FIVE.
FACING TARTARUS' MONSTERS (PART ONE)

"SHE MADE A contract with me."Saku said confidently. Seryoso! Ano'ng sinasabi ng lalaking 'to? Pinalala niya lang ang sitwasyon!

Aki clenched his teeth at agad siyang lumapit sa kanila nang walang pag-aalinlangan at halos pigilan siya ni Nanako sa kanyang paglapit. She gripped his arms hard and was irritated by his current attitude. Sobrang naguguluhan na siya sa sitwasyong 'to.

"Aki..."Halos manghina na lang si Nanako and she bit her lip, avoiding herself from crying in front of him. "H'wag ka na mangialam."

He growled at her and ignored her, "I have my rights to do so."

He's not just Nanako's ex-boyfriend, but also Minami's classmate. He's also pursuing a BS in Biochemistry as a college course. Suddenly an eerie aura has surrounded them. Each of his footsteps became darker.

Only only she could stop this. The war. Never in her life did she expect to have a contract with her enemy, but she does. To fulfill her responsibilities as Mudned's future leader. She dislikes it when everyone around her sees her as nothing more than a person in need of protection.

She isn't a damsel in distress! Can anyone stop thinking she's weak?

"I've got one question for you. Did you have a contract with Hades' son?"He glared.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Minami said, glancing at Saku and forcing herself to remain silent. Given the darkness Saku and Aki both possessed, Aki's dark magic was much more dangerous.

That's something she needs to be cautious about. She's overloaded with negative thoughts, which are impairing her ability to make wise decisions. "I'm free to do as I please; keep out of it. You can't give me orders."

"Show me the contract—"

"I said, no!" Minami shouted at him. She glanced at Aki with despair in her eyes, and she couldn't help but think about how he had been babysitting her up until now. She's already in her twenties!

"Know your place, Teras. I am the daughter of Hebe. And your fate is in my hands!"Sinamaan lang siya ng tingin ni Minami at tsaka dinuro 'to.

Nang sabihin ni Minami ang mga bagay na 'to, wala man lang nagawa si Aki kundi yumuko na lamang. Tunay na 'di talaga nag-iingat ang babaeng 'to.

Naiintindihan naman ni Minami kung bakit siya nagkakaganyan. He's not even responding or talking back to her. And Minami is even more frustrated knowing how he just treats her like the rest of them. Of how people sees her because of the power she had.

She thought she'd understood why she had the powers of the Fates, but appears it wasn't.

Wala na siyang karapatan dito. Siya lang ang may karapatang gumawa ng sarili niyang desisyon.

'Di siya magdadalawang isip na labanan ang sinumang humahadlang sa kanya. Kahit si Aki pa man 'to, hindi siya magpapasindak sa kahit na sinuman!

Perhaps Aki believes he can simply order someone around like he was trained in Ethead before pero ibahin mo siya! He isn't acting like a trainee right now, but rather like a nosy parent. Minami has always disliked how he makes decisions for her.

"I'm sorry, I think overstep this time." Yumuko na lang si Aki. Oh, no. He doesn't just overstep; he obviously crosses her limits and disrespects her, which irritates her! He certainly responded as an idiot.

Despite Minami's cold glares, Aki approaches her and apologizes sincerely. He travels his hands through his hair, unable to look at her, and appears anxious than usual.

"Ayoko lang na mapahamak ka."Aki responded.

"Alam ko ginagawa ko. I never asked for your opinion."

This is why she resented her title. because her wretched father, the Archduke, suddenly threw her into the Imetheos, expecting that her standing as an Archduchess would provide her with security in the academy, because Aki--or, let's just say Alvis--was one of the strongest military she was aware of.

He figured she knew how to fight. How to use weapons, knives, and swords.

But he's no different than everybody else. Who's being played by their Fates. He can't say no to anything else, and he's moving like a scared cat because of the risk Mudned will face. However, she isn't like the others. At least that's what she believed.

☫✠_____♆_____✡♆

HALOS KINAGABIHAN NA noong umuwi sila ni Nanako. Minami looked so tired, she even rushed towards library to finished her experiments in the laboratory.  Iba talaga ang buhay sa kolehiyo.

Sinubukan ni Minami na umakyat, ngunit hinablot ni Nanako ang kanyang kaibigan dahil sa kanyang mga natuklasan.

She trembled and rubbed both of her fingers. Nanako's system was taken over by panic, and she gripped her ears, unable to stop herself from shouting Minami, "Ano bang meron sa inyo ni Aki!? Mang-aagaw ka!"

Nasa gilid na ang mga luha niya and she couldn't stop herself from crying. Her heart beat's getting faster at bumuhos na lang ang mga luha niya. She doesn't want to feel this way. Not like this. Nanako can't experience a panic attack like this. Not this time, please.

"Hindi sa—"

Nanako was breathing rapidly and couldn't function very well due to the negativity that had taken over her. It's awful.

"Kung gano'n sabihin mo na lang! Ano ba 'yon, ha? What the fuck did I just saw? Sobrang sweet niya naman sa'yo." 'Di makapaniwala si Nanako sa mga nakikita niya. 

Her eyes widened as soon as she saw Yoshino walking towards us. Mukhang kakatapos lang niyang mag-aral. Minami was frozen and she was unable to say anything. Dahil 'di niya alam kung paano sasabihin.

