Thea's POV

Tinignan ko si Arah sa rearview mirror ng sasakyan.

Nakayakap siya sa kanyang paboritong unan at mahimbing na natutulog sa backseat.

"Thea," sambit ni Seht na siyang nagmamaneho.

Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga bago ibalik ang aking tingin sa kalsada. "Natatakot pa rin ako, Seht..."

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko. "I know..."

Napatingin ako rito. "Hindi naman siguro mauulit yung nangyari sa kanya, diba?"

Masuyo niyang pinisil ang palad ko. "I think not, we're living a different time, remember? A different life?"

Napangiti ako. "Sana nga."

Tahimik lang kami papuntang Huntre's Camp kasama si Arah pero sa totoo lang, kahit nung hindi pa kami sinundo ni Seht sa bahay, hindi ako mapakali.

Nagdadalawang-isip na ako, kung tama ba 'tong desisyon ko na suportahan ang kagustuhan ni Arah na maging huntre.

Kinakabahan ako, kasi naaalala ko noong namatay siya sa harap ko dahil isa siya sa lumaban sa digmaan. Alam kong malabo nang maulit ang digmaan, pero nagdulot pa rin ito ng takot sa'kin. Napakadelikado naman kasi ng papasukin niya, paano kung mapahamak siya?

Napabuntong-hininga ako nang maalala ko rin ang mga puting bulaklak na tumubo sa ibabaw ng kanyang libingan, kung paano ko kinakausap ang mga ito simula nang mawala siya.

Napalunok ako nang maramdaman ang aking sarili na naiiyak.

Takot ako, takot na takot ako para sa kanya.

Panandalian kong pinikit ang aking mga mata dahil namalayan kong malapit na pala kami sa camp.

"Malapit na po ba tayo?" Narinig kong tanong ni Arah.

Nilingon ko siya sabay ngiti. "Sobrang lapit na."

Eksaktong huminto ang kotse pagkatapos kong sabihin 'yon.

Itinaas ni Seht ang handbrake. "I'll carry the bags," sabi niya at lumabas.

Nasa tapat na kami ngayon sa gubat at sa unahan, ay ang daanan papuntang Huntre's Camp.

"Arah," nag-aalala kong tugon sa kanya. "Sigurado ka na ba talagang gusto mong maging huntre? Baka gusto mo pang pag-isipan-"

"Ate," aniya. "Paulit-ulit mo nalang sinasabi sa'kin 'yan."

"Paano kung-" Dinig ko ang malalakas na kabog ng aking dibdib. "Paano kung may mangyaring masama sa'yo?"

"Di mo naman siguro sisisihin yung sarili mo 'no? Ate Jamie?" aniya. "Kasi desisyon ko naman 'to, eh."

Hindi na ako nagsalita pa at napatitig lang sa kanya.

Nginitian niya ako. "Gusto kong maging huntre, ate."

Dahan-dahang bumaba ang aking tingin. Kinuyom ko ang aking palad na nakapatong sa hita ko.

Ilang sandali pa'y napatango-tango ako. "Kung saan ka masaya..."

Lumapad ang kanyang ngiti at bigla niya akong niyakap. "Thank you!"

Pinigilan ko ang mga luha ko na makatakas habang hinahagod ang likod niya. "Ano pa bang magagawa ko? Yun yung gusto mo, eh."

Nilingon ko si Seht na may dalang bags at kinatok ang bintana.

Tinanguan ko siya at saka lumabas na ng kotse.

Nanumbalik ang katahimikan sa pagitan namin nang magsimula kaming maglakad papasok ng gubat, patungong camp.

Kinuha ko ang kamay ni Arah. Hindi ko siya binitawan, hanggang sa matanaw na namin ang tents ng mga huntres.

Pagkarating namin, sinalubong kami ni Heather, ang leader ng Huntres. Kasama niya ang dalawa pang huntres na tagasunod niya.

"Hi!" nagagalak niyang bati sa'min. "Hello, Arah." Nginitian niya yung kapatid ko na napakurap-kurap lang.

Inabot ni Heather ang kamay niya kay Arah na napatitig muna rito bago tanggapin.

"Strong grip," puna ni Heather pagkatapos niyang bumitaw. Saka niya ako tinignan. "Matapang din 'tong kapatid mo kagaya mo, ano?"

Napansin ko ang pagliwanag ng mukha ni Arah nang marinig 'yon.

"Hindi," sagot ko naman. "Makapal lang yung mukha."

"Ate!" Sinapak ako ni Arah.

"Ito naman! Di mabiro!" natatawa kong sabi. "Pero oo." Tumango ako. "Matapang 'yan, matalino rin..."

Ramdam ko ang pamumuo ng mga luha sa sulok ng mga mata ko kaya hanggang doon lang ang kaya kong masabi tungkol sa kapatid ko.

"You should stay for dinner," ani Heather. "I know you want me to tell you more about your sister's admission in the camp."

Seht's POV

My fingers gently ran against the bark of the tree closest to me.

I smiled while remembering the night I danced with her in my arms... It was the first time I felt completely safe after I escaped the Underworld.

'Close your eyes.'

'Hoy Sebastian, ha! Wag mo'ko-'

'Just close your eyes and listen...'

I stood alone in the middle of the woods, under the moonlight, when my ears perked up after hearing faint singing from a distance.

Luminga-linga ako.

I can't see any wood nymphs. I can only hear their voices.

I was about to look for them when a firefly passed by in front of me. I opened my mouth in awe after more fireflies revealed themselves behind the trees. Specks of light slowly filled my view of the forest, setting the air ablaze with little balls of fire, emphasizing the beauty of the distance between the trees, the color of every flower...

One of the fireflies stopped and circled in front of me so I raised my hand and let it take rest on my finger.

"Look at you," I whispered, mesmerized with its light.

"Oh? Sa'n na yung mga engkanto?"

Muntik na akong mapatalon sa gulat nang biglang magsalita si Thea. Ibinaba ko ang aking kamay at nilingon siya.

"You should really stop surprising me like that..." sabi ko sa kanya.

She scoffed. "Alam mo bang kanina pa kita hinahanap?" Lumapit siya sa'kin. "Tapos nandito ka lang pala."

"What did Heather say?" I asked.

Yumuko siya para suriin ang mga bulaklak malapit sa paanan namin. "Hmm..." Hinawakan niya ang isa sa mga ito. "Ang sabi niya siya na raw mismo ang magte-train kay Arah..."

"Then that's good, right?"

Tumayo siya. Binigyan niya ako ng isang malungkot na ngiti. "Sa tingin ko," She nodded. "Oo."

I sighed after seeing the pained expression on her face. "Thea..."

"Okay lang ako," she assured. "Mami-miss ko lang siya."

"You're not scared, anymore?" 

She pursed her lips for a few seconds. "Hindi na masyado..."

I just stared at her.

She's still having a hard time letting go of her sister...

"You know I'm here, right?" Lumapit ako sa kanya.

She gave me a bored look. "Pero hindi kita kapatid, Seht."

I chuckled. "Okay, fine... but you know..." I looked around us. "Remember when I told you, that I decided to stay as a demigod because of you?"

Natawa rin siya nang marahan. "Oo nga 'no? Dito rin 'yun, eh."

"I didn't remember anything, then," kwento ko sa kanya. "I didn't have any slightest idea about who I was. All I knew at that moment, Thea, was that I wanted to be with you."

"Huwag mo'kong pagsabihan ng ganyan, Sebastian," binigyan niya ako ng nagbabantang ngiti. "Baka masunog ko yung mga kahoy."

"We share the same flame," my eyes turned gold for one second, to remind her we have the same power. "You don't think I can control your fire?"

"Seht!" Namumula ang kanyang pisngi. "Dapat kasi malungkot ako ngayon, eh! Hindi kiligin!"

Lumapad ang aking ngiti nang may maalala ako. "And to think that you immediately hit on me the first time we met at the hospital."

"H-Hoy!" Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata. "Biro lang kaya 'yon!"

