Heshiena's Point of View

Sa sobrang pagod ko kahapon ay gusto ko na lamang na hindi pumasok ngayong araw. Wala akong lakas ngayon. For I've been secretly trained myself last night. But no matter how many times I've tried, I still couldn't manipulate whatever the ability I inherited from Poseidon.

My body were in pain. Sa takot ko para mamaya sa training class ay nagpadagdag ng aking kagustuhang huwag pumasok. Nagpakawala na lamang ako nang malalim na buntonghininga at bumangon.

Nandito na ako. No matter how many times my experience tried to corrupt my mind to give up. Somehow, there's still hope burning inside of me. And that hope is all I have.

Pagkatapos kong maghanda ay bumaba kaagad ako ng second floor. And went straight to the cabin's door. I saw everyone gathered in the kitchen, eating their breakfast as usual. Nilagpasan ko lang ang kusina. I was about to open the door when I heard Violeta's voice behind my back.

"Breakfast?" she asked.

I heaved a sigh before facing her. I give her my fake smile, but I tried to make it as genuine as possible. Ayoko siyang pag-alalahanin. Ayokong maging pabigat sa kanila. I have to avoid myself getting attached to anyone.

Dahil alam ko kung saan 'yon patungo.

"Nah, hindi pa ako gutom, eh. Mauuna na lang ako sa classroom," I responded. I saw her forehead furrowed, but I was so surprised when I saw her eyes filled with sadness. "Magkita na lang tayo roon," pahabol kong sabi bago tuluyan ng umalis.

Does Violeta know?

Isinawalang bahala ko na lamang ito at napagdesisyunang dumaan muna sa cafeteria. Hawak-hawak ko na ngayon ang isang sandwich at pineapple juice na binili ko papuntang classroom. Nang makarating ako ay laking gulat ko na lamang na makitang nandito na pala si Mavros.

His intense black eyes once again met mine. Bumagsak ang aking mata sa sahig. Naglakad lamang ako papunta sa aking upuan. Nang lagpasan ko siya tila ba'y may dumaang hangin sa pagitan naming dalawa.

"You do aware that Violeta and Ace can sense your emotion, right?" Tila parang napako ako sa aking kinatatayuan nang marinig ko ang sinabi niya. "They are not only a powerful charmspeakers, but also an empath," he added.

Hindi ako nakasagot dahil dito.

I heard him heave a sigh. "I guess not," he concluded. Violeta and Ace can sense emotion? "You do know that we are here to listen to everything that's on your mind, right Heshiena?" he once again said.

Napakapit ako ng strap ng aking backpack. I gritted my teeth and balled my palm.

"I'd rather keep it alone," malamig kong saad sa kaniya.

Tumango na lamang siya't nanahimik. Habang ako naman ay mas lalong napakuyom ng mga palad. At dahil dito ay bumaon ang aking mga kuko. Wala akong pakialam sa dugong nagsituluan sa sahig.

I am not ready to share everything. Hindi ko rin gawain 'yon. Nasanay na ako na wala akong napagsabihan sa mga problema ko. Everything that I've been through are all my fault.

Kaagad kong pinunasan ang aking luhang tumulo at walang ganang umupo sa upuan ko. Kasabay ng pag-upo ko ay siyang pagdating naman ng iba. I was quick to pull myself back together. I wipe the blood that scattered upon my palm with handkerchief.

Napaangat ako ng tingin nang makaramdam ako ng tatlong pares ng matang nakatingin sa akin. My eyes instantaneously fell upon the floor when I realized who owns them. Nanggaling 'yon kina Ace, Violeta, at Chry.

Napaayos ako ng upo nang pumasok si Miss Meriam. I scoff in secret when I saw she's in a good mood. Malayo sa nararamdaman ko ngayon. Inilapag niya ang dala-dalang libro sa lamesa't humarap sa amin nang nakangiti.

Nagpakawala siya ng mabilisang pagbuntong-hininga saka pinagpagan ang suot-suot niyang pencil skirt.

"Our topic for today's lesson is the creation or the beginning of the gods." Sa mabigat kong nararamdaman kanina ay biglang naglaho dahil nakuha niya ang buo kong atensyon. "In the beginning, there was only Chaos, the gaping emptiness. Then, either all by themselves or out of the formless void, sprang forth the primordial deities: Gaea, the Earth, Tartarus, the Underworld, and Eros, Love. Once Love was there, Gaea and Chaos―two female deities―were able to procreate and shape everything known and unknown in the universe."

Nagsikunutan kaagad ang aking noo.

"Eros." Napatingin ang lahat sa akin nang marinig nila ako. "Isn't he the son of Ares and Aphrodite?" tanong ko kay Miss Meriam.

Tumikhim siya para kunin ang atensyon ng lahat. "In later version, Eros depicted as the son of Ares, god of war, and Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love. And that version was proven," she answered.

Pero 'yong pagkunot ng aking noo ay nandoon pa rin.

"They said that the Eros who mentioned as a primordial deity in The Creation is a divine spirit that roam arounds the Earth. Who provides power to Eros that we all know today." Napanatag kaagad ako nang makuha ko na ang mismong sagot sa tanong ko.

