragon Ball and Bakugan.

Nurse Stell and I went to the kitchen to prepare a snack. As I spent some time with her, I learned that she wasn't just Dion's nurse, but also his nutritionist.

"It is not necessary for patients who have Brain Hemorrhage to have a nutritionist, but you know, Dion's father is a doctor. And he wants the best for his son, always the best. Besides, aside from the hospital and his wealth, Dion is the only thing he has right now." Nurse Stell explains.

"Don't they have relatives?"

She shakes her head as she put some cheese on the sandwich. "Dausel is a small family, Zhanaia. Their descendants were naturally from North America, but after the second world war, they decided to move to Asia—to Hongkong, Singapore, and Taiwan, to begin again. And when the 20th century was nearing half, one of the oldies of Dausels decided to go back to their homeland."

By that, I already knew that it was Dion's family who decided to come back to America.

She also said that Dausel's legacy will come to an end soon if the new generation won't be able to produce male offspring, to continue the family name to the next century.

Most of the oldies' children were women, it is rare for them to have a son, and if they ever have, it is an only child, or most of the time, the son will die at an early age without having children.

"Just like what was happening to Dion right now," she added. "If you will give some time to understand history more clearly, you will see that it looks like, the family has a curse when it comes to having sons."

I was a bit taken aback when she mentioned about the curse. Well, I don't believe in the curse, perhaps there is a scientific explanation for it. Or, I don't know.

"Wait, you know the family's history?" I ask, amused.

She gave me a meaningful smile. She finished preparing the juice first before dropping the bomb,

"I am a relative. I am a Dausel from my mother's side. My whole name is Estrella Dausel Sachea."

My lips formed an "O" after her revelation. So, that's the reason why she knows a lot about Dausel Family's History.

"It is our privilege to know the family's history since as I have said, Dausel is just a small family, and it looks like the legacy will end soon."

I was silent after that. Until we finished preparing the snack, I was still silent. I didn't know that one, the Dausel is just a small family. Oh well, Dion didn't mention that, and I don't need to know their family history.

We placed the plate full of sandwiches and the orange juice on the wooden center table. We found Daniel sitting with Dion and Zhairo while holding a toy, a green creature that looks like a mosquito or what. I took a better look at it and realized it is one of Zhairo's toys. A creature from Bakugan.

I looked at Dion and Zhairo too and found them holding creatures too. And as always, Zhairo is holding his favorite asset, a red dragon, he calls it 'Dragonoid'.

"Snack time!" Nurse Stell cheerfully shouted, gaining the three man's attention.

The three immediately stood up, which made nurse Stell and me to chuckle.

Daniel sat on the couch, Zhairo stayed sitting on the floor while Dion sits beside me. He has a wide smile on his lips. Then his ocean gaze turned to me.

His smile widens. I can't help but smile too, and something is tickling my heart which I found strange. Why do I feel like this?

Earlier when I saw him outside our gate, my heart suddenly thumps and beats fast. My heartbeat whenever I feel nervous, but I was sure I wasn't nervous earlier. It is something different from that.

Something different that I can't explain.

"Hey, Zhanaia,"

I went back on my senses when Dion waves his hand in front of my eyes.

"What is it?" I ask, still in a daze.

He sighs. "Zhairo is saying something to you, and you weren't listening. Something's bothering you?"

I secretly crossed my fingers when I heard the tone of his voice changed upon asking me if something is bothering me. I heard sincerity and concern, plus his moist ocean eyes. It affects me. Affect that is strange as well.

"No, I just remembered something," I answer. "So, Zhairo," I turned my attention to my brother. "What is it you were saying?"

As Dion did, he took a sigh before saying, "Dion told me he'll buy me some collectibles. So, I am asking if you will let me go with him to the mall?"

"Uhh..."

I look at Dion who pokes me, "Hmm?"

I was taken aback when held my hands and pleaded, "Let us, please?"

"A-ahm..."

I blink several times as I look at him with his almost pleading eyes. My mouth hanged open, I can't find the right words to say.

"Ahm... ahm..."

He smiled. "I know what you are thinking. Don't worry about the money I am going to spend, you know it's nothing to me. Besides, Zhairo is no new to me. He'll be my brother-in-law soon."

Then he winks and smiled cheekily, which made my mouth shut and silent. But inside me—in my heart, is a battlefield due to its fast beatings and rumblings.