Ria's POV

Nakaupo ako ngayon sa gitna ng conference table. Surrounded by the demigods I immediately embraced the moment Chase and I entered the Academy.

Art, Cal, Thea, Seht, Kaye, and Matilda.

Gods know how much I've missed them.

Tumigil ang aking mga mata kay Chase na nakaupo sa dulo, bakas ang pag-aalala sa kanyang mukha.

I wanted to comfort him. But how can I?

When everything that's supposed to end begins now.

"Focus Ria." binigyan ako ni Heather ng mahinang tapik sa aking balikat. I gave her a nod and faced front. An aurai walked in the room carrying a remote and immediately stood at one corner of the table. May pinindot siya at lumabas sa gitna ang hologram.

Hologram ng isang bulkan.

"The mist started gathering at the break of dawn. At 6 in the morning, the clouds began to surround the area. 12 pm, the volcano spew lava. At 3 pm, reportedly a hundred monsters climbed out of the volcano." she informed us in a matter-of-fact tone.

"How about now?" tanong ko.

She quickly pressed another button and the next I saw was black moving dots surrounding the volcano.

"An estimated half a million of giants, cyclopes and daemons alike." sagot niya.

"And ummm..." she paused to take a deep breath. "Some of the rebel deities are already out as well."

Tumango ako at ibinalik ang aking tingin sa hologram. It was obvious that they weren't moving. Nanatili lang sila.

Which means that they are waiting for us.

"Just how confident are they?" pabulong kong tanong.

Naunahan pa talaga nila kami sa venue. They must be overwhelmed now knowing that we're running late.

"Not too confident." nagsalita si Matilda.

Kumunot ang aking noo. "What do you mean?"

"Something happened while we were leaving the underworld. It felt like a part of their powers suddenly vanished." sabi niya. "They're weakened."

I nodded in return again. Umayos ako ng upo at nag-isip ng pwedeng masabi. Dahil sa totoo lang, kinakabahan talaga ako. I may seem like I'm not on the outside but deep inside, I just wanted to scream my lungs out.

Sa'n na ba kasi sina Kara? She should be the one here and not me. Siya pa naman ang marunong mag-strategy dito.

Gods. This is frustrating.

"I really have nothing else in my mind. I am a daughter of War and all I can say is to face them with what we have." sumandal ako sa aking upuan.

I give up.

"Ayy hala. Wag ka nalang mapressure Ria! Andito naman ako eh! Ako nalang titingin sa hologram at mag a-analyze." nakangiting tugon ni Art.

Binalikan ko rin siya ng ngiti. "You're always the best, Art." saka ako tumayo at dumiretso sa labas. Pumasok ako ng dorm at bumagsak sa sofa.

"Where the hell are they..." napaupo ako.

I was just wondering why Kara, Dio, Cesia and Trev aren't here yet.

Wala naman sigurong masamang nangyari sa kanila diba?

Dahil kung meron man, at magkakatotoo ang di inaasam-asam, hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko.

•••

Nakasingkit ang aking mga mata habang nakatitig sa bulkan na papalaki nang papalaki sa aking pananaw.

Mt. Pinatubo

The sight where the son of Mnemosyne was hidden by the rebels and killed. Where they thought they finally got her last mortal descendant.

We weren't marching towards the enemies however.

Because we're still in the Academy.

Literal na lumilipad na parang ibon ang Academy.

"Pretty neat huh?" tumabi sa'kin ang satyr assistant ni Thea na sa pagkakatanda ko ay nagngangalang Bo.

I gave him a smile. "You did a good job preparing the school."

My gaze quickly fixed on the ground when the Academy stopped moving. I saw all the huntres and Amazons hidden on the tall grasses, making their way to the muddy area of the volcano where the enemies are waiting.

"Let's roll!" narinig kong sigaw ng isa sa mga estudyante bago sila nagsibabaan sa lupa.

Meanwhile, the rest of us waited until the last batch of students disappeared.

"They're waiting for us." ani Matilda nang makalapit silang lahat sa'kin. Nakahalukipkip ako habang nakatingin sa harap, nakikinig sa mabibilis na tibok ng puso ko.

Art stepped forward and stared at the sky for a few seconds. For a short period of time, the black clouds seemed to have evaporated and was replaced by blinding light causing the enemies to take a few steps backward.

Bago pa makalapit ang mga kalaban sa mga demigods, huntres at amazons na nagtitipon-tipon ilang metro ang layo mula sa kanila, dahan-dahang nahati ang lupa. Separating the enemies from them.

Akala ko talaga yun na yon pero kasunod na pumunta sa harap namin sina Kaye at Thea.

Suddenly from deep inside the earth, a grumbling sound can be heard. Then and there, a wall of fire formed from the huge crack as well as the sounds of shrieking and wailing.

Muli na namang napaatras ang mga rebels pagkatapos n'on.

A hundred spirits came out of the ground and hovered above the demigods, huntres and amazons.

