Chry's Point of View

Nandito kaming tatlo sa loob ng kwartong aming nire-rentahan. Si Ace naman ay nanonood ng T.V. Heshiena was sitting near the glass window. Habang ako naman ay nakaupo lamang sa kama, tinitingnan ang mga profile backgrounds ng apat na demigods. Inabot ito sa akin ng mga satyrs na nakahanap sa kanila.

Mavros, on the other hand, was doing an errand.

Since he can shadow travel, inutusan ko itong siguraduhing makaalis ang dalawang grupo. O 'di kaya'y i-report sa akin if something's wrong. Pinagpatuloy ko ang pagbabasa.

Hanzel Mark Sarsozo. He's already twenty years old. A son of Meira Sarsozo. Sabi rito, lumaki sa Maynila si Hanzel. Pero umuwi sila ng Mama niya rito sa Cebu, kung saan lumaki ang ina niya, nang mamatay ang mga magulang nito.

Binuklat ko ang susunod na pahina. Unang bumungad sa akin ang iilang mga stolen pictures. Dionysus Pineda. He's eighteen years old. Sabi rito ay anak siya ng isang club owner. Bigla akong napaisip. Minsan kasi sa mga nagugustuhan ng mga Greek gods ay may similarities sa kung sino sila bilang Olympians.

For example, Fuego's mother is a mechanical engineer.

Blaze's father is a campus director, and Nkri's mom is a college professor. Violeta . . . her father is a former popular actor before he became that kind of person. Ina rin ni Ace ay isa ring actress.

Nagpatuloy ako sa pagbabasa.

Dionysus is a chess player. Naipanalo niya raw ito sa nationals. I just shrugged my shoulders. I turned the page to the next one. Arresaine Marqueen. This demigod is a feisty one. A trouble-maker. I mean, hindi na nakakagulat.

Lahat naman kami ganito sa mortal realm.

Demigods had this shared feeling of not being able to belong. Muli akong tumingin sa aking binabasa. Mabilis akong napailing. Dumaan na ng anim na paaralan si Arresaine. Sa St. Francis Academy lang ito nagtagal. She's also a daughter of a police chief.

Pagkatapos ay sinunod ko na ang huling page.

Tumigil ang aking kamay nang unang tumambad sa akin ang picture nito. My heart skipped a beat. I gritted my teeth, and sweat profusely coming out of my forehead. Lumunok ako ng laway, subalit tila ba'y merong bumara sa lalamunan ko.

"Mayumi," ang pagbanggit ko sa pangalan niya. "You are alive?"

I quickly restrain my tears from falling down. A memory suddenly flashes in my mind. "My name's Mayumi!" I gritted my teeth one last time. "My name's Maica."

"Maica! No! Please! Don't hurt her!" Her painful cries rang into my ear. Her tears won't stop falling. "I can't lose another sibling."

I instantaneously averted my face to the window. Para iwasang hindi ako makita ng kasama ko rito sa kwarto. At tuluyan na ngang bumagsak ang mga luhang kanina ko pa pinipigilan.

"Maica . . ." It's still vivid in my memories how she looked at me terrified. "Sinunod mo ang gusto nila! Your hands are now tainted with blood of innocents that will probably live in your conscience forever. It will haunt you!" Bumuntonghininga ako nang malalim.

Mas lalong bumigat ang nararamdaman ko. I silently inhaled, while wiping the tears that seemed won't stop falling. My eyes grew wider when I felt two pairs of eyes staring behind my back.

"How could you do this to yourself, Maica!"

Muling bumalik sa alaala ko ang pagkadisgusto sa mukha niya. Her eyes were filled with fear and pain. Tila ba'y nakatingin siya sa isang halimaw. It's painful. I just did sold my soul to the devil. At kahit ano mang pilit kong kumawala sa kulungang 'yon, hindi ako makakatakas.

