It’s been a day since Emerald got out of bed. She is no longer on the verge of dying due to magic depletion, thanks to Dark’s stealing technique. Emerald was cheerful and happily talking to Savannah and the others.

Samantalang ang mga mata ko’y may dalawang pares na hinahanap. Nang makita n’yang gising na si Emerald ay agad s’yang umalis. She didn’t even bid goodbye to us, to her friend.

“If you want to chase that woman, go ahead,” Glifford teased. Masamang tingin ang pinukol ko sa kanya dahil akala niya ay may gusto ako kay Alexis, “What I mean, if you wanted her to be part of our group dapat maunahan mo ‘yun,” He added while pouting to Artemis’ direction.

This is my first time seeing a god up this close and this long. The first and last time I saw Hephaestus was when I first received my title as a prince, and that was when I was five years old. At present lamang s’ya noong nilalagay na ‘yung korona sa ‘kin at noong nailagay na iyon ay para siyang bula na bigla na lamang nawala.

“So, how long have you been friends with Alexis?” I heard Savannah asked. Halos lahat kami ay napalingon sa kanila, and it seems that they caught Artemis’ attention.

“Five years,” Emerald answered. She looked above and smiled, “She was the one helping me to control my blessing pero ako itong makulit at hindi sinusunod ang sinasabi n’ya,”

We are still inside the Dim Forest because the trees and plants immediately grew after Emerald’s rampage. Aside from that, we are waiting for Alexis to comeback.

Sandaling tumahimik ang paligid. Emerald said while smiling with her eyes locked on mine, “Do you find Alexis interesting?” she asked.

Napangiwi na lamang ako dahil para sa ‘kin talaga ang tanong na iyon. I can see Dark and Glifford with their annoying smirk plastered on their faces. Tuwang-tuwa ang mga gago.

“I just find her blessing interesting,” I mumbled. Hindi ko alam pero para bang kulang ang sagot ko sa tanong n’ya. I heard Savannah and Alyssa’s giggle, and they were also muttering the word in denial.

Bakit parang napag-iisahan ata ako rito?

“Her blessing is really interesting.” Artemis stated. Alam kong gusto niyang gawin si Alexis na isa sa mga Huntress n’ya because she freakin’ caught her attention, “She’s been your friend for many years, you must have an idea who her godly parent is,” Artemis said to Emerald.

Emerald avoided her gaze and pouted, “Kung hindi sinabi sa inyo ni Alexis, hindi ko rin sasabihin sa inyo,” Emerald said.

“So, what happened to Rhealia get up?” Dark asked.

“Why would I insist on telling you that I’m Rhealia when you already know who I am?”

Kahit gaano karami ang salitang sinasambit ni Artemis ay ang malamig n’yang boses ang kumakawala rito. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung paano ba s’ya magbibiro, para kasing kahit biro seryoso ang magiging pagbigkas n’ya.

Nakuha ni Dark ang atensyon ko dahil sa pagbalisa n’ya, nang magtama ang mga mata namin ay ngumiwi siya saka umiwas nang tingin.

“You lost it, didn’t you?” Artemis asked Dark.

Dark wryly smiled, “I think…”

And before Artemis could even freeze Dark, I meddle in the middle of them. Just like I thought, Dark lost the Stone of Pyre. At isa iyong kabobohan lalo na’t isa iyon sa mga importanteng bagay rito sa Divine Continent.

“Feeling ko may future kayo,” Jackson said. Ang dalawang tinutukoy n’ya ay parehas siyang binigyan nang nakamamatay na tingin dahil upang pumaling sa ibang direksyon si Jackson.

“I hate the gods. Why would I fall for one?” Dark asked.

Bigla na lamang siyang tumalikod sa amin na tila masama ang loob n’ya sa biro ni Jackson. Agad ko namang tinanguan si Glifford upang kaltukan ang bobong si Jackson.

“Let’s look for the stone,” I commanded.

Saglit kong pinaliwanag sa kanila kung ano ang itsura ng bato na agad naman nilang naintindihan.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Glifford asked.

Before I could even speak, Alyssa pulled Glifford and smirked at me, “Let him be. Malaki na si Garetchi pati yaan mo s’yang makita ang forever n’ya,” Alyssa teased.

“Gago ka,”

“Yieee! Gusto rin naman,” At bago pa man ako mainis sa katangahan ni Alyssa ay tumalikod na ako.

They think that I like Alexis romantically, but I am just curious about her identity and her godly parent, to be honest. Nothing more, nothing less.

I can smell the mixture of the scent of mulch and pasture collided in the air. It seems like Dark lost the stone when we were traveling in the sky yesterday, at ngayon lang n’ya naalala na hanapin ang bagay na iyon.

He wanted to collect them pero wala siyang kakayahan na itago ito sa mas ligtas na lugar. Bakit ba napapaligiran ako ng mga bobo?

