Ria's POV

"Dito ba?" tanong ni Chase.

"Yeps. This is it." si Hedone ang sumagot.

Together with her mother, Psyche, they just popped out of nowhere. Hanggang ngayon, nagtataka pa rin ako kung bakit bigla-bigla nalang silang nagpapakita. Pagkatapos, malalaman ko nalang na kailangan nila ang tulong namin dahil may nangyari daw kay Eros.

But hey, maybe this is what we came for.

Maybe this divine family has something for us kaya tinanguan ko nalang si Chase kanina at sinenyasan na sumunod sa kanila.

So now, we're parked in front of an apartment. Dito na daw nanirahan sila Psyche para magtago mula sa mga rebel deities. She said something about the rebels looking for them, most especially her husband, Eros. Pero wala naman siyang sinabi sa'min kung ano yung dahilan na naging wanted sila.

"We lived here ever since we were attacked by ugly creatures." pagbibigay-alam ni Psyche. "Hybrids? Tama ba ako Hedone?"

Nakita ko sa salamin si Hedone na tumango.

I don't know why but I want to laugh. Nakakatuwa kasing isipin na isang pamilya ng deities ay naninirahan sa isang apartment sa mortal realms.

I'm just wondering what kind of lifestyle they learned here while living with the mortals.

Nagsilabasan na kami at magkasabay na pumasok sa building. May ibang mortals akong nakikita na hindi gumagalaw. We just made our way and climbed the stairs since hindi naman gumagana yung elevator. Nasa pinakatuktok kami na floor at pumasok kami sa unang kwarto na nakita namin.

"Ano ba kasing nangyari?" tanong ko kay Hedone na nakatayo sa aking tabi. Nagbuntong-hininga lang siya bilang sagot. I feel like slapping the soul out of her dahil gusto ko na talagang malaman kung ano yung nangyari and all they give us as a form of response are long sighs and glares.

Hindi ba pwedeng sagutin nalang nila kami ng diretsaan? Gods. Sa tingin ko talaga intensyon nila na gawin kaming baliw.

Are they that fond of riddles?

And then there's us, na nagkakandarapa na trying to figure out everything else. Trying to decipher their prophecies and crap-filled promises.

Psh.

I wanna eat ice cream.

"Nasa'n na ba si Eros?" tanong ko. I felt relief when Psyche actually pointed towards a closed door.

Akala ko kasi titignan na naman niya ako at mapabuntong-hininga lang. Kapag napuno ako sa mga deities na'to and their silent treatment habit, lalayas na talaga ako dito.

Kung sinabi lang kaagad ni Mnemosyne kung anong dapat naming gawin edi sana madali lang namin matapos 'to. If she just revealed everything we should do to win the war, then it would have been easier for us.

"We're sorry for giving you silent responses." napatingin si Hedone sa'kin. "Naging habit na kasi namin ito."

"I wonder why." nakataas ang aking kilay. "kung bakit pinapahirapan niyo pa talaga kami."

Pagod na kasi akong intindihin sila. Simula pa nung una. Why can't they just communicate with us in a way we can actually understand?

Halimbawa, yung pangatlong propesiya ni Rhea. It says there, 'From the ends of the world, the war will cease.'

Sana pinalitan niya ito ng, 'Twelve demigods will enter a portal made by a titan goddess and they will be transported into different realms.'

Like straight to the point. Tsk. Kinailangan pa talaga na may isa sa'min na mapadpad sa Elysium para makuha ang kahulugan nito.

"It's kinda funny." natawa si Hedone. "Because if we told you everything we knew, then you wouldn't have grown to like each other." saka siya napatingin kay Chase.

Natahimik ako bigla sa sinabi niya.

Okay well.

She does have a point.

"Kung nalaman niyo kaagad ang ibig na mensahe ng mga propesiya, then you wouldn't have the time to realize how each one of you needs the others." lumapit siya sa'kin saka niya tinapik ang aking balikat at nginitian ako.

"All the Gods and Goddesses are selfish, Ria." paalala niya sa'kin. "We speak for ourselves."

"You will never understand our language." dagdag niya. "Because if Rhea did tell you everything that would happen, then you won't get to live the moments you were meant to live."

I closed my eyes for a moment and sighed. This is becoming too dramatic at ayokong maaksaya ang mga oras namin dito.

"I understand." iminulat ko ang ang aking mga mata. "Pero pwede na ba naming makausap si Eros?"

Tumango si Hedone. She seemed satisfied of my reaction. Sinamahan niya kami sa kwarto kung saan nagkukulong si Eros. Kinulong na daw ng God ang kanyang sarili simula nung malaman nilang hinahanap siya ng mga rebels.

Since Hedone and Psyche won't tell us why the rebels are looking for him, kami nalang ang kukuha ng sagot mula mismo kay Eros.

Eros, is a son of Aphrodite. He is the God of Love but he's mostly known in the mortal realms as cupid. Together with Psyche, the goddess of the soul, their love story continues to be one of the most popular stories from Greek Mythology. Sabi nga nila, dito sa kwento ng dalawang 'to ipinakita kung ano talaga ang ibig sabihin ng totoong pagmamahalan sa pamamagitan ng dalawang magkasintahan.

Long story short, they had a happy ending and bore a daughter named Hedone who soon became the goddess of pleasure, enjoyment and delight.

"Asan ba siya?" ani Chase pagpasok namin. Pagkatapos, itinuro ni Hedone ang pinakamadilim na sulok ng kwarto.

Naroon pala nakatago ang god sa likod ng mapuputi niyang pakpak. Nakayakap siya sa kanyang tuhod habang humihikbi.

"Nabaliw na talaga siya?" narinig kong tanong ni Chase kaya't siniko ko siya.

The weeping god must have heard us because he lifted his head and looked at us. Namamaga ang kanyang mga mata. Although, hindi lang yan ang napansin ko. He spread his massive wings and I quickly realized that one of them was... broken.

Nalalagas rin ang balahibo sa dulo ng mga pakpak niya. Everytime he moves his wings, feathers would start to drop.

"Do not look at me like that." sambit ni Eros. "It hurts me more."

Nakatingin siya sa ibang direksyon kaya napatingin din ako at nakita si Psyche na nakatayo sa tabi ni Hedone. Naluluha ang goddess habang minamasdan ang kaawa-awang kondisyon ng kanyang asawa.

"I found them." sagot ni Psyche. "They will help us."

"You really think they will help us? They are just mere mortals." inirapan kami ni Eros dahilan na mainis ako.

What the fuck.

Kung batukan ko kaya 'yang God na 'yan?!

Napasinghap ako dahil lumitaw si Psyche sa harap niya at binatukan nga siya.

Woah.

"Listen up Eros." naiinis na sambit ni Psyche habang dinuro-duro si Eros. "These aren't mere mortals. These are the demigods destined to end the war."

Pero yung ikinagulat ko talaga ay dahil hindi man lang nagalit si Eros sa ginawa ni Psyche sa kanya.. na para bang sanay na siya. Sa halip, ngumuso ang god at umiling-iling na parang batang pinipilit na matulog.

"No!" sigaw niya. "I do not want them to help me. I do not need them-ARAY!"

"Ano yon?!" nakakabinging tanong ni Psyche. "PARDON?! What did you just say?!"

I chuckled lightly after seeing Eros pout. I seriously thought they were going to be cheesy as hell but this...

This is better.

Nilingon ko si Chase na lumapit sa'kin at bumulong, "tignan mo Ria... parang tayo lang."

"Shut the fuck up, Chase."