CALLIE'S POV

"You made us roam Athens and now you're just gonna show up?!" sigaw ni Talia.

Napasimangot ako nang tawanan kami ni Iris. "We're sorry, darling." Her eyes suddenly widened, as if she just remembered something. "Oh, by the way, the real Aelia and Kai are at the academy. They never left," she said, giggling.

Ano raw?!

Pinagloloko ba nila kami?!

"We’ll elaborate later, but for now..." Hermes shot us a sideways glance. "We have a gorgon to catch."

"You’ll never capture me again! The Olympians will pay for what they’ve done to me!" Medusa screamed, her voice laced with a pain that resonated deeply within me.

And it reminded me...

That she was also a victim...

But I couldn’t allow her to harm others in her thirst for revenge.

Kasalanan 'to ng ama ni Mavi eh! He was the reason behind Medusa’s fury, yet he wasn’t even showing his face.

Hide and seek pa ang gusto niya!

"No more small talk." Hermes lunged forward, moving with the swiftness of the wind. He reached for Medusa, only to be blocked by a fierce barrier of snakes and golems.

"Playing hard to get, huh?" Hermes clicked his tongue in frustration. "Why couldn’t Poseidon handle this? This is his mess to clean up," bulong niya.

"I’m being dragged into this too!" Iris complained like a child. "I was on vacation, you know?"

Napatampal ako sa noo ko. Mga greek deities ba talaga ang kasama namin?

"Mom, you’re here?"

We turned to see Irisha striding toward us. Agad na ngumiti si Iris nang makita niya ang kanyang anak.

"My daughter!"

Hermes rolled his eyes. "Iris, we need to catch a gorgon, dude. Come on, let’s go."

Napanguso si Iris. "We’ll have our reunion later, sweetie. There’s just this angry lady to deal with."

That earned another facepalm from me.

Hermes sprinted again, with Iris right behind him. They moved with the speed one would expect from gods, but to my surprise, Medusa was holding her ground.

Isang maling kilos lang nila, maaaring maging bato na rin sila.

"We need to assist them," suhestiyon ni Cole na lumiliwanag ang mga mata.

Yellow eyes.

Fire began to encircle us, its searing heat radiating through the air, igniting our determination.

Naintindihan kong malakas sina Hermes at Iris, pero hindi kami papayag na tumayo lang dito.

We were still the guardians of our realm.

Cole was a new student like Soleia, still finding his footing, but he was able to use his abilities with precision.

He was destined to surpass me and the others. His potential was immense.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed several butterflies flying around the area, drawing closer to Medusa, who remained shielded by a relentless guard of serpents and golems.

The butterflies released a vibrant green smoke, and we instinctively covered our noses, sensing its danger.

Nako, baka mamatay pa ako nang wala sa oras!

The green smoke spread swiftly, killing nearly all of the snakes in an instant. Napagtanto ko na may halong lason 'yung usok.

Napangisi ako.

Just like Cole, I thought.

But Soleia was far more powerful. 

With a flick of her wrist, she commanded the butterflies, her eyes blazing with an otherworldly light. It was a look of fierce determination wrapped in elegance.

Hm...

A demigod's eyes shine brightly when they use their abilities, and Soleia’s eyes have never glowed. It was a sign that she held immense strength just beneath the surface.

What kind of devastation would she unleash once she fully embraced her abilities?

And perhaps Headmistress Adhira recognized that potential, which is why she had chosen to personally train Soleia—something she had never done for anyone else.

"Have you evacuated everyone, Tazyn?" tanong ni Mavi na kasalukuyang may hawak na limang bola ng tubig.

Tazyn nodded before smiling cutely. "Oo, nilagyan ko silang lahat ng barrier sa tulong ni Amari."

Napangiti ako at nakahinga nang maluwag.

"Why can't I catch you?" Mukhang galit na si Hermes. "No matter what I do, you get protected by those weird looking stone creatures."

Napangisi si Medusa. "I told you, Hermes..." She raised her head with pride, with Hermes and Iris still avoiding her gaze. "I will not lose to the Olympians this time."

Hermes' fists were clenched tightly, and Iris, who had been conjuring waves of rainbows, suddenly froze.

It seemed they had come to a realization.

"She’s being protected by someone," saad ni Amari. "I wish I had figured this out sooner..." Biglang humina ang kanyang boses.

"So we can’t defeat her right now?" Soleia asked. Amari nodded.

"Not right now. Especially with-" For the first time, I noticed panic flicker in Amari's eyes. "Incoming Cyclopes!"

Cyclopes?! Ano na namang pakulo 'to?!

Nahihirapan na nga kami sa sandamakmak na ahas at earth golems tapos dadagdag pa 'tong mga cyclopes! Cyclopes are one-eyed creatures known for their craftsmanship, but I didn't know why they were appearing now.

"Finally..." Medusa exhaled. "Until we meet again."

Like before, her snakes wrapped around her, completely concealing her. It looked as if they had engulfed her, and in an instant, she simply vanished.

Medusa escaped us, and Hermes and Iris didn't even attempt to stop her.

"Kids, you must retreat and follow Medusa," utos ni Iris. A wave of red light surged past the cyclopes, and they burst into nothing. "We will handle this."

"Send a message to the academy when you return," singit ni Hermes. "Medusa is back..."

"And she’s out for blood."

Hermes moved swiftly, almost too quickly for us to see, with Iris flying closely behind. Her eyes glimmered with the colors of the rainbow before I felt a warm, fiery shower beginning to fall.

Ginagamit niya ang ilaw ng bahaghari para makagawa ng apoy?! Woah, ang angas ni Iris!

"We need to go. Callie, hurry!" tawag nila. I quickly moved to follow them.

I glanced back one last time and was met with images of terror and chaos.

Hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko rito...

Agad kaming nagtakbuhan papunta sa limousine. Mabuti na lamang at hindi kami iniwan ni manong centaur.

"Saan tayo pupunta, Haze?!" I asked, panickingI could hardly think straight!

"Calm down," he commanded. True to his words, I did calm down.

Ang galing talaga ng mga anak ni Aphrodite! They’re not just beautiful; they’re powerful too.

"Tsk, she got away," Raven murmured next to me. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang kanyang inis.

"Are you okay, Callie?" Tazyn suddenly asked.

I nodded and returned the question. Despite the worry etched on her face, she nodded too.

None of us were okay; we were all terrified.

"Heto, uminom ka ng ambrosia," Tazyn suddenly handed me a vial, and I quickly gulped it down.

"Oh my greeks-" We all turned to Talia as she shouted. "Oh my gods, it’s the cat!"

Tinitigan ko nang mabuti ang pusang hawak niya. Puti ang balahibo nito at asul ang kanyang mata... ito nga ang pusang nakita namin kanina.

If you stared into those eyes long enough, they resembled the deep blue hue of the sky.

Ang ganda!

"We're heading to the hotel. We need to report this to the headmistress," Raven said. "I've tried to reach my father through telepathy, but he only managed to say a few words."

We listened intently, bracing ourselves for whatever he would share.

As time stretched on, my anxiety began to escalate.

He sighed heavily. "Zeus told me he couldn’t trace Medusa’s power anymore."

"She has vanished." Raven exhaled deeply. "That’s what he said."

Nanlaki ang mga mata namin.

"He believes she is being protected by someone."