Dio's POV

"Oh diba mga bro. Sabi ko sa'nyo eh. Good idea 'to." ani Chase na may dalawang slices of cucumber sa mga mata niya.

Actually, his idea was not bad afterall. We've been here for like the whole afternoon. Pinatulong kasi kami sa pag establish ng bagong barrier ng skwelahan. I heard Cesia got mad about it.

Tapos kami pa yung inutusan na linisin ang training rooms and grounds ng Beta class bilang 'consequence' sa mga cutting classes namin. Mas nakakaawa si Sebastian dahil nasali siya kahit wala pa siyang case dito sa Academy.

My whole body aches. When suddenly nagkaroon ng ideya ang genius kong kaibigan.
The girls are taking over the entire dorm so we have no choice but to spend time on our own.

Kaya nga sumang-ayon kaming lahat kay Chase.

I took a sip from my tea. Nasa hot jacuzzi kami ngayon. We're all naked. Letting all the steam swallow us.

My hair feels so minty too. Dahil full package ang kinuha namin sa spa. It came with hair treatment which is cool.

We also ordered some foods.

Now I understand kung bakit gusto na gusto ng mga girls ang mag spa dito. Damn. This is just out of this world.

Mas naeenjoy ko ang silence pag ganito. We should spa more often.

I should have like.... a spa schedule.

"I wonder why the staff seem so busy these days..." I said out of nothing.

It's just that... napansin ko lang. Kahapon nga wala yung principal nang kunan ko ng litrato ang bagong transferees. May appointment din kami ni sir Rio ngayon kaso kinancel niya.
Are they focused on the new camp for the huntres or... there is something else?

"Nakita ko rin yung leader ng Amazons kanina. Kasama niya yung fifth Amazonian tribe." Chase said removing the cucumber slices from his eyes.

Kumunot ang noo ko.

"I saw Heather and her gang too." dagdag ni Sebastian.

So the two packs were here.

"Is there another war?" we looked at one another as if pareho kami ng iniisip.

Trev gave us his signature bored look and sighed. Pumikit ulit siya saka sinandal ang ulo niya.

"No..." sagot niya. "we should have known earlier."

"But... paano kung meron nga?" usisa ni Chase.

"then it wouldn't happen here. It would take place somewhere else." walang nag iba sa boses ni Trev. Pero alam kong curious din siya katulad naming lahat.

"Siguro nga. That would explain their silence. Saka... wala pa tayong natatanggap na misyon mula sa kanila." my eyes shifted to Cal who opened his mouth as if may gusto siyang sabihin.

"what?" siniko ko siya.

Kaso umiling lang siya. Which is another way of saying 'nevermind'.

I sighed and tried to relax.

Tinuon ko nalang ang atensyon ko sa tubig na nakapalibot sa'min. Marami ang magtatanong kung ano ang pakiramdam pag anak ka ng isa sa 'big three'. Poseidon, particularly.

It feels nothing. Kung ano ang nararamdaman ng tao, yun rin ang nararamdaman ko. But there is one thing. Water is very vulnerable for me.

May nararamdaman akong tingling sensation sa kamay ko when there is water. Kahit hindi ko'to nakikita. I can feel its flow. And my body wishes to control it.

I remember my first blue eyes.

I didn't know what happened. I just felt power surge when I was thrown at the deep blue sea. I thought I was gonna die. I was paralyzed. Unti-unti akong nalulunod. Pero nakita ko yung babaeng kasama ko habang nalulunod. Dalawa kaming itinapon sa tubig.

I wanted to scream. Gusto ko siyang sigawan. She's one of the strongest I know pero di nya kinayang buksan ang mga mata niya sa ilalim ng tubig. She can swim upwards... but still no. Pinili niyang wag gumalaw.

She can save herself. But she chose not to.

Why wouldn't she?

"Tol!?!?" boses ni Chase ang gumising sa'kin.

Ngayon ko lang namalayan na nakatingin pala silang lahat sa'kin.

"H-huh?" agad bumagsak ang tubig mula sa taas.

"I-uhh.. I'm sorry.." I quickly apologized.

I think I will apologize to the aurais because of the wet mess I made.

Ilang segundo ng walang nagsasalita and as expected...

"what the fuck happened." Sebastian broke the silence.

•••

I intentionally stepped on the twigs and fallen leaves. Nakakabingi kasi ang katahimikan dito.

Nasa gubat ako. Nasa forest na katabi lang ng field. Hinahanap ko yung dumadaloy na stream dito.

And I finally found it.

Napangiti ako nang makita ang kamangha-manghang daloy ng tubig. I praised the moon for making the water shine and glisten.

Gusto kong mapag-isa ngayong gabi. Sinabihan ko na naman sila kung saan ako pupunta. If whatever happens, they'll know.

