In the midst of the darkest hour, a hymn of pleading was hushed. The enchanting and alluring view of Greenwood Haven is slowly vanishing from my eyes and turning into a vague, hideous place. And if it isn’t for a cause, I wouldn’t let this ruthless man standing before me imprint such a gruesome nightmare within my mind.

I frustratingly bit my bottom lip when he suddenly grasps my waist, the temptation in his cerulean eyes was overwhelming. The sight was disgusting and unpleasant, yet my desire to acquire the last string of our hope is much more important than my feelings, my body.

He aggressively thrust his way in, making my eyes be flooded with tears. His devilish smirk and lustful eyes scream that this god right in front of my face doesn’t deserve to be treated as a holy being. He is a fucking trash, just like his kind.

“Hmm… What do you think will the king vessel’s reaction once he knew that you broke his heart while—”

“Shut the fuck, Poseidon.” I darted my eyes at him, making his laugh echoed. Then, my eyes slowly drifted to the potion, which can suppress Freya’s feeling for Glifford for years, the only hope that I’m betting myself on, “I’m letting you do this, but you don’t have the rights to mind my business!”

“Still acting tough, huh?”

Bigla na lamang niyang hinawakan ang aking buhot ng marahas kasabay nito ang paggalaw niya. Sa bawat urong-sulong n’ya tumutulo ang aking luha, hindi ko magawang humingi ng tulong sa kahit na sino. Ayokong maging dahilan kung bakit hindi na muling maimumulat ni Garet ang kaniyang mga mata, ang magiging dahil kung bakit tuluyan na siyang bibitaw sa mundong ito.

At kahit masakit at mahirap ay kaya kong isugal ang pagkatao ko at ibigay ang aking sarili, mabuhay lamang s’ya.

“You will bear my child, Alexis. I want a king vessel, just like your lover.” He aggressively let go of my hair and stood in front of me like a heartless monster.

The water surrounding us began to gather in his body, coating and covering every inch of him. Poseidon’s attention suddenly drifted to the potion. His wicked smirk slowly curved into his lips. As the water was simply in his command, the potion was gradually being handed to him.

“I might as well have a child and kill the current powerful king vessel.”

My eyes automatically widened when his hand held the bottle with might, but for some reason, he halted. Then, all of a sudden, the sky roared, and a swift beamed of a lightning strike to the ground, making everything tremble with his gregarious entrance.

And in just a blink, the potion was stolen from Poseidon’s possession, making the ill-breed god of the sea gnash his teeth.

“You disobeyed my order, Poseidon.” His stormy eyes looked down on his brother, and with just a tiny sway of his lightning bolt. A tremendous amount of lightning strikes to his body, and for some reason, his scream of devastation delighted my ears, “As the Ruler of Olympus, I will vanish you from stepping in the Mt. Olympus.”

Marahan akong napasandal sa pader habang unti-unting sumusuko ang aking katawan. Sa muling pagkumpas ni Zeus sa kaniyang lightning bolt ay tumama iyon sa kaniyang kapatid dahilan upang maglaho ito bilang isang anyo ng tubig na nasipsip lamang ng kalupaan.

Buntong-hiningang sumilay sa ‘kin si Zeus, “Hindi lamang si Poseidon ang parurusahan ko, Alexis,” makahulugan niyang sambit, “Maging ang iyong ina, si Artemis lalong lalo na ang anak ni Hephaestus… Sa madaling salita ang inyong grupo.”

Hindi ko alam kung saan ko nakuha ang natitirang lakas ko upang lumuhod sa kaniyang harapan, patuloy ang pag-agos ng aking mga luha habang nakayuko sa kaniya.

“H’wag… Ako na lamang ang parusahan mo! H’wag mo na silang idamay pa…”

“Ngunit—”

“Nakikiusap ako. Alam kong sapat na ako upang magbayad sa nagawa ng aming grupo… Palayain mo sila’t ako ang panagutin mo…”

Dahan-dahan na tumulo ang aking luha sa pagbubukas ko sa aking mga mata at kahit na gaano katagal simula nang mangyari ang memoryang iyon ay hindi ko pa rin maalis sa aking isipan. Palagi na lamang umuulit ito na tila isang sirang plaka.

Ilang buwan na rin simula noong umalis sina Garet at Freya ng walang kahit isang abiso o paalam man lamang.

Marahan kong hinaplos ang aking tiyan habang inaayos ko ang aking pag-upo, nang bigla na lamang bumukas ang pinto sa aking silid. Masaya akong nginitian ng aking ina’t umupo sa aking tabi.

