The Semideus

Chapter 21

ENTANGLED

I was caught off guard. Bahagyang nanghina ang tuhod ko, kaya't mas lalong humigpit ang hawak sa'kin ni Zeref.

He scooped my legs, and suddenly I was carried in a bridal style. All thoughts and questions in my mind vanished in an instant.

Muntik ko nang maitago ang sarili ko sa kaniyang dibdib nang makarinig ng mga asar.

"Master! Walang'ya! Nananantsing ka na naman!" malakas na asar ni Gideon. Napakuyom ang mga kamay ko at aksidente kong nagusto ang damit ni Zeref. Accident lang talaga!

Zeref huffed, "Worry 'bout your own ex, Gid."

Napatingin naman ako kay Aster. Nakatingin siya sa oak tree na tila malalim ang iniisip. She closed her eyes, and golden leaves slid on her cheeks gently.

"Ganda 'no, Gid?" ngayon naman si Zeref ang nang-asar. Gideon threw him a glare, and raised a middle finger.

Zeref chuckled, at dahil buhat-buhat niya ako, mas narinig ko ang tawa niya. Pero... bakit nga ba niya ako binuhat?!

"Uh, Zeref. Puwede mo na akong ibaba?" tanong ko.

He returned his gaze to me, without removing his small smile. Nagtaas siya ng kilay, at hindi pinansin ang sinabi ko. His smile turned to a smirk before breaking our eye contact.

Napaawang ang labi ko dahil d'on. Sinuntok ko siya sa dibdib, at naging malikot.

I felt his hand squeeze my waist. "Huwag kang malikot, Xyn. Baka mahulog ka," he cautioned without looking at me.

"Ibaba mo na kasi ako!" pabulong kong sigaw. Tiningnan ko sina Aster at Diane, na mukhang nag-uusap na tungkol sa Oracle.

"I need to listen d'on kaya," dagdag ko.

"Oh, you need to?"

Tumango naman ako.

"Okay," wika niya at naglakad papalapit kina Aster habang buhat pa rin ako. What— hindi niya talaga ako ibaba?!

Nilingon kami ni Diane, at nagkunot-noo siya. "Gagawa mo, Zeref?"

Umirap siya, at binalik ang tingin kay Aster.

"— she's looking for someone. That I am sure of," wika ni Aster. Nagkunot noo naman ako dahil sa pagkalito. I didn't hear everything.

"We need to get out of here first. Baka may nagmamasid sa'tin," wika ni Aster. Then, she turned to us at nagulat pa nga siya nang makitang buhat-buhat ako ni Zeref.

"Oh! Uh... bantayan niyo nalang ang paligid habang nagchachant ako ng spell pabalik," wika niya.

Zeref nodded, at doon palang niya ako binaba. He crouched to reach my ears, and whispered, "I told you. They didn't know that you were the one causing destruction here, Xyn."

Lumapit sa'kin si Damon. "You good?" tanong n'ya. "Nanghina ka na naman. Good thing Zeref came before you even fainted. We were looking for the mysterious energy, kaya hindi ka namin nadalo agad."

He patted my shoulder, I think as a sorry?

"They don't know about it," naalala kong wika ni Zeref. Pero... sigurado ba siyang sa'kin nagmula ang enerhiya? Ni hindi ko naman alam kung pa'no ko magagawa 'yon. I'm sure I didn't do anything!

I turned to Zeref's direction, and went towards him.

Napansin naman niyang lumapit ako sa kaniya. "What? You want me to carry you again?" tanong n'ya.

Umiling ako. "Sigurado ka bang... sa'kin nagmula ang enerhiya?"

"No," diretsong sagot niya. "But I heard the ticking of a clock inside your mind. That's just my guess."

"Y-you heard?" tanong ko.

Tumango naman s'ya. "I've been hearing those sounds sometimes too. Pero mas lumalakas ang mga 'yon kapag malapit sa'yo."

Lumapit siya sa'kin, kaya't napatingala ako sa mukha niya.

"Sa tingin mo, ano 'yon, Zeref?" tanong ko. "Ba't tayo nakakarinig ng... gan'ong tunog?"

Huminga siya nang malalim bago tumingin sa taas, at pabalik sa'kin. "Somehow, maybe we're entangled, Xynthea."

Entangled?

"Remember what I said to you before? I can't move on because of memories. Blurred memories that keep on pointing all to you," dagdag n'ya.

Napaawang ang labi ko. "Ibig mong sabihin... parte ka ng nakaraan ko? At ako?"

He nodded, "Yes, but it's not enough. You may be a forgotten friend..."

"Or a foe."

"Either way, I have to keep my eyes on you, Xyn," wika n'ya at huminga nang malalim. A blinding light suddenly filled our sights.

Nang mawala 'yon, nawala na rin si Zeref. Tumingin ako sa paligid, at nawala lahat ng Rebels. We were back to the outside city of Epirus, I suppose.

Tumakbo ako papalapit sa kanila.

"Where are we headed next?" tanong ko.

"We need to rest," wika ni Damon. "We can't enter the premises near Underworld if we are weak. We can die there."

Bigla ko namang naalala ang propesiya sa loob ng utak ko... Mortals will die first. The Gods will soon follow.

What's that about? Legitimate ba ang prophecy na narinig ko, o baka namam guni-guni ko lang 'yon dahil una sa lahat... bakit ako nakarinig ng propesiya? I'm not Apollo's daughter like Aster!

Should I tell them about it?

No, a voice inside me ringed inside me again. My eyebrows immediately furrowed. It can't be another illusion again.

"What's the prophecy about, Aster?" tanong ko. "Hindi ko naabutan ang explanation mo dahil kay Zeref."

"Artemis probably did something grave. Now, she's looking for someone. Sa tingin ko, ang hinahanap niya'y ang sarili niyang anak. She's a virgin goddess who swore to the River Styx, that was why we needed to go there and ask forgiveness. Her child must be cursed too, so she's finding a way to break it," paliwanag sa'kin ni Aster.

"We just have to follow the Oracle of Delphi and Dodona. We must not seek her, and we must not die."

Die? "Life in exchange of life. Death shall come..." naalala ko na naman ang narinig ko.

An idea formed inside my mind... Artemis and her child.... someone must die between the two of them?

Keep the moon alive, or make a new moon rise.

Who is Artemis' child?

"Luh, ba't naman tayo papakamatay. Tanga ba tayo?" Nabaling naman ang atensyon ko nang nagsalita si Diane, sabay tawa.

"Muntik na tayong mamatay noon, hindi na natin dapat hayaan mangyari 'yon."

She turned to me, and smirked. "Maliban sa'yo, Xynthea. Hindi mo pa ata nararanasan na muntik na mamatay."

Nagkibit-balikat ako. Hindi ko naman alam 'pagkat wala akong memorya.

"Kami noon, muntik na! Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit pero katangahan ata namin noon, na bigla nalang naming hinamon ang mga D'yos. 'Yon napatalsik tuloy ako. Tapos si Gideon, akala nga namin namatay na," kuwento niya habang bahagyang natawa.

"Pero putek! Ang weird talaga ng araw na 'yon! Halos lahat kaming Semideus na nakipaglaban sa Diyos nakalimutan ang pangyayari!"

"What day was it?" tanong ko.

Aster sighed and closed her eyes. "19th of June, three years ago."

The same day I started having consciousness, except that mine was... two years ago.

The Semideus
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Thank you for reading!