The calm spring dawning ruffled safe and sound beneath the woolen clouds as it united to the softest cerulean horizon to meet the pastel land. A faint smile curved upon my lips as the familiar morning breeze along with the smooth, mellow voices of the people welcomed us as we landed at Cerxes.

A snickering laugh caught my ears, and with the dimmest looked I could give, I offered it to Freya. If it isn’t for the stupid Goddess of the Moon, I won’t make my way towards this place. It oozes so much familiarity and memories, which I wish not to think of right now.

Simone immediately left and went towards Demigods Academy. On the other hand, Freya stayed by my side to piss me off.

“Are we just going to stand here until we die?” I glared at her, but it didn’t make her smug, playful expression disappear, making me roll my eyes at her as we started walking towards the humungous golden gate of Demigods Academy.

Kung hindi lang talaga ako muntik nang mapatay ni Savanah ay hindi ako aalis sa Cerulean Kingdom, ang kaso lamang dahil sa siraulong si Artemis na itinakbo ang anak ni Savannah ay ilang oras ko nang tinatakasan ang kamatayan ko sa kamay ni Savannah.

Hindi ko talaga alam kung anong trip sa buhay ng d’yosa na ‘yon. Kung kinuha niya lamang si Aicelyn dahil gusto niyang pumunta ako sa lugar na ito ay tanga talaga siya dahil pupunta naman talaga ako rito, hindi nga lang ngayon.

Napatigil ako sa paglalakad at nagtatakha kong nilingon si Freya, nakangiti lamang ito sa akin habang ako’y naguguluhan na tinuturo ang kanyang alaga na nagbabantay sa unahan ng Demigods Academy.

“Why is he here?” I asked.

A loud sound of hissed captivated my ears as Venyr flew towards me. It’s been a while since I saw him, especially that the rule-breakers left him to the Greenwood Haven. He’s much more extensive and heavier now.

“You have Simone now,” Venyr mumbled. Wala sa sarili akong napangiti at sinuklay ang kanyang mga ulo.

“You’re Freya’s pet.”

“No,” he interjected, making me looked at him curiously, “I belong to the entire rule-breakers.”

I smiled at him. But our reunion immediately ended when Freya pulled me inside, and she told me that Venyr is now considered the keeper of Demigods Academy. Since it’s been so long when I last visited this place, I was awed by Freya’s explanations and stories behind the creation of Demigods Academy, though it was not yet officially done.

The fourth wall, the Demigods Academy, was blessed by the Gods in favor of the rule-breakers. As Apollo gifted the Fountain of Prophecy, a peculiar place in which the sacred Spirit of Delphi resides. Aside from that, Athena, with her daughter Alexis designed the entire academy, especially with the help of my father, Hephaestus, who provided them the most refined and most rigid tools and pieces of equipment.

Nang tuluyan kaming makalagpas sa gate, mabilis kong namataan si Artemis. Hawak nito si Aicelyn habang sina Jackson, Glifford at isa pang babae ay nasa tabi n’ya dahilan upang lihim kong tingnan ang kasama ko.

Kagat-labi na yumuko si Freya habang ang kanyang mga kamay ay nanginginig, alam kong kahit na ginagamit niya si Simone upang makakalap ng impormasyon dito ay hindi niya pa rin magagawang harapin ang lalaking minamahal niya, ang lalaking nagpalaya sa kanya.

“Freya…”

“Tara na, baka mapatay ka na talaga ni Savannah.” Pilit siyang tumunghay at ngumiti saka tumakbo sa direksyon nina Artemis habang sumisigaw.

At dahil sa boses niya, gulat na lumingon sa aking direksyon si Artemis at nang makita niya ang inis at madilim kong ekspresyon, hinigpitan nito ang hawak kay Aicelyn saka kumaripas ng takbo papunta sa loob.

“Tangina, uy!”

If I could just pulverize that stupid goddess!

“Garet!” I was left dumbfounded when Glifford and Jackson suddenly threw themselves to me, and I almost puke when I saw Jackson’s tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Miss na miss na kita, pre!” This is cringe. I should not have joked around Artemis about the missing thingy because this is really fucking embarrassing for me.

The woman behind him was having a conversation with Freya. Based on her looks, she’s not a demigod like us, nor a satyr like Jackson. They seem to notice my gaze towards the unnamed lad, so they let go of me. Jackson went beside her, wrapped his arm around the woman’s neck, and smirked at me.

“Garet, this is Leyla… she’s a nymph who helps us building this academy, and she’s my soon-to-be-wife.”

And just to tease Jackson, I blankly looked at him and drifted my attention to Glifford.

“Na-miss kita, Maverick.”

“Mas na-miss kita, Christopher.”

