Heshiena's Point of View

A sweet smile impetuously plastered upon my lips when the beauty of morning greeted me as I opened my room's window. I sniffed. The smell of the sea never disappoints me. The leaves are swinging back and forth. Eyes that always seemed watching my every move.

It lingered in the air. I could even feel a few eyes lurking in the shadows. They aren't the gods nor the Titaness of Oath and Hatred, it felt different. I've felt them after Mario declared a war against the gods.

Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na buntonghininga.

Wala akong pakialam sa kanila. They can watch me till they get bored. Unless if they harm my friend, my family―tumingin ako sa school grounds at ngumiti. A place that I can go back wherever I go. A particular place I can called . . . my home.

Hinawi ko ang bumagsak kong buhok. Ngumiti sa harapan ng salamin. Sumalubong sa aking paningin ang aking sarili. I can't believe how much I've changed. More importantly, I could change my looks wherever and whenever I want.

I grew my raven-black hair down to my waist. I clicked my tongue. Fair skin that always glowed whenever the light shone on me. Tila ba'y katulad lamang ng sinag ng araw kapag tumatama sa karagatan. My chest grew quiet big as well.

Unfortunately, it seemed like I inherited Artemis' silver-grey eyes that is similar to the moon. I ended up throwing all my clothes, and started collecting dresses with thin fabric. Dumating pa nga sa puntong nagkakagusto ako sa mga kulay na green, purple, gold, silver, sea at sky blue.

No matter.

Tumayo ako sa pagkakaupo sa harap ng powder mirror. Lumabas ako ng kuwarto't dumiretso sa kusina. I am pretty sure they're all there eating their breakfast before going to school. That's right. Two days ago, the academy recovered, and the students asked to get ready.

Muli na naman akong bumuntonghininga. Nagkasalubong ang aking kilay. I hate these stairs. I was taken aback when it came across my mind. Seriously. Ipinikit ko ang aking mata't pinalutang ang sarili. Ibinaba ko na lamang ang aking sarili sa nakabukas na pintuan ng kusina.

Nahinto ang lahat sa kani-kanilang ginawa. Mavros' wide smile greeted my eyes. It seems like everyone didn't even noticed it. Most of them genuinely smiled at me, except―as usual. Nginitian ko sila pabalik.

"Good morning, Lady Heshiena," they all greeted me with respect.

Bigla akong nailang. I was quick to bit my lower lip. My heart pound like crazy. At hindi ko napigilang bumagsak ang isang butil ng pawis sa aking noo. Hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin ako sanay. And no matter how I persisted to tell these guys to called me the way they used to, hindi nila ako pinapakinggan.

"Heshiena," Chry casually called me by my name.

I flashed a smile. Except for this woman. I was about to respond when I realized everyone was looking at Chry in disbelief. But she only ignored them by crossing her arms across her chest and closed her eyes.

Pinapaalala ng dalawang anak ni Athena si Chry kung sino ako. Sumasang-ayon naman ang iba. Habang sina Dash at Ace naman ay nagtawanan, tila ba'y nag-e-enjoy sa nangyayari. I scoff and flashed a smile on my lips once again.

I ended up consuming ambrosia and nectar as my breakfast.

☽ ♆ ☾

"Good morning." Nakangiting bati ni Miss Meriam sa aming lahat.

Napahawak ako sa aking pisngi dahil tila hindi ko mapigilang mag-blush. Kanina habang naglalakad sa hallway papunta rito sa classroom, lahat ng nadaanan namin ay iniluhod nila ang kanilang isang tuhod. A sign of respect.

"Lady Heshiena . . ." Napatingin ako sa harapan nang tawagin ako ni Miss Meriam. Sumalubong sa akin ang nakayuko niyang ulo. I nodded at her as a response. "Well . . ." panimula niya. "We will be talking about Athena and Poseidon's rivalry over Athens, how the story of Theft of Fire and Pandora's box connects, the Garden of Hesperides, and Eros and Psyche's love story."

Bigla akong na-excite. As usual, lahat ay nakikinig. Habang ako naman patango-tango. It's been a while since I've felt this kind of excitement.

"To win over the people's heart, the two deities presented the city a gift," pagpapatuloy pa niya. "Is there anyone of you wants to tell the class what are these gifts?" biglaan niyang tanong.

Blaze and Nkri were the first two to raised their hands. To be followed by Blei and Fuego. Ipinag-krus naman ni Miss Meriam ang kaniyang mga braso. At tumango-tango. Tila hindi niya inaasahang ganito karami ang gustong sumagot sa tanong niya.

Miss Meriam signaled Blei, "Poseidon shoved his trident into the Acropolis and produced a flowing stream or a horse. Undismayed, Athena gave them an olive tree."

"Indeed." She then hummed afterwards. "Poseidon raised his mighty trident high into the air, he brought it down hard on the ground, which cracked beneath it. Immediately, a spring of water emerged from the ground, which made the excited crowd cheer loudly. A good water source was very important for the ancient Greeks, and so they were eager to try it. However―"

She raised her index finger. Naglakad-lakad siya.

"The citizens of the city were not so impressed after they tried tasting the water." I heard her heave a sigh. "It was very salty, because Poseidon was the god of the sea, and was not good to drink."

Huminto siya sa paglalakad sa harapan nina Blaze at Nkri. She signaled Nkri. It's as if telling her to continue the story. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Nkri nodded her head and willingly stood up from sitting.

