BREATHE, REMEBER, RISE
XYNTHEA's POINT of VIEW

I knew the one about the moonlight because of the voice inside me. It told me about it.

"Pass through the moonlight," it said. But hindi ko alam kung s'an ko nakuha ang iba pang ideas. It just— it just entered my mind.

Kanina pa akong nakakaramdam ng init sa kwintas sa bulsa ko. When Apollo and Damon went somewhere, and Aster was busy aiding Circe, I had the chance to follow whatever feeling I had inside me.

Dinala ako ng sarili kong mga paa sa tabing dagat. The salty air kissed my cheeks, but like the feeling of the necklace against me, it burned. I flinched.

Something inside me flickered as I watch the golden mists around the sea. Kinuha ko mula sa bulsa ko ang necklace at nakitang nagliliwanag 'yon ng kulay ginto rin.

Some unknown whispers filled my ears. Paulit-ulit nilang tinatawag ang pangalan ko...

"Xynthea... Xynthea..."

Where did it come from?

The waves of the sea crashed into my small feet. I stopped when I heard a ticking of the clock was somewhere.

Unti-unti akong dinala ng sarili kong mga paa sa palubog sa dagat. Pinikit ko ang mga mata ko nang tuluyang makalubog ang kabuuan ko. Pinigilan ko ang paghinga ko, ngunit hindi ko na napigilan ang paggalaw ng paa at katawan ko. I was being controlled by my subconscious self.

"Breathe, Xynthea."

"Open your eyes."

I slowly opened my eyes. My hands moved to swim deeper in the waters. I was heading towards the direction of golden mists— deep down the water.

Tumingin ako sa gilid ko at tila may mga kasama akong souls? Well, not literally, pero parang blue glow na nag-ooutline sa appearance ng tao. Transparent sila, pero I can clearly recognize their legs, hands, and everything because of the outline glow.

"Hello, Xynthea!" maligayang bati ng isa sa mga creatures na 'yon. Paano naman nila nalaman ang pangalan ko?

One of them held my hand, and brought me deep down the waters. May mga bubbles naman na lumabas mula sa bibig ko— I was losing my breath. The creature then turned to me.

She smiled. Hala, teh. Ba't ka nangiti? Mamamatay na ako rito, ih!

"Breathe, Xynthea."

Nagtaka naman ako. Breathe? E'di namatay nga ako?

"Jus trust me, Xynthea. Breathe."

Hays. Napabuntong-hininga nalang ako dahil sa kakulitan ng creatur— ha? Ano ulit? Nagbuntong-hininga ako?

...

Nakakahinga ako under the sea?!?! Oh my Goddess! Paano naman naging possible 'yon? Sinubukan kong huminga ulit, tulad ng normal. Oh, Gods. I really can breathe underwater.

The creature smiled more, and pulled me deep down the waters. My own feet paddled to follow her. Pababa nang pababa, mas lalong sumasakit ang ulo ko.

Some images flashed in my mind, and surprisingly, I saw them. The Rebels. My team. Zeref.

I also heard their voices— lahat tinatawag ang pangalan ko. Xynthea. But I also saw the man with white hair and violet eyes, and it called me by my name too.

Are these memories? Or are these images and sounds of the future?

"I will protect you, Xynthea."

Napalingon ako nang makarinig ng boses na 'yon. The voice seemed present. Who was it? Zeref, or the mysterious man?

"What are you looking at, Xynthea?" the creature asked me. Wala ba siyang naririnig? Is it really all in my head?

Umiling ako, at napatingin sa unahan. I squinted my eyes to see a woman trapped by a ball of water.

Unseal me, Xynthea.

I almost shrieked when the necklace burned against my palm more. Halos nabitawn ko 'yon. Mabuti nalang at nahawakan ko agad ang chain. I looked at the golden glow of it, and noticed that there was something in the woman's chest that glowed too— with the same pattern.