Yoshino combed her hair and sighed, "Wala akong kakampihan sa inyong dalawa."

Flashbacks appeared to Nanako. Ramdam niya lahat ng sakit na nararamdaman niya ngayon, nagtataka kung bakit siya nagseselos kay Minami. Alam niyang 'di siya dapat magselos dito, pero sobrang nasasaktan siya ngayon na wala man siyang magawa.

"Nanako, hear me out. Mali ka ng iniisip."

Minami exhaled deeply.'If I could only tell you the truth, Nanako, I'm from the past and don't belong in this world.' These are the thoughts that went through her mind. 

'Di niya magagawa ang mga paratang ng kaibigan. And it would be better for her if Teras like her stayed away from her world. The House of Mudned is in chaos as a result of the Archduke's evil plans. 

Nanako closed her eyes and yelled at her, "Enough of this!"Sigaw niya. "Please tell me the truth!" Ang dami niyang iniisip na 'di niya masabi kay Minami ang lahat. But she can see that she's in a lot of pain right now. Nanako has no more energy to listen to her. She only wanted the truth.

Nanako gripped her chest as memories flashed again. Her tears fall again as she recalls how Aki constantly told her directly on her face how different she is from Minami. 

Ever since then, ramdam na niya kung gaano siya kaliit sa tuwing kaharap niya si Minami. 'Di niya naiintindihan kung paano siya patuloy na ikinukumpara ng iba sa kanyang kaibigan at 'yon ang mas masakit. 

She stayed silent. She simply can't say anything about it.

Pumagitna naman si Yoshino para mapaghiwalay silang dalawa. It was highly unlikely that these two would fight over a man. 'Di na niya alam kung ano pa ang gagawin sa kanilang dalawa. 

They're both her friends pero 'di ibig sabihin na kinukunsinti niya ang mga pagkakamaling nagawa nila.

"Ano ba naman! Magkaibigan kayo! Bakit ba kayo nag-aaway sa isang lalaki!? Ano!? Sige, magsabunutan na kayong dalawa! Ayan, dito kayo sa harap!" Yoshino flared up, pulling the two of them in front of the sofa.

Kapag nagsalita talaga ang babaeng 'to, walang filter ang bibig niya.

Nanako simply couldn't understand anything anymore. She was fed up with people constantly comparing her and betraying her. Is she truly an open book, allowing others to easily read her and finally betray her? 

This happened again. And she can't just let this go. Especially given how disappointed she is with Minami. Why isn't she saying anything to her? 

Nanako bit her lip and she shouted at her, "Sabihin mo na ang totoo! Why does it feel like my own friend is betraying me? Alam mo ang lahat sa kanya yet I don't! I feel like a fool because of it."

There are lots of things Minami needs to be cautious about. She also feels that she needs to watch out for others around her sometimes. Ayaw niya magbigay na lang ng impormasyon sa iba particularly that it may eventually be used against you.

'Di mo alam na 'yong taong pinagsabihan mo, traydor pala. Magugulat ka na lang na kinalat na nila 'yong secret mo sa ibang tao and even worse, they might have revealed it on social media. It's that scary. 

May pangalan lang din siyang pinangangalagaan, kaya 'di niya masabi kay Nanako ang lahat. Pero balang araw malalaman niya ang lahat. 

"Hindi ko gusto na masaktan ka." Diretsong sinabi ni Minami.

"Then tell me! Bakit gano'n ang trato sayo ni Aki! Paki-explain naman oh, hindi 'yong mukhang tanga na ako rito."Nanako cried at pinunasan niya ang mga luha niya. 

Bumuntong hininga siya, "Nanako, ayusin mo muna sarili mo. H'wag na natin pag-usapan 'to ng ganyan ka."

"H'wag mo ibahin 'yung usapan! Mahal mo ba si Aki o hindi!?"

Minami shifted her gaze to her. 'Di siya makapaniwala sa mga paratang na sinasabi sa kanya ni Nanako. Hindi niya magagawa ang sinabi niya.

So she just tightened her grip and she feels so disrespected because of what she said to her. Marami ba siyang nainom? It looked like she was drunk. Huminga lang siya ng malalim, kumuha ng isang basong tubig sa mesa, at ibinuhos kay Nanako.

"For the record, wala akong inagaw sa'yo. Ikaw ang nag-iisip niyan. I will never fall in love with Aki. Dahil simula't sapul, si Saku lang ang tanging gusto ko."

Her eyes are overflowing with authority and determination, na parang sigurado na siya sa mga sinasabi niya. Minami was staring at Nanako's face straight and wouldn't take her eyes off of her. There she is, standing, staying calm as she always should.

One claims that after a particular door opens and the fates of two people are connected, both threads will flow independently in the direction of Atropos, and the Greek gods and scientists will be aware of the fate. You will be in danger if you try to change your destiny. 

"You're really an interesting one, Archduchess."

Next thing she knows, something has grabbed her. Minami was immediately lifted by the wind and sucked into the Abyss, where Tartarus is. She couldn't see anything because the place was so dark.

It's dark.

Minami swallowed; she didn't have enough time to check where she was. T–this is the abyss, this is where Tartarus used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans.