Reign's POV

Nagmamadali akong naglakad patungo sa Auraic Room. Pagkapasok ko, mabilis na napalingon ang Omegas sa'kin pati na rin ang bagong professor namin sa Auraic Studies na si Sir Archie.

 "You're ten minutes late, Reign," sabi ni Sir.

The Auraic Room, or what we call the meditation room, is where we meditate to control our aura.

And inside the large and empty room, I found my classmates seated on cushioned mats on the floor, forming a large circle.

"I'm sorry." Sinundan nila ako ng tingin nang maupo ako sa bakanteng cushion, katabi ni Paige. "I woke up late."

I straightened my back, folded my legs and crossed them on the floor, following a proper meditation position.

Nilingon ko si Sir na nakatayo. "I slept late, and I had to follow up something in the post office."

Totoo naman talaga. Simula nang dumating si Henri, ginulgol ko na lahat ng oras ko bago matulog sa pangangalap ng impormasyon tungkol kay Destiny. 

Nakalimutan ko ring sabihan si Mama nung huli naming kita na kailangan ko ang tulong niya, kaya dumaan ako sa post office ng Academy para i-check kung naipadala na ba ni Grey ang sulat para kay Mama.

Gusto ko kasing makita lahat ng interaksyon nina mama kay Destiny, at pag-aralan ito.

"You're lucky we're doing meditation for our first session, and not training," sabi ni Sir. "I'll excuse you but only this time."

Palihim akong napabuntong-hininga at napaharap, kay Henri na bahagyang umangat ang isang sulok ng labi, tila nasisiyahan na mapagalitan ako.

Panandaliang nanliit ang aking mga matang nakatuon sa kanya.

"Alright class, before we go on the actual meditation, let us review the basics of this subject," tugon ni Sir. "First, its history."

Itinaas ko ang aking kamay.

"Proceed, Reign."

"Auraic Studies is a specialized subject established by the founders of the school after they graduated, and after they fought against chaos," sabi ko. "They realized that students need to train not just our god-inherited abilities, but also our ability to control chaos within each one of us."

"Define chaos, Grey," utos ni Sir kaya napalingon kaming lahat kay Grey na nakapangalumbaba sa kanyang hita habang nakapikit.

Mula sa upuan ko, gumapang ang kuryente sa sahig at tumungo sa ilalim ng upuan niya. Ilang sandali pa'y bigla siyang nagising sabay tingin kay Sir.

"Say that again?" aniya.

Kapansin-pansin ang pag-iwas ng tingin ng iba mula sa kanya habang nagpipigil ng tawa.

Matagal-tagal na napatitig si Sir sa kanya, bago napabuntong-hininga. "The definition of chaos, Grey."

Umayos siya sa pagkakaupo saka tumikhim. "Chaos, by definition means complete disorder or confusion," sagot niya. "But in Greek Mythology, Chaos was the first ever god to exist. He was the nothingness, that came before the creation of the universe."

"Since we were created by Chaos, chaos also lives within us." Nagsimulang maglakad si Sir para paikutan kami. "And in this subject, you are going to teach yourself how to control chaos inside you."

"Paige, what happens when you can't control chaos?" tanong niya.

"You're easily weakened, Sir," sagot ni Paige. "If you let chaos control you, then you're letting your fears and weaknesses control you, and that will lead to ultimate destruction, where you are capable of destroying yourself and everything around you."

"Ash," sambit ni Sir. "Explain this ultimate destruction that Paige talked about."

"Power Limit, Sir, or Supreme Divination, or Death," mahinahong sagot ni Ash. "Power Limit happens when a demigod forces his or her own power to reach its limits, and when it does, a part of his or her body deactivates, or locks itself to be able to regenerate."

"Symptoms?"

"During a Power Limit, a demigod can become disabled for a long time, some lose their eyesight or other senses. Some, faint and stay unconscious for days and some, can also die."

Tumango-tango si Sir. "Vance, what is Supreme Divination?"

"Supreme Divination is a stage, where a demigod overcomes his or her limitations," ani Vance. "In this stage, demigods tend to change their eye colors. They become more powerful, but in expense of losing control. They become overwhelmed with emotions, and they destroy everything around them."

"Amber," tawag ni Sir. "Define death."

"Yung pinapangarap po ni Bella."

Pinandilatan ko si Amber na natawa nang mahina. "Joke lang po, Sir," aniya. "Ang ibig sabihin nito ay kamatayan, ang katapusan ng isang buhay, o ang permanenteng pagkawala."

"Lolo rin po pala 'yan ni Henri," dugtong niya.

Tumango-tango si Sir. "Henri, the newest member, what do you know about Aura?"

