ICE.

Aizen was suppressing his laughter while looking at both Riley and Sky. He was sitting beside me while I am lying in my bed. Ate Rhea and the others were discussing downstairs.

Aizen was whispering about two volcanoes going to erupt. And when the door opened, Ate Rhea together with her four friends came in. Tuwang-tuwa na lumapit sa 'kin si Tito Jackson at ginulo ang akin buhok, he was about to speak when I pointed the drawer near me.

Tito Jackson quizically looked at me and opened the drawer. "OH MY DEMIGODS!" He shouted like a freakin' gay when he saw the broken pearls. Specks of pixie dust stole the pearls from his hands. "FREYA BOBO!" Tito Jackson shouted.

"What is this—OMD!" Tita Freya shouted and handed the container to Tito Glifford. Hanggang kanino nila balak ipasa 'yan?

"It's sirang pearls," Tito Glifford said.

"Hestia gave it to me,"

"Did you say thank you?" Ate Rhea asked. I sheepishly avoided her glance. Tama bang sabihin ko na sinabihan kong peste 'yon?

"Press the pearl," Master Garet said.

Nawala ang atensyon sa 'kin ni Ate Rhea nang gawin ni Tito Glifford ang utos ni Master Garet. The pearl glimmers, it was radiating the emerald pigment, and all of a sudden a map appeared, it has coordinates in it. A certain place was glowing in the map, it was a drawing of a pearl but it is was only a half.

"Stone of Persephone,"

I wryly smiled. I'll just give my thanks to her if she ever shows up again. Every pearl has its own locations, ibig sabihin ay magkakahiwalay ang mga hinahanap namin.

Three different places. "Three groups," Sue mumbled. "So, among the five of you who will be the leaders?"

"Me,"

"Me also,"

"Pass ako."

"Go with the alon,"

"I decline."

We all looked to Ate Rhea who just declined, Tita Freya squinted her eyes at her, "Freya you're so stupid. I need to protect this place," Ate Rhea jeered.

"How about you, Jackson?" Master Garet asked.

Tito Jackson sheepishly scratches the back of his head and shyly looked at us, "Buntis si Leyla. I need to be with—"

"NICE SHOOT, SIR!" Phoenix shouted. We all looked at him with surprise while he was acting as if he was shooting a ball. Dumbass.

"Apollo's son, right?" Ate Rhea asked. Her eyes were languidly looking at Phoenix who just nodded. "You just inherited his stupidest trait,"

Phoenix expression changes, his smile suddenly fade and turned into a grimace, "Not just this trait. His blood, that blood, I wished I didn't inherit it," and with that Phoenix left the room.

We all stayed silent. I know what is he talking about because that blood also runs in my veins but it is not suitable for me.

"Rhea, you just triggered a king." Master Garet brooded.

"I didn't mean it—"

Master Garet suddenly got out of the room that made Ate Rhea shut up. Tito Glifford tapped Ate Rhea's shoulder, "Let a king talk to a king,"

"And just wait until Apollo shout at you for making his precious son remember his nightmare," Tita Freya teased.

"Or Apollo could give you a prophecy that you wouldn't like," Tito Jackson commented.

I noticed that Sue and the other's twisted their lips, "Why?" I asked.

"The new oracle was scary as shit," Aizen said.

Scary? "Stop reminding me that creepy voice," Sue demanded. Creepy voice?

"It is just a statue who talks walang nakakatakot do'n." Sky mockingly said. Statue?

"You look befuddled, Ice." Light noticed.

I quizically looked at them, "Scary, creepy voice, statue. It doesn't make sense," I mumbled. They were all looking at me curiously, "I saw a beautiful woman with a soft voice and she's not a statue."

"Unfair, huh?" Aizen whispered.

"What do you mean?" Ate Rhea asked.

"I saw a woman not a statue,"

"A woman?"

"Yes, she has pale brown eyes like Light, and her hair can be compared to Sky but her was a little peculiar because at the end of her hair was shades of pink," I explained. Ate Rhea and her friends switch glances, they were all thinking and communicating using their telepathy.

"I thought she was thrown to Tartarus..." Tita Freya said. Her fingers were on her chin and were simply massaging it while she was thinking. "Rhea... They didn't tell you about it, huh?"

"They didn't."

"I will tell this to Garet," Tito Glifford said and then he exited the room.

"She told me her name," I said. They all looked at me, waiting for another word that I will utter, "Alexis,"

"W—What?" With a strained voice Master Garet asked. He just arrived together with Tito Glifford and Phoenix. His eyes started to form liquids at the and of his eyes but still, his eyes were questioning me, waiting for another confirmation that what he heard was right. "I—I thought she's thrown in the Tartarus..." Master Garet said while looking at my sister.

"Akala ko rin," Ate Rhea mumbled.

"So, Zeus and the other tricked us? Is that seventeen years... not enough to fool us? Answer me, Rhea! After all, you are—"

"GARET! Snap out of it!" Tita Freya screamed. They are all frustrated. What happened seventeen years ago? "Don't you dare question her! We all defy the laws, not just one law but most of it. Alam mong dapat lang sa 'tin ito. Tayo ang dapat nasa kinatatayuan ni Alexis, not her. We just dragged her into this mess,"

"Freya, Garet, tumigil na kayo—"

"Shut up, Glifford!" Tita Freya shouted. She's really angry. "Alexis deserves to be here, she deserves to be with her child." I looked away when her tears suddenly fell. "Emerald... she's dying every day... Hindi pa siya nakakamove on sa pagkawala ng best friend niya."

