บท 35: Commitments and treachery

AVA

"Ava, this is Xavier. From now on, you shall call him big brother. I'm assigning you to be his guide and teacher. He is much like you in many ways though he would be much stronger in some aspects. Teach him what I taught you, Ava. It is imperative that he learns how to act human and to have the capacity to co-exist with them. Will you be able to do that?"

Marcus Zephanie's last words echoed through my head. I was swimming in the images of the young boy named Xavier and my initial meeting with him.

The replay was in slow-motion. I felt like I was drowning, and there was no more air to breathe.

It was when I suddenly gasped awake.

My vision was spinning, and everything felt unstable like the world was dancing. It almost seemed like I was still stuck inside the memory-dream.

"Ava." I faintly heard Rafael calling out to me amidst my frantic breaths. Yet, the seeming proximity of his voice told me how close he was. It took me a while to realize that he was actually holding me.