Suddenly, nacurious ako kung saan papunta ang flow nito. On the other half, bored rin ako. I just shrugged and traced the end of the stream.

Hindi ako nahirapan sundan ito. The stars served as my light.

My brows met upon seeing the stream gone. Nakatayo na pala ako sa putik.

"Oh shit." I murmured while struggling to get my feet out.

Inilibot ko ang tingin ko sa buong lugar at napagtantong ngayon pa ako nakapunta sa bahagi na'to ng gubat.
Hula ko eto yung pinakamadilim na bahagi ng forest na walang gustong pumunta.

I mean... the forest is a place of secrets. No one knows who lurks in here.

"Meron ba tayong ikabahala?"

"Shouldn't we consult the council first?"

"They must have known already."

My ears jerked for a second upon hearing those voices. Di nga pamilyar ang lugar na'to pero kilalang-kilala ko naman ang mga boses na naririnig ko.

Sinundan ko ang mga boses nila at napatigil sa harap ng isang entrance.

A secret cave?

cool.

I kept hearing the words 'third', 'council', and 'her'.

Her... may pinag-uusapan nga sila.

My curiousity peaked to the highest level when I heard someone say 'the Alphas'.

Papasok na sana ako nang may humila sa'kin. Sumakit tuloy yung likod ko dahil sa impact nito sa kahoy. Pati yung braso ko. Ang lakas kasi ng paghatak niya sa'kin!

"what are you doing here?!" bulong niya.

I saw green orbs inches away from me.

"I should ask you that. Anong ginagawa mo di-" tinakpan niya ang bibig ko.

"shhhhhh!!!" tinanggal niya ang kamay niya saka tinignan kung may nakarinig ba sa'min.

"wait. may alam ka sa lugar na'to? Without even consulting me?! Or one of-" tinakpan niya ulit ang bibig ko.

I sighed. Saka niya tinanggal ang kamay niya.

"I just discovered this yesterday..." aniya at binalik ang dagger niya sa bulsa.

Wala akong iniisip ngayon kundi ang kalagayan niya. Akala ko ba matino siya? Bakit bumalik siya rito ng walang kasama? What if like... she gets caught or something?

"I think they know something that we don't.." sabi niya.

Huminga nalang ako ng malalim.
"it must be big since they kept it as a secret."

"we should go now.. this is the part where they go back to the Academy." dumiretso siya sa paglakad.

Wala na akong magawa kundi sundan siya. Hindi ako pwedeng magpaiwan dahil wala naman akong alam sa daan pabalik.

Actually... I do know the way back. I just retrace the stream. Hmmm...

"sa susunod.. magsabi ka kung pupunta ka rito." utos ko sa kanya habang naglalakad.

"why? who would care?" tumagos ang tanong niya sa'kin.

Unbelievable. Seryoso ba siya?

"I would." I replied na siyang nagpatigil sa kanya at harapin ako.

She just stared at me for like seconds. Na tila hindi kapani-paniwala ang sinabi ko. Maybe she expected I was going to take back what I said as if I was joking.

But I'm not.

Umiling lang siya saka nagpatuloy sa paglakad.

"You got a problem?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"You should know better than to ask that." every word that came out of her mouth are like little knives.

"why are you so cold Kara?" I asked her again.

I saw her shoulder tense. Tumigil siya. Tinignan niya ako. Halatang naiinis siya sa'kin.

"why the hell would you care?!" nagulat ako sa sigaw niya.

I was stunned honestly. Wala akong masabi.

Oh Gods. Mahirap talagang makausap ang mga babae. Para kayong mga aliens... with your alien language. One second ang tahimik nyo and then another second sumisigaw na.

"answer me Dio... so that I can understand you." yumuko siya.

"I... I can't understand any of you."

umderstand? Tsk!

"Bakit? Akala mo ba... may kailangan kami sa'yo? Akala mo ba gagamitin ka lang rin namin? Just because we care doesn't mean we will use you." alam ko ang nangyari sa kanya... and the gods know how I hate the person who did this to her.

How did he turn a beautiful soul to a lost one? He led her daughter to believe he cared for her. Na yung mga sugat at bugbog na natatamo niya was a way of saying 'I care for you.'

"I... I'm lost. I'm just... I don't know who I am anymore and I don't know what to do." she talked to herself.

So ironic how a daughter of Athena could be like this. Maiisip ko tuloy ang mga panahon na nag-iisa siya. Kung ano rin ang iniisip niya.

She may have killed herself in her mind a thousand times already.

"Listen. You're the strongest person I have ever met. The most beautiful. My favorite shade of the sky. My sweetest dream. My brightest star. My greatest fear." humakbang ako papalapit sa kanya.

"and I'm always here to remind you that every time you feel lost."

She let in a deep breath "I'm already losing myself."

"but I'm still here to hold on your broken pieces."

it was a promise I will never forget.