“He’ll be coming out soon?” Athena asked.

I eyed her tummy and smiled, “My brother, too.”

She chuckled and suddenly brushed my hair. After knowing what Poseidon did to me, my mother decided never to leave by my side. She was cautious that the god of the sea would come back and once again do something horrible to me.

“I heard that Freya contacted you?” My mother said.

I nodded at her as we slowly and carefully get up, “It was not really her. Her Pixie Dust came for me borrowed a piece of my hair. She even asked me about Medusa’s weakness,” I answered.

The two of us went out of the cabin, and the lovely faces of our busy friends welcomed us. Then, Emerald, who saw us, immediately went in our direction with a smile.

I roamed my eyes and smiled. The academy that I’ve wished for so long is only within the grasp of my hand, and this is my only reminder that Garet still cares for me. Especially that, after they left, Panther went to the Sun Kingdom to inform me about the handing of rights. And the rule-breakers didn’t let the chance go, as they wanted the Demigods Academy to be the symbolism of our existence.

“Is your mother still cautious?” Emerald asked as we both left the group and walked around the Demigods Academy.

“Oo, natatakot siya na makuha ni Poseidon ang anak ko.”

“That god is sick! Hindi pa rin talaga ako makapaniwala sa ginawa niya sa’yo!” She hissed, making me grimaced, “But do you think… It was a coincidence that you got pregnant, and Garet left?”

Her words suddenly made me flabbergasted. It somehow hit the spot as if I’m missing a detail, “But… There is no way that he’ll know unless Artemis or Alyssa told her.”

“Alyssa disappeared, and Artemis is with us. So, it is impossible…” But what if he knew?

Emerald and I suddenly hid when we heard Jackson and Panther’s voices. They are drinking in the middle of the day while talking about something serious.

“Pre, mas malupit talaga kaming mga kambing kaysa sa inyo mga kabayo.” Okay, not serious pala.

Umiling-iling pa si Panther kay Jackson, “Mali, mali. Mas malupit kami kasi apat ang paa namin!”

Sinamaan ko ng tingin si Emerald na muntik na tumawa nang malakas. Saglit n’yang tinakpan ang bibigyan saka tahimik namin pinanood ang dalawang siraulo.

“Mas malupit kami kasi… Namimiss ko na ang buong grupo namin—”

“Anong connect niyan? Bobo ka talaga.”

“May connect ‘to kasi saglit mag-eenglish ako para may feels.” Parehas tumawa ang dalawang ugok kasabay nang pagtungga nila sa alak, “All I wanted was to see Pan, and after that, I wanted to leave them like it’s nothing. But I don’t know why I can’t walk away. So instead, I was blissfully walking by their side…”

“Hindi ko pa rin makita ‘yong connection.”

Kamot-ulo na tumingin si Jackson kay Panther saka ito muling nagsalita, “Oo nga. Hindi pala connected, sayang ang english ko.”

Nakangiti kong hinila si Emerald paalis do’n ngunit agad din naman kaming napatigil nang marinig naman ang boses ni Dark. Nagiging chismosa na ata kami. Aalis na sana kami ro’n ngunit hinila kami nina Sophia at Savannah na nagtatago pala sa damuhan at pinakikinggan ang usapan nina Athena at Dark.

Putangina. Dinamay pa kami!

“I have committed the greatest sin among the rule-breakers that even gods could hate me to death, but why am I so happy? Why can’t I take off the smile across my face knowing that my child is living within you?”

Agad na nawala ang atensyon ko kay Dark kahit na sobrang ganda ng sinabi niya dahil sa dalawang siraulo na humila sa amin. Umaakto si Sophia na natamaan ng isang pana ang kaniyang puso samantalang si Savannah naman lumuhod habang nakahawak sa bandang puso ang kamay at tila may tumagos sa kaniya ro’n.

Bakit nga ba ulit ako napasama sa grupong ito?

“What the hell are you doing there?” We all looked behind us and saw Artemis looking quizzically at us.

I facepalmed when I saw my mother and Dark walking in our direction with a grimace plastered on his face.

“Are you freaking listening to us?” Dark asked.

Mabilis na tinuro namin ni Emerald ang dalawang tanga, “Sila lang,” mabilis kong sambit.

They were about to complain when all of a sudden, Alendis and Glifford came. Savannah immediately greeted her lover, which made us cringe. Parehas silang natawa ni Alendis sa naging akto namin, nang tumikhim si Glifford ay napatingin kami sa kaniya.

“I got a message from Garet…” Glifford mumbled as he slowly stole a glance from me, “They are coming back.”

#