"Maica! Do you still have humanity in you?!" I looked at her emotionless. "You are a monster . . ." she then breaks down in tears, sobbing and mourning to all the innocents I'd killed.

The people that I'd ended their chances to witness the next sunrise.

"Is i-it t-true, Maica?" she asked me when she learned the truth. "You don't have to do it for me." Her regretful and painful cries once again rang into my ears.

When the flashes of memories stopped, I didn't think twice to calm myself. Inayos ko ang aking sarili. Pinunasan ko ang mga luha. At nagpakawala ng malalim na buntong-hininga. Bigla kong naalala si Zuki. He did mentioned that he had a twin sister named Mayumi.

Ganoon din si Mayumi noong magkasama kami. But she never mentioned the name of her brother. Nang kinuwentuhan kami ni Zuki tungkol sa kakambal niya, unang pumasok sa isipan ko ang kilala kong Mayumi.

But I never told him about it because I thought she died.

At kapag kinuwento ko sa kanya, mauungkat ang nakaraan ko. I don't want that to happen. Muli akong lumunok ng laway. I am not ready to open up. I can't imagine myself hearing someone calling me a monster. A cold-blooded.

A demigod who sold her soul to be the devil's herald. They will probably see me as a monster, and condemn me for all the sins I have committed. And I deserve it all, for sure.

Napatingin ako kay Heshiena. Tumabi na siya kay Ace sa sofa, nanonood ng T.V. I smiled secretly. In the depth of my core, I am glad she finally at peace. Marahil ay nakita na niya ang inaasam-asam ng kanyang puso.

Ibinalik ko ang aking atensyon sa binabasa ko. Mayumi Saludar. An adopted daughter of a business minded couple who couldn't bear a child of their own.

Mabilis kong sinara ang white folder nang biglang sumulpot sa harapan ko si Mavros. We looked each other in the eye. Tinanguhan niya ako. So I nodded as well as a response. Tumikhim ako dahilan para napalingon sa akin ang dalawa.

"Let's go."

I quickly turned the car's engine back to life. Katabi ko si Heshiena. Nasa likuran naman sina Mavros at Ace. Tumingin ako sa rearview mirror. Iginulong ko ang aking mata nang makitang parehong nakabusangot ang mukha nila.

When I confirmed everyone's ready, pinatakbo ko na ang sasakyan. Binaybay namin ang abalang daan ng Balamban. Lahat kami tahimik, maliban kay Ace. He was gasping when admiring the environment.

Hinayaan ko na lamang siya kasi totoo naman.

Kalmado ang panahon. The clouds were looks so fluffy that someone could sleep on it. May nakita pa akong dumaan na eroplano. The sun were glistening so beautifully, providing the world light, and new life.

Time went so fast.

Muli ko na namang narinig ang pagsinghap ni Ace nang dumaan kami sa tulay. Pero sa pagkakataong 'to, silang tatlo na ang nakatingin sa maliit na batis. Umayos sila ng upo nang lumagpas na kami. Napansin ko kaagad nang mapadaan kami sa covered court.

Ngunit napaalerto kaming apat nang marinig ang sunod-sunod na pagsabog. We looked at each other in the eye, thinking the same thing. Kumilos na ang mga kalaban. Mabilis akong napa-preno nang makitang nakahinto lahat ng bus.

Ganoon din sa kabilang side.

Sinenyasan ko ang tatlong lumabas. Nang makalabas kami, napatalon sa gulat si Ace nang biglang nagkapira-piraso ang nangungunang bus. Doon sa kabilang side, we assume na 'yon 'yong sumabog. Because it was now embraced by flames.

Mavros collected enough darkness to shadow travel. Muli kaming nagkatinginan sa mata. Ace didn't wait my signal. Tumakbo ito papunta sa bus ng grupo nina Blei, Blaze, Nkri, at Dash. I didn't think twice to manipulate lightning, and face my palm unto the ground.

