Heshiena's Point of View

Lahat kami pumunta ng clinic. I don't know why, but seems like we all had the same gut feeling. There's something happened. When we arrived, lahat ng mga aurai ay nakahawak sa lalaking dinala ni Mavros dito sa clinic nitong mga nakaraang araw.

My eyes grew wider when I saw how pale he was. What the hell just happened to him? Mabilisang tumulong ang mga boys para pigilan siya sa pagwawala. Ngunit tila ba'y demonyo ito sa lakas dahilan para mahirapan sila.

Chrysos was about to approach them to help, but Ace suddenly flew. His back slammed against the wall. My face quickly grimaced when I heard his bone crack.

Dahil dito, nawalan siya ng malay. He fell flat to the floor. But he was also quick to get up with eyes that are glowing in pink. I heard Chry cussed in annoyance. The vibe that is lingering with Ace's body is the same feeling that he went berserk the day Chry hit him with her lightning.

I've heard they call it ability evolution.

It is the stage wherein the demigods needs to surpass or completely control his or her own deity given-ability. Violeta explained to me that it is the first stage to acquire the supreme semideus.

Second stage is called elemental fusion, it is where the demigods receive a gift of manipulating elemental abilities and have the privilege to combine it to his or her original ability. The last stage is supreme semideus.

It is said that this one is difficult to control.

Demigods couldn't acquire this one if they cannot completely master the first two. Supreme Semideus is dangerous. For it can cause their life―our lives―when this stage is overused or abused. Because this stage is giving the demigods a chance to have a god-like superstrength and abilities.

Unfortunately, it is just for a short amount of time. Demigods are still mortals. But one blast of their powers could bring the enemies to ashes. Their eyes would glow in gold and their bodies would glow color according to whom they inherited their abilities.

Baguhan kami kaya wala kaming alam kung paano ito kontrolin. We need much time to learn it. Violeta told me she took four months to surpass the first stage. Sinabi niya rin sa akin na kapag masasaktan kami nang puwersahan at biglaan, the power within us will provoke and went berserk unconsciously to the point that the user can't even control it.

Naglalakihan ang mga mata ko nang makita kong biglang lumutang ang matulis na gunting. I was quick to gasp for air when I realized the edge of the scissors were pointing to Dash.

"Dash!"

Nkri yelled his name in the top of her lungs to get his attention and rush towards him. But she was too late. Nakita kong bumaon sa balikat ni Dash ang matulis na gunting. He then fell his knees upon the floor.

Kinapa ni Dash ang nagdurugo niyang balikat. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Nkri stood few inches in front of us, stunned. Tila ba'y ipinako siya sa kinatatayuan niya. It explained why when we saw Dash's creepy green eyes.

This is going to be ugly, I thought.

Napasigaw si Violeta nang makita naming tumakbo si Nkri papalapit kay Dash. She hugged him tight. Plant vines were also quick to race down to her wrist. Tila naging lubid ito upang itali ang dalawang kamay ni Nkri.

Nkri did indeed restrain that from happening, but to no avail. Despite Nkri still kneeling upon the floor, she conjure a dagger on her left hand. Pagkatapos nito'y pinutol niya ang plant vines na nakatali sa mga kamay niya.

Habang ako naman ay nakatayo lang sa likuran nina Chry at Violeta na hindi alam ang gagawin. Fear instantaneously took over my system. My knees, my hands, and my lips are shivering. Sweats are all over my forehead.

It happened again. It happened again. I don't want this! Please, make it stop! I can't stop myself but to burst out internally. Napahawak ako sa aking pisngi nang mapagtantong basang-basa na ito. Tears were racing down my cheeks and I don't know how to stop it.

My eyes once again grew wider when I saw Blaze and Mavros flew away from the patient's bed. Sina Zuki at Fuego na lamang ang natirang nakahawak sa nagwawalang lalaki. Fear in me doubled when I saw his eyes turned to white.

This is guy on the bed were under his ability evolution. That's my guess. Or the other way around.

Chrysos suddenly levitates while holding a scepter on her left hand. I've seen the aurai nurses evacuating the other patients outside the clinic. Doc. Hange is also helping them. I saw Chry restrained, but she just couldn't move her body. It's as if she was compelled to not move an inch.

Natataranta na ako dahil hindi ko alam kung ano ang maitutulong ko. I gasped when I felt the strong wind all over the place. Chry's stormy eyes are now glowing. Sa daming nangyayari napatulala na lamang ako. And fell my butt upon the floor. I hugged my knees with tears that seem won't stop falling upon my eyes.

This is all my fault, I thought.

The cycle of my life once again begun. Seconds after, there are now any kinds of blades flying around. My sight starting to blur. And my ears seem won't cooperate as well. Tanging naririnig ko lamang ay ang mga mahihinang pagsinghap, ungol, at daing.

Napatingin ako kay Violeta nang makita ko siyang niyugyog ang balikat ko. She seem speaking something. But I couldn't hear her. Not until all my senses came back.

"Heshiena, go to safety!" she shouted. Napatingin lang ako sa kaniya hanggang sa bumaon ang dagger sa kaliwang braso niya. She groaned in pain, but she remained firm. "Let us handle them, okay? Everything's gonna be fine," she said in calming tone despite of what's happening.

Tumayo ako sa pagkakaupo't dali-dali akong dinala ni Violeta sa pintuan ng clinic. Napatingin ako sa mga nangyayari. Water fighting with blades. Lightning fighting with powerful charmspeak. Blades fighting with nature. And death . . .

I saw Mavros floating in mid-air with a terrifying presence of despair, grief, and death. There are numerous ghosts circling him as if protecting him from harm. Zuki and Fuego are still restraining the guy.

