A soft whisper of nostalgia suddenly sang in my head, like the last three years faded into yesterday—a devastating, unjustifiable yesterday. After the agonizing battle of the Olympians and the Titans, the triumph was claimed by our side. Yet… we still lost not just a single life… but a lot.

And those three years’ worth of pain is not healed. We may have tried moving forward by living and residing in the realm of the mortals, but the scars carved by Gaea and Kronos will never disappear.

“Divine… demigods are divine.”

After losing our home, Demigods Academy, the demigods and the satyrs and centaurs decided to re-construct it—leaving us with only one option: to live in the realm of the mortals for a while. But after three years, only the first three walls were built, and the academy is still under major construction.

“But… where do you think you belong now, demigod?”

And Shier University became our haven.

Nang matalo sina Gaea, naiwan na lamang basta ang unibersidad na ito. Ayon kay Night, matapos ang laban namin noon ay iniwan na lamang ito ng mga Titans dahilan upang maging abandonado ito.

Idagdag pa na ito’y lagusan patungo sa teritoryo ni Hades kaya’t hindi na nila minabuti pang bumalik dito. Bukod sa natatakot silang matunugan ni Hades ang kanilang mga plano, hindi rin sila makakilos nang maayos dahil sa mist.

“Hope… have you found your hope, demigod?”

Nang matalo nina Tito Glifford si Kronos, ang espirito nito ay naglaho kasama ni Gaea dahilan upang mabalik kay Tito Dark ang katawan niya. At ngayon, kasama niya si Tito Glifford sa paglalakbay upang linangin ang kanilang mga sarili patungkol sa medisina.

At kung noon ay mailap at masungit si Light, nabawasan na iyon simula nang bumalik ang kanyang ama. Paminsan-minsan ay nag-bobonding silang mag-ama t’wing umuuwi sina Tito Dark.

“You found a new home, a hope… yet, why are you still lost, demigod?”

I bitterly smiled and shut my eyes, avoiding the beaming reflection of the sun. They defeated the Titans, but I cannot feel our victory, not even when Gaea fell, not even now.

Especially that, she’s no longer here—she’s no longer here with us, with me.

Ice…

The woman who opened my heart again, and now her death is no longer scripted—witnessing it with my own eyes, having her disappear in my grasp hurts more than anything, more than experiencing Gaea’s wrath.

Three years… and still fucking hurts. I am still hurt.

Ethereal Peace… pagkatapos n’yang maglaho na lamang sa bisig ko, na wala akong magawa kahit ayokong mawala siya, ang kapayapaan ay kahit kailanman ay hindi ko naramdaman.

She may choose peace for us, for our kind, but we never felt at ease to those who lost her.

“Trust will be broken… a friend will suffer.”

After losing her, the Primus was never the same—lalong-lalo na si Aizen, kung noon ay makikita siya nakabungisngis kahit sa walang kuwentang bagay ngunit ngayon… palagi n’yang kinukubli ang sarili sa dilim, sinisisi ang sarili dahil sa nangyari.

At kahit alam kong iniiwasan namin ang paggamit ng aming mga blessing sa Shier University, t’wing may mission kami ay hindi makikitang gumagamit si Aizen sa kanyang blessing, muli siyang bumalik sa dating estilo, muling bumalik ang takot niya sa sarili niyanh blessing.

His trust with his own blessing made him suffer.

Endless laughter, clamorous whispers echoed as I slowly opened my eyes. I rested my chin on the back of my hands, glancing and looking around at the people enjoying themselves around me. All the chairs were occupied except the ones beside mine and the one in front of me. My sister’s sinister look always traumatized the girls who wanted to sit beside me. On the other hand, the owner of the seat in front is just absent.

I still have the same rank; the only difference now is that I am the number 1 student of Shier University and is no longer Demigods Academy.

Nilunod ang aking sarili sa mga aralin maging mga aktibidad na binibigay nila, kahit na halos lahat ‘yon ay alam ko na o ‘di kaya’y mahusay na ako sa laranganh iyon. Malaki ang pagkakaiba ng Shier University sa Demigods Academy, sobrang laki.

Seventy-five percent of the student population in this university are humans, and the other portion of it is the demigods. And because we are different from them, we are labeled as Elites, hiding our identity, especially that all the demigods are more advanced than humans.

My thoughts drifted away when Mr. Panther entered the classroom, and the first thing he did was glare towards Sue, who was busy talking to our classmates with her loud and irritating voice.

I am amusedly looked at them. Hindi pa rin napapansin ni Sue ang pagdating ni Mr. Panther dahil abala rin siya sa pagdaldal sa kanyang likuran. Tikom na ang iba niyang kausap at patango-tango na lang ang nakaharap sa kanya habang napipilitan na ngumiti pero patuloy pa rin siya. Manhid.

