Chapter 3

The clock is ticking, the TV is on, almost inaudible due to the weakness of its volume, the sound of Colthen's fingers knocking on the round table between the couches they are sitting on is the noise that relieves their moment of silence. 

They were all looking at Vynx and waiting for his speech. He just stared at their manager with an unpredictable reaction on his face.

When he noticed that he was not blinking, he was forced to open his mouth. "Because..." He glanced at his companions for a moment. "It's cursed in the end," he answered and his eyes stopped at Nivo who was also staring at him.

"Why is it cursed?" he asked while leaning on the back of the couch.

He hesitated to answer for reasons he knew. He was sure that if he said it, they would just laugh at him. He turned to look at their manager who was also right next to his twin. Mamo eyes widened at him as if ordering him to answer. He took a deep breath before speaking, almost forcing himself. "Because..." He moved his eyes to the floor. "There's a ghost," he answered nonchalantly—a childish answer, and took the cell phone from his pocket and played with it.

"Ha ha ha," Vyze laughed sarcastically. "I laughed too much," she mocked. When she glanced at him with an evil look, he glared back.

"You're twins, and you don't know anything?" Now, Vyze is what their manager is facing.

"You got ahead of me again Mamo," Zaliyah said, looking at this because they both had the same goal, it was just that the one asked first.

"Of course, that's the way it is," Mamo boasted.

"Never in my life because Lolo talked to me about that," Vyze answered with a frown and still twirled her hair with her fingers. Zaliyah and their manager looked at his twin. "Besides, isn't it? I just saw the book and I just now found out about its history. So..." Vyze sat up straight and jerked her shoulders. "I don't know anything," she answered and lowered her shoulder again.

"And you're, Vynx?" Yvaine said looking at him. "Have you read this book before?" she asked. He shook his head in response without looking at her and just continued playing a video game on his cellphone.

"I get it," Wynce suddenly spoke. "Their grandfather kept it a secret from them about Mt. Enigma and like us they just found out about it," he explained.

Vyze went back to leaning on the couch. The television was just opposite where they were sitting, so her eyes fell on it without any intention of their own. "Hope all, reached the exciting part," she said in a whisper that didn't match what was being discussed.

So when Wynce turned his gaze on the TV, he also saw the two lovers kissing on the show. Those who were with them also turned there, they didn't react like Vyze did. 

Wynce just took the remote control and turned it off then glanced at the girl. Wynce didn't speak but shook his head sparingly, that only meant that Vyze paid attention to something that didn't make sense.

"Guys!" Yvaine slightly raised her palm and then adjusted the book she was holding in her hand. "It's on the next page how it became Mt. Enigma!" she said loudly and there was still a trace of joy on her face.

"What did it say?" Zaliyah asked excitedly.

"This...wait!" She ran her finger over the book she was reading and Chaleigh was currently looking at it. "This, this. It says..." Vynx went silent for a moment, reading Yvaine's mind with only his eyes. 

"It said here," Yvaine looked at them and stared at him later. "Vynx is right," she said with a very serious reaction. 

Everyone remained stunned and waiting for the next thing to be she said. Their manager's eyebrows meet as if he is wonder about the hanging that Yvaine is doing.

"Hey, what?" Zaliyah's elbow her.

Yvaine looked at the one next to her. "It said..." She stopped speaking again and stared at Zaliyah. "There is a ghost."

Their manager went back to leaning on the couch feeling annoyed. Nivo just turned his eyes away and didn't say anything.

"Fix it, it's serious," Bax complained.

"Kidding!" Yvaine's voice mixed with approval and embarrassment. Her eyes rolled in the air but Chaleigh took the book.

"I will read it," she said energetically and took the book from Yvaine's hand. 

She tasted for a moment and then adjusted its opening. Yvaine just crossed her arms and leaned against the back of the couch.

"The war ended in the afternoon," Chaleigh began to read. "Another thing was discovered on the mountain of the Holy. This is the very cold spring that suddenly hissed because of digging by the citizens. A child with a fever drank from the same spring and after two hours he was cured."

Chaleigh continued reading and was currently reading about the existence of a small stream in the mountain itself. This is because of a spring that was discovered here that seems to be blessed because it can cure the sick.

Several other sick people tried to drink and bathe at that time and they all got better. The people decided to enlarge the source of the spring, they made it a channel to its base but they made it around the lower part to resemble a mountain ridge.

Such a creek was formed when the foreign country called America and the Philippines agreed to unite. For that reason, some of the American citizens were free to enter the Philippines. 

A group of them reached this mountain and when they saw everything inside, except for the treasures, they were very mystified. 

