“Skyler Nimrod Lockser… You really gave him a name he wouldn’t even like, huh?”

My lips automatically twisted upon hearing his comment. The eeriness of this place was no longer present since the first time I went here as well as the godly presence of the man sitting across mine was no longer deadly. Beside us, Skyler was playing peacefully with his thick vines, smiling and laughing whenever it moved.

“He’s already a year and a half, so is the day that you decided to expunge the Rule-Breakers,” he stated. He lightly shook his goblet and took a sip in it. “My daughter… Emerald. Her body is being used. Wala ka bang gagawing hakbang para ro’n?”

“Freya and I are concerned to Savannah. Wala na si Alexis tapos malalaman niya pa na ang taong tumutulong sa kanya araw-araw ay hindi si Emerald?”

Natatawang umiling si Dionysus sa akin saka mabilis na inagaw ang basong hawak ko. Nang lumapat ang kanyang kamay ro’n ay mabilis na naging tubig ang alak na laman na niyon at dahil sa inis ay kanyang tinapon iyon sa pader.

“Tangina—”

Napatigil siya sa gitna ng kanyang pagmumura nang lingunin namin si Skyler. Nakatingin ito sa amin habang papikit-pikit ang mga mata na para bang papatak na ang kanyang mga luha. Nang humikbi ito’y tiningnan ko nang masama si Dionysus, mabilis siyang umiwas ng tingin nang tuluyang umiyak si Skyler at tumakbo papunta sa aking puwesto.

“Dadadada!”

“I’m going to kill you.” I stood, and panicky lifted Skyler. And his cries leisurely turning into a raging storm, I glared at Dionysus and roamed my eyes around, pulverizing his lovely vines into ashes in just a snap. I gently caressed Skyler’s hair while slowly swaying, along with the melodious rhythm of my hum.

A smile gradually curved in my lips when his cry ceased as his hug became tighter. “Hey… don’t worry. Daddy will definitely kill that drunkard,” I whispered.

“Anong drunkard? Binabantayan ko na nga ang anak mo dahil busy ka sa Demigods Academy tapos ‘yan lang ang itatawag mo sa akin?!” Apila ni Dionysus.

Humarap ako sa kanya habang tinatapik-tapik ang likuran ni Skyler saka siya pinukulan ng isang masamang tingin. “Ang dami mong p’wedeng punahin sa mga sinabi ko tapos walang kuwenta lang ‘yang irereklamo mo?”

“Hoy! May kuwenta ‘yon, gusto kong Daddy D, ang itawag sa akin ni Skyler paglaki niya.”

“Daddy Dumbass,” I whispered. I laughingly bit my lower lip when I heard Skyler snoring. “He already dozes off…”

Dionysus hushed and watched me as I sat down again. And for a moment, serenity and the deafening silence collided within the vicinity until Dionysus gave me a looked that I wouldn’t forget.

“You did great, Garet…” he mumbled. “For not entirely annihilating Poseidon and for imprisoning him in his kingdom with the Stone of Pyre.”

.
I looked around and smiled. “It is no longer called by that name, Dionysus. Golden Fire… a sacred weapon that droves monsters away.”

His eyes meaningfully looked at me and immediately looked away. Siraulo lang. As the air became thinner, unsaid words began to fill us up, as if he wanted to tell me something, but he’s trying his best not to utter it.

“May pupuntahan ka pa ba?” Tanong nito sa ‘kin.

Tumango naman ako sa kanya. “Sa Cerulean Kingdom. May pag-uusapan lang kami ni Artemis.”

“You probably should go now.”

I squinted my eyes at him. I was suspicious at first, but then I realized that my time was really limited, especially that I was still accommodating the demigods who wanted to study under the Demigods Academy. I even schedule my appointment with my friends, and Skyler is the only one I constantly visit every day, after work.

My lips gently touched Skyler’s forehead as I carefully laid him in his bed and faced Dionysus. “Subukan mong painumin ng alak ang anak ko… patay ka sa ‘kin.”

“Don’t worry… hindi ko gagawin ‘yon.”

“I should go now. Thank you, Dionysus.”

A gentle smile slowly curved in his lips, making me somehow creep out. “Garet… you gave him a name he wouldn’t like.”

“Yeah, yeah—”

“But you gave him a surname he’ll treasure for life, a surname he’ll be proud of.”

