"KAPAG NAKITA KITA, sasaksakin kita! Papuputukin kita!" (If we see you, we'll kill you!)
Upon seeing those words on her Messenger account, Duane "Kelra" Pillas' sister, Alyanna Pillas, felt threatened. It was so bad that she decided to no longer proceed to the MPL venue to watch her younger brother in action.
"Na-hurt talaga ako noon kaya nag-lay low na muna ako. Nawala yung confidence ko kasi ginaganun ako," (It was really traumatic so I had to lay low. I slowly began to lose my confidence.) said Alyanna Pillas in an exclusive with SPIN.ph
A constant array of death threats bombarded her right after that controversial match between Blacklist International vs. Omega Esports back in Season 10, where fans became heated on the rivalry between Kiel "Oheb" Soriano and Kelra.
Mara Aquino asked Oheb: "So, do you think Oheb, na-settle na natin ang ating debate?" (So Oheb, is the debate settled?) To which Oheb replied: "Hindi pa! Hindi pa! Kapag nag-champion na!" (Not yet, we have to win the championship!)
Suddenly, Kelra's sister, who was inside the venue screamed: "1-v-1!" which added more fuel to the fire.
To begin with, the tensions were already high as both Kelra and Oheb have been involved in a string of controversies which began during their early years, and peaked in Season 8 due to Kelra's alleged homophobic remarks and Oheb's post game misconduct.
Fast forward to today and both have achieved monumental feats with Kelra recently crowned as an MPL and M-Series world champ, and he wouldn't be able to showcase his greatness if it wasn't for his first supporter...his sister Alyanna.
Alyanna sacrificed a lot for Kelra
Kelra never had the luxury of playing Mobile Legends at the start of his career as he struggled to gain a foothold of a device. Back in his youth, he had to borrow a mobile phone.
"Kasi dati noong bata pa siya, hindi namin siya binibigyan ng phone. So meron siyang cellphone, pero hindi siya good for gaming," (When he was young, we never gave him a gaming phone. He had a cellphone but it wasn't geared for gaming.) revealed Alyanna.
Seeing his passion for the game, Alyanna worked tirelessly to ensure that Kelra will finally have a reliable mobile gaming phone.
"Noong time na iyon syempre hirap, hindi lahat kayang bilhin. Talagang pinursige kong mag-produce ng cellphone, kahit nanghiram ako nang pambili sa cellphone niya na gagamitin niya sa pang-ML." (It was really difficult during that period because we couldn't afford to buy almost anything. I really had to push myself for Kelra to have a mobile phone that he can use to play Mobile Legends. I was forced to loan cash.)
Finally her hard work propelled Kelra to get his hands on a mobile gaming device, and the grind begins. What happens next, was the path to greatness.
Kelra trashtalks Alyanna's colleagues
Ironically the first witnesses to Kelra's greatness were none other than Alyanna's officemates, who decided to play with the Gold Standard during their break session.
After playing with him, they immediately approached Alyanna to share their thoughts on Kelra.
"Nagulat ako one time. Nasa office kami, break time ng mga katrabaho ko kasi QA ako. Yung mga agent ko pinuntahan ako sa QA room tapos sinabihan ako, 'Hoy yung kapatid mo dinudurog kami." (During our break session in the office, my colleagues stormed the QA room to tell me, 'Your younger brother destroyed us.')
At first Alyanna didn't understand what they meant especially since she viewed Mobile Legends as a pasttime, but the noise surrounding Kelra slowly overwhelmed her.
"Dinudurog kami sa rank game, hindi ba kapatid mo ito? Dinudurog kami sa ML, ang lakas ng kapatid mo. Tina-trashtalk pa kami." (He schooled us in a ranked game, it's insane. He even had the audacity to talk trash to us.) said Alyanna's workmates.
Kelra's sister was stunned and one may expect her officemates to discipline the young prodigy for his behavior.
Instead they pushed Alyanna to support her younger brother.
"Doon pa lang noong kinausap ako ng ka-work ko, sabi nila suportahan ko siya kasi nakitaan nila ng potential si Kelra." (My colleagues convinced me to support him because they saw a lot of potential in him.) revealed Alyanna.
Joining Execration
Eventually Kelra's talent evolved to the point that he even got the attention of professional MPL clubs, most notably Execration.
For Kelra, this was his chance to finally make his breakthrough and fulfill his dreams of becoming a professional player.
But there was something that initially pulled him down as Alyanna dug deep with the conversation she had with Kelra.
"Noong time na kinukuha siya ni Billy (Z4pnu) from Execration, parang tumatawag siya (Kelra) sa akin habang nasa office ako, naka-break time ako noon. Lumabas ako kasi bawal ang phone sa office. Sabi niya sa akin, 'Ate pupunta akong Cavite, doon na muna ako." (Back when Z4pnu from Execration approached him, Kelra called me in the office while I was on break. I had to go out because phones weren't allowed in the office. He told me, 'Sis, I'll be moving to Cavite.)
Upon hearing this, Alyanna broke down in tears and she was hesistant to see Kelra leave her.
"Syempre noong una ayoko kasi ang layo ng bootcamp ng Exe. Umiiyak pa ako kasi hindi ako sanay na totally hindi ko siya nakikita. Hindi kasi kami nagkakasama sa iisang bahay kasi broken family kami. Ako nasa lola ko, siya nasa tatay namin, so pinupuntahan ko siya. Madali para sa akin kung nasa iisang lugar kami. Unlike pag nasa Cavite siya, ang layo niya."
