A deafening silence abruptly prisoned us, though it was no longer an indication for disaster, and instead, the stillness carefully ascended as the crimson horizon was slowly making its exit. The trees laugh along with the wind, and as the hues of gold and scarlet splattered on the horizon, Apollo slowly raised his white flag.

Alexis laughed, making me curiously looked at her, “A—are you the child bound to slay the gods?” Apollo nervously asked.

“She’s not,” Athena replied. She brooded at her child, who mockingly looked at her. The projectiles slowly disappeared. Alexis made her way towards Apollo and extended her hand.

“We need your help, and I know you’ll be needing ours too,”

Apollo smirked, “Alam mo bang delikado ang ginagawa mo? Throwing false information to a god, huh?” He said. Alexis shrugged and looked in my direction.

Hindi ko alam pero tila may kakaiba sa kanya ngayon, para bang mas maaliwalas na siya kung kumilos kumpara noon. Nang magtama ang mga mata namin ay saglit n’ya akong tinitigan bago muling bumaling kay Apollo, “The gods and demigods cannot harm the kins unless they are in Divine Continent. The souls and king vessels can touch them even though they are in the Dark Continent, you know what I mean, right?”

“Are you threatening me?”

“If you call that as a threat, then yes— I am threatening the Mighty Apollo.”

Saglit kaming nabalot nang katahimikan hanggang sa magpakawala nang malalim na buntong hininga si Apollo, malamlam siyang sumulyap kay Alexis bago ito tumingon kay Artemis na walang malay at binuhat ito.

“Kung hindi ko lamang kinakailangan ang tulong niyo ay hindi ako maglalakas ng loob na suwayin si Zeus,”

“Thank you,” Alexis smiled.

It wasn’t a long ride because Apollo’s chariot came with just a snap of his fingers. And for some reason, I felt somehow bad, especially that the Sun Kingdom is near the Alchemy Kingdom. Who knows what will happen if they see me having a good time outside and not reigning that freakin’ kingdom.

Nang makarating kami sa Sun Kingdom ay hindi ko maiwasan na mamangha. Tuyo’t ang paligid ngunit kakaiba pa rin ang ganda tinataglay nito, ang iba’t-ibang mga hayop ay nagkukumpulan sa mga sanga ng mga puno na tila ba pinapalitan nila ang mga dahon na dapat ay naroroon. Ang mga bitak sa lupa ay nagmistulang disenyo at atraksyon ng kaharian.

Sa pagtapak namin sa palasyo ay kakaibang salpok nang mainit na simoy ng hangin ang sumalubong sa amin. Hindi na rin kami nagpaligoy-ligoy pa at tumungo na agad kami sa silid ni Apollo, at do’n niya hiniga ang kapatid niyang walang malay.

“So, what do you want?” Apollo asked.

“Our prophecy,” Alexis immediately answered.

Apollo sighed, “I can’t foretell your prophecies. I can only tell someone’s prophecy, so make your choice,” Dead silence filled us. As the rule-breakers exchange glances, we remained at a loss of words.

Savannah slowly lifted her hand and pointed at me, which made me leered at her, “Ayoko! Walang thrill ang buhay ko kung magkakaroon ako ng clue about sa mangyayari sa akin! Bakit hindi na lang si Glifford tulay pangarap niyang maging reyna?”

“Aba gago ka, Christopher!”

“Bakit mo ako tinatawag na Christopher, Maverick?!”

“At nag-away na nga po ang dalawang bobo,” We both glared at Jackson, who was teasingly shaking his head while looking at us.

“Wow, pre, idol na kita. Sa’yo pa talaga nang galing ha.” Dark laughed. Both Alendis and Sophia face palmed while watching us as if they are watching a stupid show.

And after a long time, I felt at ease. Because for the first, I was able to exchange laughs with all of them, though we can’t deny the fact that one of our comrades was kidnapped. It was too late for me to notice that I was massaging the necklace given by the Queen Fairy, and at the same time, realization struck into my mind. My eyes search for Freya until it laid to her; she was laughing along with Savannah while Dark and Jackson are teasing each other.

“Do you want to know your prophecy?” I asked.

Nanatiling nakatitig ang mga mata ko kay Freya nang panandalian kaming mabalot nang katahimikan, walang tumutol o ‘di kaya’y sumangayon sa aking tanong. At dahil ayokong magkaroon ng ideya sa mangyayari sa akin sa hinaharap, nais kong malaman kung tunay ngang malaking parte siya ng buhay ko.

“I— I don’t mind...” She mumbled.

Athena smirked at me, and I know that she has an idea or two about what I was planning. But I was caught off guard when she suddenly clasped her hands to catch our attention, “So, before anything else, do you where the Kins are?” She asked.

