Matilda's POV

I found myself standing in the middle of the fields. Nakapikit ang aking mga mata at dinamdam ang bagong atmosphere ng Elysium.

Kumunot ang noo ko nang may naramdaman akong kakaiba. Sa aking pagmulat, nakita ko si Rhea na nakatayo na ngayon sa harap ko.

"You did well." aniya.

Her voice was calm and serene, to the point that my body shivered when she spoke.

"Why are you here?" tanong ko sa kanya.

She looked at me like I should know the answer. It took me a few seconds to realize why she's here.

"Cronus..." napatingin ako sa malaking palasyo na nasa gitna ng buong Elysium. "He's still asleep."

The Gods put him to rest.

Or that's what they thought.

"Did you find it?" tanong niya.

Bumagsak ang aking tingin at napabuntong-hininga. "No..."

"Thanatos searched for them in the rebels' lair... everywhere... but he couldn't find it." sagot ko.

I can feel the temperature change around us. Obviously, she wasn't happy at all. Tinignan niya ako na para bang naaawa siya sa sitwasyon ko ngayon. Well, of course she would. I'm the only one who knows about the consequences of this problem.

Sa mga panahong to, nararamdaman ko ang bigat ng responsibilidad bilang isang oracle.

"the fabric of time torn... reality broken... the collapse of mortals and immortals." mahina niyang sabi. "you know what will happen once one of it is in the wrong hands."

Tumango ako at hindi nalang umimik.

Humakbang siya papalapit sa'kin. "Find it, Matilda..." pinatong niya ang kanyang kamay sa balikat ko.

Before she faded, she left a whisper that weakened my knees.

"You aren't done, child."

Iniwan niya akong nakaupo sa lupa at nakatulala. Mayamaya, pinunasan ko ang isang luha na nakatakas mula sa mata ko.

Pagkatapos, napatingin ako sa kamay ko at tuluyan na ngang napaiyak ng todo-todo.

Slowly, my white dress was stained with droplets of blood and the thought finally crawled in my mind...

Ano nalang kaya ang sasabihin ng iba pag nakita nila ako dito?

In the middle of the field, is an oracle sitting on the ground, slowly losing herself and crying tears of blood.

I chuckled bitterly.

Ano pa bang magagawa ko?

Hihiga na sana ako dahil nahihirapan na akong huminga.

For the last time, I raised my head and from afar, I can see the blurry image of a man with black wings standing. Ilang segundo ang lumipas at tumatakbo na siya patungo sa'kin.

"Matilda!"

Sinisigaw niya ang pangalan ko.

With one knee kneeling on the ground, he grabbed me by my shoulders.

His mouth was moving...

So he must be saying something...

Gusto kong gumaan ang loob ko dahil nandito siya pero iba ang naisip ko nang makita ang ekspresyon sa kanyang mukha.

"A god musn't lower his head nor his body to meet the gaze of someone like me." tugon ko sa kanya.

His eyes didn't leave mine.

Who knows what he's thinking? Ang alam ko lang, gusto kong kainin na ako ni Gaia dahil pinaka ayoko ang makita akong nagkakaganito.

Lalo na sa kanya.

"Stand up." utos niya sa'kin. "Stand up, now!"

Napalunok ako at tumayo.

It was just a matter of seconds when I saw the souls peeking behind the trees.

All of their eyes were on me... and trust me, mas lalo nilang pinalala ang pakiramdam ko.

"Look at me."

Hindi ako tumingin sa kanya.

"I command you to look at me, oracle."

My mind was on a haze until he called me 'oracle'. He was speaking to me with such authority that all of the souls faded quickly to hide. The wind was steady and the field turned ice blue.

And yet.

I didn't dare to look at death.

"I will tell them." narinig kong sabi niya.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at mabilis na napalingon sa kanya.

"W-wag.." umiling ako. "P-please.." may nakatakas na naman na mga luha mula sa mga mata ko.

I can see his eyes trail my tears. Binalikan niya ako ng tingin na tila hindi kapani-paniwala ang sinabi ko.

"Why?" he asked.

"Dahil ayokong guluhin sila. M-masaya na sila." my voice was awfully unsteady. "I just couldn't take it to-"

"tell them what's happening?" kumunot ang kanyang noo.

"to see them worried... to see them struggle again... sobra na yung pinagdaanan nila at-"

"I can't help you anymore."

Bigla siyang tumalikod at naglakad papalayo sa'kin na ipinagtaka ko.

"A-are you leaving me?" sinubukan kong sundan siya pero ayaw gumalaw ng mga paa ko.

I let out a sigh when he stopped walking. Akala ko babalikan niya ako. Pero ni isang lingon, hindi niya ginawa.

Instead, he just curled his wings...

and vanished.

Just like that, he left me.

Without looking back.

I wiped the last of my tears and walked towards the lake in the middle of the forest.

Pagdating ko, tumingin ako sa tubig at nakita sila na magkasama sa Greece. I can see that they're enjoying their stay there.

"Ria naman ihh!! Di na ulit tayo makikidnap! Promise!" aniya.

"Wait. You got kidnapped?" tanong ni Seht.

Nagtinginan ang girls kaya't di ko maiwasang mapangiti. They looked at each other and then looked at Trev, who was staring back at them with an unpleasant expression.

"A-ahh... haha..." siniko ni Ria si Cesia.

"Okeeehh! Gutom na ako! Ayun! May pagkain! Tara na guys! Wooohhh!" agad hinatak ni Thea si Cesia.

And then, the vision changed.

Kalalabas lang ni Kaye sa classroom at nakita ko ang isang lalaki na sumalubong sa kanya.

"Did you know we have a japanese restaurant that recently opened?" tanong ni Kaye.

Again, I was smiling.

"Let's go then." sagot ng kasama niya.

My smile faded when I tried to locate someone. It took me a full minute pero nakita ko na rin siya.

Natutulog siya sa kwarto niya...

I can only see his back and black wings. Nakatalikod kasi siya sa'kin. I crouched down and tried to touch the water. Somehow, a part of me hoped that he can feel me.

But the moment my finger touched the water, the vision disappeared.

Tumayo ako at tinitigan nang matagal ang tubig. Kumikinang kasi ito... at ang tingkad ng kulay...

The spirits say... that this lake is as cold as ice and deep as the ocean.

all you need to do...

is to fall in its waters, and it will keep pulling you in...

and so...

I did.

I let the water pull me into the deep.

I was only thinking of finding them here.

Maybe...

I can find Cronus' eyes...

before it's too late.