My body gradually lifted into the air.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Heshiena levitate herself. The sky gradually dimmed, lightning and thunder echoed. I summon my scepter. Gamit ito, hindi ako nagda-dalawang isip na hilahin ang kidlat sa kalangitan. And direct my blasts to the man-eating giant who is about to grab Dash.

Sumilay ang nakakalokong ngiti sa aking labi.

That strike leaves a third degree burn from the giant's body. Nagulat si Dash sa malakas na pagbagsak ng higante sa likuran niya. He smiled when he saw me, and nodded. And faced the giant. Few of the empousai are taken by surprise when Mavros appears in front of them.

A whip made of darkness emerges from the ground.

Mavros never hesitated to grab them in the neck using those whip. The three empousai tried to resist by grabbing those whip to prevent themselves from suffocation. Pero kahit na ilang ulit pa nilang subukang makalaya, hindi pa rin nila ito nagawa.

The whips were tied too tightly around their neck.

Hindi pa nakalipas ang apat na segundo, bumagsak ang mga ito sa lupa nang walang buhay. Muli akong nagmanipula ng kidlat. And drag the lightning using my scepter. Pinuntirya ko ang mga furies na nasa ere. When they realized I was aiming at them, mabilis nila itong iniwasan.

The blast directed into the other side of the road.

Causing Zuki, and Fuego looked at me in disbelief.

Napansin ko kaagad nang makitang nagsilakihan ang mga mata ng mga Furies. Sinundan ko ang kanilang tingin. They were looking at Heshiena. Nag-abot ang mga kilay niya. Her jaw moved constantly, and her silver-grey eyes glowed in anger.

Everyone seemed to feel it as well when they all looked at her.

Namutawi kaagad ang takot sa mukha ng mga halimaw. The Furies never hesitated to summon darkness and escaped through the portal they created. I tried to stopped them, but I was too late. Iginulong ko ang aking mata.

Bumaba na ako sa pagkakalutang. Pagkababa ko'y nakita kong napigilan ni Ace ang isang harpy na laslasin sa leeg si Blei gamit ang mga pakpak nito.

Blei thanked him.

Habang ang atensyon ko naman ay nabaling doon sa pares na matang nakatingin sa akin. I silently gasped. She's still look the same as I saw her the last time. Napalunok ako ng laway. I gritted my teeth to stop myself from rushing towards her, and hugged her in the middle of this mess.

Halos mawalan ako ng balanse nang biglang yumanig ang lupa. Rinig na rinig ko na ang sigawan ng iilang mga tao. Naglabasan ang mga estudyante at mga guro sa bus na nakaputong ang kanilang mga kamay sa ulo.

In an instant, there are different tons of levitating weapons that are made of celestial bronze at the back of Heshiena. On the far side of the moon, I saw her smile that send chills to my spine gradually plastered upon her lips.

Nagtakbuhan kaagad ang mga halimaw papalayo.

Thinking they could escape Heshiena's range.

Pathetic, I thought. Sa isang simpleng paggalaw lang ng daliri ni Heshiena, sinundan ng mga sandatang kontrolado niya ang mga halimaw. I was taken aback when she showered them with lightning bolts at the same time.

"Who is she?" I heard the girl beside Mayumi ask.

She looked at me first before looking at the girl. "I have no idea, but I feel like she's more powerful than anyone else here," she answered.

Hindi na ako nagulat pa sa sinabi niya. Alam na niya sa simula na hindi siya pangkaraniwan. Hindi katulad ko. Nalaman ko na lamang ito nang tumatakas ako sa mga halimaw na 'yon. And apparently, Zeus save the day, announcing that I am his daughter.

With a sound of thunder, and lightning bolts showering the ground, I have no expectations that those monsters will successfully escape from Heshiena's powerful attack. Idagdag pa ang mga inihagis niyang mga weapons. The next thing that happened, dust was flying around.

Until it faded along the air.