Heshiena's Point of View

Biglang nag-flash sa akin ang galit na mukha nilang lahat. Maging ang mga binitawang salita ni Chry pabalik-balik sa alaala ko na tila ba'y isang sirang plaka. At si Mavros—itinigil ko na ito nang kumirot na naman ang puso ko.

"I shouldn't have been born . . ."

I was quick to avert my attention to Eris when she clicked her tongue.

"Absolutely not true. Don't say that!"

Dumadagundong ang boses ni Eris dahilan para magkaroon ng pansamantalang alitan sa pagitan ng mga taong apektado sa kapangyarihan niya. Pero no'ng kumalma na siya, bumalik sa dati ang lahat. Nagtatakang nagpatuloy ang mga tao.

"Heshiena," she casually called me by my name. "Your life has a great purpose, if you still don't know that," she convinces me as genuine as possible.

I chuckled. "You are really eager of making me your ally, huh." I commented. Umayos ako ng tayo. Tinignan siya sa mata sa mata. "How do I know if you are telling me the truth?"

Napalunok ako ng laway nang tignan niya ako ng seryoso.

Bigla siyang pumikit.

"I, the goddess of strife and discord, swear to the river styx to tell nothing but the truth of Heshiena's root of her existence. Everything that she's curious about her identity." Hindi ako makapaniwalang tumingin sa kaniya.

When she finally made her oath, she looked at me dead serious as if waiting something in return.

"I am not playing," she said. "Now made your oath, patron of demigods."

I scoffed, "let me ask a question first." Hinintay ko ang tugon niya. But when I didn't get a response from her, I jumped into a conclusion that she was waiting for me to throw her one. "Why the underworld is determined of making me an ally?"

She was taken aback by the question I just asked. I silently snorted as I saw the fragment of hesitation deep within those bloody red orbs.

"Hades is determined to overthrew the Olympians out of vengeance."

My eyes grew wider with her response. Hades was seeking revenge against the Olympians? Now I remembered what Nkri told us about what she overheard between Miss Aqua and Chiron's conversation. So it was true.

"Bakit siya naghihiganti?" pagpapatuloy ko pa.

Eris suddenly pinch my cheeks. Dahilan para tignan ko siya ng masama.

"Free answers has a limit, Heshiena," she reminded me. Habang ako naman ay napalunok ng laway. I gritted my teeth and put my one hand behind my back. "Vow to side with us and you all get what you are seeking. I am a divinity of my words."

Sumagi sa isipan ko ang Anostatos. Thinking about what I did to them making my hatred to myself grew even bigger. With just how mad they are to me, I am pretty sure they don't want me back. They just wanted me to disappear and wished me to never been born.

If Eris was an answer to all of my questions, and to know what the enemies are hiding up their sleeves, this is my chance!

I finger crossed, "I, Heshiena, daughter of the sea and the moon, vow to the river styx to let the underworld make me their ally until they win the war against Olympus." I hope luck is with me this time.

After I made that oath, Eris looked disappointed as if she wasn't satisfied.

"Everything you seek has a heavy price, Heshiena."

I scoffed distastefully and scornfully clicked my tongue.

"If I failed to fulfill what promised, death is what I deserve," I made an another oath to the river styx.

Eris devilish smile grew wider. She then vanished into thin air, but her wicked laugh remained.

Nagulat na lamang ako nang biglang may nalaglag na gintong mansanas sa aking mga palad. Tumingin ako sa paligid. Trying to find Eris so I could ask her what is this for.

"Take a bite, Heshiena," her voice echoed.

Nagdadalawang isip pa ako kung susundin ko ba ang utos niya. But the adrenaline within me is determined to know what lies beyond my existence. A diabolical idea comes to mind. I have to make sure that this decision shouldn't make me regret at the end.

Tinignan ko nang maigi ang mansanas. Pero kalaunan ay kumagat ako rito.

The moment I swallowed it, the surrounding grew darker.

"No mistake, Lord Poseidon was smitten with the moon's glow . . ."

"I need you to brought my plan to life."

Sa mga naririnig ko pa lamang, nanggagalaiti na ako sa galit. A moment or two, muling nanumbalik ang paningin ko. Pero this time, nandito ako sa isang tila madilim na throne room. The throne chair was made by a black ore, the chair's backrest was carved into sharp edges. Nagmukha itong tila pinagdikit-dikit na spears.

Hindi rin nakaligtas sa mata ko ang mga bungong nakadikit sa upuan. Nakapaligid din ang mga ito.

In an instant, Eros and—I cussed.

"Who the fuck Eros is having a conversation with, Eris?!" inis kong sigaw. "If you are telling the truth, at least reveal this motherfucker's face!"

Eris laughed echoed. "What an impatient goddess indeed."

And with only snapping her fingers, the identity of someone Eros is having a conversation is finally revealed. Natuptop ko pa ang aking dila nang makita kung sino ito.

"I never said to induce mutual love! You failed to carry out your mission!" Dumadagundong ang boses ni Hades nang malaman niyang hindi sinunod ni Eros ang utos niya. "With your incompetency, I will curse your family for eternity!"

Takot na napaluhod si Eros sa harapan nito, nagmamakaawa.

"As punishment, induce love to yourself to fall in love with a mortal."