Especially when they discover the miracle brought by the spring that has been turned into a stream as the bill of the mountain. There they decided to call it Mt. Enigma means, 'the mysterious mountain.'

"It's done," Chaleigh mumbled as she turned the page she was reading and realized it was the last one. Everyone adjusted their seats at the same time and others stretched their bodies.

"So..." Wynce suddenly spoke. "There is no curse in Mt. Enigma because the book didn't say anything about it," he added and looked at Vynx.

"Yes," Chaleigh said loudly, sounding childish, and dropped the book on her lap. Vynx simply looked at her in a casual way. "They say it's cursed, but it's not. Why is scam?" Chaleigh sounds sullenly. "I'm just going to get dressed," she said and looked like a robot by taking two steps to the side to get out between the couch and the round table. Bax also raised his foot to give way.

Vynx kept glancing at Chaleigh's every move, from stepping out between the round table and the couch to walking to the bedroom. 

Because this girl is small but has beauty. Her short, chin-length hair is clean, her complexion is white and unblemished. Out of all the women he saw, Chaleigh was the only one that was beautiful to him. 

She is not artistic when it comes to clothes unlike his twin sister. And no one seemed to notice what he was doing because no one criticized him. 

But he received a strong beating on his thigh from their manager. He was surprised and that's why he looked at him. "Where's the cursed thingy there?" Mamo's strong question.

"I don't know, Mamo!" he replied annoyed. "My grandfather just said that before. Everyone who enters that mountain, never comes back alive," he answered.

"Similar to the story of Mt. Cristobal," Nivo interjected. "The story about that is the same but when we went there we still came back alive and well," he added.

"It's just urban legend stories," said their manager loudly. "There is no truth in that. Are you?" He taught them one by one. "Do you believe those?"

"I'm not," Nivo answered.

"What I see is what I believe. I have never seen a ghost," Zaliyah shook her head. "So I don't believe in ghosts."

"Me too," Yvaine replied. "I don't know what..." He saw her sniffing at him. "On Vynx," she said.

"I don't believe ghost too," Vyze suddenly interjected.

"Go with the flow," he replied and everyone just looked at him. "I'll just tell which of these two I am, do I believe in paranormal stuff or not if I've been to Mt. Enigma."

"Are we going to Mt. Enigma, Mamo?" Bax asked their manager.

"Why did we find out about the story if we're not going to go?" Mamo's philosophizing.

A smile curved their lips—excitement prevailed. "What I mean is when is the plan?" Bax asked.

"Tomorrow," Mamo answered quickly.

"Is it tomorrow?" Zaliyah exclaimed.

Mamo looked at her. "Yes, we're leaving tomorrow, going there—" He suddenly stopped speaking and looked at her. "Where is that place again, Vynx?"

It took him a long time to answer—due to his laziness. "In our province."

"Just in your province—"

"Far from where we live," he answered quickly but loudly and in a serious tone that caused Yvaine to stop. "It's a two-hour drive from town," he added. He knew that he would also scold him for not telling them that there was such a mountain in their area.

"Chill!" Yvaine spoke strongly in defense of the tone of her speech. "Just asking."

He did not speak anymore. Mamo sighed, "Well!" Breaking this momentary silence. "Let's not miss it," he said. "We need income, so tomorrow, we will leave," he announced.

Everyone's smile widened. Nivo pinched Zaliyah's cheek too excitedly. 

"Great!" Wynce said, "To be early tomorrow, let's go to sleep!" It looked down. "Hey, Colthen!" he tapped Colthen's shoulder who was already sound asleep. 

He was curled up on the couch between him and Wynce. "Get up there, go to the bedroom and sleep."

"Is he asleep?" Mamo commented and looked at Colthen.

"I thought he was just listening, but he already asleep," Yvaine muttered.

"You had to wake him up, Yvaine" Wynce stupidly ordered the woman. 

"Yuck! Wake him up, if you want," the woman replied irritably.

"Let's go guys! Our trip tomorrow is on the spot, we might be sleepy, unfair to the driver," Nivo said and stretched his body again.

"Right!" Bax agreed and looked up at the clock. "What time is it? Oh it's already late night !" He stood up quickly and ran to the room.

"Colthen, move to bed, it's cold in there. Don't make your life tragic with the mosquitoes!" Mamo said, "You go first, I'm suddenly hungry so I'll eat before going to bed." He stood up and rubbed his big belly before heading to the kitchen.

Everyone moved to enter their respective rooms. Vynx felt Vyze stand up but he didn't speak and just walked towards the room where Chaleigh had entered earlier. He also stood up to enter their men's room as well.