“Malamang umuwi na—”

Before Jackson could fully answer, Alyssa covered his mouth and looked to us worriedly, “No, they are still replenishing their powers, so they will be unable to leave this continent for the meantime,” She explained.

“Ay, hala, wait lang— Ngayon ko lang nagets ‘yong explanation ni Alexis tungkol sa Kins—”

“Ganoon ka ba kabobo na next topic na saka lang nag-sisink in sa’yo ‘yong usapan kanina?” Savannah asked Jackson, and he suddenly squinted his eyes as he pouted.

“What I’m trying to say—”

“Jackson, kahit mag-english ka wala kang maloloko rito,”

“Aba! Savannah, nakakasakit ka na ha— Balik sa sinasabi ko kanina, kung kaya pala natin na mahawakan ang mga Kins sa Divine Continent. Bakit sabi ni Alexis noong naglalaban ay hindi kayang hawakan ni Artemis ang nga ‘yon?”

Alexis cleared her throat and took a glance towards Artemis, “It was my adrenaline rush’s fault. I thought we are on their turf, so I was mistaken in that part. But at the same time, it was my first time to see a god shaken by the presence of demons,” She explained.

“Adrenaline rush? Sa matatalino lang ba—” Dark immediately covered his mouth before he could even say another stupid word. As Jackson was struggling with Dark’s scheme, my eyes caught Alyssa, who was brooding at the wall.

“Hoy,” Glifford called Alyssa.

Tila lutang na lutang si Alyssa dahilan upang hindi n’ya mapansin ang pagtanaw namin sa kanya. Nang lumingon si Alyssa ay pareparehas kaming tumingin sa ibang direksyon, halos matawa ako kay Jackson dahil may pagsipol pa s’yang ginagawa habang nakatingin sa kisame.

“Do you mind if I show you something before Apollo foretell Freya’s prophecy?”

No one was able to answer Alyssa’s, and instead of waiting another moment of silence, she suddenly snapped her fingers. The room was leisurely being captivated by pieces of cotton made of gold, and the specks of glittery dust fell as it poured to our eyes. And as we look to the wall she was brooding in earlier, a glimpse of memory began to show.

“Before Artemis and I passed out, I was able to touch Belphegor and activated my blessing. And because of that, I was able to take control of myself in his awful nightmare,”

“Nightmare?” I asked.

“Yes, he is a lazy Kin. It means he uses nightmares to finish opponents. As I was saying, Belphegor’s mind was open, so I saw images in his mind,”

She suddenly pointed out the wall. I quizzically looked at it; she showed an image of a tavern, which was oddly looking but what caught my attention was the golden ambrosia at the side. It wasn’t noticeable, but that golden ambrosia only grows in a specific place.

“Golden Ambrosia,” Alendis said while pointing it, “And it can only be seen in the Cryptic Chambers,”

Lahat kami ay natahimik dahil do’n. Hindi ganoong kadali makapunta sa lugar na iyon lalo na’t wala pang tukoy na talagang nakatungtong sa lugar na iyon, isa itong lugar sa silangan na matatagpuan sa ilalim ng kalupaan.

“Alam n’yong kailangan ninyo mapuntahan ang lugar na iyon para kay Marina kahit anong mangyari hindi ba?”

“We know, Apollo, but the thing is—”

“Traveling in a large group might let them sense you, right?” Apollo asked Alyssa, who nodded.

Apollo glance towards Athena and cleared his throat, “Use the same group from before then,” Athena uttered, then she looked to Savannah, “And I might help with your dream,”

“What do you mean?” Savannah asked.

“I can help you to be a queen without a king, wherein princesses could rule over the continent at ease,”

Savannah was left speechless. Her lips are trembling as she looks to the goddess in front. I know that she wanted her dream to come true, and it will be a good thing.

“We should go with her plan,” I smiled to Savannah, “For your sake,”

“But—”

“It will be for the best. But don’t worry magkikita rin naman tayo sa dulo,”

Nang hindi na siya nagsalita ay binaling naming lahat ang atensyon namin kay Apollo. Lahat kami ay handa na upang malaman ang propesiya ni Freya. Alam kong labag ito sa batas dahil ang tanging lugar kung saan maaaring malamab ang tinakda sa isang demigod ay sa Fountain of Prophecy na makikita sa lagitnaan ng kagabutan na napapalibutan ng mga Sacred Walls.

The vicinity grew eerie as it was slowly being filled with green smoke. Apollo’s eyes glimmered in green along with cracks leisurely appearing in his face, and when a magic circle appeared beneath Freya, Apollo began to speak.

“A single blossom of warmth will slay the master,”

“Soon, you’ll witness the power that will protect the ethereal peace,”

“Not far from future, the servituor will serve as the guardian of the child within the myths,”

#