A loud, noisy flapping of wings echoed, making me slowly looked up to the horizon. And in the blinding sky, a snowy-like pegasus started to plummet in my direction as his wings began to cover the eye of the heavens in my façade.

And when he elegantly halted in front, he neighed and bowed his head to me.

“Simone.”

Once again, he neighed and looked at the cave next to us. I smiled at him and playfully scratched his head. Looking at him brings backs a lot of memories about Freya, and I’s adventure… and well, as well as some irksome moments with fucking Poseidon.

Awtomatikong napataas ang kilay ko nang mapansin ang mga hibla ng pixie dust sa may leeg ni Simone, nang hawakan ko ‘yon ay agad akong napangiwi nang nag-umpisa na kumalat ito sa ere hanggang sa pinakita nito ang isang mensahe.

“We are coming back.” At may initial ko pa ang siraulong mensaheng ito. Wala sa sarili akong napasapo sa ulo ko dahil sa kalokohan ni Freya, at ito naming siraulong pegasus na ito ay umalis ng hindi ko alam.

Ibalik ko na lang kaya ang kabayong ‘to sa nakaraan?

Buntong-hininga akong sumakay sa likod ni Simone saka siya lumipad sa kalangitan, ang mapayapang lugar na ito ay nakakubli sa isang sagradong lugar sa Divine Continent na nasa pangangalaga ng mga Horae.

At dahil sa aking ama ay napuntahan namin ang lugar na ito, ngunit ito ay may kapalit dahil bago kami umalis ni Freya sa Sun Kingdom ay may kinuha kaming dalawang importanteng bagay sa grupo.

Ang una ay ang Stone of Pyre, ang bagay na hininging kapalit ng aking ama upang tulungan niya kami ni Freya na matunton ang lugar na ito. At ang pangalawa naman ay ang hourglass na pagmamay-ari ng mga Horae kung saan nakakubli ang kalahati ng kapangyarihan ni Kronos.

Bilang isang makapangyarihan at puno ng mahika ang hourglass, ito ang nakatulong sa amin upang makapaglakbay sa nakaraan. At dahil sa kautusan at kagustuhan ng mga Horae na makuha ang hibla ng buhok ni Medusa bago pa ito maging mga ahas ay napasabak kami sa isang misyon.

“Remember our first meeting, buddy?” I asked, and he neighed.

As I smile in the cluster of clouds, images of past adventures began to lurk within. When we traveled in the past, Freya teased me by changing herself to Alexis. I don’t know how she accumulated Alexis’s DNA, but changing someone’s face is the only she could do. She can’t possibly copy their blessings.

And when we arrived at Athena’s Temple, this fucking pegasus, just like his owner, set his eyes to Freya, who was disguising as my Alexis. Though fucking Poseidon in that time was intrigued with Medusa’s beauty and us, having the same target with him—for a moment, I erased the thought that he is the one who ruined the woman that I love.

We helped each other by tempting Medusa.

After getting what we wanted, we somehow—err, became friends. And as his parting ways gift, he handed Simone into my care.

“Garet!” Tumigil si Simone sa paglipad sa himpapawid nang bigla na lamang lumitaw sa aming harapan si Freya habang litaw na litaw ang isang naiilang na ngiti sa kanyang labi, “Sylvia… Ah—”

“When did you sent that freaking message, moron?”

Mabilis siyang nag-iwas ng mga mata’t lumipad pababa at kahit hindi pa ako nagsasalita’y agad itong hinabol ni Simone hanggang sa mahuli namin siya sa ibaba.

“Freya,” pagbabanta ko.

“It was months ago!” Sigaw niya. Napasapo ako sa aking ulo’t inalala kung ano ang ginawa ko noong mga nakaraan na buwan, at dahil masyado rin akong abala sa pag-lolocate ng mga portal ay hindi ko sila masyadong nakikita at napapansin, “Simone was… he was visiting Alexis from time to time…”

“He—what?!”

Muli siyang umiwas ng tingin sa akin habang sumisipol pa, “E, kasi naman… gusto ko lang makaalam ng balita sa kanila… So…”

“You used my pegasus para maka-chismis?!” Nang dahan-dahan siyang tumango ay sinamaan ko ng tingin si Simone dahilan upang itago niya ang kanyang mukha sa likod ng malalaking niyang pakpak, “Anong mayroon sa bestfriend mong duwende?”

“She found Alyssa.” Damn. Soon, the rule-breakers will be complete again. “Skyler…”

“Hmm?”

“The name of Alexis’s son,” she mumbled and sadly smiled. It seems that she already gave birth, and I hope it is not a freaking king vessel. Especially that, I don’t want him to ruin anyone’s story.

“It was months ago when you said that to them, right?” I asked, making her nod. “Umasa siguro sila sa balita mong makakabalik na tayo ng hindi ko man lamang alam—”

“I’m sorry, okay? Akala ko kasi after natin mapagaralan ‘yong merging ay okay na!”

“Moron…”

“Bakit ba nais mong pagpalakas pa? Aren’t you one of the strongest in our group—well, aside from Alexis because she’s the most—”

“Because a calamity will be devouring the sacred walls… soon…” I stated. Her eyes glistened in confusion, making me roamed my sight to Simone and back to her, “Get your things ready because this time, we will finally go home.”

“Demigods Academy?”

“No. Cerulean Kingdom,” I corrected and left her.

As I went to my room, the deafening silence began to distract me. Am I ready for this? Are we the rule-breakers prepared for this? I frustratingly closed my eyes, and as the warmth indulged me, the dimness was slowly being eradicated by a blue flame.

“Pyre…”

“Are you handing me to the Cursed Child, Garet?”

“Not yet…”

I bit my lip as I remembered Satan’s words during our last fight, and ever since then, unending what-ifs and theories started to lurk within my mind. I am not Alexis, I’m not that intelligent, but I can read between the lines. And I know that Satan is not referring to Night; he was referring to the child inside of Savannah.

And if that child is the cursed child, I must straighten her path and help her not be a suitable vessel for the Seven Kins.

“Then… don’t let that child befriended with the Obsidian Child.”

“Anong ibig mong sabihin, Pyre?”

“I am the Flame of Tranquility, Garet. I am bound to eradicate wickedness in this world, not just Satan—”

“But, you told me that I hold the same flame as Satan!”

“Pero hindi ko sinabi sa’yo na ‘yon lamang ang saysay ko sa mundong ito.” Bigla na lamang ako nawalan ng kakayahan na mag-isip dahil sa mga katagang sinabi niya.

Kailangan kong s’yang ipasa sa anak ni Savannah ngunit malabong-malabo na maiwasan ko na maging kaibigan niya ang anak ni Sophia. Hindi namin siya maaaring ilayo lalo na’t lahat sila ay napagkasunduan na nag-aaral sa Demigods Academy.

Tangina.

“Do you think… we can change the Obsidian Child?”

“By letting him what? Live in peace and purity? You are not the destiny to change something like that, Garet.”

Wala sa sarili akong napabuntong-hininga at patitig sa kisame. Hindi naman namin puwedeng ilayo o pagbawal na lumabas ang isa sa kanila upang hindi sila magkita, hindi ba?

“What I should do, then?” I asked Pyre.

“The question is not that, Garet.”

“Hmm?”

“Who do you want to save between the Cursed Child and Obsidian Child?”

#