SOLEIA'S POV

"What in the name of Hades did I just do?"

Nagpagulong-gulong ako sa aking kama habang inaalala ang nangyari kanina lang.

"Why are you crying..." he asked. "Soleia?"

I instantly stopped and turned to look behind me. I found him staring seriously at me, his hands tucked in his pockets.

He examined me closely, scrutinizing every part of me from head to toe, leaving nothing overlooked. His gaze finally landed on my eyes.

Saglit kong nakita ang pagkinang ng mga mata niya.

His brow furrowed, and his expression turned stern and serious. "Why are you crying?" he repeated. Instead of answering, I simply stared back at him.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again. "Answer me." His voice had an odd authority, like a command I couldn't disobey.

"Nang umiyak si Tazyn... nalungkot din ako." I wasn’t sure why I answered him like that. It was frustrating how effortlessly he could draw out my feelings with just a command.

One of his eyebrows raised in surprise at my response. "What makes you say that?" I felt his strange power tugging at me once more.

I scoffed. I didn’t want to engage with him. It wasn't rudeness—I just despised being ordered around.

"Stop commanding me, Haze," seryosong saad ko.

Confirmed. I hate him.

A corner of his mouth lifted—not in amusement, but in annoyance. He nodded to himself. Then, he took a deep breath and looked away.

"Forget what I said," aniya, hindi na nang-uutos. "Go."

I glanced at him, narrowing my eyes. 

It seemed he read my discomfort. "I'm sorry. I'll tell the headmistress you weren't feeling well."

I quickly understood what he meant, nodding at him in gratitude.

As I made my way back to the dorm, I heard him mutter a few words that echoed in my mind.

"What in the realms?! Bakit ko naman nagawa 'yun?" sermon ko sa aking sarili. Napatakip ako sa aking mukha.

Anak pa naman ni Aphrodite ang sinabihan ko ng ganun. Paano kung utusan niya akong lumuhod o mas malala ay isumpa niya ako- "I think I need fresh air."

Tama. Kailangan ko lang magpahangin. I didn't have anything to do anyway because Headmistress Adhira decided to cancel our class.

Kamusta na kaya si Tazyn?

I grabbed a black overcoat before heading out of our dorm. The academy was quite busy today. Students would bow their heads whenever I would pass by, something I wasn't used to.

Because my mind was filled with overwhelming thoughts, I accidentally bumped into someone. Agad siyang napadapa habang nanatili akong nakatayo.

"Aelia?" gulat kong bulalas. "Gods, I'm so sorry!" Nagmamadali kong inabot ang kamay ko na agad niyang kinuha.

Natatawa siyang napatingin sa'kin. "Oh my magic, you're that gorgeous demigod. You're Soleia!" Palihim akong napasimangot dahil sa tinawag niya sa'kin. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. I was trying to find Kai since there's an emergency."

Napaisip ako. Emergency?

"I apologize as well, I was just... panicking," natatarantang tugon ko. Napatango-tango siya at ngumiti siya pabalik.

"Ah, that reminds me. I have a favor to ask of you, Soleia," biglang aniya. "Would you be a sweet little demigod and borrow the book of flowers in the library? Lianna's looking for it."

"Hindi ko lang makuha dahil kailangan kong puntahan ang Asphodel Class ko, pati na rin si Kai," dugtong niya.

As a reply, I nodded my head. Sa totoo lang, gusto ko rin namang bumalik sa library dahil sa mahiwagang libro na nakita ko roon. Gusto ko itong kunin dahil naiwan ko siya kanina sa pagmamadali.

"Mhm. Sure."

Lumaki ang ngiti niya. "You're an angel! Thank you!" Pagkatapos nun ay agad na siyang tumakbo paalis.

Hm... I wonder why they're so busy.

Tinahak ko na ang daan papunta sa library, medyo kabado. Baka mangyari na naman ang nangyari kanina.

With every step I took, fear started to arise. Bakit ako natatakot? Wala naman akong dapat ikatakot.

Bumungad sa'kin ang counter ng library at kusang hinanap ng mata ko si Zae. Bakit parang wala siya dito?

Instead of Zae, I saw someone else.

Instead of him, I saw an old lady. "Excuse me, nasaan po si Zae?" tanong ko sa matandang babae.

Agad na kumunot ang noo niya kaya biglang nag-iba ang pakiramdam ko. "Zae? Walang Zae dito."

I asked once again, trying to convince myself that the one I talked to yesterday wasn't a ghost. "'Yung librarian po na nandito kahapon? 'Yung may itim na buhok at gintong mata?"

She shook her head, confirming my suspicions. "Hija, wala talaga." Hindi talaga siya librarian dito. Kung ganun, sino ang nakausap ko kahapon? Multo lang ba siya?

"Ganun po ba..." My voice started to fade in both curiosity and fear. "Salamat nalang po."

I bowed my head out of respect before walking towards the aisle of books about the history of flowers, my heart pounding.

"Alin ba rito?" Isa-isa kong tiningnan ang mga libro hanggang sa mahanap ko na nga ang kailangan ko.

"The origin of flowers. Ito na siguro yun, diba?" bulong ko. If it's wrong then I'll just return it.

I slightly parted my lips to take a deep breath. With every passing second, I felt like my mind was about to explode from the overwhelming number of questions swirling in my head.

'Yung libro, kailangan ko talagang makuha 'yung libro...

Dumiretso ako sa sulok na ipinakita sa'kin ni Zae, totoo man siya o hindi. My eyebrows furrowed for a second because I couldn't see the glass that protected the books.

Nasaan na 'yun?

Wala na ang bubog na naglalaman ng ilang mga libro. Sa halip, napalitan na lamang ito ng isang sulok na medyo maluma-luma.

Namamalik-mata lang ba ako kahapon? Pero imposible 'yun.

Pinadaan ko ang paningin ko sa bawat sulok ng silid-aklatan na 'to pero hanggang ngayon, hindi ko pa rin makita ang bubog. Nababaliw na yata ako.

I'm not going crazy, am I?

Patuloy ko itong hinanap hanggang sa may magsalita sa isipan ko. Isang pamilyar na boses.

"You will never be able to find what you're looking for, for you are lost, for there is no direction..."

Napakunot ang noo ko. Kaboses niya ang babaeng narinig ko nung nahanap ko ang misteryosong libro kaninang umaga.

"You are trapped, you are afraid..." Her voice was cold but at the same time, it was gentle. Kasabay nito ang malamig na simoy na hangin na nagbigay ng kakaibang ginhawa sa'kin.

"But fear not, for those who are lost will soon find their own path..."

"And eventually, create a future..."

I felt a chill from both the wind and the voice that resonated within my mind.

"That not even the fates nor destiny has foreseen."