Third Person's Point of View

The people of the city celebrated Anostatos' victory against those scheming monsters. And that they prevented them from destroying the first three cities. Sinabihan pa nga silang pwede na raw silang umuwi.

But the daughter of Zeus insisted.

Chry made a reasoning. At mabilis din naman silang sumang-ayon dito.

Today's kind of chill for Heshiena. She wasn't complaining but rather hoping to stay it like that. But the peace and calm she's been feeling was disrupted so quickly. Hindi nakaligtas ang usapin tungkol sa posibleng paglaho ng mga Olympians. At kung paano konektado ang lahat na mga nangyayari sa paligid sa kaniya.

Ramdam na ramdam na niya kung gaano kabigat ang balikat niya.

From that moment, it's a mixed feeling. Several what ifs running through her mind. Her heart is so heavy as if depriving her from breathing normally. And those annoying tears seem threatening to fall upon her eyes.

Tumayo siya sa pagkakaupo.

Sumalubong sa kaniya ang mata ni Mavros. And behind the man whose eyes staring directly through her soul, a pair of stormy blue eyes was staring at her as well.

But she was quick to avert her attention.

Tumalikod siya nang hindi nagdadalawang isip. She thought she is stronger than ever. She thought she will never be the same as before.

But she was wrong.

Naging malakas lang siya sa kapangyarihan, pero hindi kailanman naging malakas laban sa kaniyang isipan.

She chuckled in disbelief. Sinundan naman nito ang sunod-sunod na pag-iling ng kaniyang ulo. Looks like how her mind works never changed at all.

The goddess herself was about to twist the door knob, the twins grabbed her by her hand.

"Lady Heshiena, are you oka—"

The banquet hall grew darker, the mists gradually crawling in the vicinity. Their eyes glowed in white, losing all those pupils. And the people who witnessed such a phenomenon grew their eyes in surprise.

"The bearer of the curse will be the compensation
of the moon and the gods fabricated action."

On the other hand, the moment the three uttered the same words in unison. Flashes of images penetrate their mind. Heshiena absentmindedly gritted her teeth even under the influence of magic when an image of her mother, Artemis, and the gods bestowing her the curse.

A curse which protects the mother and puts the innocent one's life in misery.

"Great! It only reminded me of all the bad things that happened in my life!" The goddess herself commented at the back of her head.

"An oath to keep with a final breath.
Astray souls can lead to ruin,
or even death."

They couldn't bear the next one they are seeing. A battlefield where those who lost their path led to their demise. Screams, blood, and begging dominated the battlefield. But the silent cry of someone they couldn't see the face was clamorously evident.

"Fifteen Supreme must answer the call.
Forestalling the world to fall.
Two days and one night.
Preparing to fight."

Ang sumunod na nakita ng tatlo ay ang kanilang sarili. They were training so hard under the supervision of Chiron.

"Alpha, who have the golden eyes."

At the corner of the world's darkness, someone they couldn't recognize opened its eyes. Just as the prophecy tells, it has the color of gold.

"She, the goddess, is the beginning of everyone's demise."

In a snap of a finger, nag-iba ang paligid. With darkness embracing the vicinity, there was Heshiena standing behind at the corpses. Her hands were covered with blood, and she expressed no remorse, only emptiness with glowing golden eyes.

Heshiena's tears gradually falls. Dahilan para mabalutan ng pagkagulat at pag-aalala ang paligid sa mga nakakita.

"Beware of the golden apples,
when discord binds you with shackles.
Trust the shared bond,
not what lies beyond."

The next thing that appeared is an image of golden apples falling from the tree. There were words engraved in it, but it wasn't clear enough to recognize. A couple of seconds, the laughter coming from several people continues to dominate the ears of everyone.

It was then followed by painful words throwing at each other with cries of regret echoed like a trumpet.

"Darkness will devour,
before her, everyone will cower.
Spiteful words, turning villainess.
Dragging the world back to nothingness."

With the last uttered prophecy, no flashes of visions appeared.

Nabalutan ng katahimikan ang lahat. Fear was quick to envelope everyone's system. Napatulala si Heshiena. The twins, on the other hand, was looking at her. Heshiena stopped staring at the void when she realized everyone staring at her like some kind of felon.

Nagpakawala siya ng isang malalim na pagbuntonghininga.

She couldn't bear all those questioning looks, she snapped her fingers. In an instant, nasa tabing dagat na siya. Hindi siya nagdadalawang-isip na itampisaw ang kaniyang mga paa sa tubig.

She stared at the sky. Hanggang ngayon hindi pa nagpapakita ang buwan, maging ang mga bituin. So empty just like what she's feeling at the moment.

Questioning herself again if she really deserve to live. What's the purpose of her life if only she brings chaos to the world? Her friends always told her that it wasn't her fault. Pero bakit parang ramdam na ramdam niya na siya ang may kasalanan?

She scoffed in disbelief.

And her tears gradually falling upon her eyes. So did the rain poured the land. Napahagulgol siya ng iyak. Sa sobrang sikip ng dibdib niya, napahaplos siya rito.

