SOLEIA'S POV

"Soleia, gusto mo ng donut?" inosenteng tanong sa'kin ni Tazyn.

Napasimangot ako bago umiling.

"I think you ate a little too many donuts, my love..." Kabadong tumawa si Talia habang nakatingin sa tatlong kahon ng donuts na nakatambak sa harapan namin.

"You call this a little?" sarkastikong tanong ni Callie. "I call this diabetes!" Pagkatapos nun, humagalpak siya ng tawa.

Tumawa ako nang mahina. Nang dahil sa kanila, bahagyang gumaan ang loob ko.

Nandito na kami ngayon sa isang mall sa Athens. Tumambay kami sa isang food court pagkatapos mamili ni Talia ng mga damit. Nakabili na rin ako ng regalo para kay Mira. Pinadala ko nalang sa bahay namin dito.

Hindi na yata kasya sa dorm namin 'yung mga pinamili ni Talia...

"Sa tingin niyo, kamusta ang mga boys doon?"

Bigla akong napaisip. Medyo kinakabahan ako dahil sila ang nagbabantay kay Skye. Alam ko kasi ang ugali nila, lalo na nina Haze at Raven. Baka matakot pa sa kanila ang pusa.

Well, if anything were to happen to Skye, I can always send them to the underworld one after the other.

"Sigurado akong pinapahirapan na naman sila ni Haze. Poor Cole." Tawang-tawa si Callie habang nagkwekwento. "I think that guy needs to chill sometime."

Amari scoffed before taking a sip of her smoothie. "That guy doesn't know how to take a break. I'm sure that when we return to the academy, he'll immediately resume his duties."

Nakuha nun ang interes ko. "Duties?"

Tumango si Talia, nakangiti. "Mhm! Because we're a part of the Elysian Class, we have a lot of responsibilities!" masiglang aniya. "For example, Amari and Raven are responsible for reporting to the headmistress after each mission."

"Why not Amari and Haze? Or maybe Haze and Raven?" takang tanong ko.

Napatawa sina Callie na parang may nakakatawa akong sinabi. "Haze hates reporting. It's a burden for him," paliwanag ng anak ni Demeter.

"That's why he's tasked with convincing the council of elders to let us off the hook whenever we do something..." Bahagya napatigil si Talia. "Bad."

"You mean illegal," sarkastikong ani Amari.

"Basta pareho na 'yun! Besides, we're doing those things to save lives, darling!"

My smile widened as they continued their storytelling. I learned that Callie and Talia were the ones who interacted with the students during events. They served as the spokespersons for the Elysian Class.

Meanwhile, Mavi and Tazyn acted as representatives during the weekly class meetings. Ayon sa kanila, si Haze ang orihinal na kasama ni Mavi, ngunit dahil sa kanyang napakahabang pasensya, pinalitan siya ni Tazyn.

Kami kaya ni Cole? Would we have roles in our class like they did? Sana.

I didn’t want them to think I was useless and contributed nothing.

"Tanda niyo ang panahong pumunta tayo sa Denmark? Raven was so angry because Talia apparently went missing in the middle of a mission." Callie chuckled. "Suddenly, a storm hit, and it wasn't even in the weather forecast!"

"Denmark’s capital also experienced an earthquake that day," Amari added with a grin.

"Huh? Hindi ba si Haze ang may gawa nun?" inosenteng tanong ni Tazyn.

Talia frowned while Amari's lips tugged upwards, causing me to hide the smirk that started to form on my lips.

"What happened to Talia, then?" I could barely contain my laughter.

"Ayun, nawala!" Callie burst into laughter while pointing at the sulking Talia.

"You three are ganging up on me! Wala! Hindi ko na kayo mahal!" Talia protested. "As if I’d forgotten about that time you ruined the academy’s garden?"

Callie quickly covered Talia’s mouth.

Talia scoffed. "You were new back then, my love... and you got mad because someone picked a fight with Lianna, so you destroyed the garden."

"Napagalitan ka pa ni Headmistress Adhira. Kinailangan pang kumbinsihin nina Raven at Amari ang headmistress para hindi ka mapalayas sa academy," Tazyn chimed in.

Just like that, my gloomy mood faded.

The mixed feelings I had vanished like magic because of them, and one thing became clear to me.

That no matter what happens... unlike before...

I have companions now.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little.

I’m lucky to have my eight pillars.