"Aura..." sagot niya. "-was the titan goddess of the breeze and morning air, who became mad and ate one of her twin sons. Zeus then transformed her into a breeze or what we call now, aura, which is the distinctive atmosphere that surrounds a person or a thing."

The whole story goes that Aura, who was a titan goddess, was also a virgin-huntress who bragged about her maidenhood. Ininsulto niya ang goddess na si Artemis, dahil ayon sa kanya, hindi raw nagmumukhang true virgin ang babaeng anyo ni Artemis.

Dahil dito, nagalit si Artemis at inutusan niya si Dionysus na parusahan ang titan goddess.

Bilang parusa, ginahasa ni Dionysus si Aura, kaya nabaliw ito at kinain ang isa sa mga kambal na anak nila. Ngunit bago pa nito makain ang natitira nilang anak, sinagip ni Artemis ang sanggol.

At kagaya ng sinabi ni Henri, sa huli, ginawang hangin o aura ni Zeus si Aura.

"Just recently, while fighting against the huntsmen, one of the Alphas supreme divinated," sabi ni Sir. "She injured students who fought with her, and killed allies."

Dahan-dahang bumagsak ang aking mga mata sa sahig.

"Demigods, I'm sorry to say this, but death..." Nanghina ang kanyang boses. "The death of someone you love is not enough reason to kill or hurt others." 

"It is chaos, in the form of vengeance," saad niya.

Napalunok ako. 

"Reign, what will you feel if you lose your brother because of the enemy," aniya. "-and then you lose your sister because of you?"

I pursed my lips before looking back at him. "I..." malumanay kong sagot. "I would have driven myself mad, Sir, and will probably kill myself, if I were to be honest."

Sir Archie nodded his head. "Maeve, the daughter of Apollo, after her twin sister died, burst with so much energy that she blinded herself."

"Which is why, she was unable to attend to her sister's funeral," dagdag pa niya. "She wouldn't come out of the ICU, knowing that she couldn't see her sister even for the last time."

Sabay kaming napayuko nang ipaalam ni Sir sa'min ito.

"The founders also suffered a devastating blow on their men." His voice slowly regained its stiffness. "And Mr. Austria, Mr. Prince, and Mrs. Carswell, have requested that we schedule your Auraic Studies twice a week, instead of only once a week."

"That is what chaos can do, Omegas." Sir Archie's voice turned fully determined, that what happened to the Alphas, he will not let happen to us. "For with great power, must come great control."

"But as much as I want to talk to you threateningly, a part of me is already satisfied knowing that not one of you has lost control." Namuo ang isang malambot na ngiti sa kanyang labi. "And that made you more powerful, didn't it?"

Tumango-tango kami.

The fact that we excelled in Auraic Studies, is one of the factors that put our class in the position of being the last and ultimate weapons of the Academy.

So when the other students get devoured by chaos and everything has lost control, we enter the most chaotic part of the battle.

And once we step foot into the battlefield, we automatically become the highest commanders.

The Omegas will kill, detain, hold, protect, fight, and control our side of the war. We will overlook both offense and defense. We will do everything to gain that control back and give us an upper hand, whatever it takes.

Napabuntong-hininga ako.

Sa kabutihang palad, hindi pa nangyayari 'yan, at siguro nga sinabi kong gusto kong lumaban, pero ayoko ring umabot kami sa punto ng digmaan kung saan kami ang papasan sa lahat dahil nagkagulo-gulo na.

The Academy, including the founders, trust us that in the face of ultimate chaos, we will never, ever, lose control.

To control both sides of a battlefield...

Wala sa sarili akong napabuntong-hininga.

How hard must it be for the others...

Inilibot ko ang aking paningin sa mga kasama ko.

The reason why I secretly offered my help to the other classes is so that I can avoid the Omegas being sent to the battlefield.

Because what really matters, is that we win without risking one of us.

May tiwala pa rin naman ako sa mga kasama ko. Alam ko kung gaano sila kamakapangyarihan, kaya kampante ako sa tuwing pinapadala kami sa mga misyon.

Pero sa kaso ko, hindi ko maiwasang mag-alala nang todo, lalo na sa tuwing magkahiwa-hiwalay kami.

Wala lang. Tao lang din naman kasi ako, eh. Isa rin akong kaibigan.

Nabaling ang aking atensyon kay Henri na ngayon ko lang namalayang kanina pa pala nakatitig sa'kin.

"What?" I mouthed.

Bilang sagot, sumayad lang ang kanyang paningin sa gitna ng sahig.

"Alright, Omegas, let's raise your auras," tugon ni Sir Archie.

Sabay kaming umayos sa pagkakaupo at ipinikit ang aming mga mata.

