Reign's POV

Nasa office ako ngayon ni Sir Glen, ang guidance counselor namin.

Pinaningkitan ko siya na nakangisi sa limang cards na nasa kamay niya. Pagkatapos, tinignan ko yung nasa akin.

Kakalapag ko lang ng poker chips na nagkakahalaga ng five hundred fifty thousand pesos, at ngayon hindi na ako sigurado kung paninindigan ko ba itong cards ko o sumuko.

"Looks like you're going to fold," sabi niya.

Second draw na namin ito. Sa unang round, siya ang nanalo.

Tinitigan ko ang cards ko habang nagdadasal kay Nike, ang goddess of victory at Tyche, goddess of fortune para tulungan nila akong bawiin yung pera ko at nang hindi na rin ako makatanggap ng parusa dahil sa ginawang pangingialam ng Omegas sa misyon ng Alphas.

I lowered my cards on the table, revealing a straight flush.

Ngayon, nakadepende na lahat kung royal flush ba ang set of cards na nasa kamay niya. Kung oo, ibig sabihin buong araw akong maglilinis sa stables at sa kanya na ang one million na sinugal ko.

He snickered before showing his hand which had four queens, a four of a kind.

Palihim akong napabuntong-hininga.

Thank you, Nike and Tyche.

Kinolekta niya ang cards sa mesa at inayos ang deck nito.

"So, what did you find?" Nagsimula siyang mag-shuffle para sa huling round.

Minasdan ko ang bawat galaw ng kamay niya. "The huntsmen are preparing for something," sagot ko. "Possibly, big simultaneous attacks or one large blow on the mythological realms."

Naglapag siya ng dalawang stacks sa gitna ng mesa. "Or it could be both."

Tinapik ko ang stack na nasa aking kaliwa upang ipaalam sa kanya na ito ang stack na napili kong pagkukunan ng limang cards ko.

"Zeus and the other Olympians..." tugon ko. "They're not going to let the huntsmen win, are they? Tutulong sila sa'tin para protektahan din ang realms nila?"

"Our informant said that Zeus has not yet been triggered by the huntsmen." Isa-isang naglapag si Sir Glen ng limang nakataob na cards sa aking harapan. "Because some of us are fighting back, he has expressed his trust and has given authority to us."

Kinuha ko ang mga ito. "And if we lose to this threat, what are they going to do?"

"Unleash another Pandora," he coldly answered.

Nagkasalubong ang aking kilay. "Paparusahan nila ang buong sangkatauhan imbes na ang huntsmen lang bilang ganti?"

"You know how your grandfather is when he gets mad, Reign," aniya. "He can do anything he wants to the world because he is king, and he is king because he is powerful."

"The last time mankind angered him, he created Pandora, who brought all evil to the world." Inayos niya ang cards sa kanyang kamay. "And that is how gods are different from us."

I stared at my own cards. "Fold." Sinuko ko ang mga ito at kumuha ng bagong cards mula sa deck ko. "Betting one more million."

Binaba rin ni Sir Glen ang kanyang cards at kumuha ng bagong set.

Pinaningkitan niya ang mga ito. "Fold," sabi niya at muli na naman kaming nagbago ng set of cards.

"The gods are going to unleash chaos, themselves," saad ko.

"That's right, but only to mankind," dugtong ni Sir Glen. 

"Stopping this war will let you save humanity." Isang determinadong ngiti ang namuo sa kanyang labi. "It is what you have always wanted to do, am I right?"

"We're already at war, Sir," sagot ko. "The moment they started killing our creatures was the proclamation."

"My apologies." Natawa siya nang mahina. "What I mean, Reign, is that you will end this war, won't you?" 

Isa-isa kong tinignan ang cards sa kamay ko. "Omega means end."

In other words, yes. Yes, we will.

"But Omega could also mean weak, as a wolf and as a man." 

Napangiti ako sa ibig niyang sabihin.

An Omega in a pack of wolves, is the weakest member of the pack, and when used to describe a man, means a weakling and a loner of society.

This is also why some still continue to look down on our class, because our name means 'weak'. When in fact, it also means 'the end' or 'the last of something'.

"The entire world can burn, Sir, and we will still be the last ones standing," I replied in a soft tone. "Because we're Omegas."

Mula sa kamay ko, inangat ko ang aking tingin kay Sir Glen na tinanguan ako.

I slowly lowered my hand. "Ano lang naman ang mga kahinaan namin..." Nginitian ko si Sir Glen nang ibunyag ko ang nakahanay na royal flush, ang pinakamataas na antas ng set of cards. 

"Kung kapalit nito ay lakas para makapanatili kaming nakatayo at lumalaban pa rin hanggang huli?" dugtong ko.

He lowered his head in defeat and chuckled lightly.

"Congratulations, Reign." He leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms against his chest. "No punishment for you this time."