(At first I was in tears because I didn't like him to proceed to Execration's bootcamp since I'm not used to seeing him disappear. We don't live in the same house since we come from a broken family. I lived with my grandmother, he lived with our dad, so oftentimes I would visit him. It would be easier if we lived in one area, and things will be harder once he goes to Cavite which is extremely far from home.)
Alyanna added: "So ang worry ko, paano siya kakain? May nagiitinde ba sa kanya doon? Tapos lagi kong iniisip na bata pa yung kapatid ko, paano na yan? Lagi yan yung nasa isip ko kaya umiyak ako." (I had a lot of doubts in my mind like I asked myself, 'How will he eat? Will there be someone to take care of him?' He is just a kid. That's why I was in tears.)
But there was nothing Alyanna could do as this was something that Kelra deeply desired.
"Tinanong ko, 'Sigurado ka ba diyan?' Sabi niya, 'Siguradong-sigurado ako kasi pangarap ko ito." (I asked him, 'Are you really sure about that?' He said, 'I am deadset on doing this because this is what I'm really passionate about.)
The controversy
But after his success in MSC, Kelra was caught in a major controversy that could've ended his career. In a livestream session, the Gold Standard was caught citing phrases that should never be said.
In the heat of the storm, it was his sister that guided her.
"Ako yung unang tinawagan if I'm not mistaken doon sa nangyari. Nagalit ako sa kanya at ang sabi ko, 'Bakit naman kasi nagsasalita ng ganoon?" (I believe I was the first one he contacted. I was really upset and I told him, 'Why did you say such things?') she reflected.
Kelra replied: "Eh hindi ko alam na naka-live kami at nagbibiruan lang kami." (I didn't know that we were live and we were just having fun.)
Alyanna had enough and said, "Kahit na, hindi ka dapat nagsasalita ng ganyan." (It doesn't matter, you shouldn't have spoken those words.)
There was nothing Kelra or Alyanna could do to reverse the past, and the best course of action was to find solutions.
"Ano ba solusyon doon? Sinabihan ko siya, 'Kausapin mo yung taong involved, apologize to them tapos tinulungan ko pa siyang gumawa ng statement of apology." (What's the solution? I told Kelra to contact the individuals involved and apologize to them. I even helped him formulate a statement of apology.)
"Basta nagawa mo na yung part mo, natuto ka from this mistake, huwag mo na lang uulitin." (As long as you did your part and learned from this mistake. Just make sure to not repeat the same transgressions.)
Yet despite their efforts, Kelra's actions have already created a lasting effect.
"Sobrang sakit lang kasi dahil sa nangyaring iyon, nare-reflect doon yung pagkatao ng kapatid ko e." (It was really gut wrenching because that incident really reflected Kelra's character in the public eye.)
Redemption
It seemed the whole world was against him as Kelra strived to become a champion, yet all of his attempts after MSC 2021 were futile. Despite showcasing a huge degree of mechanical prowess, Kelra has always been at the shortend of success.
But everything changed in Season 14 when the pieces started to converge. Together with a band of players who never tasted the glory of winning a championship, Fnatic ONIC rallied to bring pride to the Philippines.
At the center of them all is the finals MVP, Kelra.
For Alyanna, both championship runs made her emotional, but it was his first MPL trophy that really struck her the most.
"Kaya noong nanalo sila noong MPL, it hit me. Mas nagtatatak ito kasi sobrang tagal, ang daming season yung napagdaanan, lagi siyang kinukulang." (When they won MPL S14, it really struck me because looking back, Kelra had a plethora of failed seasons.)
She elaborated: "Tapos noong nanalo sila noong Grand Finals, para akong nabunutan ng tinik. Parang feeling ko magko-collapse ako. Yung emosyon ko sobrang taas." (When they won the championship, I felt like I was on the verge of collapsing. My emotions were at an extreme.)
Keep your feet on the ground Kelra
Alyanna barely had sleep during the MPL playoff season as she immediately went straight to the venue after serving the night shift schedule. She supported Kelra from the start all the way to the end.
"Ang pasok ko Monday to Friday tapos Friday ng gabi, Saturday ng umaga, mag-o-overlap. Parang natutulog ako for two hours para lang manood kasi kailangan ko pang umuwi after work." (My work schedule is from Monday to Friday, then after my graveyard shift on Friday, it would overlap on a Saturday morning. I only slept for around two hours because I had to go home after each shift.) she looked back.
But ultimately her sacrifices paid off and when Kelra finally ended his MPL curse and lifted the trophy, the weary eyes caused by her work schedule evolved into triumph.
After winning it all, Alyanna gave Kelra the most profound insights that would mold his character.
"Lagi kong sinasabi sa kanya na magpasalamat ka kay Lord unang-una syempre, sa mga taong sumusuporta sa iyo. Huwag na huwag kang magbabago, kung sino yung mga taong sumuporta sa iyo from the start until now, iyan yung mga taong pinapahalaga talaga." (Always express your gratitude to the Lord, and to the people who supported you, for the people who have been there from the start until now are those who you should cherish the most.)
"Kaya lagi kong pinapaaalala sa kanya to keep your feet on the ground kasi what comes around goes around. Talagang totoo yun. Kung ano ginagawa mo, eventually yun yung babalik sa iyo." (I would always remind him to keep your feet on the ground because what comes around goes around. What you do now will eventually come back to you.) reflected Alyanna to Kelra.
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