Maia stared at the two blonde males standing in front of her. Magnus was smiling sheepishly at her while Maddox was examining her from head to toe. She didn't know if she should feel relief that Maddox doesn't find her appearance uncomfortable. Instead, he seemed to be so fascinated with her.
After examining her, he went straight to Maki, he stared at him head to toe too before pulling him into a hug.
"I see you are still as cute as when you were a baby"
Both were too stunned to even utter a word. Maddox's gaze then went to Damian, his gaze turned speculative.
"You can't be Makoto right? So who are you?"
Maia tried to stifle her laughter at the very least. She stared at Damian who was trying his best to hold his retort and just simply said.
"Maia's boyfriend, Damian"
Maia felt a blush crept to her cheeks when both Magnus and Maddox turned their heads toward her. Magnus cleared his throat just in time that Maddox turned to him.
"Is she old enough to even have a boyfriend now? She's only 18"
Maddox accusingly pointed a finger at Maia when Maki added.
"They're living together now though"
Maddox's expression turned sour, something that made Magnus laugh. He placed a hand on Maddox's shoulders.
"It's been more than 15 years since we last saw each other. Everyone grew up"
It was a simple sentence and yet the mood immediately turned to a depressing one. Everyone felt their moods drop down several times.
Maia stared at both Maddox and Magnus. They both look old, compared to the one in her memories, she knew they had been through several hardships.
Once again Maia felt like she needed to utter an apology towards Maddox. Eventhough she couldn't pinpoint why she had to utter it.
Maddox let out a breath of air before opening the back door of the townhouse.
"First let's get inside. It'll be a disaster if someone was to see you here"
The lot nodded and went after him inside the townhouse.
"Do you live here?"
Maki asked but Maddox only shook his head. He then went to the nearest window and pointed at the mansion at the opposite side of the street.
"That's where I live, this is just a townhouse I own."
Maia's eyes widened at his statement. She stared at Maddox who was now grinning while looking at their shock expressions.
"You're kidding right?"
Magnus asked back but Maddox only laughed.
"When we got separated, I couldn't remember anything but I knew that I had to survive so I used my luck."
The four of them listened as they sat at the sofa by the living room. Maddox put some firewood on the fireplace and lit it up.
"It was my luck that got me adopted by a Western couple"
"Adopted? You were adopted?"
Maddox nodded at Maki before sitting in the chair.
"I was and they brought me with them abroad, out of this country. After finishing high school abroad, I went back here where we settled here in Sakura City"
"That's when I started to spot you here"
Maddox nodded at Magnus.
"You lost your memory? Then how could you remember us now?"
Maddox smiled sadly at Maia.
"A few months ago. I heard you scream. It was the head-splitting kind of scream like you were screaming exactly right at my ear. After the memories started flooding in."
Maia stared hard at Maddox.
"How are you sure that it was me? I don't remember anything like that happening"
"I just sorta knew that it was you"
"I didn't"
Maia stared at Magnus who was now also looking at her.
"What?"
"A few months ago, I had the same experience. But, I didn't know that it was you. I thought I was only hallucinating, so I brushed it off"
"Maybe because you never lost your memories?"
Damian speculated and Magnus nodded back at him.
"Aside from the day we lost each other, I could remember everything clearly"
"But I don't remember having done that. Screaming I mean"
"It must have been that day"
Maki who was quiet finally joined in and everyone's attention was at him.
"Which day?"
"The moment you regained your memory Ate, the moment Machai went back to your subconscious"
Maia stared at Maki, then she remembered how she felt when all of her memories came flooding inside of her all at once. It was the same kind of head-splitting pain that Maddox was saying.
"Who's Machai?"
Maddox asked to which Magnus answered.
"Maia had a stillborn twin, her name is Machai. Mom and Dad hid her existence from us"
Maki couldn't tell what Maddox's expression was but something dangerous flashed through his eyes the moment Magnus uttered the word Mom. Then, his expression softened.
"I never knew"
"We all did"
"Then can you still talk to her? It must be one of your gifts?"
Maia stared at Maddox before glancing at Magnus. She had a feeling that she can't just casually say it unlike how she told Magnus everything.
So she only shook her head.
"It wasn't a gift. I could only heal myself and have enhanced senses"
"The healing is new"
This statement of Maddox caught everyone's attention.
"Yes, she didn't have that back then"
"Excuse me?"
Maia stared wide-eyed at her two older brothers. Magnus and Maddox exchanged looks before finally saying.
"Oh when we were at the Haven, you would always use your enhanced senses."
"Wait so you knew what kind of gifts we had?"
Maki hopefully asks but was met with an apologetic smile from Maddox.
"We did but, sorry bud, because you were a baby back then you haven't exhibited your gifts yet"
Maia looked at Maki who had his shoulders slumped down. She patted her brother in the head.
"It'll come, don't worry too much"
But they both knew that he couldn't do as such. He was starting to wonder whether he was adopted or exchanged for the real Maki. Having no gifts and all of that.
"Then what's yours?"
It was Damian who finally asked to break the silence.
"Luck"
Maddox proudly and shortly declared, to which Magnus snorted at.
"Luck?"
"Yes luck"
"That's it?"
"Why?"
"Then was it luck that you were able to see me through the tinted windows of Kuya's van?"
Magnus smiled when he heard Maia call him Kuya again. Maddox's eyes went wide when he stared at Maia.
"Oh I also have enhanced sight but Maia did you just call Kuya, Kuya?"
Magnus went one second late, he was attempting to stop Maddox from pointing out Maia's sudden call for him as Kuya but he was too late.
He expected Maia to retort, everyone in that room did but nothing came. Magnus stared at his little sister only to find her scratching her cheek while a light blush crept on it.
"He is Kuya after all, was it weird?"
"Maia"
Maia turned her gaze towards Maddox who was also now staring at her with a grin on his face. He pointed at himself before saying.
"What about me? Won't you call me Kuya too?"
Maki felt shivers run down his spine. Maddox's smile wasn't warm or full of affection. There was someone oddly menacing to it but he couldn't tell what.
"Kuya"
However, the moment Maia call him Kuya, his demeanor instantly changed. His expression softened as he stood up to hug Maia.
"Damn, I can't believe I get to hear being called that again. You too Maki, come here"
Before Maki could even protest Maddox grabbed him by his shoulders and hugged him along with Maia.
"You don't know how much I missed the both of you"
Magnus and Damian watched as both Maki and Maia patted Maddox by his back lightly.
"But Kuya we can't sit here idly. We need to find everyone."
"Is that why you searched for me?"
Both Maki and Maia gave him a nod.
"Maddin is in Lucky City, that's where I last saw her"
Maddox nodded before standing up and straightening his suit.
"Yeah, I know exactly where in Lucky City she is"
Magnus raised an eyebrow at Maddox as if asking him why and how he knew.
"After I gained my memory, I sorta felt her. It was a different connection with you guys. Maybe because we're twins but I could feel her and so I went to find her."
"Then it'll be easier to find her"
"It is but…"
Maddox's sudden stop in his sentence made everyone's attention turn to him.
"What is it?"
Magnus asked his brother to which he only scratched the back of his head.
"I think you'll have a hard time trying to convince her to go with you"