I trace in their eyes that they wanted to help. But they can't. A portal opened behind Zuki and Fuego. Iniluwa nito si Doc. Hange. May kinuha siya sa bulsa ng suot-suot niyang lab gown. It's a syringe.

Nabalik ang atensyon ko kay Violeta nang idantay niya ang mga kamay niya sa aking magkabilang balikat. She smiled at me that made my heart calm.

"This is not your fault, Heshiena. Please do remember that," she said before turning her back on me.

Out of the corner of my eyes, nakita kong dahan-dahang itinurok ni Doc. Hange ang syringe sa kaliwang braso ng lalaking nagwawala. Seconds later when the dose is taking effect, kumalma na ito. Zuki and Fuego prepare themselves to fight and help the others.

But Violeta preceded them. "Rageful demigods, here I am, hear my voice to be undone. Sleep!" After they heard Violeta's compulsion, napabagsak sina Dash, Blaze, Ace, and Mavros sa sahig nang sabay-sabay.

Me, on the other hand, sigh in relief. Narinig ko rin ang pagbuntonghininga ng iba. But our momentum was interrupted by a loud explosion from the field.

What now?

Chry was the first one to rush outside. Sumunod naman ang iba. Ako ang huling sumunod sa kanila. Nang makarating kami sa field ay muling may sumabog. It was white. There's no red flame. And the culprit was nowhere to be found.

"What happened?" Zuki asked the girl he helped from getting up.

"A girl," she can't seem complete her sentence because of the impact. But Zuki wait her response patiently. "A portal suddenly opened. Lumabas ang isang babae na may maraming pasa at sugat. At nang makita niya kami ay bigla niya kaming inatake," she finally complete her sentence.

That leaves my forehead furrowed.

"Where is she?" this time, Fuego is the one who asked.

The girl gasped in fear. "I think—" She gulped first, "she rendered herself invisible," she finally completed her sentence again.

Nagkatinginan kaming lahat. If she did indeed render herself invisible, that makes her hard to find. Hard to pinpoint her location.

"Zuki." Napatingin siya kay Chry nang tawagin siya nito. "Fuego." He did the same thing as Zuki. When Chry called them by their names, I could trace the authoritative tone on her voice. "Bring them to safety," she added.

Zuki and Fuego was about to complain when Chry look at them dead serious. Walang nagawa ang dalawa kundi ang sundin ang utos niya. Everyone was leaving the field when an arrow suddenly came out of nowhere.

The arrow didn't purposely targeted someone. Sa halip ay tinarget nito ang lupa. Kumunot ang aking noo. When the arrow pierced upon the ground, it exploded. Dahil dito ay napatilapon sina Zuki at Fuego na nasa unahan.

"Sneaky bitch," I heard Chry whisper in annoyance.

We circle ourselves. Waiting for the next attack. I gasped in fear when rain of arrows came out of nowhere. Bago pa man ito bumagsak sa lupa ay nakita kong ikinumpas ni Blei ang kamay niya. Binalutan kami ng tubig na hugis parisukat.

Hindi rin niya iniwan ang ibang estudyante. When the arrows landed, it explodes, but I cannot hear anything from it. It's as if Blei solidified the water and became a sound proof. After that, Blei once again manipulate waters to turn into horses.

And I cannot stop myself but to admire.

There are total four water horses. Nagtakbuhan ito sa iba't ibang anggulo ng field. Nagulat na lamang ako nang bigla itong sumabog. Water blasts, I thought and guess. When that blasts, it revealed the appearance of our invisible attacker.

She had golden-brown waist-length hair, black eyes, pointed nose, curvy cilia, and rosy lips. I have to admit, she had the beauty level of Violeta and Ace. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Violeta's mouth fall half-open as her left eyebrow rose.

"Excuse me?" sabi niya na tila parang na-offend.

Despite her bruises and wounds all over her body, her beauty seems to prevail.

"Who are you?" Chry asked the girl.

The girl didn't respond. She was physically exhausted, but still standing there firmly with bow in her hands and carrying a quiver on her back with arrows. I also noticed that her arrows are glowing in gold.

"Who are you people?" Sa halip na sagutin niya si Chry ay isang tanong din ang ibinalik niya.

I saw Chry's jaw moved. Her hands balled into fists in anger. The sky suddenly grow dim, covering the whole academy. Thunder drummed across the sky. The sound of lightning were fast approaching. Natakot kaagad ako dahil dito.

So, this is the daughter of Zeus' abilities huh.

The girl's face was instantaneously covered with fear. I saw Chry raise her left hand as if dragging something from above with force. My eyes grew wider in surprise when the lightning struck the ground.

Tila nabunutan ako ng tinik sa lalamunan nang makita kong tumalon ang babae para maiwasan iyon. She could've died from that strike. But the girl is able to release numerous of arrows despite of everything that happened.

Zuki stood in front of us and manipulate a bow made of sun rays. Kasabay nitong pagmanipula niya ng arrow na gawa rin sa liwanag. Though his bow and arrow were flickering, he manage to manipulate them.

Naiintindihan ko kaagad kung bakit nag-flicker 'yon. Gabi ngayon. Manipulating sunrays is weaker at night. That is why it flickers. Before it faded, Zuki release the arrow. Humanga na naman ako. Sa sobrang bilis ng arrow niya ay nagawa niyang pasabugin sa ere ang mga arrow ng babae.

The girl smiled in defeat. She then fell to her knees upon the ground in exhaustion. Fuego was quick to rush towards her. Sumunod din kami sa kaniya. When I examined her body, she's brutally wounded. And able to fight like that is mind-blowing.

She looked at us. "You are demigods," she said in exhaustion. A relief and sad smile plastered upon her lips. "The people that my father talks about," huli niyang wika bago nawalan ng malay. Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na buntonghininga.

Tonight is indeed exhausting and messy.