TRIGGER WARNING. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Heshiena's Point of View

Nang medyo kumalma na ako, tumayo ako sa pagkakaupo sa lupa. Medyo tumila na rin ang ulan. Pero nandito pa rin ang kidlat at kulog. Marahil ay dahil ito kay Chry.

"Chry . . ." ang aking pagtawag sa pangalan niya. I gritted my teeth and balled my fists. "Everyone . . ." Pagpapatuloy ko pa. Sumikip na naman ang puso ko. Trying to threatened me to burst in tears one last time. "I am sorry. You guys better off without me."

With finality of my voice, I started taking steps. I had no idea where it take me. What prevailed in my mind is I have to get away from them as far as possible.

Not running away from mistake, but to protect them from me.

I scoffed in disbelief. I never thought I have to come to this point.

"Oh, you poor soul."

Nahinto ako sa paglalakad. Pinunasan ko muna ang luhang bumagsak sa mga mata ko bago i-angat ang aking tingin sa taong nasa harapan ko. Boses babae ito. Napakunot ang aking noo. Her presence is correspond to how ponderous a half of the universe.

Nag-atrasan ang mga luha ko nang makita ko ang hitsura niya.

Nakakapanindig balahibo.

She's beautiful, but her aura brings a feeling of sinister. She had terrifying red eyes and a smile like a serial killer. She was wearing a black toga, an ancient Greece's clothing. She is a slender woman with pale skin, straight hair, wings similar that to bat, and a blood-red lips. Her nails are sharp, enough to capable of slitting someone's throat.

"You're Eris," I immediately said when she took out her golden apple. "What are you doing here?" Matapang kong tanong sa kaniya.

She only smiled with my remarks.

"Saving you, of course."

I chuckle because of her response.

"Funny."

Napangiwi ako nang bigla siyang nag-pose. Tila akala niya pinupuri ko siya. I snapped my fingers. This time around, nasa dalampasigan na ako. I have to get away from the likes of Eris. She's no good to me or anyone in this world.

Nagbagsakan ang mga balikat ko nang sumulpot siya sa harapan ko.

"Darling, you don't have to run away from me," she commented, as if wounded of how I acted. She stared at me in the eye. "The rumors are true. You are indeed exceptional for a new goddess." She laughed devilishly. "No wonder why the king of the first generation wanted you only for himself."

Napakunot ang aking noo sa huli niyang sinabi.

Tumawa siya ulit sa naging reaksyon ko.

"What do you want?" I emphasize every single word I uttered.

Dahilan para tignan niya ako ng seryoso.

"Fearless," she commented. "Do you know why everyone think I'm evil, Heshiena?"

"Simple," puno ng kasiguraduhan kong saad. "That's because you're inherently evil."

She scoffed in pain. Sinundan niya pa ito ng paghawak ng kaniyang dibdib. At ang paglaglag ng kaniyang baba. Naglakad siya, umiikot.

"Inherently, no," she corrected me. Inilagay niya ang kaniyang index finger sa ibabang labi. Tila nag-iisip sa susunod niyang sasabihin. "Everyone can be evil, Heshiena."

My eyes fell on the ground, couldn't find the words to response. Napaisip ako. She does have the point.

"Good and evil are two sides of the same coin, Heshiena." She pointed me with her index-finger. "Even you can be evil." Napatingin ako diretso sa mata niya.

What greeted me is her devilish smile. It was then followed by her deep sigh.

In a snap of a finger, nag-iba ang paligid. Nandito na kami pareho sa loob ng casino. Punong-puno ito ng tao at may iilan akong nahagilap na mga kilalang celebrities sa industriya. May iba namang government officials. All types of people.

"Nadispatsya na ba ang gagong 'yon?"

Napaigting ang aking tenga sa narinig. There I saw a group of government officials leisurely sitting at the couch of V.V.I.P room. Bahagyang nakabukas ang kanilang pintuan.

"Dead on arrival, boss." Napakunot ang aking noo nang marinig ang boses na 'yon.

Doon ko na lamang napagtanto na nawala na pala sa harapan ko si Eris. And for goodness's sake, she was playing like a hitman that these scums hired. Kumulo bigla ang dugo ko sa galit. Ano ba'ng akala nila sa buhay ng isang tao?

Lumabas si Eris nang tumatawa. Nang makita niya akong nakatingin sa kaniya nang masama, tumigil na siya.

"They are everywhere, actually," she commented.

I quickly clicked my tongue when a guy suddenly takes his gun out. And never hesitated to shoot the other guy who argued with him.

And with a single bullet, he fell on the floor, bathing his own blood.

Nagsigawan ang mga tao sa loob. Habang ang iba naman ay nagpa-iwan na tila walang nangyari. I was quick to clicked my tongue.

Napasinghap ako nang marinig ko ang tunog ng mga daliri ni Eris. Sumalubong sa aking paningin ang napakadilim na valley. Kinilabutan ako sa sobrang lamig ng hangin. Napalingon ako sa kaliwa nang makarinig ng malakas na sigaw. Kasunod ng palad na dumampi sa balat.