"Mmm." I looked at her suspiciously. "And you're only getting embarrassed now?"

"Gago!" Tinulak niya ako. "Bahala ka na nga diyan!"

I laughed and grabbed her arm before she could leave me. "Thea..." natatawa kong sambit.

Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin.

I pulled her close to me. "Come here," I said, and embraced her.

I heard her grunt while locked around my arms.

"Don't be sad," Hinaplos ko ang buhok niya. "I know your sister's going to be fine..."

Hindi siya sumagot, at sa halip, ay narinig ko ang mahina niyang hikbi.

 "She's happy, and you should be too."

Naramdaman ko ang pagbigat ng kanyang ulo sa balikat ko. "Alam ko, pero natatakot pa rin talaga ako, Seht..."

Muli akong napangiti.

'They gave me the chance to choose and dance with the most beautiful nymph, but I declined...'

Bumitaw ako mula sa pagkakayapos sa kanya at hinawakan ang magkabilang balikat niya. I tilted my head to look at her intently.

'Because even the Gods cannot tell how you are the most beautiful in my eyes...'

And she still is... she's still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.

"Jamie..."

I looked at the girl who fell asleep while waiting for the operation to finish.

Binaba ko ang chart na nasa kamay ko at dahan-dahang napalapit sa kanya.

She seems to be different when asleep, different from the girl that struck me with a helmet after she found out that I was the one who accidentally hit her mother on the road.

I sighed and proceeded to go to my office. I looked for one of my blankets and grabbed it, before returning to the waiting area.

I spread the blanket and gently laid it on top of her.

A strand of hair fell on her face, making her sneeze. She wiggled her nose and sniffed.

Napangiti ako.

'Cute,' puna ko.

Then, she sneezed again and scratched her nose.

I crouched down and slowly, moved the strand of hair that's disrupting her sleep. I pulled my hand away from her and didn't stand up immediately.

For some reason, she looked familiar...

Have we met before?

With my arm resting on my knee, I stared at her sleeping peacefully.

She's weird. She claimed to be my girlfriend even though we just met. She even introduced her sister as my sister-in-law. She referred to her mother as 'our' mother, before physically abusing me with her helmet.

Muli akong napangiti.

'Should I ask you out?' bulong ko.

She furrowed her brows. 'Mmm.'

Natawa ako nang mahina. 'I'll come back to you,' saad ko. 'I'll come back to you after all my questions get answered.'

Because how can I introduce myself to her when I don't even know who I really am?

Tumayo ako nang marinig ko siyang nagsalita habang tulog.

'Sebastian...'

Napatigil ako.

"Sebastian?" ani Thea. "Bakit?"

Tinuyo ko ang mga luha niya at nginitian siya. "I haven't told you, have I?"

She sniffed. "Na ano?"

"I thought I wasn't going to see light when I was in the dark," sabi ko. "I didn't know who I was, until you came."

"A-Ano bang pinagsasabi mo..."

"You who knew me when I didn't know myself..." Her face fit perfectly on my hand. "You who have been my relief for every frustration..."

"Seht naman, eh-" She chuckled hesitantly. "T-Tanginang 'to umiiyak pa ako. Please lang."

'Hephaestus...'

"Thea?"

'Let me have your daughter.'

'Are you asking for my hand, demigod?'

'I am.'

"You told me you love me..." I remembered our first kiss. "So, let me love you too."

'Take care of her.'

My eyes drifted to her pouted lips.

'Love her more than I do, Seht.'

I gently pulled her closer to me, and leaned in, until I could finally feel her lips land unto mine.

'Take it, take her heart she chose to give to you, and don't you break it.'

I managed to smile while not breaking the kiss.

'My daughter is the best thing you'll ever have once you hold her heart...'

Gods know that she will always be the best thing that ever happened to me.

'Because within it, Sebastian, inside her heart, is a flame that not even the strongest wind and heaviest rain can put out...'

I'm keeping it. I'm keeping her.

'How blessed you are, a son of light... to have a daughter of fire, burn for you.'