"Ikaw, Soleia?" Tazyn suddenly turned to me with a smile that reached her eyes. "May mga kwento ka ba tungkol sa pamumuhay mo sa mortal realm?"

I thought of Mira again...

"I didn’t have anyone close to me there besides Mira and Cole, so sometimes..." Napabuntong-hininga ako habang nagkwekwento. "It can get lonely in a big house since I’m not with them all the time."

"Mira’s a businesswoman, which means she’s often out of the country, but whenever she has spare time, she spends it with me."

Bigla akong napangiti.

"Since I was young, she became my mother figure... because I never had one."

They listened to me intently, and I was glad to feel understood.

I looked down, and my smile widened even more.

"I will never forget the night I nearly succumbed to my sadness."

I recalled the times I felt incredibly lonely because I thought I was all alone. I never got to go to school like the other kids, and whenever I peeked out of my window to see them playing, I always felt envious...

Why were they living normally while I wasn’t?

Bakit hindi ko kayang maging katulad nila?

"Mira led me to a field of flowers bathed in the same moonlight that enveloped us." I laughed heartily, the sound pure and free. "In that moment, she made me feel like a child again—even though I was a kid."

"Why do you look so sad, my little Sol?" Mira asked, her voice wrapped in warmth.

I pouted at the nickname. There it was again—"Little Sol."

"I’m not little po," I grumbled, my fingers nervously tracing the petals of the flower I held.

Nagulat ako nang tumawa siya. Mahina lang 'yung tawa niya pero agad akong namangha nang marinig ko ito. Lagi siyang seryoso eh!

Mira gently ruffled my hair. "Yeah, my Sol isn’t little anymore."

I pouted even harder, but my heart felt lighter.

"Someone has a gift for you," aniya.

Kuminang ang aking mga mata sa saya. Totoo kaya ang sinabi niya? May gustong magbigay ng regalo sa'kin?

With a soft look in her eyes, she revealed a delicate necklace, an amethyst pendant catching the moonlight. I took it, my small fingers trembling with excitement. "Akin talaga ito po?" I asked.

"Of course," tugon niya sa'kin.

I held the necklace up to my face, eager to know its story. "Who gave this to me po?"

A gentle breeze whispered through the flowers as she paused, the silence stretching between us. Napabuntong-hininga siya. "Just someone... someone you know very well."

Her reply hung in the air, and despite my curiosity, I held back my questions as she helped fasten the necklace around my neck.

I cradled the amethyst pendant in my hands. "It’s so beautiful... To whoever gave this, thank you po," bulong ko sa hangin.

Mira patted my hair affectionately and sighed softly, almost to herself. "You’re still a kid, after all..."

"I’ll always be here, Sol..." she added, a promise woven into her words.

Napatingin ako sa kanya bago ngumiti. In that moment, beneath the moonlit sky, I swore to never take off the necklace she gave me.

Nanatiling nakatingin sa'kin sina Amari, at nang mapansin kong wala silang balak na magsalita, tumawa ako.

Tumawa ako nang tumawa, hindi dahil sa mga mukha nila, kundi dahil sa sayang nararamdaman ko ngayon.

"Tara na?" aya ko sa kanila. "Baka may nangyari na kay Skye," pagbibiro ko.

Tumango sila at binitbit na ang kanilang mga gamit. Tahimik pa rin kami pero ramdam ko na komportableng katahimikan naman ang bumalot sa'min.

"I'm proud of you..." bulong ng katabi ko na si Callie."Pagkatapos ng gulong 'to, samahan mo ako sa garden. Maganda doon."

"Talaga? 'Yun ba 'yung garden na sinira mo?" I teased with a smirk.

Napasimangot siya. "Nakakainis ka! Ako na nga ang nagmamagandang loob eh!"

Pinagpatuloy namin ang aming asaran, ngunit nang akmang lalabas na kami sa mall, may napansin ako.

"Wait," I said.

Callie looked at me, a confused expression written all over her face.

Napatingin naman ako sa harapan ko at nakitang tumigil rin sina Talia.

"I'll just check something," saad ko. "Babalik ako," dagdag ko pa bago tumakbo paalis.

I ran through the mall, my heart racing with a mix of fear and excitement.

As I approached two people engaged in a conversation, I suddenly froze when I recognized one of them. While she looked at me, her expression was surprisingly calm.

"What in the realms-" Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. 

"Sol... how have you been?" she asked, her face gentle but lacking a smile.

Without thinking, I rushed forward and embraced her.

"Mira!"