“What is that?” Alyssa asked.

We can feel a tremendous amount of magic being released, and this forest will be destroyed if nothing is done. The large and thick vines were attacking in every direction as if the primary source of that massive power was in no control.

“A demigod,” Artemis answered. She was able to cover the whole Dim Forest earlier, but it was immediately canceled, just like what happened when she was in a fight with Alexis. “A powerful demigod who can’t control her blessing,”

“I thought, no one can break your ice?” Dark teased. Sinamaan ko s’ya nang tingin dahil umasim ang mukha ni Artemis, but it faded immediately, and she responded to Dark’s question with a straight-faced.

“Apparently, that woman can,”

“How?”

We were filled with deafening silence; my attention drifted to Freya, who was watching from above. Her lilac eyes were locked in a particular direction; she watched it intently as if she wanted to see what will happen next.

Artemis heaved a sigh and gaze upon the moon, “Apollo is the only one who can melt or shatter my ice, and I’m curious how can that woman use his blessing— especially that Alendis is Apollo’s only child.” She whispered, her crystal blue eyes were screaming with curiosity as if she was hungry about knowing that woman’s secret. She let out a cold laugh and tilted her to my direction, “I am a goddess, but I can’t tell who her godly parent is.”

Even a god couldn’t tell where she came from, huh?

She can’t be Apollo’s child. She doesn’t have the blessing of the sun, but I can tell that Alexis came from a powerful god— those holographic screens were part of her blessing, and if it can make her copy others’ blessing, then she can be powerful than the gods. A threat.

She might be the so-called Slayer of the Gods.

My attention drifted away when Freya landed on the ground. Wala sa sarili n’yang tinuro ang direksyon patungo sa silangan, puno ng pag-aalala ang mga mata n’ya habang pilit na hinuhugot ang hininga niya.

“Someone is there. Someone is trying to reach the core,” Freya murmured.

All of a sudden, another wave of attack occurred. It was more potent and powerful. The vines were destroying the trees and rocks like it was nothing. Muling gumaan ang pakiramdam ko at huli na para mapansin na lumulutang na muli ako sa ere, at ang tanging natitira sa ibaba ay si Artemis na walang buhay na nakatingin sa patungong silangan.

Once again, she stamps her foot; the whole Dim Forest was slowly being coated with much thicker ice. And when I roamed my sight, the source of the attack was a massive tree of vines— it was a large like-tree coated with thick and huge vines, at the center of it was a glowing prism which was emitting the light green pigment. The vines were being covered slowly, and it was gradually being restrained from the rampage it was doing.

My eyes laid to the ground when I saw someone jump out of the tree and was running in the core’s direction.

Alexis.

“Move,” Artemis commanded.

When Freya soared the sky, our bodies followed her.

“Pre, sino ‘to?” Glifford asked while pointing Dark. Saglit kong tiningnan si Dark saka nagkibitbalikat, “Ewan ko nga e,” I answered.

Dark glared at me, which made Alyssa laugh, “Ba’t ka namumulot ng aso, baka ma—”

“Bobo ka,” Dark jeered while looking at Alyssa.

“Mukhang pegasus si Jackson,” Savannah uttered. Lahat kami ay napatingin kay Jackson dahil sa sinambit n’ya at hindi namin naiwasan ang matawa dahil sa itsura niya that even Venyr was laughing at him.

The laughter across our faces immediately faded when the sky’s curtain slowly opened, and another set of hues appeared.

It was like Mt. Olympus appeared in our facade; the elegant golden hues of the sky were occupying the midnight blue sky. The dawn vanished. And the moon slowly descended as the sun slowly rises, and it was melting Artemis’ ice that was enveloping the forest.

Artemis crooked a face as she watched the mighty sun melting her precious ice. My eyes adjusted to the sun’s brightness as it ignited elegant rays across the horizon.

“This woman is really bad news,” Artemis gritted.

Akala ko ay babalik na sa dati ang kalangitan dahil dahan-dahan na balot ito ng kaulapan. Nagmistula silang mga bulak na nagkumpol sa kalangitan, at ang katubigan ay naiipon sa loob nito hanggang sa unti-unting bumigay sa kabigatan ang mga ulap.

“Now, what?” Glifford asked.

The downpour of rain showered us, along with the flickering flashes of lighting beyond the horizon.

“What a scary woman. How can she hide all those magic inside that skinny body?” Alyssa whispered. Her golden eyes were locked in Alexis’s direction. Isang kabadong ngiti ang kumubra sa kanyang labi hanggang sa bumaling siya bigla kay Artemis, “You are scared. At hindi kita masisisi,”

“You’re the human with the blessed eyes,” Artemis confirmed.

Alyssa nodded, “Inside those thick vines is a demigod; Dionysus’ daughter, to be exact,”

Muntik ko na malimutan na kaya niyang makita ang mga bagay na hindi namin kaya makita.

The thunder roared across the malevolent sky, and the heavens split apart. The flashes of lightning grew larger— an enormous magical energy can be felt with each flicker.

“Zeus?” Jackson uttered confusedly.

“Daughter of Zeus? No way, she doesn’t have the stormy eyes!” Savannah argued.

“Then, who the hell is her godly parent?” Freya asked.

“Apparently, even the goddess doesn’t know,” I mumbled.

Nang lumapag kami sa kalupaan ay saktong pagbagsak ng kidlat mula sa kalangitan. The flashes of lightning plummet to the vines, and during the process, the thick, enormous vines were slowly calming down as if it was being paralyzed.