Miss Meriam then flashed a smile to the class. Inilagay niya ang kaniyang dalawang kamay sa likuran. Naglakad siya sa sentro ng classroom patungo sa kinauupuan ko. Huminto siya sa paglalakad nang nasa tapat ko na siya.

"Can any of you tell the class who are the children of Chaos?" she asked.

Blaze raised his right hand. Miss Meriam motioned to let him continue. Tumayo siya sa pagkakaupo't tumayo nang matuwid habang nakataas ang kaniyang noo.

"Chaos gave birth to Erebus, the god of darkness, and Nyx, the goddess of night," he proudly answered. "Erebus slept with his sister Nyx, and out of this union, Aether, the bright upper air, and Hemera, the Day, emerged. Afterward, feared by everyone but her brother, Night fashioned a family of haunting forces all by herself," he paused for a while and looked at us.

Miss Meriam nodded at him.

"Among others, her children included the hateful Moros, the personified spirits of impending doom, Keres, female death-spirits, Thanatos, the god of death, Hypnos, the god of sleep, Oneiroi, personified spirits of dreams, Geras, the god of old age, Oizys, the goddess of pain, Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, Apate, the personification of deceit, Philotes, the goddess of sexual pleasure, Momos, the god of blame, and the Hesperides, the nymphs of evening and golden light of sunset," Blaze concluded his answer.

Habang ako naman ay hindi makapaniwala.

Dahan-dahang kumirot ang utak ko sa daming sinagot niya. Sa lahat ng nabanggit niya hindi ko alam kung matatandaan ko pa sa susunod na mga araw.

"Samantala, ipinanganak ni Gaea si Ouranos, ang personipikasyon ng langit. Naging asawa ni Gaea si Ouranos, surrounding her from all sides." This time, si Miss Meriam na ang nagsalita. Muli siyang naglakad pabalik sa lamesa. "Together, they produced three sets of children: the three one-eyed Cyclopes, the three Hundred-Handed Hekatonkheires, and the twelve titans."

Tinignan kami ni Miss Meriam nang nanghahamong tingin. She then crossed her arms across her chest.

"Anyone can give me the names of the twelve titans?" she finally asked the class.

Nkri is the first one to raised her hand. Hindi na niya hinintay pa ang aming gurong senyasan siyang tumayo.

"Oceanus, the titan of the great river. Coeus, the titan of intelligence and inquiry. Crius, the titan of heavenly constellations. Hyperion, the titan of heavenly light. Iapetus, the titan of the moral life-cycle. And Kronos, the titan of time," she paused for a while and gave Miss Meriam a smile.

We heard her heave a sigh before continuing. "Theia, the titaness of sight and the shining atmosphere. Rhea, the titaness of healing and childbirth. Themis, the titaness of justice and counsel. Mnemosyne, the titaness of memory. Phoebe, the titaness of shining intellect. And Tethys, the titaness mother of river gods," she concluded.

Muli na namang napangiti si Miss Meriam. Nang tanguhan niya si Nkri ay saka na lamang ito umupo pabalik sa kaniyang upuan.

"Excellent, Nkri and Blaze." She give them a praise. Muli na naman niyang inilagay ang kaniyang kamay sa likuran bago kami tignan sa mata. "Gayunpaman, si Ouranos ay isang malupit na asawa at isang mas malupit na ama. Kinasusuklaman niya ang kaniyang mga anak at ayaw niyang payagan silang makita ang liwanag ng araw."

Ouranos hated his children? That made my forehead furrowed in confusion. Sa halip na lumukso sa maling konklusyon ay ibinalik ko kay Miss Meriam ang aking buong atensyon.

"Ang poot na ito ay nagmula sa katotohanan na ang kaniyang mga anak ay makapangyarihan at isang araw ay maaring humalili sa kaniyang lugar sa trono." Napangiwi ako sa rason kung bakit kinamumuhian ni Ouranos ang kaniyang mga anak.

Narinig naming tumikhim si Miss Meriam bago nagpatuloy. "Kaya't ikinulong niya sila sa mga taong lugar ng lupa, ang sinapupunan ni Gaea. Nagalit si Gaea dahil dito at nagplano siya kasama ng kaniyang anak laban kay Ouranos. She made a harpe, a great adamant sickle, and tried to incite her children to attack Ouranos," she paused.

Then raised her index finger with her serious look.

"All were too afraid, except the youngest titan," she continued. "Who is this youngest titan, Violeta?" she suddenly asked.

"Kronos, Miss," she answered right away.

"That is correct." Binigyan niya ng matamis na ngiti si Violeta. "Gaea and Kronos set up an ambush for Ouranos. Habang naghahanda siyang humiga sa tabi ni Gaea, kinapon siya ni Kronos gamit ang karit, itinapon ang kaniyang pinutol na ari sa karagatan. From the blood that was spilled on the earth due to his castration, emerged the giants, the Meliae―ash tree nymphs, and the Erinyes―the Furies."

I was fully surprised how powerful the divine beings are. Kahit na tinanggal ang testes ni Uranus na bumagsak ang dugo sa lupa ay nakapag-produce pa siya accidentally ng tatlong klaseng creatures.

"From the sea foam that was produced when his genitals fell into the ocean, arose Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love." This time, literal na bumagsak ang bibig ko sa gulat.

That is how Aphrodite, Ace and Violeta's deity, was born.