"Go," the creature told me.

Tinulak naman niya ako papalapit doon. Napahawak ako sa bolang pumalibot sa kaniya. How will I unseal her?

I looked at her features and noticed the familiarity. Saan ko nga ba siya nakita? I cocked my head sidewards and saw her scars, wounds, and burns.

Umikot ako sa buong paligid niya pero hindi ko alam kung pa'no ako makakalapit sa kaniya. She's protected by this ball of water. Nagkunot-noo ako lalo nang bigla akong matulak palayo dahil ng vibration ng waves.

I swam closely to it again, and the pendant of the necklace I'm holding suddenly floated inside. Woah, the necklace can pass through it?

Hinila ko ito pabalik sa'kin, at sa hindi malamang pag-iisip, sinuot ko 'yon. It glowed more, that almost my whole body glowed with it.

Sinubukan kong ipasok ang kamay ko sa loob ng bola. Hindi na ako nagulat nang nakalagpas 'yon. It seems like this necklace is really a key to unseal her.

Buong katawan ko na ang nakapasok sa bola. The air here seems... different? I didn't hear anything, but a sweet hum of a woman. Was it hers?

The energy around here feels very light.

"Xynthea?" a voice of a woman said— alike to Adelina's voice!

Lumapit ako lalo sa babae. She was still breathing, I think. I was hesitant to touch the glowing symbol on her chest. Hinawakan ko muna ang kwintas ko. Lumamig naman ang pakiramdam n'on. The glow turned from gold to blue.

"Unseal me, Xynthea. And the secrets shall be unveiled too."

Secrets? "What secrets?"

"Everything that happened on the 19th of June, Xynthea."

19th of June— the mysterious day where they lost memories, and the day I started becoming conscious with the world.

"Give me the necklace, Xynthea. And I shall give you memories."

Memories? Paano naman niya ako bibigyan? She is not Mnemosyne. She is not the Goddess of Memory.

Gayunpaman, tinanggal ko ang kwintas mula sa'kin. The hums of a siren-like voice became louder. The energy also felt like the energy outside. The water ball must have been broken. She must have been unsealed.

Napatingala ako nang tila nawalan ng liwanag sa buong paligid, at tanging ang simbolo lang sa kwintas at dibdib niya ang nagliwanag.

I moved and swam closer. Isinuot ko sa babae ang kwintas, at nang tumapat 'yon ang pendant sa simbolo sa dibdib niya, nasilaw ako sa kaliwanagan nito.

I shut my eyes, and covered it with my arm. The hums faded, and once again, I heard the different voices in my head. Napahawak na naman ako sa ulo dahil sa sakit. Argh. What the Olympus? Am I having headaches because I am remembering?

When I felt like the light faded, I slowly opened my eyes again.

Nanlaki ang mata ko nang mapansing nawala na ang babae. I looked around, and then I looked at my back. If I wasn't in a body of water, I would have jumped in surprise.

Gray eyes. Black hair. Then, she smiled.

"Xynthea," she said. This time, it was no longer just inside my head. I knew I heard it.

"Who are you? What do you know about my past? My memories?"

She didn't answer, but she smiled more.  She swam closer to me, and then behind her, I noticed that the creatures earlier have gained appearance! Nagkaroon na sila ng kulay, at hindi na sila transparent.

Are they Aureas? The nymphs of the cooling breezes. Daughters of Okeanos.

"I will grant you memories, Xynthea. Remember, and you shall find answers."

Hinawakan niya ang batok ko, at pumikit siya para halikan ang noo ko. Suddenly, an excruciating pain filled my head.

I got dizzy. Pakiramdam ko umikot ang buong paligid. Naging magulo ang mag boses dahil sa dami nila.

Before everything turned to darkness, I heard the woman say, "Rise child of the prophecy."

But at the same time, I heard several voices tell me— haunt me.

"Die, Xynthea."

The Semideus
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Thank you for reading!