“Hey...” I looked behind and saw Apollo standing in the corner. Earlier, I excused myself to replenish my mind and was not expecting a guest in my room, “I’m sorry for what happened earlier,”

I shrugged and leaned my back on the balcony. Apollo seems calmer than when we first met, “Hindi ako palaging seryoso. But when it comes to Marina, I always take everything seriously... Especially that she is bearing our second child,”

Ilang beses kong kinurap ang mga mata ko habang nakadungay siya sa balkonahe, seryoso man ang mukha niya ngunit kitang-kita ko ang kislap sa mga mata niya nang banggitin niya ang tungkol sa pangalawa niyang anak. At ngayon ko napagtanto kung saan nanggagaling ang galit niya nang malaman niyang nawawala si Marina.

Saglit n’ya akong nilingon habang may isang nakakalokong ngiti ang sumilay sa mga labi niya, “I already know that you’ll reject the offer about knowing your prophecy. I can clearly see in your eyes that you wouldn’t want to have a single hint about what’s ahead of you,”

“What’s the purpose of the challenge when you clearly know what will happen?”

“Ayaw mo ba talagang malaman?”

“Ayoko nga,”

A soft, kinky laugh escaped his lips, “Fine. But you should be careful—”

“I know. The Kins aren’t our only enemy because even the gods look at us as sinners they needed to dispose of,” I interrupted him. He smirked upon seeing how serious I am, and for some reason, my childish side was slowly disappearing.

It was like a hint for me to take everything seriously, that this path we chose was no longer a child’s game. This is reality.

“Yeah, even the gods...” He whispered. Apollo’s eyes worriedly lock his eyes in the horizon, and as the harsh wind to our faces. I realized that the words he spouted aren’t just nonsense response, and instead, there is a context hidden to it, “What will you do if the person you trusted so much suddenly betrayed you?” He asked.

Pakiramdam ko ay binibigyan n’ya ako ng karampot na ideya tungkol sa hinaharap ko ngunit imbes na mainis ako sa kanya ay tila nais kong magpasalamat dahil sa ginagawa n’ya.

“I do not judge based upon what I see, and I always seek for a reason. Because I know that you’ll never do something ungrateful to others without any reason. So, I wouldn’t be angry if someone betrayed my trust and instead I will look to the other side,”

Apollo smiled upon hearing my response. He pulled a paper out of his pocket, and as he unfolded it in front. I was mesmerized to see a map with glowing coordinates.

“You’ll be needing this,” He handed me the map. It was a map headed to the Cryptic Chambers. I confusedly looked at him and pointed one of the glowing parts of it, which says Greenwood Haven, “You need to bring Artemis in that place,”

“Why?”

“Obviously, she needs help,”

I squinted at him as I languidly folded the map and slowly hid it inside my pocket, “You’re the god of medicine and other shits,”

“Kaya nga tinuturo ko ang lugar na ‘yon. Bobo ka ba?”

Tahimik na nilaro ni Apollo ang kanyang kapangyarihan habang umuusbong ang ngisi sa kanyang mga labi. Tinapunan ko siya nang inis na tingin, at bago niya pa mabuksan ang kanyang bibig ay lumagabog ang pinto at bumungad sa amin ang isang batang lalaki na seryosong nakatingin kay Apollo.

“Oh? Bakit ka nandito?”

Halos humagalpak ako sa tawa dahil sa tanong ng bata sa kaniya. Tiyak akong siya ang panganay na anak ni Apollo kay Marina dahil kuhang-kuha nito ang mga mukha at ugali ng kanyang ina.

“PAXON!” Apollo scolded. The child just smirked to his father and languidly drifted his attention to me, “You must be the king vessel who let my mother held captive,”

Putangina. Pati ako damay?

Nakangiwi akong nakatingin sa kanya, at ngayon ay parehas na kaming naiilang ni Apollo sa prisensya niya. Mayabang nitong pinagkrus ang kanyang mga braso saka tinuro ang sahig dahilan upang magkatinginan kami ni Apollo.

“Luhod,”

Apollo and I blinked multiple times as we looked at the midget in front, “Do I have to repeat myself?” He asked. And for some reason, I can sense his substantial authority in his voice. Apollo pulled me to kneel before his son, and when I was about to complain, he fucking covered my mouth.

“How you afraid of your fucking son?” I whispered.

Pinandilatan niya ako, “Tangina! Tagapagmana ko ‘yan—”

“Shut up, will ‘ya?” Both Apollo and I shut our mouths. Paxon wasn’t glaring nor leering his eyes, but he got these indescribable frightening eyes as if he was looking down on everyone. And if he is a king vessel like me, it will be bad for the Stanfield family’s reputation to have a king vessel who is people like a lowly being.

“Bring back my mother, dumbasses,”

Nang makalabas siya sa silid ay tila naging karera para sa amin ni Apollo kung sino ang unang tatayo dahil sa kahihiyan. Hindi ko napigilan ang sarili kong hindi suntukin si Apollo sa inis. Wala na akong pakielam kung dyos s’ya, basta makaganti lang ako sa ginawa ng anak niya ay ayos na.

