『SKYLER』

“You’re disgusting, Anderson. If you have concerns about what happened to Bristol, bend your anger towards me, not to Sky or not to any of my friends!”

Sue’s face darkened as she slowly let go of Sabrina’s hair. And all I could see while looking at her was resentment and unsaid hatred to someone that she let go of by hurting Sabrina in her own way. To be honest, I feel bad right now, especially just by looking at Sabrina’s face.

It was a good thing that Xian foresaw what was beyond Sabrina’s scheme, making him tell his concerns to Light. And because Light is always one step ahead of someone, they arrived before Sabrina could even cast her spell on me. But I highly doubt that it will work, especially that Aphrodite’s daughter no longer captives my heart.

“If Aizelle was here… mas malala ang aabutin mo.” Pare-parehas kaming napatingin sa kanya, na ang kay Phoenix ay may kasamang ngiwi. Ibig sabihin niya ba may ilalala pa ang itsura ni Sabrina ngayon?

You will always be love, Phoenix. Rest in Peace. Bawi ka na lang next life, ‘yong hindi sana katulad ni Sue.

Dionysus cleared his throat. “Speaking of your friends… they will be here any minute from now, along with my errand boy.”

Sumimangot ako sa kanya dahilan upang palihim akong sikuhin ni Phoenix. Nang tingnan ko siya nang masama, tikom ang bibig n’yang pilit na hindi pakawalan ang mga tawa niya.

“Selos ka?” Bulong n’ya.

“No.” Teka nga. Kailan pa siya nagkaroon ng kasama rito? Ako lang naman ang tumagal sa kanya, bakit kailangan niya pang magkaroon ng errand boy? “Anyway, ayos na ba sina Aizelle at Sue?”

“Yeah,” sagot ni Phoenix. “Sina Light at Aizelle na lang ang hindi pa ayos. Maybe because this time… Light was really hurt to Aizelle’s rejection.”

“Alam mo ang rason, ‘di ba?”

“It is not just my story to tell, Sky.” He smiled. Not just my story? Bahagya siyang lumayo sa ‘kin, hindi pa rin natatanggal ang ngiti niya nang tumingin siya kay Dionysus, na ngayo’y nakatingin sa akin.

“Anong problema mo?” Asik ko.

Dionysus chuckled. “You and that demigod… your blessings are perfect for each other.”

“Who?”

“Batang gubat.”

“Is that even a fucking name?” Light asked while he was checking Sabrina’s vital who had fallen into a slumber because of Sue’s solid slap.

And because of Sue’s wrath, Sabrina looks like a mess right now; most of her hair was covering her entire face, making her identity seem mysterious. She was tied in a wooden chair with her arms behind her back.

Frightening. Sue was like a different person earlier; she seemed so peculiar.

“They are here,” Dionysus announced, looking at the door.

The front door was immediately opened by the vines, revealing the other half of our group. But my eyes fell in a fucking rollercoaster ride while looking at the man standing beside Celine, those familiar emerald eyes seem livelier than before, yet his enigmatic, gothic outfit remained still as his iconic identity.

He’s supposed to be dead. Then how come he’s alive?

Just what on Earth really happened three years ago?

“Tangina! May multo kayong kasama!” Sigaw ni Phoenix habang tinuturo ang lalaking ngayo’y nakangisi sa amin. Ginala niya pa ang mga mata niya hanggang sa tumigil iyon sa akin dahilan upang lalo siyang ngumisi. “Sky, nginingisian ka ng gagong multo!”

“Lockser.”

“Ventura.”

“You knew each other?” Dionysus asked, making us nod.

“Yes, after all… that man—never mind,” Riley said. He meaningfully looked at me and once again roamed his sight. “Where is she?”

A deafening silence suddenly conquered the entire room; not a single soul wished to utter an answer to his question. And as the silence became the only answer he received, little by little realization struck within his emerald eyes as his lips slowly curled.

“No… tell me that you are all joking…” Riley darkly mumbled. And because looking at me wouldn’t give him any words he wanted to hear, he drifted his attention to Celine. “I’m really intrigued that you are with them… but Celine, please tell me. Where is she?”

“Riley, she’s—”

Saglit siyang kumurap, lagpas ang tingin sa aming lahat hanggang sa hinawi niya ang iba sa amin ang tumungo sa likuran. “Is that Reina? Holy Styx! What happened to her?”

“She’s not Reina nor Ice,” Phoenix said, stopping Riley from getting near to Sabrina. “Riley, don’t—”

Tinampal ni Riley ang kamay ni Phoenix saka niya dahan-dahang inayos ang buhok ni Sabrina na nakaharang sa kanyang mukha dahilan upang mapaiwas si Phoenix ng tingin. Samantalang, marahan na nagbago ang ekspresyon ng mukha ni Riley tila ba’y may malalim siyang iniisip at biglaan na lamang siyang humarap sa amin.

