Chapter 34: Zeus, the Great and Almighty

I can't move! I stood still, watching the person I never thought Zeus is. Pinagsisisihan ko kung bakit uminom pa ako. Zeus is right in front of me. Bakit siya?! My God, I'm not ready for this. The last thing I knew was everything turned pitch black at nawalan ako ng malay.

Nagising ako na nasa malambot na kama. I was in a very huge room na may malaking veranda. Tumayo ako at nagpunta roon. It's still dark outside. Anong oras na ba at nasaan ako? I saw an old style wall clock and it says that it's two in the morning and I am still in my red long gown. Bumalik ako sa kama upang umupo at alalahanin ang lahat ng mga nangyari.

The fireworks display was launched by 10:30 last night kaya ibig sabihin ay ilang oras na rin akong walang malay. Crap! I guess I am in this mansion which is a counterfeit of hell for me. Zeus brought me here after passing out. Bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa niyon si Zeus. Lumapit siya sa akin at naupo sa upuan sa tabi ng kama. God, I really can't imagine that he is Zeus.

"How do you feel Amber?" he asked me. He wasn't wearing his mask at malaya kong nakikita ang kabuoan ng mukha niya. The face that I never thought would be causing all these fears in me.

"I feel like I'm dead. Why Cooler? Akala ko ay isang simpleng bakasyonista ka lang, who's stupid enough to jump in front of a bullet for me," wika ko sa kanya. Yep, he's Cooler. The one that I met at Summer Island. The same Cooler who got shot at the cave in Tickle Island. Seryoso lang ang mukha niya habang nakatingin sa akin.

"I'm sorry for bringing you here again," wika niya sa akin. His handsome face looks straight at me. Damn! Just like Ryu, Cooler is very handsome. Why am I praising them? Yeah, devils like them are not worth praising!

"Hindi ko pa rin maintindihan ang lahat Cooler, or is it really your name?"

Bahagya siyang yumuko. "Yeah, that's my real name. I may be lying with my identity but that's my real name." Inilahad niya ang isang palad sa akin. "I'm Cooler Vander."

I looked at his hands but I refused to accept it. Ibinaba naman niya iyon nang mapagtantong hindi ko iyon tatanggapin.

"Where's Gray? Ano ang ginawa niyo sa kanya?" I asked hysterically.

"Don't think too much. We'll never harm a mafia heir," wika niya. Did he say mafia heir?

"H-hindi kita maintindihan Cooler. Si Gray?" What is it, some kind of a joke? Dahil kung oo ay tatawa na ako kahit na hindi iyon nakakatawa.

"You will never understand it Amber," mahinahon niyang wika and that's when I burst into tears.

"HINDI KO MAIINTINDIHAN DAHIL HINDI MO NAMAN IPINAPAUNAWA SA AKIN!" I shouted at him and my tears are running down my face. I don't know why I am crying. Naguguluhan na kasi ako sa lahat ng mga pangyayari. Una ay si Cooler; he's Zeus. And now he's saying that Gray is a mafia heir. I pinched myself and figured out that I wasn't dreaming.

"Fine, I'll give you some idea about it. Gray and I," he sighed and stared at me for a while bago nagpatuloy, "Magkapatid kami." Mas lalo akong naguluhan. I thought Gray's an only child, ayon kina Khael at Detective Tross. And now sasabihin na lamang ni Cooler na magkapatid sila?!

"Do you remember the first time that we saw each other at Summer Island? It wasn't a coincidence. Iyon ay dahil sinusundan namin si Gray," wika niya. I was even more surprised. Ibig sabihin ay si Gray ang ipinunta niya roon?

"What for?" I asked him while wiping away my tears.

"Ryu and I followed him. We just wanted to check him. Do you remember the first expression of Gray when he saw me with you? You were right there, he's angry. He's angry upon seeing me and he's jealous."

"Why? Bakit galit siya sayo?" tanong ko and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. He doesn't want to live with us after Cronus asked him too. Maybe he doesn't like me," sagot niya. Everything was very confusing. Ayon ka Khael na kababata bi Gray, his Mom is part of the police but now a mafia?

"I thought his parents and grandparents were part of the police?" tanong ko. I want to get a clear picture of everything.

"Yeah. His mother was," sagot niya. "And his adoptive father is a small time business man."

"P-paano kayo naging magkapatid? Is he even aware of it?" Lulubusin ko na lang ang pagtatanong at nang maintindihan ko ang lahat. Oh God, if I don't, I think I'll be losing my mind.

"Our real father is Cronus. Cronus had my mother pregnant with me a year earlier but he refused to marry my mother. Isang taon matapos akong ipanganak ay nakilala ni Cronus ang ina ni Gray. Naging sila at nagbunga ang relasyon nila. That's when she found out about the mafia so she left him and married someone righteous who accepts Gray as his own. I met Gray before that's why he knew me. Alam din niya na si Cronus ang ama niya. Cronus is fond of him, he's very smart after all. So he keeps on telling him to join the mafia but it looks like he got his mother's righteous beliefs so he refused," wika niya. "Iyan lang ang masasabi ko sayo."

So that's Gray's story. Mukhang nagmana nga ito sa nanay niya. He's into justice and fairness at all. Kaya pala Gray find him so secretive sometimes. He really got something on his past.

"Amber, I don't want you to be involved in these things. This is mafia Amber, and it's dangerous," wika niya. What? But I'm already involved. Is it my fault for pushing more into things? Kung kailan lumalayo na ako ay saka rin naman sila lumalapit. Sino ba naman ang gustong kumalaban sa mafia? I still love my life and I haven't achieved anything in my life!

