『CELINE』

Peace rested within my façade as if the calmness embraced us with its unyielding presence before rampaging the storm that would eradicate us all. And as my eyes watched their genuine smiles and laughter, pairs of eyes suspiciously followed my trail, making me feel cumbersome.

Lockser is skeptical of my actions. He’s cautious.

But my mind doesn’t even care about him. All I was thinking about was the mystery of Dylan and the others. How are they able to escape Medusa’s blessing? Even after defeating her, the chances of her victims going back to their original forms are zero, especially that aside from them, her other victims didn’t come back to life.

“Celine.” Naguguluhan kong nilingon si Serena na tumawag sa ‘kin. “Let’s talk.”

Saglit akong sumilip sa iba, halos lahat sila ay lunod sa kani-kanilang mga usapan. Samantalang si Skyler ay bigla na lamang nawala sa silid.

Makahulugan akong tiningnan ni Serena hanggang sa makarating kami sa balkonahe. Sa pagsakop sa amin ng katahimikan, ang seryoso niyang mga mata ay pinaulanan ako ng mga katanungan, na miski isa ay wala siyang sinambit.

“What… what are you planning to do this time, Celine?”

“You already know what I wanted, Serena.”

Serena frustratingly glanced at our comrades before locking her cerulean eyes to me once again. “It’s still manifesting inside her, right?”

This time, ako naman ang umiwas sa mga mata n’ya. Tumungo ako’t ang mga luha na hindi ko inaasahan na papatak ay nag-unahan palabas sa aking mga mata. It still hurts. I’m still hurting… that no one was there for me, that I was all by myself, protecting the most precious being for me.

“I told you, didn’t I? You’re not a perfect fit for a villain, Celine, because among the four of us… you have the kindest heart,” she mumbled, reaching as she locked me within her arms. “Stop playing as a villain… start playing the role you’re supposed to have.”

Pinikit ko ang mga mata ko’t sinubsob ko ang sarili ko sa kanyang balikat habang siya’y mahigpit ang yakap na ginagawa sa ‘kin. Dahil para sa ‘kin, para sa kanya, kahit ilang taon ang lumipas… kaming apat pa rin ang mananatiling magkakaibigan.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Serena.” Tons of unsaid began to pile up inside of my head. “That…”

“You must not utter it, Celine,” she warned.

Umayos ako’t pinunasan ang mga luha sa aking pisnge. Ang nangyari noon ay isang malaking sikreto, na nanatili lamang sa aming dalawa at mga d’yos at d’yosa.

An oath that we are bound not to utter.

Tumikhim siya’t muling nilingon ang mga kasama namin. “Babalik ako sa Underworld.” At katulad nang inaasahan ko, ang katawan niya ay umaaktong hindi na sa kanya katulad na lamang ng nangyari noon. “Who talked to you? I doubt that Sapphire really knew that Lyn is in that continent. It is out of her perimeters.”

“Will you believe me?”

“I always trust you. And you freaking know it.”

I heaved a sigh. “It is one of the Kins.”

Her eyes slowly reflected her horror, comprehending the words I’ve uttered until realization struck her out like lightning with its blinding wrath.

“It’s him, right?” She confirmed.

“Yes.”

Bumuntong-hininga siya’t sumimangot sa akin. “Just like our promise to the gods and to ourselves… no one should know our chosen path, the mistake that tangled the lives of our beloved.”

Tipid ko siyang ngitian nang mapadausdos ang mga mata ko sa ibaba, kung saan naagaw ng isang lalaki ang aking atensyon. Isang lalaki na halos kahawig ni Riley, maging ang mga mata nito’y kuhang-kuha niya. Nakangiti siya sa ‘kin habang kumakaway at tila may sinasabi na hindi ko marinig-rinig hanggang sa unti-unti siyang naglaho sa hangin.

“Celine!” Tila nabalik ako sa reyalidad dahil sa biglaang pagsigaw ni Serena, nang lingunin ko siya’y nakabusangot lamang siya sa akin habang nakakrus ang mga braso. “Stop uttering Riley’s name when you are clearly looking at my brother. This stupid Titaness.”

At nang tumingin ako sa ibaba ng balkonahe, naroon si Skyler habang kunot ang noo na nakatingin sa akin. Ngumiwi lamang ako sa kanya nang mapagdesisyonan namin ni Serena na bumalik sa puwesto namin kanina, maya-maya pa’t bumalik na rin si Skyler na may lungkot sa mga mata niya.

“So… what are you planning to do now, Primus?” Tita Savannah asked, meaningfully glancing at me.

Her mere amethyst eyes screamed the temptation of her unsaid words, asking me for a solid explanation beyond my actions. In her eyes, in the eyes of the Olympians—I am Gaea’s successor, the demigod who’s bound to be a puppeteer of her beloved mother. I am their nemesis, the meaning of their demise, but not to my only accomplice—Serena Brinleigh Undersea.