Isang malakas na sampal.

Napangiwi rin ako nang marinig ko ang ungol ng iilang lalaki.

"Where are we?" tanong ko kay Eris.

Humarap siya sa akin, habang nakangiti. "We're at the black market." Lumuwa ang mata ko sa gulat sa naging sagot niya.

You've got to be kidding me.

Black market. Naririnig ko ito noong nasa mortal realm pa ako, mga panahon na hindi ko pa natuklasan ang tunay kong pagkatao.

"Every corner of this place reeks evil." I scornfully scoffed.

Totoo naman talaga ang sinabi niya. From that creepy cold breeze, I could already tell. Sabi-sabi na ang black market, nandito na lahat. Illegal firearms, human trafficking, name it. Dahil sabi nila, nandito na lahat.

Eris once again snapped her fingers. And in instant, nandito kami sa isang tila opisina.

"Do your best to get that money from the national budget, Mr. Pudeñada." The man who was wearing a formal attire ordered the man in front of his computer. "The money of the people is intended only for us," he added.

"Let the poor rot in hell," ang kaniyang huling sinabi bago umalis sa opisina.

Habang ako naman ay kanina pa nagtitimpi sa galit. I could hear from here how loud the thunder is. I was about to give this bastard a hard punch on the face to at least knock some senses into him but the surrounding suddenly changed.

"We do not interfere with mortal's affair, Heshiena. That's the one thing you shouldn't do as a deity," Eris warned me.

Dahil sa sinabi niya, hindi ko maiwasang tumawa.

"Ibahin niyo ko sa lahat." She looked at me impressed.

She then covered her mouth. "A feisty one, I see." But after she uttered those words, she looked at me dead serious as if I was about to be lectured by the likes of her. "Gods must not interfere with mortal affairs, Heshiena. Do you know why? It is to preserve the concept of free will, allowing humans to make their own choices and learn from their consequences."

"Free will . . ." ang aking bulong. Napakagat ako ng aking ibabang labi. Nangingilid na naman ang aking mga luha. "I should've give them that. I am sorry," patuloy kong bulong.

Ikinalma ko ang aking sarili. At tinignan si Eris diretso sa mata.

"Even if those choices lead to suffering?"

Tumango siya bilang pagtugon. "A god should not disrupt the natural order of the mortal world, allowing it to function on its own terms," she added. She then cleared her throat. "Now where are we?"

Ibinaling niya ang kaniyang atensyon sa paligid. Pareho kaming nandito sa school grounds. Nasabi kong school grounds dahil kanina ko pa napapansin ang mga estudyanteng naglalakad sa hallways. May iilan ding pakalat-kalat dito.

Eris snapped her fingers, transported us to an office room. To my surprise we appeared in front of a professor who molested a student. Hindi gawang makapag-react ang estudyante. All she could do was suppressing her emotions as if she was careful not to trigger the perpetrator.

"Fucking sick bastard," I commented.

Dinampot ko ang lampara na nasa gilid ng table. Nakita ko ang pagtingin sa akin ni Eris. Surprisingly, hindi niya ako pinigilan. It's a chance. Pero nagulat na lamang ako nang biglang may hinugot ang babae't diretsong sinaksak ang guro sa leeg.

Hindi lamang ito isang beses, kundi marami. Tanging pinupuntirya niya ay ang vital spots ng guro.

Nang bumagsak ang guro sa sahig na duguan, dinuraan niya pa ito.

"What visible to the naked eye is sometimes different of how it seems and appeared to be." I heard her commented.

Bumalik na sa dati ang paligid. Nandito na ulit kami sa tabi ng daan.

"Sometimes, a broken heart is incapable of mending." I gasped of the thought Eris trying to shove into my mind. "Just like what you did to your friends, patron of demigods."

Napatingin ako sa kaniya. Sinalubong ko ang mga mata niyang kulay dugo. But all I could see was her annoying devilish smile playing on her lips.

"What the fuck do you want, Eris?" galit kong tanong. "I am sure you are not just touring me around to make me realize that evil is always in the corner without something in return."

Her smile remained.

I scoffed in disbelief when I realized. "Ah!" I exclaimed as I remembered Mavros' mission. "I know why you're here. Want to take me with you, right?"

Umalingawngaw ang malakas niyang tawa. Hinawakan niya ang aking buhok. She even caressing my cheeks.

"Interested of taking sides, hmm, goddess of moonlight?" she offered. "You have nothing to return to," she added.

"And what can I get in return?"

Inilapit niya ang kaniyang bibig sa aking kaliwang tenga.

"The truth of everything you are curious about," she whispered. "Sounds good, right?" She chuckled. "You . . ." She pointed her index finger to me, "in our side. Us, providing you the answers to your questions. It's a win-win situation."

"I am sure the Anostatos doesn't want you anymore, anyway," she continues.