“Ang sama ng ugali mo sa akin, Garet! Seryoso naman ako, totoo rin ang sinasabi ko!” Pagngawa ni Jackson sa isang tabi, umuna si Leyla at magalang na nilahad ang kamay na akin namang kinuha saka ako nakipagkamay sa kanya.

“Garet,” sambit ko.

“Leyla… I’ve heard a lot of great stories about you,” she mumbled. Leyla roamed her sight around smiled, “What brought you here now? It’s been months since they’ve received your news about coming back, but…”

Freya immediately flinched after hearing Leyla’s words while I unconsciously tightened my grip on her when I remember why I am here, “Artemis!”

Nagmamadali akong tumakbo sa direksyon na tinahak ni Artemis samantalang ang mga kasama ko’y nagtatakhang sumunod sa akin, nang mamataan ko muli si Artemis ay patungo siya sa isang silid na may ngisi sa kanyang labi. At nang maabutan ko siya’y isang agad na naging blanko ang ekspresyon ko.

Saglit na nagtama ang mga mata namin ni Alexis bago siya tuluyan na umiwas, napansin kong nasa bisig ni Emerald si Skyler at kahit na sobrang nakaiilang ang ihip ng hangin na umaaligid sa amin ay pilit na naging positibo ni Alexis at tinuon ang atensyon kay Aicelyn.

“She’s beautiful, just like her mom,” Alexis stated.

Emerald grew curious and somehow narrowed the gap between Aicelyn and her, “What’s her name?”

Jackson facepalmed and wryly smiled while Freya was suppressing her laughter as Glifford raised his hand to speak, “She doesn’t have a pangalan pa.” Tangina, may pangalan na ‘yan!

“Alam mo hindi ko talaga alam kung bakit naging d’yosa ‘to e. Bobo naman,” natatawang sambit ni Freya, mas lalong naging blanko ang ekspresyon ko sa kanya dahil imbes na sabihin niyang may pangalan ito ay nanggugulo pa siya.

Artemis glared at her, “Do you want to die?”

A hysterical laugh got out of Jackson’s mouth, making slapped it with all her might and leer towards her soon-to-be-husband while pointing the two babies, who are enjoying their slumber, “Sorry na, commander,” Jackson mumbled.

“Katulad nga nang sinasabi ko… nainggit si Artemis kay Sophia kasi may kambal na anak,” Freya said. So, that’s why she stole Aicelyn from my grasp with the dirtiest trick she could use. So, stupid.

Alexis furrowed and raised a brow, “Sophia? The Archangel?”

“Mismo.” Freya glared towards Jackson after stealing her spotlight, but Jackson just teased her with a smirk, “I heard that one of the twins was the Miracle Child.”

“The Miracle Child that was meant for Apollo’s King Vessel,” Artemis commented. Her crystal blue eyes drifted to Freya and me, a meaningful look containing a thousand unsaid words.

But I know that Apollo wouldn’t let his child suffer. He will do everything so that what happened to Freya and me wouldn’t be the cause of distress for the next generation.

“It’s Paxton, right?” Emerald asked.

Paxton isn’t a candidate, and it was just a hunch. Especially that, I can feel that he isn’t bound to reign the entire world, “Not sure. I heard that Apollo has a newborn child… another boy,” I answered.

“But it’s got to be Paxton. Malabong maging King Vessel ang pangalawang anak,” Glifford argued. It takes a king to know one, hindi malabong maging isang King Vessel ang pangalawang anak lalo na kung hindi karapat-dapat ang nauna. Napansin ko ang pagtingin ni Glifford kay Alexis na tahimik lamang kaming pinapanood, “May kapatid ka na ‘di ba? What was his name?” tanong ni Glifford.

“Light… a counterpart of his father,” Alexis answered as she smiles while drifting her attention to Artemis, “Name her, Artemis.”

“Mayroon na. ‘Yong ama ang nagbigay,” Artemis grumpily mumbled. Wala siyang karapatan na pangalanan si Aicelyn lalo na’t hindi siya ang magiging godly parent ni Aicelyn!

“Disappointed?”

“I also want to name her, though.”

“Then use it as her second name.”

A smile suddenly creeps across her face, making me flinched for a stupid idea suddenly lurking within my mind. Shit, shit, no! Don’t tell me this cunning goddess already blessed this child with her personification?

“Aicelyn Hailey…”

All of a sudden, a thunderous roar of the mighty sky echoed as eeriness began to slowly eradicated the tranquility and with just a blink of my eyes, the woman I treasured the most was suddenly down on her knees.

Her eyes were close as her beautiful salmon hair slowly faded to white.

I bit my lip and unknowingly run towards her.

“Alexis!”

#