"Freya..." I heard Tito Jackson whispered. I badly want to leave this room.

"I'm sorry..." Master Garet whispered.

And when I looked at them again, I saw Tita Freya's eyes, they are burning with anger as she pointed Master Garet, "Remember this, Garet. You don't have the right to be sad about her especially that the day before she disappeared you treated her nothing. You treated her like a stranger. You treated her as if she wasn't the dream you were chasing."

And when Tita Freya left, the room was filled with deafening silence. Not even the playful lads were able to talk after Tita Freya's last remark. The rule-breakers were united to fulfill their dreams but seeing Master Garet's situation and what Tita Freya just said. Master Garet failed to fulfill his dream.

Because he stopped chasing his dream.

"We'll just talk to Freya, wait here, Primus." Tito Glifford said.

Nang lumabas silang lahat ay nanatili pa rin kaming tahimik. Kunot-noo akong napatingin kay Phoenix dahil nakikita ko ang pagngiwi niya, pakiramdam ko'y ngalay na siya kakatayo ngunit hindi niya magawang umupo dahil ang tabi na lamang ni Sue ang libreng pwesto.

Hindi pa rin sila nag-uusap ni Sue.

"Ice ice baby," I cringed when Aizen called me. I want to slap his face for blinking his eyes. He's not that cute. "May I remind you that Phoenix will be killed any moment from now," he whispered in my ear.

"Stop with the monsters already," I languidly said.

"Volcanoes,"

"What?"

"Two volcanoes going to erupt soon and their target is the sun," Aizen said.

"I don't get your humor,"

"Why would I give what's mine?" He asked surprisingly.

"What?"

"What?"

"Are you two not done yet?" Aizen and I looked at Sky and Riley who were brooding at us.

Aizen snickered and pulled me out of the bed, "I told you. Mt. Sky and Mt. Riley will erupt soon,"

Umupo kami ni Aizen sa carpet at napansin kong tatayo sana si Sky sa pwesto niya nang makita na tumabi sa 'kin si Phoenix. Iwas na iwas, huh. I glance at Phoenix, he was scratching chin as if he was thinking, "Nag-iisip ka?"

Nang lumingon siya sa 'kin ay pilit siyang ngumiti, "Random things,"

"Like?"

"Gusto mo talagang marinig?"

"Yes," I said.

"Alam mo ba kung bakit hindi nakikipagdate si Hera sa mga tennis players?" He asked. Is that true? Hera doesn't date tennis players— "Because love means nothing to them," he said.

I quizically looked at him while Aizen groaned, "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Yes," Phoenix said.

"Ang pangit. Parang yung nag-biro." Aizen scowled.

Lahat kami ay napatangin sa pinto nang magbukas ito. Tita Freya and Master Garet were already talking and that's good, "Bunutan," Tito Jackson extended his arms while holding a mason jar with papers on it. "Gumawa lang talaga kaming bunutan sa baba,"

We unknowingly did what he said, "1 is Garet's group, 2 will be Freya's and last will Glifford's."

I got three.

I saw Riley and Sky got the number 1. Nang mapalingon ako kay Aizen ay nakita ko ang pag-ngiwi niya. He's in the group with the two volcanoes. Karma is a bitch.

The groupings were like this, the first group: Tito Garet, Sky, Riley, and Aizen. The second group: Tita Freya, Aizelle, Light, and Serena, and the last group will be us: Tito Glifford, Sue, Phoenix, and I.

"We'll begin our journey tomorrow," Tita Freya said. "Now, leave."

I left my friends in the palace. I decided to go to one of my favorite places, the only place in the Cerulean Kingdom that isn't covered with ice. The sea of Winterwyn. A strong wind was blowing, and the sea was gray and white with gentle waves.

I brooded at the sea when the waves became harsh. All of a sudden a warm hand covered my eyes, I have a keen sense of smell. And I know his smell. "Langit,"

"The one and only,"

"Langit,"

"Yelo?"

"Bakit ganito ang tawagan natin?" I asked.

"Ikaw ang nag-umpisa. Ginaya lang kita,"

I remained watching the sea, "If the woman they are talking about will be back, do you think Master Garet will continue on chasing her?" I asked.

"For sure,"

Nang lumingon ako sa kanya, pinapanood niya ang mga alon,"How about you? Will you chase your dream even if you stop—" I halted when he turned his head to face me.

"I will never stop chasing you,"

The dancing strawberries were now having a live orchestra inside my stomach. Damn it. His cerulean eyes were drowning me again, I can feel the sea caressing me, delicately and lovingly.

"ICE! SKY!" We both looked away when we heard Aizelle shouting, "Kakain na raw— Ba't parang ang awkward dito?"

Sky was about to speak when a holographic screen appeared in front. It made us awed yet we eyed it curiously when we read its content.

"To undo the curse, you need time."

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