Aura, is the presence of a being, it is the atmosphere that surrounds a mortal or an immortal, and it shows how powerful someone is.

I remembered what I did when I released my power in front of Henri.

It was me spreading my aura, which was why the atmosphere became heavy to the point that some aurai fell and students knelt.

Habang nakapikit, madahan akong humugot ng malalim na hininga, at dinama ang pagpasok ng hangin sa aking sistema.

I inhaled deeply, and exhaled, and I did it over and over again until I could feel heat from the deepest of my core.

From the center of my body, warmth spread through my veins. It flowed along my blood until it reached my fingertips and the ends of my feet.

Kumunot ang aking noo pagkatapos maramdaman ang pagbigat ng sarili kong kinauupuan, na para bang may humahatak sa'kin mula sa kinailaliman ng mundo.

Iniyuko ko ang aking ulo, at pinagaan ang sarili kong presensya bago pa ako tuluyang madala ng namimigat na gintong dugo sa katawan ko.

Auraic Studies, is where students tend to lose control. Some faint or vomit out of exhaustion, and some reach their limit and unintentionally burst out of their own power.

This is the hardest subject, yet.

Because controlling yourself is the hardest thing to do to not just a demigod, but also to a god, and a normal human being.

Control yourself, Reign, sabi ko sa sarili sa sandaling kusang dumiin ang mga palad kong nakapatong sa aking magkabilang tuhod.

"Tangina- ayoko na," reklamo ni Amber at narinig ko pa ang paghilig niya sa sahig. "Kasalanan ko bang sadyang makapangyarihan lang talaga ako kaya sobrang bigat ng presensya ko?"

"Get back, Amber," tugon ni Sir Archie sa kanya.

Hindi ako nagpatinag sa mga tunog sa labas, dahil sa mga sandaling ito, ang pinakikinggan ko lamang ay ako.

"I need to see your auras, demigods," ani Sir. "I need to see your power of control."

So, the thing about auras...

Unti-unting umangat ang magkabilang sulok ng aking labi.

There have only been eight students in the Academy who possess a golden aura.

Dahan-dahan kong iminulat ang aking mga mata at nakita si Henri na nakatingin sa'kin at kasalukuyang pinapalibutan ng manipis na gintong apoy.

Now, nine.

Because while our parents could turn their eyes into gold, we, their children, glowed gold in the eyes of everyone.

Normal humans have different-colored auras, red, orange, yellow, blue...

Demigods have white, while gods... 

Gods have gold.

Isa-isa kong tinignan ang mga kasama kong pinapalibutan ng sarili nilang gintong aura.

At first, we all had white auras just like the others, but after years of meditating and training, we reached godlike control of our powers that our auras turned into gold.

And if a white aura meant the perfect balance, gold meant ultimate control.

"Beautiful." Sir Archie clasped his hands. "Now, I want you to form it into a barrier."

After a few seconds of concentration, one by one, the golden flame that surrounded our bodies hardened and became a translucent layer of gold.

"Okay, maintain that barrier," ani Sir.

We can control our auras to form barriers that prevent other creatures from using their powers on us, and it is what we use to protect ourselves from abilities such as mind-control, memory-reading and other dangerous ones...

A relief, to be honest, because I don't want my own mother, brother and grandfather looking at my memories.

Ayoko ring aksidenteng gawing abo at nagbabagang apoy nung kambal.

"And I shall go out before thunder and the acid rain starts," biglang paalam ni Sir.

Napatigil kami.

Ano raw?

Sabay kaming napatingala sa kisame kung saan nagtipon-tipon ang makakapal na mga ulap.

Sa sandaling sinarado ni Sir ang pinto, narinig namin ang pag-lock nito.

"Reign-" ani Amber na dahan-dahang napatayo. "Reign!"

Napatayo rin kaming lahat.

"Hindi ako ang may kagagawan n'yan," nanghihina kong tugon.

Umikot ako sa kinatatayuan ko at naalalang wala nga palang bintana ang silid na'to.

Mula sa ibabaw, pangmalapitan naming narinig ang malakas na kulog na umalingawngaw sa buong silid.

Naglaho na ang kulay ng aming aura, pero alam kong bawat isa sa'min ay pinapalibutan pa rin ng di-nakikitang barrier bilang paghahanda sa kidlat at asido na nagtatangkang bumagsak mula sa buong kisame.

Hirap na hirap na nga kaming panatilihin ang barrier tapos...

Tapos ilo-lock pa kami ni Sir sa loob ng silid na walang bintana at papaulanan kami ng kidlat at asido?

Napaatras ako ng isang hakbang.

Anong klaseng meditation 'to?!