“Garet, wake up! Garet!”

A faint sound was tingling in my ears, soft yet cautious at the same. And as I opened my eyes, the cerulean hues of the sky welcomed me. It was a bit blurry, but its brilliance was captivating me. I felt a slight pang on my head, and my body felt like a wilted plant, “Holy Styx! You’re finally awake!” Someone cheered.

I tilted my head at a slow pace. At first, I was confused. But then, as I slowly remember what happened, all the pain in my head slowly exploded, and I immediately sit, not minding the sting all over my body.

“Nasaan si Marina?” I asked. Hindi ko rin napansin na sina Savannah pala ang kaharap ko ngayon. And who knows how long I passed out.

“That is what we wanted to ask you,” Alendis said.

I roamed my sight and saw Alexis being treated by Glifford and Freya. Beside her were Jackson and Alyssa, who were both unconscious. Kusang nag-taas ang kilay ko nang makita kong sinisira nina Athena at Sophia ang makakapal na ugat na gawa ni Emerald.

Nang magsasalita na sana ako’y naramdaman ko na lamang ang isang malakas na lagapak sa ‘king pisnge. I glared at Dark as he looked at me like an innocent child while eating an apple, “Just testing if you’re already awake,” Dark said.

“So, what happened?” Savannah asked.

My sight was locked to Athena and Sophia’s direction, and once they successfully remove all those vines, then I will be able to get the answer that I was looking for, “Bago na type mo, dude? ‘Yong nanay na ba?” Once again, I glared at Dark, who just shrugged while laughing. But then, when he saw how serious my face is, he immediately stops.

“We were attacked,” I stated.

Agad kong dinapo ang tingin k okay Alendis, at mabilis din naman n’yang naintindihan ang nais kong sabihin. He abruptly borrowed Savannah’s crystalline sword and cut through the vines. Alendis stopped when the blade made contact with something hard, I burned the remaining vines, and we all switch glances with each other when we saw Emerald and Artemis in the middle of a glacier of ice.

“It wouldn’t melt,” I muttered. I tried countless times, but Artemis’ ice won’t even evaporate.

Athena stole my hand and gave me a languid expression, “A simple flame won’t melt an eternal ice,” she meaningfully said. All of a sudden, the sun began to feel humongous. Its golden blushes cascade across the horizon as the heat rained down like the breath of hell.

“What do you want from me, Athena?” We all looked behind when we heard a firm yet low voice. His masculinity was screaming along with his blonde curly hair with a laurel wreath on top of his head. At his side, he was holding a golden lyre.

Savannah wryly smiled while looking at the floating vehicle above Athena’s guest, and it was a chariot being pulled by a pile of swans. Athena smiled and pointed Artemis and Emerald’s direction. The man looked at it with curiosity before sighing.

“I don’t know what your business is with the rule-breakers, but you must know that Zeus will be going to punish you for this. Even if you are his favorite child,”

“My, my, Apollo, just save your sister,” Athena teased.

Apollo snapped his fingers, and the pile of swans made their exit by soaring in the horizon. Walang ganang sinunod ni Apollo ang utos ni Athena, and when Apollo touches the ice, it glowed and held the hues of the sun. And even though it was releasing an indescribable heat, I can’t help but be fascinated by its brilliance.

Artemis’s eternal ice slowly melted. Parehas naging alerto si Dark at Alendis upang saluhin ang dalawang babaeng nakakulong do’n. At saglit na napatitig si Apollo sa kanyang kapatid at nilingon si Athena.

“Artemis’s wound…” Apollo mumbled.

Our attention drifted to Artemis. She doesn’t look fine with those black markings carve on her arm and was somehow releasing some faint smokes. Kitang-kita namin ang pagngiwi ni Artemis na tila dinadama n’ya ang sakit na dinudulot nito.

Athena looked at me with surprise, “Those marks… Did the Kins attacked you?” She bluntly asked. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang malalgkit nilang tingin sa ‘kin. Ngayon na alam kong totoong nakuha ng mga Kins si Marina ay wala akong takas sa galit nila.

“Athena, where is Marina? I heard that she was with you,” Apollo asked.

Athena’s eyes remained looking at me, which made Apollo realized what he just said and what Athena just mentioned. Apollo took a deep breath and gritted his teeth as he clenched his fist and leered at me, “Where is Marina?” He asked me.

His amber eyes were glaring as if he was ready to kill me for being useless. And instead of answering his question, I avoided his gaze. I looked above and saw how the sun slowly changes its color, and it was getting brighter and brighter, that it somehow itches the eyes. The muggy heat began to press down on us, and our sweats trickled down to our necks and back. While the trees started to withered, and the ground cracked because of the intensifying heat.

“You fucking king ve—”

Apollo halted when someone grabbed his hand. Hindi ko alam kung dapat bang matuwa ako dahil do’n because I know that he was ready to kill me anytime. Apollo looked down and brooded to his sister, “Do—Don’t hurt him. Ga… Garet did his part,” Artemis weakly uttered.

She was still wincing as she slowly sat on the ground. Hinahabol n’ya rin ang hininga niya habang mahigpit ang hawak sa kanyang kapatid at tila desididong iligtas ako sag alit nito. And even with an eye close, she apologetically bowed her head, “I’m… sorry,” she mumbled.

Akala ko’y maiintindihan ni Apollo ang lungkot ni Artemis ngunit marahas niyang tinanggal ang hawak nito sa kanya at galit niyang tinapunan ito nang tingin, “You’ll pay for this,” Apollo warned. His eyes once again drifted to mine as he bitterly laughed, “Your face is fucking annoying,” he mumbled.

The lyre he was holding transformed into a sword; it was still glistening the golden hues but glowing with the sun’s brilliant rays. And in my façade, Apollo suddenly disappeared. I can clearly feel his menacing aura near me, and when I was about to avoid him, my wound suddenly aches, making me feel its sickening pain.

Apollo’s sword clashes with someone’s weapon, as it made a loud clang in front. Nang matapos kong damhin ang sakit ay agad akong tumingin sa aking harapan. It was Artemis who saved me, and she was deflecting Apollo’s attack while twitching in pain.
“Why are you defending that lowly king vessel?”

“I told you. He did his part,”

“Move, Artemis,”

“No,”

Apollo chaotically laughed and fell back, “Are you turning your back against the gods?” He asked. Artemis frustratingly bit her lip and looked at him straightly.

“I am one of the rule-breakers. And if fighting you mean our freedom, then I will gladly defeat you, my dear brother,”

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