"So kilala rin ni Gray si Ryu?" I asked him and he shook his head.

"No. He hasn't met Ryu before," wika niya. Kaya pala mukhang hindi talaga kilala ni Gray si Ryu ng una niya itong makita but it seems like Ryu knows Gray.

"Why are you protecting me Cooler? Ryu said I should have been dead if it wasn't because you. Why Cooler?" I asked bravely. That devil wanted to end up my life ngunit hindi nito magawa dahil kay Zeus. It seems that Zeus got some power and control over the mafia.

"It's because I wanted to Amber. Hindi dahil alam kong palagi mong kasama si Gray but because I just wanted to protect you. You're so weak and breakable." His eyes wandered on my face at sinalubong niya ang mga tingin ko kaya ako na mismo ang nag-iwas.

"I'm not weak!" wika ko sa kanya and grabbed the gun on his side. Huli na nang mapigilan niya ako. I already got it first at itinutok ko iyon sa kanya. I pulled the gun's safety latch at tinaas naman ni Cooler ang dalawang kamay.

"I see. Hindi ka na pala takot sa baril ngayon. You never failed to surprise me Amber."

"Yeah, I have to, upang maprotektahan ko ang sarili ko laban sa inyo," sagot ko sa kanya. "Where's Gray? Dalhin mo ako sa kanya." I was surprised how I was able to held the gun despite shaking.

"I'm sorry Amber but I can't. He's probab--"

Hindi na niya natuloy ang sasabihin nang ipinaputok ko ang baril and it passed just few centimeters from his ears. Napapiksi rin ako sa putok na iyon. Isang maling galaw nito ay matatamaan ito sa ulo. My hands were as cold as the gun.

"I'm not joking Cooler. I may owe my life to you once but please, I don't want to fire this gun again kaya dalhin mo na ako kay Gray ngayon na," wika ko sa matatag na boses.

Mariin na tinitigan niya ako bago tumayo at nagsimulang maglakad. "Fine, follow me then."

Lumabas kami ng silid at nagpunta sa isa pang silid. He opened the door ngunit hindi siya pumasok.

"He will kill me if he sees me. He's very angry kanina kaya ikaw na lang pumasok," wika niya.

I bit my lip at agad na pumasok. I still brought his gun with me. Nang makapasok ako ay agad kong hinanap si Gray. The room was very familiar. It was the same room na unang pinagdalhan ni Zeus sa akin. There were collections of ball there kung saan marami ang soccer ball. It was one of my basis before for thinking that Gray is Zeus dahil sa mga bola. But I was wrong then, he wasn't Zeus but this room is really for him. For the mafia heir. I saw him on the veranda. Nakatayo ito at nakatingin sa kawalan.

"Gray!" I called out his name at napalingon siya sa akin. When he confirmed it was me, ay agad siyang tumakbo palapit sa akin at niyakap ako.

"Damn Amber! What did they do to you? Are you hurt?" he asked habang yakap-yakap ako. I felt hot liquids running down my cheeks. Is it this good to be hugged by him? I started weeping kaya binitawan niya ako at tiningnan.

"Why are you crying? Sinaktan ka ba nila? Damn! I will never forgive them!"

Mas lalo tuloy akong naiyak and I can't stop myself from crying! I wasn't hurt but I'm really crying! Marahil ay masaya lang ako na ligtas si Gray.

"Damn it! Sumagot ka Amber!"

I shook my head and wiped away my face with my hand holding the gun. Nagulat siya nang makita ang baril at agad na kinuha iyon sa kamay ko.

"Get rid of this thing," he said at tinapon ang baril sa kama. "Okay ka lang ba talaga Amber? Crap! Seeing you crying makes me want to kill someone just like those monsters do!"

I took a deep breath. "G-gray si C-cooler," putol-putol kong wika.

He wiped away my tears. "Yeah, he's my elder brother. I'm sorry about it. I don't know that this would happen."

"Totoo ba na isa ka sa kanila??" I asked and he just bowed his head.

"Yes, I have my real father's blood on my veins but there's no way I'll be like them," wika niya. Naaawa ako kay Gray. They have contrasting principles with his father and brother.

"I've already asked Cronus to free us dahil hinding-hindi ako sasama sa kanya. I'd rather be with my adoptive father. He's good to me at itinuring niya akong parang tunay na anak. Unlike him, he wants me to follow his step and that's bullshit," galit niyang wika. God, what a mess we've been in! I never imagined myself to be in this mess.

"You look so tired, let's not talk about it now, it's already 3 am. Let's sleep at bukas ay kakalimutan na natin ang lahat ng ito," wika niya and he let me lay down on the bed.

Nahiga ako at bahagya pa ring umiiyak. Gray lay down beside me and continued wiping away my tears.

"The first time I was brought here, I thought you were Zeus because of this room. It's so like you," wika ko habang inilibot ang paningin sa paligid kahit na nakahiga.

"This room is for me. I was brought here before. When was the first time you were brought here?" he asked and faced me. Ilang dangkal lang ang layo ng mukha namin.

"It was during the masquerade party that we attended with Khael," mahinang sagot ko.

He bit his lower lip. "Just as I thought. You were cold and distant to me back then. Well, sleep now Princess. Let's live a normal life tomorrow. Goodnight," wika niya. He leaned closer and he kissed my forehead.

I was assured that I'll be safe with him by that kiss of goodnight in the morning.