Hindi na ako magtatanong kung sino ang may control sa kanila. Sapagkat dumaan ang ilang segundo at napansin ko ang katawan ni Kaye na naging semi-transparent na rin. As if she was one of those spirits.

Isa-isa nilang nilabas ang kani-kanilang mga weapons.

Natagpuan ko nalang ang aking sarili na napapaligiran ng mga mata na kasingkulay ang ginto at nakatitig sa'kin.

I felt my eyes change too. The familiar surge in my body was back and my hands were itching to spread the darkest color of blood on the ground.

Gusto kong tumalon at unahan silang lahat pero pinipigilan ko lang ang sarili ko na magwala.

"Thea. You'll stay here right?" I asked her in which she answered with a nod. 

"Sige na Ria. Ang daming naghihintay sa inyo oh!"

I rolled my eyes and let out a chuckle.

"Well then." I motioned them to go. "Wag na natin silang pahintayin."

Tinanguan nila ako at magkasamang umalis sa aking harap.

I took a deep breath before sprinting. A few seconds have left and I finally made a giant leap. Ramdam ang hangin na tila kumot kung makabalot sa aking katawan, tuluyan na nga akong nagpalit ng anyo.

All eyes were on me when I encircled above the whole area and landed in front of the people waiting for me.

The people who chose to fight for our realm.

"Alam kong lahat tayo nandito dahil sa unang pagkakataon, iisa ang misyon natin." nagsimula na akong magsalita. "Sa unang pagkakataon, nagsasama-sama tayo dahil pareho tayo ng ipaglalaban."

"At 'yon ay ang atin." dugtong ko.

"Kailan ka pa natutong mag speech?" ani Chase na may pilyong ngiti sa mukha.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP CHASE." sigaw ko sa kanya dahilan na matawa sina Art at Matilda.

"Anyways." Inirapan ko si Chase saka itinuon ang aking atensyon sa harap. "All of you will enter the battlefield but some will not get the chance to exit."

"Also. I have a failing grade in writing essays and delivering speeches but I tell you this.." isa-isa ko silang tinignan. "I am a hundred percent sure my grades won't fucking matter if we let those rebels beat the shit out of us."

"Eh diba mas mabuti ata yon Ria? Hindi na magmamatter grades natin?" nakakunot-noong tanong ni Art.

"Sabi ko sa'nyo sobrang labo mag speech nyan eh." nagkibit-balikat si Chase.

"Oh edi magpapatalo tayo. GUSTO NYO YON?!" napasigaw ako dahil sa inis.

Pati ba naman dito nakakayanan pa nilang pagtrip-an ako ng ganito.

"For the realm's sake can we all just agree that we're here to finish everything? Dahil sa totoo lang, mas pipiliin ko pang bumagsak yung grades ko kesa bumagsak ako sa Tartarus!" I blurted out my thoughts on the 'grades' thing.

"You see, there's a thin line of fighting for yourself and fighting for others." sabi ko sa kanila.

"But who the fuck cares about that thin line when we're here for both right? Duh." I rolled my eyes. Bakit? Lalaban naman kami para sa buong realm at kasali naman dito ang aming mga sarili.

"Use everything you have." A golden sword slowly appeared on my hand. "This war may be our last mission. We need to learn how to go beyond than what we know we are."

"Because if we don't, we can never outsmart them. You get me?" tanong ko sa kanila.

Then, I looked at the beta and gamma students at the center of the crowd. "As a Daughter of an Olympian, I hereby denounce you as students of Olympus Academy. For starting now, at this very moment, you are the hope of this realm and will be remembered as the heroes and heroines who chose to defend what is ours and protect the lives of many."

"Don't even bother choosing between death and survival because in the end, we will all leave a legacy." I seriously don't know where these words came from. "A legacy that will be written permanently whole throughout history."

"I assure you,we are going to win this." anunsyo ko. "because we have something the rebels don't have."

"Mortality."

"What they thought is our weakness, is our greatest strength." Hindi ko namalayang nakatingin pala ako kina Art habang nagsasalita. "And speaking of weaknesses, akala ng lahat na tayo ang pinakamahina. Yet little did they know that we possess the greatest ability. An ability that surpasses immortality."

"The ability to fear."

Hinigpitan ko ang pagkakahawak sa aking weapon. "We fear of death and we fear of losing everything."

"And that's enough reasons why we should win."

"And that..." I sighed. "is what seemed to be the longest speech of all time so we should probably start the action now."

Umikot ako at hinintay na manghina ang apoy. The fire did fade, revealing the faces of our enemies.

And to my luck, katapat ko si Hecate na halatang nangangati na rin na tanggalan ako ng kaluluwa.

'I am going to bathe in your blood after I kill you.' I heard her threatening voice in my head.

I grinned as the wall of flame completely disappeared.

With my sword raised high up pointing at the heavens, I finally gave the first and last command.

"TOGETHER, FOR OUR REALM!"

And even if it means going against destiny...

"WE RISE!"

Still, we rise.