Hinanap ng mga mata ko ang dalawang pares ng kulay lupang mga mata, at nang makita ko iyon ay agad kong tinakbo ang direksyon niya. I can sense that she was eager to go to the core, but with the flashes of lightning swirling around the forest — what she wanted might be impossible.

“Alexis!” I called. She halted and looked behind her back. And along with her languid expression, she glared at me.

“What do you want, Lockser?”

“Kailangan mo ng tulong,”

She suddenly smirked at me as the eeriness began to fill the vicinity. Her pale cinnamon eyes glimmers as she mockingly looked at me, “Do you think I need help from a mere demigod who doesn’t know his role to the world?”

“Anong ibig mong sabihin?”

She languidly looked at me from head to toe, “You are Garet Christopher Lockser, a king vessel— ngunit hindi mo alam kung ano ang kaya mong gawin sa mundong ito,”

“Hindi ko maintindihan,”

“You are bound to defy the gods; it is your damn prophecy! You are a rule-breaker. You are a king, who defies his own rules,” Alexis spouted. Hindi ko nagawang makakibo dahil sa sinambit n’ya hanggang sa tuluyan na siyang nawala sa ‘king harapan.

Pilit niyang tinakbo ang pinanggagalingan ng kakaibang liwanag. Samantalang ako’y hindi mapalagay ang loob habang pinanonood s’ya hanggang sa hindi ko mamalayan na sinusundan ko na pala siya.

Tila nalimutan ko ang mga kasama ko nang makapasok ako sa loob. Nang igala ko ang aking paningin ay tila napunta ako sa ibang mundo, ang makakapal na ugat ay nagmistulang kisame at haligi ng lugar.

A faint light was coming from afar, it was illuminating, and an upsurge of magical power came from that direction.

Dahan-dahan akong pumaroon, at nakita ko si Alexis na nakatingin sa ‘di kalayuan. May isang babae ro’n na mismong pinagmumulan ng liwanag. Ang mga ugat ay tila kinukuha ang lakas niya habang wala siyang malay.

All of a sudden, the surroundings began to felt cold. Alexis’ eyes darted at me, “That stupid goddess, kailan ba siya titigil?”

“Don’t unfreeze her power,” I told her.

“At pababayaan kong mamatay si Emerald?”

I quizzically looked at her and gaze upon the woman who was being consumed by her blessing, “Kilala mo s’ya?”

“Obviously, Lockser,”

Tumungo ako papunta sa babaeng nag ngangalang Emerald at bago man magyelo ang kinalalagyan niya ay agad kong sinunog ang mga ugat na nakabalot sa kanya. Alexis looked at me with disbelief, “Lockser, you moron!”

“You really love my surname, huh?” I teased.

The vines were slowly withering as if their lives were being consumed. Alexis roamed her sight until I slowly went to her front while holding her friend with my arms.

“Lockser, you’re such a moron!” She shouted.

I smirked, “Bakit kinikilig ako kahit surname ko pa lang ang binabanggit mo? Use it for your future child, use my surname,”

She once again looked at me with disbelief, like she wanted to say something, but decided not to utter anything.

I can hear the crumbling of the ceiling, and the debris was plummeting around us.

“This is your fault,” She mumbled.

“Parang wala kang tiwala sa mga nasa labas,” I smiled.

“I don’t—” I laughed at her reaction as we watch the view together; the whole house of vines were being with specks of glistening as ice along with the golden cloud of dust swirling around it.

As the cold ambiance envelope us and the house of vines began to float at a slow pace. And not from afar, a lot of exits started to appear.

“Told ya,” I teased.

All of a sudden, Glifford appeared behind us. Hinawakan niya kami parehas ni Alexis saka niya ginamit ang blessing n’ya dahilan upang mabilis kaming nakaalis sa aming pwesto.

“Who’s that chick?” Dark while pointing Emerald, who was resting in my arms. Bumaling ako kay Alexis saka ako nagsalita, “Her friend,”

“Jackson,” Glifford called.

“Oh, yes?” Jackson answered.

Pinanliitan ni Glifford ng mata si Jackson hanggang sa mapakamot sa ulo ang bobong satyr na kasama namin, “Ay, sorry, nalimutan ko scene ko,”

“Kingina, Jackson,” Savannah uttered.

“Prinsesa ka! ‘Wag ka ngang magmura!” Alyssa shouted.

Jackson played a calm melody using his flute, and the grass started to grow until it made a bed out of it. Hiniga ko ro’n si Emerald, and Glifford decided to tend at her.

Artemis and Freya were both using their power to remove the house of vines out of the forest.

“She has a magic depletion,” Glifford announced. Bigla na lamang akong nagulat nang pumunta si Dark sa harapan ni Glifford at bida-bida niyang binigay ang hawak niyang lalagyan na may lamang tubig.

“I got it from the magical lake—”

“At talagang nakapagnakaw ka pang hayop ka?!” I asked.

“You’re welcome, Christopher,”

“Kingina mo,” I jeered.

I heard Savannah and Alyssa laughing while repeating my second name. Mga kulang sa aruga.

Pinainom ni Glifford ang tubig mula sa lawa hanggang sa maubos ito. Emerald’s body suddenly illuminate a peculiar glow; her pale skin was beginning to go back to its usual hues.

Ilang segundo ang hinintay namin bago namin mapansin ang paggalaw ng mukha niya. Pareparehas kaming naalerto nang tuluyan niyang buksan ang mga mata niya.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

Emerald looked at me for a moment before answering the question, “I feel so weak,”

“Do you remember who you are?”

“Of course, I am Emerald Stone; daughter of Dionysus,”

#