"Then, it was Athena's turn," she paused. "She quietly knelt down and planted something into the ground. Immediately, an olive tree sprang up in its place, which made the crowd cheer loudly. They recognized that the olive tree could provide olives for food and olive oil―"

Nkri looked at Blaze. They nodded to each other, "that the leaves might provide shade, and that less productive trees could provide wood to either burn or turn into tools," it was Blaze who continued. "Athena had certainly proved that she was the goddess of wisdom, and the joyful citizens immediately declared her winner and named the city after her," he concluded.

We heard Miss Meriam cleared her throat.

"Moving on," she said. Napangiti ako. We'll jump straight to the next lesson. "One day―" Tumingin sa labas ng bintana si Miss Meriam. It's as if she just reminiscing a memory.

"Zeus distributed gifts to all the gods, but he didn't care much for humans." I scoffed and impetuously clicked my tongue. "The Titan Prometheus, however, because he loved and felt sorry for humans, climbed up on Olympus and stole the fire from Hephaestus' workshop, put it in a hollow reed and gifted it to the humans―"

Tumango ako, "this way, humans could create fire, warm up and make tools," she continued. She looked at us dead serious. "Zeus became very angry when he heard about this. He took Prometheus to a high mountain, the Caucasus, and chained him on a rock with thick chains made by the smith god, Hephaestus."

I was quick to gritted my teeth.

"And every day, Zeus would send an eagle that ate Prometheus' liver." Napangiwi ako dahil dito. Tinignan niya kami isa-isa tila'y may paparating na tanong para sa 'min. "For how many years Prometheus remained bound in the Caucasus? And who is the great hero released him from his torment?"

Not surprising, Blaze and Nkri didn't waste a couple of seconds to raised their hands. Miss Meriam picked Nkri to answer.

"Prometheus remained there for thirty years, and Hercules, Zeus' demigod son, was the one who released him, Miss," Nkri held her head high after she answered it with overflowing confidence.

Miss Meriam nodded. "After Prometheus stole the fire without revealing his interference, Zeus decides to take vengeance. Hephaestus molded the very first woman out of clay. And Zeus took Aphrodite's suggestion of using the love of a woman."

I once tightened my jaw in anger. Seriously, wickedness at its finest!

"Each Olympians give this woman a gift―" she paused. At muli na naman kaming tinignan sa mata. This time, tila'y hinahamon kami. "Now, is there any of you know what are these gifts?"

I heard Chry scoff. "Zeus breathed life into her."

We heard Miss Meriam humming in agreement, "and all the gods participated in ensuring that this woman was simply perfect in every way," she continued.

"Ah!" Napatingin kami kay Ace nang bigla na lamang siyang tumili. Nakataas pa ang kaniyang index finger, habang pangiti-ngiti. "Alam ko na. Alam ko na," puno ng pananabik niyang saad. My forehead furrowed. Naghintay ang lahat sa susunod niyang sasabihin. "Aphrodite gave her great beauty and charm to make her irresistible, right Miss?"

Napangiti na rin si Miss Meriam. At tumango bilang pagtugon. Ace then celebrated that he got the right answer. Napailing ako habang hindi nawawala sa labi ko ang matamis na ngiti.

"After all, I am as irresistible as Pandora, right Chry?" Ace suddenly asked.

The boys teased him. So as the girls. Nakatingin ang lahat kay Chry, tila naghihintay sa magiging reaksyon nito. Subalit makaraan ang ilang segundo, hindi ito nag-react. Bumagsak ang mga balikat ni Ace pagkatapos. He then childishly complained to Dash who is now laughing so hard.

Zuki suddenly cleared his throat, "Apollo taught her how to sing and play the lyre."

"Demeter taught her how to tend a garden," Dash immediately answered right after Zuki.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Blei nodded, "Poseidon gave her a pearl necklace and promised she would never drown."

"Athena gave her cleverness and curiosity, and taught her weaving and crafts," Blaze and Nkri said in unison.

Miss Meriam nodded in agreement. "And Hermes gave her deceitfulness. She was named Pandora and sent to Prometheus' brother, Epimetheus, to become his wife. Before Prometheus was chained, he warned Epimetheus not to accept any gifts from Zeus, but he ignored his brother's warning as he couldn't resist the dazzlingly lovely, stunning and beautiful Pandora."

Tumingin si Miss Meriam kay Blaze. Mukhang nakuha naman kaagad ni Blaze ang gusto nitong ipahiwatig nang walang pag-alinlangang tumayo siya.

"Aphrodite later gave Pandora a mysterious wedding present in the form of a large ceramic jar called pithos, and warned her that under no circumstances was she to open the jar, for it was just for looking at." Ipinag-krus ni Miss Meriam ang kaniyang mga braso't ipinikit ang mga mata. "However, because of the gods had given her curiosity, Pandora eventually opened the jar and indirectly unleashed uncountable evils into the world―"

Blaze paused to regain his breath, "misery, disease, sorrow, death, and so on," he concluded his response.

Miss Meriam then looked at Nkri. The reason why Nkri flashed a smile.

"Zeus' vengeance against mankind was therefore fulfilled, for these evils served as an utter plague on the world, making life for humanity far worse than it had ever been before," panimula niya. "However, even in the midst of all this, it was still revealed that Zeus did have some sense of shame over his vengeance."

I scoffed in disbelief. Does Zeus have some sense of shame? Shame, my ass!

"Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, remained in the jar and stayed with humanity so that it wouldn't succumb completely to despair―" I was quick to click my tongue.

Bumuntonghininga ako't napailing-iling.

". . . and would always believe in a better future."