For she knew my plan—the plan to make myself the bad guy, in order for me to play the role of the villain for the sake of the cursed child. She entered Demigods Academy for my sake, to be my eyes so I can perfect my stolen role. During the time when Lyn went on an undercover mission in the Shier University, Serena and I were secretly exchanging pieces of information, yet Sue thought Aizelle was the traitor.

And all of them… all of them were trapped in our schemes. They became our pieces.

“I’m going back to the Underworld,” sambit ni Serena.

Malungkot na ngumiti si Skyler sa kanya’t hinalikan ang noo ng kapatid niya. “Take good care of yourself, okay?”

Now that I’m thinking about it… Night is actually petty. Nauto siya ng nanay ko dahil nagseselos siya sa dalawang ‘to. Kumusta na kaya siya ngayon?

.
“Sama ako…” dinig kong bulong ni Aizen kay Serena. At dahil sa pagiging tanga ni Night, hindi na niya p’wedeng balikan ang babaeng gusto niya dahil kay Aizen.

Nakangisi kong tiningnan si Aizen at tumikhim. “Banned ka na raw do’n. ‘Di ka ba na-inform?”

“At bakit?” Pataray niyang tanong sa ‘kin. Bumulong naman ako sa hangin ng ‘Ang pangit mo kasi,’ dahilan upang pukulan niya ako nang masamang tingin. At kung hindi lang kami pinapanood ng iba ngayon ay humagalpak na ako ng tawa rito dahil sa reaksyon niya. “Tsk. Kaya ka naman iniwan nang panghabuhay noong isang bulkan kasi ang sama ng ugali mo e.”

“Foul…” bulong ni Sue.

I squinted my eyes at him. “What?”

“He’s just messing with you,” Aizelle said. She pulled Aizen’s ear to shut him while throwing death glares at him. “He’s talking about Riley.”

My eyes darkened, forming the ground into a fist in front of Aizen. “I don’t like that guy.”

It was staged. I have never been in love with that stupid homo who’s addicted to Gnomeo and Juliet. It was just an act for me to have a reason in order to hate my cousin because Riley actually fell for her.

“Ba’t ka galit?” Pa-inosenteng tanong sa ‘kin ni Aizen dahilan upang sampalin na ni Aizelle ang kanyang bibig.

Tumikhim ako’t sumimangot sa kanya bago bumaling sa iba. “Hindi tayo maaaring magsama-sama na pumasok sa iisang lagusan ng Labyrinth,” sambit ko.

“Right… some of you might lose your way even if you have Xian with you,” Tita Alyssa confirmed.

The Labyrinth is a living maze. If we enter that place unattended, it will play with our minds and lure us away from our comrades that will destroy our main objective.

“Can I help you?” Tita Alyssa smiled, making us be captured by her mere presence. As her pale golden eyes gleamed, a confident smirk from Tita Alyssa and Tita Savannah made us all speechless. “Serena will be accompanied by Dylan, Ellen, and Nicole.”

“And?” Phoenix asked.

“Skyler, Sue, Phoenix, and Light will be guided by my son.”

Tita Savannah cleared her throat, glancing in my direction. “The last group is so damn lucky.”

“Omd! Don’t tell me that—”

“Yes, Aizelle, I’ll be escorting you to the hidden entrance of the Labyrinth inside of Demigods Academy,” Tita Alyssa stated. “Don’t worry… I’ll talk to Garet about your false mission, given that you didn’t go to your real Croceus Mission.”

“Paano niyo nalaman ang tungkol sa Croceus Mission namin?” Naguguluhan na tanong ni Phoenix.

Tita Savannah suddenly clicked her tongue. “Stop intimidating the kids, Alyssa. Alam nating dalawa kung gaano kadungis ang ugali mo—”

“Napakalaki mong epal, Savannah. Pagnasundo talaga nila si Aicelyn, sasabihin ko na ginayuma mo lamang si Alendis kaya siya nabuo—”

“Hoy! For your information, hindi ko siya ginayuma—”

“Ma, really?!” Xian exclaimed. “Just freaking answer Phoenix’s stupid question. How the hell did you know their Croceus Mission… para kasing mga bata.”

Natatawa na lamang akong napakagat sa aking labi nang bumulong pa siya sa hangin ng ‘Kami lang dapat ang magugulo. Itong mga gurang na ‘to, ang kakapal ng mukha…’

I am a hundred sure that Tita Savannah and Tita Alyssa heard it but decided to shake the thought. Once again, the eeriness began to overwhelm the vicinity, along with the peculiar appearance of golden dust, showering to us.

“My eyes do not only see what’s beyond the mist but also what’s beyond and within every being… and that blessing will also be wielded by you, Xian, as the successor the blessed eyes. You are now tangled to the sacred oath of the sanctity.”

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