“Sino ‘to? Nasaan ba s’ya… damn, I need to confirm something.”

“Confirm what—Is that Sab?!” Celine shouted. Lahat ng atensyon naming ay natuon sa kanya maging si Riley na ngayo’y may bahid ng inis ang mga mukha. Aligagang lumapit si Celine sa direksyon ni Sabrina, inaayos nang mabuti ang buhok nito hanggang sa makita niyang ang mapulang pisngi nito dahil sa sampal ni Sue. “For Gaea’s sake! What have you done to her?”

“Celine, calm down. Hayaan mo silang magpaliwanag,” sambit ni Aizelle.

Inis na tumingin sa amin si Celine bago muling bumaling kay Sabrina. “Sab… Sab, wake up.”

“C—Celine, is that you?” Sabrina asked.

“Yes. What happened?”

A tear slid down her face, making Celine’s face be more exasperated. “B—Bristol… he turned his back because of her, because of them… all I wanted was revenge—” and before she could even finish her entire sentence, she suddenly lost her consciousness.

“Oh, fuck! Not again!” Celine hissed. “I’m sorry. I know that it’s her fault. That woman is totally head over heels to Bristol just like Lyn to—never mind.” Ako lang ba o palihim siyang tumingin kay Aizen?

“Sa akin siya galit. At tatanggapin ko ang galit n’ya, ang ayoko lang ay pagdamay niya kay Sky sa gulo naming dalawa,” inis na sambit ni Sue.

Tumungo sa kanya si Celine. “I’m sorry. H’wag niyo lang sanang mababanggit kay Serena ang tungkol sa nangyari kay Sab lalo na’t kahit isa sa inyo ay hindi pa siya nakikitang magalit.”

“I already saw her… ‘yong laban nila ni Nicole—”

“Oh… that’s just her warning temper. Wala pa iyon sa sukdulan.” Pagpuputol ni Celine kay Sue. “And if you don’t want to see her most frightening side… then hurt her best friends—don’t hurt me, Sab and Lyn.”

I squinted my eyes. “What do you mean—”

“I am not dropping another information, Lockser.”

It is now slowly coming to make sense… Ice, Celine, and Sabrina were all from the Cerulean Kingdom. Ice and Celine came from the royal family, while Sabrina’s family, the Anderson, were attendees of the Lean Family. Especially with the appearance of Orion, Sabrina’s father, who’d I remembered was the one who was supposed to pass the throne to Celine three years ago.

Besides that, the incident… the incident that made Sabrina quit attending the Demigods Academy for years. And now, I’m starting to hate my intellect. Why didn’t I know that she’s the one that Serena has been visiting in Demigods Academy when we were kids back then?

“So, tutal ayaw mong sabihin sa amin ang tungkol sa inyong apat. Nasaan na nga si Reina?” Pangungulit ni Riley.

“She… she is—”

“Gone?” Riley interrupted me. “It was just like she said in my dream.”

“She?”

“Gaea,” he answered that caught Celine’s attention. “Gaea said that Reina—I mean, Ice’s life was tangled to the sanctity of the only empyrean living… and it was you.” He pointed to Sapphire, who’s sitting on the couch with Aizen, who’s still trying to stay conscious while touching his wound.

“Why? Why would she talk to you and not to me?!” Celine exclaimed, glaring at Riley. Huh?

Riley smirked. “Obviously because I am her favorite among the Reapers.”

“Take that back—”

“Celine,” Light sonorously uttered. “Shut up for the meantime. May pinapaliwag siya, mamaya ka na magreklamo.”

Napanganga si Celine sa pagkabigla dahilan upang ngisian siya ni Phoenix at magsalita, “Oo nga naman, Celine. Alam naming na-miss mo si Gnomeo mo pero mamaya na ‘yang kalandian mo. ‘Yong importante sana muna.”

“Tangina ka ah.”

Aizelle chuckled. “Right, right. Let your man speak.”

Celine glared at them, yet after hearing their endless teasing, she decided to declare her defeat. She anxiously looked at Riley and rolled her eyes.

Riley cleared his throat. “Before the war, Gaea told me about the truth about the Great Prophecy. The prophecy known by the demigods for years does not exist, for it is a mere cover by the gods and a group of demigods…”

All of us gulped, especially Celine, as we all slowly turned to Dionysus, who was standing before us with his downcast eyes.

“I shall not speak, for the oath is entangled within eternally.”

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