I looked around and noticed that the trees were much thicker and stronger than before. Places like this are much preferable as a training ground—my brow arcs when I saw a glimpse of a crimson light nearby.

As I slowly walked into its direction, an awkward smile carefully curved on my lips. The stone was really attracted to a King Vessel, at ngayon, napapaisip ako kung sino ang unang makakakita sa amin ni Alendis kapag magkasama kami sa iisang lugar na may isang bato katulad nito.

Because of the darkness, huli na para marealize ko kung nasaan nakalagay ang bato. Ito ay malapit sa bangin dahil upang mapatigil ako sa harap nito, malambot din ang lupa sa paligid kaya’t nahihirapan akong kumilos.

I was carefully lowering my body as I slowly extended my hand to the stone.

“Don’t you dare touch the stone, Lockser,” Hindi ko alam kung bakit tila nabuhayan ako ng muli kong marinig ang boses n’ya.

She was actually threatening me, but I find her voice soothing and relaxing. I slowly tilted my head so that I could glimpse at her face. As expected, it was her unending languid expression that will welcome me upon seeing her after a day.

“Do you even remember what happened to you when you first touch that thing?” She asked.

Kahit na madilim ay napansin ko ang yabag ng mga paa n’ya na papalit sa aking pwesto, “Fuck, don’t come here!”

“Sinong may sabi sa’yong pwede mo akong utusan?”

“Malalag—”

“Shut up,” She jeered. I don’t know how to react when she arrived in front. Her eyes were glistening in the darkness, and I can see the curiosity upon looking at it, “Problem?” she asked.

I was about to tell her nang bigla siyang yumuko para kuhanin ang bato dahilan upang manlaki ang mga mata ko nang gumuho ang tinatapakan namin.

Our endless scream seizes the silence; we fell into a sunken pit. A place with eternal darkness, and the only thing that lightning was the shimmer of the Stone of Pyre.

I groaned as I massaged the back of my head, “Kulit, pota,” I hissed.

“Minumura mo ba ako?” She asked. Napakataray ng boses n’ya, hindi ko lang mawari kung bakit siya pa ang galit gayong siya naman ang may kasalanan, “Bakit ang sama mo maningin? It was your fault for not telling me in the first place,”

“You cut me off!” I exclaimed. “Ano bang ginaga—”

“I was looking for that stone. Hades’ stupid son lost it,”

“You spend your entire day looking for this, samantalang ako ay wala pang isang oras na hinahanap ‘to?” I mockingly said.

Kitang-kita ko kung paano n’ya ako inirapan saka kinuha ang bato. She was the only one who can hold that thing between the two of us. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ganoon ang nagiging reaksyon ng katawan ko kapag hinahawakan ko ang batong iyon.

“The Stone of Pyre has the ability to drive the monsters away,” she whispered.

“How can you tell?”

“Based on the data that I gathered,”

“Data?” I asked. Malamlam lamang niya akong tiningnan saka muling binalik ang atensyon sa bato.

We stayed silent after that. I can’t do anything in this place, and I am too lazy to use my blessing to light the vicinity.

“Why did I forgot that idea?” She whispered. Napalingon naman ako sa kanya sabay ngiwi dahil nabaling pala ang atensyon n’ya sa akin, “Hephaestus could help us with this stone,”

I languidly looked at her, “Did you forget that I run away? At isa pa galit na sa ‘kin ‘yon,”

“Hephaestus will never be angry to his only King Vessel,”

I saw a glimpse of sadness in her eyes, which made me thought of something, “Stop talking about my godly parent, especially when I don’t know yours,”

A bitter smile carefully curved on her thin lips as she locks her eyes to mine.

“Would you believe me if I tell you who, Lockser?”

“I will never stop believing you, Alexis,”

Muli niyang binaling ang atensyon niya sa bato. Tila hinahanda niya ang kaniyang sarili sa mga bagay na uungkatin niya.

“Since I was born… I’ve been asking myself, why does someone like me even exist?”

I stayed silent. Alexis’s voice cracked as she spoke, and I can’t help but be amazed by her. She looks like a tough cookie, and her past made her like that. Hindi ko alam pero sobrang proud ko dahil do’n kahit hindi ko talaga alam ang buong istorya niya.

“It was Athena. She was my godly parent,”

“Athena?” I quizzically asked.

Athena is one of the three virgin goddesses along with Artemis. At sadyang nakakapagtakha ang sinasabi niya. Once again, she locks her eyes to mine.

Ramdam na ramdam ko ang pagiging totoo n’ya. At kung ayaw niyang sabihin ang dahilan kung paano siya naging anak ni Athena ay rerespetuhin ko ang desisyon n’ya. I will wait for her until she’s ready.

“I’ve been running away from her since the beginning...”

“It’s so boring to runaway alone,” I said as I extended my hand to her, “Would you mind running away with me?”

#