“Care to repeat my question, Clarkson?!” Mr. Panther roared, more like he was teasing Sue.

Dahan-dahan na kumubra ang ngiwi sa labi ni Sue at pag ayos n’ya sa kanyang puwesto, ang hiya ay mabilis na rumehistro sa mukha niya. At dahil alam kong kahit kailanman ay hindi nagpapatalo si Sue kay Mr. Panther, bumusangot ito at inirapan ang aming guro.

“Hindi ko alam e. Bakit hindi mo na lang ulitin ang sarili mong tanong?”

And before Mr. Panther could show her what hell looked like, she immediately stormed out of the room. I noticed something off with her.

Phoenix gulped when Mr. Panther shifted his attention to him, “Standfield…”

“Po?”

“Can’t you discipline your girlfriend once in a while?!”

Phoenix’s jaw dropped; he was caught in surprise. And as embarrassment slowly carved in his face, Aizelle started to tease him, making the others tease Phoenix, too.

And when Phoenix’s blood rushes in his face… Phoenix left the classroom.

“Time to shut your mouth, Aizelle.” I heard Light said. Hindi ko naman napigilan ang pagsilay ng isang ngisi sa labi ko, sumimangot lamang sa kanya si Aizelle at umirap.

Hindi na umimik pa si Aizelle ngunit tila parang namatayan ang itsura ni Lighg kahit na sinunod na siya nito, siguro dahil bigla na lamang siyang hindi pinansin nito.

“Hey… I’m sorry,” Light whispered.

Light had been courting Aizelle for the last three years, and still, he has no success whatsoever. On the other, Aizelle had been straightforwardly rejecting him, shooing him around, but Light never gave in.

After analyzing the entire room, I politely excuse myself to Mr. Panther. Something is telling me to go out of the room as if I’ll be witnessing something peculiar in this dull moment.

And before I could entirely leave the room, I saw Aizen’s somber eyes looking at me, which I immediately shrugged off.

Nang makapaglakad-lakad ako sa hallway, may isang tanga na bigla na lamang sinuntok ang aking balikat. Sinamaan ko ng tingin ang siraulong iyon ngunit nag-pacute lamang siya kahit nakakasuka naman talaga ang mukha niya.

“Bobo,” asik ko.

“Sunod-sunod ka pa ha!” Inis na sambit ni Sue.

Hindi pa man ako tuluyan na nakakaimik palabalik ay bigla na lamang siyang lumayas sa harapan ko. Samantalang si Phoenix naman ay napakamot na lamang sa kanyang ulo.

“Girlfriend mo, siraulo,” sambit ko.

Tumango-tango naman s’ya. “Ang lala na nga e. May alam ka bang address ng mental hospital na malapit d’yan?”

“Phoenix!” Sigaw ni Sue sa ‘di kalayuan.

Natatawa akong pinanood si Phoenix na hinabol si Sue. Naubos ang tawa ko nang tuluyan kong masilayan ang likuran ni Sue. Tangina.

“Hoy! Bumalik ka na sa room, Sky! Napakapangit mong view d’yan!” Pahabol na sigaw ni Sue bago sila’y tuluyan na umalis sa hallway.

Sasabihin ko sanang may tagos siya kaso ‘wag na lang. Tinarayan ako e, tampo na ako.

I turned my back against them. I heard people gasping, making my eyes search for the root of the sudden commotion.

Holy Styx…

The deafening silence suddenly filled my ears. The voices around ceased as the time somehow slowed down. Our eyes were captivated by the gorgeous woman in this room.

And with every step she takes, her long, wavy ash gray her swings. Looking at her getting closer to me is like counting down for my own death, for she screams so much familiarity, especially those eyes… those crystal blue eyes.

“This has to be a dream…”

She halted in front of me, and with her bewitching crystal blue eyes, longingness and nostalgia began to tangle me. She stared at me with her eyes blazing with curiosity.

She gaped, making me realized the situation I am in right now; a tear fell, cascading through my cheeks. I clenched my fist and pursed my lips in order to prevent myself from locking her within my grasp.

“Ice…”

The curiosity in her eyes slowly faded, and all she offered to me was a shrugged. And when she started walking again, I was left stunned. Yet, before she could completely pass through me, she touched my shoulder and put a handkerchief on it.

I looked down and bit my lip out of frustration. “Hey… What’s your name?”

I shut my eyes and accepted her cold treatment for a stranger like me until the echoing sound of her heels ceased along with the noise around us.

“Fire.”

#