“Tangina mong bakla ka,”

“Paano ko papagalitan ‘yon? Kay Marina lang naman takot ang batang iyon!”

“Bakla, bakla—”

“Yuck, mga takot sa kid,” Apollo and I looked at the door and saw the others silently laughing while looking at us. We glared at Glifford, who was mocking us. As I examined them, I realized that their things are packed.

“Garet, pa-kiss!” Savannah said and gave me a light kiss on my cheeks. I poked her forehead and squinted my eyes, “May pinagseselos ka bang gago ka?” I whispered to her ear. She suddenly pouted and avoided my gaze.

“W—Wala kaya,”

“Siraulo,” I roamed my eyes and saw Alendis throwing death glares towards me.

Tangina. Bakit parang kasalanan ko?

“Ingat,” Bulong ko sa kanya. Saglit ko siyang hinapit palapit sa akin upang sagadin ang inis ni Alendis tutal ay hindi ko naman siya makakasama, at nais ko rin malaman kung anong hakbang ang gagawin niya kay Savannah.

“Malalanding nilalang,” Apollo jeered.

After our stupid stunt, Athena and the others bid their goodbye to us. Their group is headed to the Gale Kingdom, and they will be asking for the blessing of Aeolus for the reformation of the government. And knowing that Aeolus is one of the softhearted gods, Athena used it as the key to romanticize him y their words, especially that Aeolus now has two daughters.

“Garet,” Jackson called.

Pinagtaasan ko siya ng kilay ngunit agad din iyong napalitan ng isang ngiwi nang mapansin kong tinuturo niya si Artemis na walang malay sa likod niya, “Gusto mong sumakay ako d’yan?” Tanong ko.

Umakto siya na tila gulat at tinawag niya pa si Alyssa upang pagdiskitahan nila ako, “Hala, ang bobo,” Sambit ni Jackson habang nakaturo sa akin at saka parehas na tumawa ang dalawang bobo. Kinuha ko si Artemis sa likod ni Jackson at sinakay ko ito sa likod ko. Nauna na rin akong maglakad dahil ayokong may kasabay na mga engkanto.

“Ganyan ka pala mainis,” Natatawang bulong ni Alexis habang sinasabayan ako sa paglalakad.

“Saya mo ha,”

“Pa-hard-to-get,” Emerald whispered. I heaved a sigh and pouted my pocket to Alexis, “Tangina. Garet ang manyak mo! Ano’t nagpapahipo ka—” Emerald gasped when Alexis put his hand towards my pocket. She quizzically looked at me and pulled the map out of my pocket.

“I’m trusting you with that map,”

“Aye, aye, Captain Lockser!”

“You’re acting cute, Alexis,” I smiled. She suddenly drifted her attention to the map and acted like she was studying it intently, but to be honest, the map was upside-down, “You can read that, huh?”

“Of course!”

“Nakakahanga talaga ang anak ni Athena pati mapang baliktad ay nababasa,” Jackson pointed. Blood rushed to Alexis’s face because of her embarrassment. She immediately turned the map and cleared her throat, “And I’m also wondering why she’s acting odd… Hmm…”

“And I’m also wondering that goats can actually speak English,” Emerald joked.

Naiiling ko na lamang silang pinanood. Pinaliwanag ni Alexis ang interpretasyon niya sa mapa at saka niya mabubusing tinuro sa amin ang mga daan ngunit habang naglalakad kami ay kusang tumulo ang mga luha ng kalangitan at mabilis itong bumuhos. At dahil ligaw na kambing si Jackson ay agad siyang nakakita ng kuweba na aming sinilungan.

Alyssa and Emerald fixed Artemis’s bed before I put her down. Alexis and I inspected the cave from the inside. At the same time, Jackson and Emerald inspected the outside, and Alyssa remained by Artemis’s side.

The eerie yet silent treatment of the cave lingered to our skin, the droplets of water echoed, making the surrounding grew creepy, “Can you hear that?” Alexis whispered. I curiously looked at her and gave her a suspicious look.

“Tinatakot mo ba ako para may kadamay ka?”

“I’m not scared! Stupid, Lockser!” I hushed her mouth and filtered the sound inside the cave. There was a faint cry, and I’m sure it was from afar, “Where are you going?” She asked.

“Akala ko ba’y hindi ka takot?” I smirked when she fixed her posture. Natatawa ako dahil mas nauna pa siya sa akin, at nang mawala siya sa paningin ko ay dahan-dahan ko siyang sinundan hanggang sa narinig ko ang sigaw niya.

“Hey, hey, what happened—” I was unable to finish what I was saying when we saw a baby laying on a white sheet inside a basket. Alexis slowly held the baby carefully in her arms, and it was too late for me to realize that I started imagining stupid things inside my head.

Alexis, together with our children. Stupid imagination.

I quizzically looked at the paper inside the basket and showed it to Alexis.

“Riley Ventura,”

#