• • •

"Pandora," tugon ko sa ibang Omegas na naabutan kong may kanya-kanyang ginagawa sa classroom pagkapasok ko galing counselor's office.

"The gods are going to unleash another Pandora, kung hindi natin matatapos ang digmaang 'to." Humilig ako sa mga palad kong nakatukod sa teacher's table na nasa aking likod. "Though I don't know exactly what they're going to do, but they're going to unleash chaos under the order of Zeus once he gets mad."

Pandora, in Greek mythology, was a woman who was created by the gods to punish mankind. She was the one who opened the box containing sickness, death and other evil that continues to purge humans until now.

"Reign," sambit ni Amber. "Alam mong kung gaano kahaba yung lista ng mga kabit ni Zeus ay ang ikinaikli ng pasensya niya."

"Kaya nga," tugon ko. "Kaso hindi pa ako nakakaisip kung ano ang dapat nating gawin."

"Mama..." Lumiwanag ang mukha ni Bella. "Mamamatay tayong lahat?"

"Pasensya na, Bella." Pinadalhan ko siya ng isang naninimpatyang ngiti. "Hindi natin hahayaang mangyari 'yong pinakagusto mo."

Suminghap siya. "Bakit?" nadidismaya niyang tanong. "Tayo namang lahat, ih."

Natawa ako nang mahina. "Bella..."

Ngumuso siya. "Di talaga?"

Umiling ako.

"Bad yun?"

Tumango ako.

"Magagalit sina Mommy at Daddy?"

Tumango ulit ako.

Nagpakawala siya ng isang malalim na buntong-hininga. Sumandal siya sa kanyang upuan at napatingin sa malayo nang namamasa ang mga mata.

"Okie..." malumbay niyang sabi.

Mula kay Bella, inilipat ko ang aking paningin kay Paige. "Paige?"

"The school has already dispatched some students from other classes," aniya. "With the Alphas leading them."

"Good to know we're already starting," I replied. "Did you get a hold of their reports?"

"Grey stole it."

Dahil sa sinabi ni Paige, nilingon ko si Grey na nakasubsob ang mukha sa mga braso nitong nakapatong sa mesa.

He lazily raised a hand to give me a thumbs up.

"And Zack was quick enough to produce copies," dugtong ni Paige dahilan na tignan ko rin si Zack na nginitian ako sabay angat-baba ng magkabilang kilay.

"Through their reports, we found out that the Prince's are in-charge of Asia and Africa, the Carswell's of the Americas and Australia, and the Austria's are leading the forces in Europe," pagbibigay-alam niya.

"So far, majority of the students are doing well," dagdag pa niya. "But we-"

Nagkasalubong ang aking kilay nang bigla siyang napahinto.

"Bakit?" usisa ko.

"We still lost ten of our students. Five Gammas, four Betas..."

Napatigil ako.

"-and one Alpha, Reign, one of the twins of Apollo named Avery."

Saka ako napalingon kina Amber at Ash na napaiwas ng tingin, pati na rin si Bella.

"Paano?" Nanghihina ang boses ko.

"The huntsmen have leading fighters too, and they are the ones in possession of supernatural abilities."

"Like the Elite and Seht imitator? From our parents' time?" usisa ko na tinanguan niya.

Our parents once had to look for machines that could imitate godlike abilities and it turned out that they were people.

"Avery's twin sister, Maeve, supreme divinated, destroying one of their bigger facilities and caused casualties on both allies and enemies."

Dahan-dahang bumagsak ang aking paningin.

"Alam na ba 'to ng mga estudyante na natira rito sa school?" tanong ko.

Matagal-tagal pa bago siya nakasagot. "Yes."

Nanatili akong nakatuon sa harapan nang magsalita ulit si Paige.

"The reason why majority of the students are doing well against the huntsmen is because of the Alphas' response to one of their member's death," seryoso niyang sabi. "Luke ordered offense from the largest troop of allies."

"He initiated the first biggest battle, in a forest in Sweden, and they won."

I gritted my teeth and nodded my head.

"Three other Alphas also led their own troops to victory in other countries."

"Dapat lang," bulong ko.

"That's the report as of this moment," she finally finished.

Sinubukan kong iangat ang aking ulo ngunit napayuko rin ako ulit nang mapagtantong wala na akong iba pang gustong sabihin.

Kumawag-kawag ang aking panga at kasabay nito ay ang unti-unting pagkuyom ng aking mga palad.

"Reign?" ani Paige.

As much as I want to run and fly to where the dispatched students are, our class is still on standby, being the Academy's ultimate weapons.

"Prepare yourselves." Tinignan ko sila. "When the time comes, we're going to unleash our own Pandora."

02.26.2022
This chapter is dedicated to the citizen fighters of Ukraine, who is under siege of Russia.
A reminder that wars also exist in the real world.