"Why—" Tumikhim siya nang bumiyak ang timbre ng kaniyang boses. She turned her hand into fist the moment when her fury seem building up within her. "If my existence is truly a condemnable, why the heaven let me live for all these years?!"

Tumingin siya ulit sa kalangitan.

Ang kaninang kalmadong alon ng dagat naging agresibo, sumasabay sa kaniyang mga emosyon.

"Hindi na kayo nakuntento!" ang kaniyang sigaw.

The moment she shouted, the moon suddenly appeared. And her eyes glowed in the dark. Her forehead furrowed in confusion. How did the moon appear just instantly when it never appeared since the world went dark.

She felt something tingling running through her veins. Ramdam din niya ang pagkinang ng kaniyang mata kasabay ng buwan.

Napasinghap siya. Naiintindihan niya kaagad kung bakit. Muli siyang nagpakawala ng sarkastikong tawa. It was then followed by a gasps of surprise when the voice of Blei echoed loudly in her head.

It led her to the place where she was.

Only her eyes are capable of seeing everything all at once.

"I can't believe you judge me that easily, Blaze." Blei said those words with cracking voice. And her tears were threatening to fall upon her eyes. "I never thought you are this shallow." Tuluyan ng tumulo ang luha ng dalaga.

Blaze was stunned to speak.

"You don't know anything about me!" she shouted in anger. The once gentle Blei snaps as if a harsh wave crashing against the shore. "And lastly, never belittle my mom and the career she worked hard just to provide me a good life!"

With that confrontation, Blei turned her back with heavy footsteps.

"Fuck!" Blazed cussed in anger.

Tumingin siya sa lalaking masayang kasama ni Blei kanina. The guy looked at him in disgust.

"Calling Blei a whore?" The guy asked him in disbelief. "If you are so jealous, you don't have to cross the line, bro. I was there when everyone called her like that. I was there when her mom lost everything over a ludicrous rumor. Kung ganito ka man pala magmahal, pakiusap tumigil ka na."

Napaluhod na lamang si Blaze nang makaalis ang lalaki. That was the guy Blei always mentioned. Blei just recently confessed that apparently her best friend was a new favored mortal of her father, Poseidon. At magmula ng malaman niyang nandito ito sa mundo nila, palagi na raw silang nag-uusap sa tawag.

And Blaze couldn't bear the sight of her having fun with another guy.

"Nkri, I can explain." Dash pleaded right through her eyes. Nkri couldn't bear the sight of him kissing another girl. "It wasn't—" Umatras siya nang umatras makalayo lamang kay Dash.

"You are indeed the bastard's son who hangs himself for the woman he couldn't have . . ."

Dash was stunned to speak. Hindi niya akalaing masasabi 'yon ng babaeng mahal niya. Dash was hurt from the words Nkri uttered. Bumuhos ang luha niya nang maalala na naman ang masakit na kahapon.

As usual, Ace was having fun with whoever he's comfortable with. And Chry in the corner couldn't bear the sight causing her to absentmindedly attack the girl with punches.

Nagulat si Ace sa ginawa ni Chry. He even immediately rescued the girl. Dahilan para mas umusbong ang galit niya.

"What the hell, Chry? Why would you do that?" Ace asked her in disbelief.

She scoffed. "She's flirting with you," she calmly responded.

But what Ace called her left her speechless and deeply hurt.

"You're a monster."

A tear threatened Chry to fall upon her eye, but she was quick to cease it by swallowing hard. Nang makatalikod na siya kay Ace, saka na lamang niya ito pinakawalan.

"Loner!" Fuego and Erin both shouted, and ended up both hurting each other.

In Zuki's room, he was talking with someone over the phone.

"Where are you right now?" Zuki asked.

"At the academy," sagot ng taong kausap niya sa kabilang linya.

Zuki gritted his teeth. And tears were falling upon his eyes nonstop.

"Perhaps the reason why you're a loner when you're a kid is because you're a liar!" Panunumbat ni Zuki.

"I can't believe you, Zuki. So you're now using my past to insult me?" Hindi makapaniwalang saad ng taong kausap niya. Habang ramdam na ramdam sa timbre ng boses na nasasaktan ito.

"Just answer my damn question!"

"I already did, Zuki! What are you trying to imply, huh?!"

Zuki ends the call with eyes drowning in tears.

After Dion saw Chry punched the girl Ace was talking with, he scoffed in disbelief. Yumi was staring at Chry with eyes filled with worries.

"A monster, damn."

Yumi snapped. "What the fuck did you just said?" Dion couldn't find words to respond. Dinuro niya ang lalaki. "Don't you fucking dare called her like that."

Dion was so confused why Yumi was so upset. He just shrugged his shoulders and followed her until she lost in his sight.

At the banquet hall, Aresa and Seilo were having fun with each other by playing the famous rock-paper-scissors game. Not until they ended up pissing each other off.

Heshiena seeing all those fights, she couldn't bear to watch her family slowly faltering. Nasasaktan siyang makita silang ganoon. Bumuntonghininga siya ng malalim. No matter what happens. No matter how the realms despise her existence, she promised to herself that her family comes first before anything else.

And with that strong promise, she absentmindedly used the charmspeak against everyone to reconcile with each other without thinking of the possible consequences.

How long will that spell last?