Napatingin si Eros, tila hindi niya kayang i-proseso ang parusang nais nito. Hades was certain with the term of punishment that Eros deserved for his incompetency. Nagbagsakan ang mga balikat ni Eros. Nanghina siyang sinunod ang diyos na mas makapangyarihan pa sa kaniya.

He summoned his glowing arrow. Ibinaon niya ito sa kaniyang puso, at muling hinila ito. Inilabas niya ang kaniyang bow at inilagay doon ang arrow. Nagpakawala muna siya ng isang mabigat na buntonghininga bago ito bitawan sa ere.

"I am sorry, my love," ang kaniyang bulong.

And with that, Erin was born.

I scoffed in disbelief.

Tumingala ako, nagbabakasakaling mahagilap ng aking mata si Eris.

"And yet you ended up killing Erin's mother!" I bellowed, causing the wall of memories to shook.

Naalala ko kasi noong unang dumating si Erin. She was sharing her life's story. Of how Psyche's intense jealousy killed her mom, and that leads to Eros' abduction. I didn't blame them for what they did because they are only the victim of deception.

Eris' wicked laugh echoed. "I didn't held hostage the god of love in force, darling," she responded without revealing herself. "He basically asked for it."

"What?"

Muling namayani ang malakas niyang tawa. Habang ako naman ay panandaliang pino-proseso ang sinabi niya. Kalaunan, ikinuyom ko ang aking mga kamao. I felt my eyes glowed as I gritted my teeth in furious.

Eros basically asked Eris to hostage him? What does that mean? Dahil ba wala na siyang mukhang ihaharap kay Psyche? Dahil ba kinain siya ng konsensya niya?

Then screw that reasoning!

He should've explained it to Psyche! And maybe, she might understand.

"Oh, don't get mad, Heshiena." Eris' voice once again appeared. "He asked me to hostage him because he couldn't handle the love she had for Erin's mother. It is so strong that what he had with Psyche gradually faded."

Biglang naglaho ang galit na nararamdaman ko.

I felt bad for Psyche. Imagine, the love that you both shared in millennium disappeared like a bubble.

"Because of your selfishness . . ." I whispered.

But Eris' seemed heard it when I felt her behind me. Naramdaman ko ang paglapit ng kaniyang bibig sa tenga ko.

"You have to be selfish to get what you want, Heshiena," she whispered. Narinig ko ang nakakainis niyang tawa. "Just like what you did to your friends, right? You force them to bring back the harmony between all of you to remedy your fear, remember?"

Hindi ko nagawang makasagot sa sinabi niya. She was right. I became selfish for what I did to them. Magagalit ba sila sa akin nang ganoon kung hindi ako naging makasarili? Nagawa ko 'yon dahil sa takot na baka masira ang pamilyang matagal ko ng hinahanap.

And here I am, mas lalong sinira 'yon.

Mabilis kong pinunasan ang luhang kumawala sa aking mga mata. And scoffed distastefully. If only they could know how I hated myself right now. Of how I felt like a shit.

Biglang nag-iba-iba ang paligid.

From the forest where Poseidon raped Artemis due to Eros' spell. And of how the Olympians and my mother chose themselves to save their own personal gain, and left the innocent child to suffer for eternity.

My heart couldn't take it as the memories of them appeared before me. A memory of how Zuki revealed the connection we have from the moment we are all born. Their connection to me felt like strings that seal me from the black river of the underworld.

"When your curse was lifted up with one soul's death, your true powers grew even more powerful." Eris' voice once again appeared in my head. "Making you capable of wielding the fragments of power of the twelve."

My eyes grew wider with what I am hearing from her.

It's true. There are instances I could manipulate the power that doesn't align with what I inherited from both of my parents.

Flashes of memories appeared in my mind, recalling those moments of me wondering. Even the Anostatos was curious of how I manage to wield the power they all had.

"The Olympians bestowed you their power through the curse," Eris said. Biglang nag-iba ang paligid. There I saw Artemis again sitting in the golden chair. Habang pinalibutan siya ng ibang Olympians. "But little did they know, that power eventually become yours when the curse is lifted."

Naglaho ang mga alaala. Pinalitan ng demonyong tawa ni Eris.

"There's someone like you twenty-five years ago." Nakuha niya ang atensyon ko. "So powerful she could overthrew Zeus from the throne. Stirring up the Titans and giving them the courage to wage war against Olympus once more. And yet she chose not to."

"Who is she?"

Eris laughed with my question.

"That's not my place to tell, darling. I only promise to give you the truth that aligned with your life."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

"Share nang share hindi naman pala sasabihin," ang aking reklamo.

Nabigla ako nang sumulpot siya sa aking harapan. A maniac smile playing on her lips. Umikot-ikot siya, habang hindi pa rin binibitawan ang tingin niya sa akin.

"Aren't you curious where the Olympians are now?"

I rolled my eyes. She really knows where to tickles my curiosity. She once again smiled in victory. She showed me the black river of the underworld. And traveled me through the deep of the waters. My eyes grew wider as I saw everyone in deep slumber. The water hugged their bodies as if like a coffin.

My heart beat rapidly. At nang umahon na kami, umalingawngaw ang malakas na tawa niya. Tawang hindi alam kung kailan titigil.

"Banished."