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

The familiar cold whisper of the wind welcomed me as I set foot in the Cerulean Kingdom. After arriving in front of the Cerulean Palace, Orion, a council member, greeted me. He even apologized to me, especially that Alendis and Artemis were busy to fetch me.

“Nah. It’s okay,” I mumbled.

“Uhm…” Walking our way above the stairs, his uneasiness and the way he avoids my eyes are evident.

“May problema ba?”

“You’ll see…” Nang makarating kami sa tapat ng kuwarto ni Night ay mabilis siyang nagpaalam sa akin na tila ba’y siya ang nahihiya sa kung ano man ang makikita ko.

Halos mapangiwi ako nang buksan ko pinto sa silid, may isang tanga na pinagtitripan ang dalawang bata at dalawang siraulo na walang pakielam at pinababayaan lamang iyon.

Putangina…

“Night, lipad!” Sigaw ni Savannah, pakunwari pang ihahagis si Night nang kuhanin ko iyon sa kanya. Saglit siyang nagulat bago ako sinamaan ng tingin. “Hala, ang epal. Naglalaro kami e.”

“Sana lang talaga ay h’wag magmana sa’yo si Aicelyn—mas mabuti pa kung kay Alendis na lang,” ani ko.

“Master Garet… ang harsh mo naman sa ‘kin.”

I glared at her and brought Night down beside Aicelyn. “Kuya Night, protektahan mo si Aicelyn sa bobong ‘yon, ha?” he unknowingly nodded, making me laugh.

As I heaved a sigh. I faced the other two idiots, who weren’t even scolding this stupid queen and instead they were too indulge with their chess game, a board game introduced by Alyssa.

“Artemis, Alendis, I need to talk to you,” I said.

Ang kapal ng mukha nilang senyasan na ako na saglitang, nang maramdaman nilang may binabalak akong sunugin ang kanilang nilalaro ay mabilis silang tumayo’t humarap sa akin. Mga tanga talaga.

“Ba’t hindi ako kasali?” Tanong ni Savannah.

“Bawal sa bobo.”

“Tangina mo—”

Hinampas ko ang bibig niya’t makahulugang tiningnan sina Aicelyn at Night. “Sasabihin din naman sa’yo ni Alendis mamaya.”

Lumabas kami sa silid ni Night at tumungo sa kabilang kuwarto, tahimik ang paligid at hindi maririnig ang ingay ni Savannah sa kabila. Makahulugan akong tiningnan nina Artemis, hinihintay kung ano ang balak kong sabihin sa kanila.

“You still… remember what happened to Ainsley, right?” I asked, and they nodded.

“What about him?” Alendis asked.

I heaved a sigh and frustratingly bit my lower lip. “His child is the Miracle Child… Aizelle, right? Phoenix’s servitour…”

“And?”

“The other one is the Obsidian Child.”

Artemis’s cold, unbothered expression suddenly faded as their eyes reflected the sense of disturbance upon hearing my words. A lot of things happened after our fight with Erebus, but that event remained imprinted within my mind.

“Aizen…” Artemis uttered.

“Yes, and…” I meaningfully looked at them. “Aicelyn is the Kins’ living vessel.”

“Naguguluhan pa ako. Saglit lang… Aizen is the Obsidian Child pero bakit nasama ang anak ko rito? Alam kong s’ya ang tinutukoy ni Satan noon pero—”

“Calm down, Alendis. Let Garet speak first,” Artemis commanded.

Malalim akong humugot ng hininga. At kahit hindi ako sigurado kung pagbibigyan nila ako, kailangan ko pa rin gamitin ang tyansang ito para sa kabutihan ng lahat.

“I want you to confine Aicelyn in this castle. Away from any demigods, away from the world of the divinity, away from Demigods Academy.”

Pinanliitan ako ni Alendis ng mga mata. “And why do we need to do that? I want my daughter to be free, to take on adventures like us.”

“Gusto ko rin naman… ang kaso lang hindi puwede.”

“Pag hindi mo pa sinabi ang dahilan, magiging yelo ka,” seryosong sambit ni Artemis dahilan upang mapalunok ako.

Tumikhim ako’t seryoso silang minata. “Because Aicelyn was the living vessel of the Kins. And that’s why I asked Pyre to protect her, and a part of her flame is nurturing within her…”

“And?”

“Pyre is the maiden of tranquility, the woman who slays the wickedness.”

Artemis squinted her eyes at me. “Don’t tell me…”

“Aicelyn is bound to kill Aizen.”

#