『SKYLER』

I heaved a sigh and remembered Phoenix’s worst timing of all. Because of his sudden call, I somehow lost focus on Sapphire, making her escape from my sight quickly as possible, even I do not know how she did it.

After the Zeus Section’s Croceus Mission from the Cerulean Kingdom, a piece of information from their task emerges pointing the Mt. Seraphyl. And because of that, Hades Section and Primus Section got a Croceus Mission; our group’s task is to unravel the mystery of the current situation of Mt. Seraphyl, while the other group will be helping the Zeus Section in the Cerulean Kingdoms given that they somehow stumble with an anomaly.

Madilim na’t humihuni na rin ang malimig na simoy ng hangin nang lumabas ako sa aking silid. Tahimik at may alalay kong tinahak ang pasilyo, saglit akong tumigil nang may maramdaman akong parehas ng mga mata na sumusunod sa aking kilos.

“Are they seriously mocking me?” I thought. I shrugged the thought off and continued walking until I reached in front of my father’s office.

Serena and the others glared at me for being late. After a lot of complaints, we headed to Demigods Academy by using the portal inside my father’s office. We greeted some of the satyrs and centaurs, who were in the middle of reconstructing the building before walking our way to the stable.

Nang makarating kami ro’n, agad na tumigil sa pag-uusap ang mga pegasus. Tumungo ako kay Simone na agad na ngumiti sa akin at maging ang katabi nitong si Melt. Parehas kong minasahe ang kanilang mga ulo’t kinamusta sila.

“Yo, bossing! Feeling g’wapo ka na naman!” Sambit ni Simone. Sinimangutan ko siya’t bigla ko na lamang naalala na ihahango ko sa hampaslupang ito ang magiging pangalan ng anak ko.

“Shut up, Simone.” I grimaced and faced Melt instead. I gently brushed her hair in order to ease the longingness she was feeling. “Do you want to come with us, Melt?”

Melt neighed. “I’m alright. I don’t want to serve other demigods. I want my master. I want her.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see her soon,”

“Please take care, Sky, Simone.”

Sa tulong ng mga pegasus, mabilis naming narating ang Mt. Seraphyl. Ang una’t huling beses na pumunta kami rito ay sa utos ni Gaea, kung saan nakalaban namin ang anak niya at ang grupo nito.

Nang mamamatay si Tita Freya, maraming nagbago sa Mt. Serpahyl. Ang Fairy Council na binubuo ng limang leader ng bawat tribe ng mga fairies ang siyang namuno sa lugar. At kahit tatlong taon na ang nakalipas, hindi sila pumili ng panibagong reyna.

At namuno ang Fairy Council sa utos ni Tito Glifford. Sinunod nila ito na walang kahit anong reklamo, tila ba’y kinikilala nila bilang isang hari si Tito Glifford sa taas ng respeong binibigay ng bawat isa sa kanila.

“Oh, gods! Nope, I’m not going that way!” Phoenix complained.

I chuckled. “Light, alam mo na ba kung saan ang tamang daan? Parang bading kasi itong si Phoenix, takot sa stun spore.”

“Hoy, Sky! Ang sama talaga ng ugali mo! Ayoko lang mabawasan ang kagwapuhan ko!”

“Oh, come on, Phoenix. H’wag na tayong mag gaguhan dito.”

Light suddenly stood between us and glared at Phoenix, making shut inside him, his comeback. “Let’s go that way, kids.” He even emphasized the word kids, as if he doesn’t act that way sometimes.

We followed Light and went inside Mt. Seraphyl. The magic inside was light and transparent; the breathtaking view captivated us. In the dark cave, the illuminating flower buds are blowing shiny seeds and petals, and in the ceiling, the starry night sky, along with the glow worms, the shine of the stars, illuminated the entire place.

Butterflies soar the air with their golden, shiny wings while spreading their wonderful dust and dancing around the most beautiful thing in this vicinity—A golden tree, which vines crawls to its trunk as if I was being embraced. There are no fruits, yet the trees’ golden leaves were enough to captivate every being to love it.

I felt someone tapping my shoulder, stealing my focus away from the familiar tree.

I looked around, yet not a single fairy was present. No Tulips nor even Lavander was around.

Nang muli kaming maglakad ay may napansin kaming kakaiba sa lugar. May mga kagamitan sa lugar na hindi pagmamay-ari ng mga fairy o ‘di kaya’y ng mga demigod. Dahil sa aming harapan, may tatlong malalaking cords ang nakadikit sa sahig, lahat sila’y may nakakonekta sa iba’t-ibang silid at pasilyo.

“I’m going that way.” Turo ni Light sa kulay itim na cord, hindi na siya nag hintay pa ng kasama’t tumungo sa isang silid kung saan iyon patungo.

At dahil sa pangunguna ni Light, napagdesisyunan naming na maghiwahiwalay, pinili ko ang kabilang parte ng cord na pinili ni Light. Nang makarating ako sa isang silid, halos mapamura ako dahil sa bumungad sa akin.

Lagpas sa bente ang mga nakatayong human size test tube sa paligid, bawat isa ro’n may lamang mga fairy. Puno ng tubig ang mga test tube at walang malay na lumulutang ang mga fairies do’n habang ang mga pixie dust nila ay sumasayaw sa loob.

