As the scorching sun tried to burn every human's skin and call it a summer love, Killian welcomed it wholeheartedly and opened their mustard-like curtain in the living room.
He sure loves the satisfying heat and invisible flames from the brightest star in the universe. The Sol. However, it seems like he was loving it on his own.
Behind him was Rozen's sister who's currently crossing her arms. She was giving his back a death glare while Killian was just feeling the heat index that isn't suitable for humans.
"Tanghaling tapat, Kuya!" ngitngit ni Rayne dahilan para mapatalon sa gulat ang Trickster God.
Oo nga pala't nasa bahay siya ni Rozen. Oo nga pala't nasa katawan siya ni Rozen.
He immediately closed the thick curtains and faced his fuming sister. Killian couldn't just comprehend if that's still because of the dating rumor between him and Felip—who happens to be her ultimate celebrity crush, or because of something else. He still doesn't even get what's so desirable about Fuego's human form that an entire army of people bashed and stalked him for being connected to him.
The Trickster God thinks he's way hotter than him, anyway.
Killian shrugged off his shoulder and was about to go in for a walk outside when he remembered something. He faced Rozen's sister once again and pointed at her innocent face.
"Don't go dating people who's way older than you. One reason why they picked you was because they can't impress and fool women their age. Be careful." He casted as if threatening but that just made Rayne to dart him a confused look.
"And where is that coming from, Kuya? I can't even pull the PC of my favorite actor in his own damn show! What makes you think hot older guys would want to do something with me?" Killian scoffed and messed with Rayne's hair.
"Stop calling older men hot. They're just older, nothing special. And even if Felip shows up to this doorstep, you don't give him any chance to talk and sway you. He's not a one woman man."
Napasinghal nalang talaga si Rayne ng iwan siya ng Trickster God ng ganoong mga salita. Killian was about to start his mission on absorbing humanity's negative emotion but it seems like his spirit left Rozen's body when a woman spawned when he opened their front door!
"Oh dear, humans!" He screeched. But immediately get back to his composure upon seeing who it was.
No he didn't recognize her. But she looks like an older version of Rayne. He also has Rozen's eyes. The difference is just, the woman standing in front of him has more sorrow and bitterness in her eyes. A very short dress for her age, messy hair and makeup and probably a messy heart based on the empty bottle on her right hand.
"Mama! Lasing ka nanaman!" bulyaw ni Rayne at agad na nilapitan ang ina. Killian on the other hand got stuck in the same place he was standing, unable to move. That was the first time he saw Rozen's mother. When he spawned days ago, what was left in this house was his little sister. Not even a family photo to let him have a background of what life he's trying to live for a meantime. Just broken windows, broken picture frames and a broken family.
"Kuya ano pang tinatayo tayo mo jan? Kumuha ka ng yelo doon!"
At nautusan pa nga ang isang Trickster God. Killian sighed and just got what he was tasked to do. After that, he can't help but to just observe how the only life that was left in this house was Rayne. The one who worries and the one who expresses her feelings for everyone she loves.
Rozen's mother was just lying on the sofa, letting her daughter do the things that she was supposed to do as a mother. Taking care of one another. Being a light to this godforsaken hell that was forced to be called home.
The black shadows has started to appear themselves in Killian's eyes. This was the incarnation of every negative energy that Rozen's mother possessed. Most humans have these negative shadows with them and the more vivid and human-like they become, the more evil the human has become.
And that's the kind of negative energy that Killian was trying to collect to become stronger.
But in Rozen's mother's case it still doesn't have a form. Just a dark shadow that lingers every place she'll ever be.
"Ma naman! Diba sabi ko naman sa'yo tama na kakainom at kakapunta sa bar na 'yon? Kahit naman ilang lalake pa ang maka date mo, wala pa rin naman silang kwenta." Rayne blurted out. "Hindi naman sila magiging tatay sa'min ni Kuya at magiging asawa sa 'yo." napayuko siya at napabuntong hininga nalang.
Killian on the other hand just stood still and watched how the dark shadow occupied the entire living room. Filling the entire place with gloom and misery. Shadows like this are physically harmless. They can't touch nor harm people themselves, but they can harm themselves by getting addicted to something just to ease the extreme sadness, heaviness or emptiness they are feeling.
He even thinks that unlike evil spirits and ghosts these dark shadows that carry negative emotions can't be banished. Not by Heather, not by the priest and not by a God like him.
The only thing that can banish the shadow was the willingness of the person to change. And it seems like that's not still the case with Rozen's mother. So instead of setting off to his mission, he decided to stay and bond with them—that means roasting Rozen's mother and shaking up her dark shadows even a little bit.
For he now knows the reason why Rozen has a godlike resistance to emotions. Because he has to. And even if dark shadows possess human's negativity, it has certain levels to it and Rozen's mother's darkness doesn't make her evil. She's just broken, but not evil enough to possess the negativity that will make the Trickster God stronger.
Meaning, he didn't get anything from staying and accompanying them in that house. But he still did because he believes that's what Rozen would want him to do. As he finally had the time to find some real evil humans in this small town, he can't help but think of how Leviathan told him to distance himself with Fuego for the meantime in order to die down the dating rumor they had, that even reached the heavens.
Of course, Fuego protested because he believed that his job was to protect his Lord Killian who's currently in a weakling body. But both Killian and the Water God know that being close to each other will just serve as a spotlight to catch the heaven and other deities' attention. Fuego even insisted on outing that he's dating Rozen's sister instead just to have a reason to get close but Killian immediately swatted that out of his choices.
He will never let that happen. That's why he's walking towards this dark alley with a flickering lamp post on his own. He only got Rozen's mother's slippers as a weapon as he went to the place that's been calling him. The place that reeks off real evil.
With a lot of campaign posters on the wall and rats trying their best to make a living, he waddled into the lightless street until he reached the ragged house in the corner. With an eerily silent neighborhood, the only thing that could be heard was his beating heart. He was about to tiptoe and took a glimpse of what's behind those gates, but imagine his surprise when the front door quickly just opened.
Well, it didn't just open, it literally slammed open and vomited Heather out of the door! She ended up falling on the dead bermuda grasses.
"Heather? What the hell are you even doing in places like this?" Killian immediately crossed the gates by climbing it with all the strength in his being. It wasn't a smooth landing but he was so agitated to even care. He leveled himself on a literally downbad Heather and caressed her face. There he saw some blood on her lips.
But Heather shrugged off his hand and got away from his grip. "I didn't know it was stronger." She casually stood up and faced the open front door. As if expecting something so sinister to come out from it any moment from now.
Killian immediately stood up and positioned his slipper weapon, trying to not look as cowardly next to Heather. To his defense, the reason why he was shaking right now was because he's on a dead man's body. Kapag tumilapon siya ng katulad ng pagkatilapon ni Heather kanina, baka hindi na siya makabalik sa katawan ni Rozen. Babalik siya sa underworld pagnagkataon.
"And why are you here, Rozen?" Heather asked, making him frown. Right, Leviathan manipulated her mind into thinking it was a miracle and he's really Rozen. He's back to being just Rozen.
"I-I was here to help! I'm like your superman."
"Bruh, you look like you need protection more."
She was so casual. She's trying to sound unaffected by Rozen's face and Rozen's presence and he can't blame her because they're literally in a seemingly dangerous situation.
But why does that feel so bad? Her being unaffected and being so casual? This is what he wanted right? To be remembered as Rozen so he wouldn't be traced by other deities. But at that time, why does it feel so gut wrenching being nothing but a shadow of someone he's not?