“Fucking hell,” I mumbled.

And before I could move, I suddenly felt someone behind me. I summoned my sword turned to him, and without hesitation, he charged his sword, targeting my nape. I swiftly deflected his attack, making him back off a little. I held my sword down and tilted my head, trying my best to sneak into his face under his cloak, but he immediately backed away.

I run in his direction and lunge my sword. He quickly dodged it, just like I’ve expected. I used that chance to attack him with a roundhouse kick, and when he was about to avoid it, I unsummoned my sword and pulled the top of his cloak, flipping in the air as he kissed the ground.

He groaned in pain. I squinted my eyes and saw how familiar his eyes were. It was so familiar that it resembled a freaking bastard that I wanted to kill.

“Tangina! Ang sakit! Masyado mo naming ginalingan, Tito Sky!” He exclaimed, and before he could utter another word, someone threw another cloak in his face.

“You’re so stupid, Shawn.” I heard someone said. “Lagot ka talaga kay Cloud pag nalaman niya ang kabobohan mo.”

I nervously laughed when I saw a glimpse of her—those amber eyes and blazing red hair, and a pretty face that looked like Sue. She grinned at me while waving her hand.

“You’re Phoebe,” I said.

Mas lalong lumawak ang ngiti niya nang marinig niya ang pangalan niya. “Kilala ako ni Tito Sky!” sambit niya kasabay ang pagkuha ng isang remote sa kanyang bulsa, nang pindutin niya iyon ay agad na naglaho ang mga test tubes sa paligid.

“Hoy, Phoebe, ang damot mo sa exposure! Gusto ko rin uy!” Dinig kong reklamo ni Shawn na ngayo’y suot-suot na ang itim na cloak.

“Bobo, ‘wag ka na. ‘Di pa nga nakikita ni Tito Sky na magkasama ang mga magulang mo.”

“Ang damot mo! Bakit ba kasi ikaw ang ka-partner ko?”

“Aba! Ako ang malas sa ating dalawa!”

I really smiled as I watched them argue. They have really forgotten that I am here, and after a lot of badmouthing to each other, they noticed me again.

“Oh, shit.” Phoebe cursed. “What are you doing in this place, Tito Sky?”

I cleared my throat and looked around. “May mga nakuha kaming clues na narito raw si Tita Savannah.” Both of them exchanged glances and shook their heads.

“She’s not here,” Shawn said.

“What about the test tubes?” I asked.

Phoebe showed the remote and said, “Hologram lang po ‘yon na ginagamit naming pantakot sa mga pupunta rito habang wala pa ang mga fairies. And by the way, my name is Phoebe Alexandria Stanfield—third rank in Primus Section.”

“And I am Shawn William— Amputa, ano ba?!”

“No surname!”

“Tsk.” Shawn cussed and suddenly faced me, “I am Shawn William na bawal magsabi ng surname. Fourth rank in Primus Section.”

“Haha, you look cute together,” I teasingly said. They both grimaced, making me laugh more.

“Yikes. Si Cloud lang ang para sa akin!” Phoebe retorted.

Shawn suddenly faced her and flicked her forehead. “We both knew who he likes. Wala kang pag-asa ro’n.”

At bago pa man silang magkapatayan, tumikhim na ako upang makuha ang atensyon nila. “So, nasaan ang mga fairies?”

Shawn shrugged. “I don’t know. All we know is that they were partying last week around the golden tree before they left. Wait—Phoebe, you recorded it, right?”

Phoebe pulled a device out of her pocket and immediately pressed it.

“…Às deidh trì bliadhna èiridh I, èiridh i. ‘adhbhar gun deach an leth eile a chur, a chur. Agus a-nis gheibh sinn fear na làimhe deise, fear na làimhe deise.”

The fairies were singing, and it was an awfully familiar language. And it took me two times to conclude that it was the Gaelic Language, a language they use whenever they chant.

Shawn suddenly grabbed Phoebe’s hand and faced me. “Someone’s coming, Tito Sky. You should leave now.”

I nodded and bid my goodbye to them. After our investigation in Mt. Seraphyl, we immediately headed back to Shier University. Light was busy writing a written report about the anomalies in the land of the fairies, the horrifying state of the fairies, as well as the sudden disappearance of it, which I cannot tell them.

Phoenix squinted his eyes at me while I hummed the fairies song’s lyrics with my face crumbled.

“Dude, you’re distracting me,” Light exclaimed.

I grimaced at them. Phoenix suddenly looks at me meaningfully. “Nakakatakot ka na, Sky. Para kang nag-iisip d’yan.”

“You’re the one lang naman na hindi nag-tithink in the group e,” Serena countered.

Buntong-hininga ko silang inirapan saka hinarap si Light. “Dude, Gaelic Language translator.” Isang holographic screen ang lumitaw sa aking harapan, mabilis ko namang tinype ro’n ang mga katagang narinig ko mula sa recordings ni Phoebe.

Holy Styx…

After three years she will rise, she will rise.

‘cause the other half was planted, was planted.

And now we will fetch the right-hand man, the right-hand man.

It was the song that the fairies were chanting around the golden tree.

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