Legends of Olympus (On Hold)

Imprisoned

"A show of power?" Dad asked seriously.

"Perhaps," sagot ni Tita sa kanya. "Or they really intended to kidnap the children but was unlucky because a goddess got involved and was able to free them."

"They meant harm," Dad concluded. "Not a mere show of power."

"They have always meant harm, Trev," Aunt Kara agreed. "And maybe they also did it to show us what they could do."

"Last night could have been planned," anunsyo niya. "It was the last day of the Olympics, the last day where Thea thickens the mist in the barrier to cover the stadiums."

"They might have taken advantage of this slight change in the barrier," aniya. "But what they didn't know was the presence of a deity who could easily detect it and was able to grab the children before they were snatched away."

"You're saying the ability was artificial?" tanong ni Tita Ria.

"Possibly." Aunt Kara sighed. "Just a week ago, after studying some of the Orion's remains, we found out that five of them were given the power to control light but they were trained to use it in different ways."

"One could summon a weapon out of light. One could teleport using light. The third could even emit a laser-like beam of light from his eyes," dagdag niya. "There's no telling if they don't have members that were given the ability to control the mist and were trained to create a trance or a portal out of it." 

"I'm assuming they are many, considering the scale of last night's attack," huli niyang sabi.

"The suspect could either be a god or some Orion seht imitators." Aunt Ria loudly sighed. "Great."

"If what you're saying is true, Mom," ani Paige. "Then that means the Orions have developed their own unique abilities from the powers they have stolen from our realm."

Napabuntong-hininga ako sabay sandal sa aking upuan.

Unique abilities... some we haven't seen yet.

They stole the power to manipulate light and they developed the ability to shoot beams of light from their eyes... They stole the power to manipulate the mist or a trance, and now they developed the ability to create a portal out of a trance that's made of mist.

"My ability to replicate other's abilities..." sabi ko. "They're trying to copy it, aren't they?"

"Except that they're already a few steps in front of you, Reign," ani Vance. "While you could only replicate the original power, they have already made varieties of abilities from it."

Right... I can summon light, but I still cannot make weapons out of it or shoot lasers from my eyes.

"Let's get back to the Underworld," sabi ni Dad. "Hedone seems to be in an infinite labyrinth, that absorbs the power or life of the creatures within it."

"Henri," sambit ni Grey. "You're from the Underworld. Do you have any idea where this place could be?"

"I don't," sagot ni Henri na nakaupo sa tapat niya. "But Raphael knows everything about the Underworld. He could see through every part of it."

"Zack, bring Raphael," utos ni Dad kay Zack na agad naglaho sa kinauupuan nito.

Habang naghihintay na makabalik si Zack kasama si Raphael, hindi ko naiwasang sulyapan ang lalaking nasa tabi ni Amber.

Ash had his arms crossed tight against his chest while slightly leaning back on his chair. He continued to stare at the empty table in front of him while gritting his teeth once in a while, as if he didn't like everything that he could think of.

He was obviously mad at himself, frustrated, by the way that he's securing himself with his arms. Or maybe...

Napansin ko ang pag angat-baba ng kanyang lalamunan.

He's also a bit scared, and terribly worried.

His breathing was stable, his chest heaving slowly, but it doesn't take long to know he's upset. Because in every deep breath he took, his eyes flickered lightly and he slightly parts his mouth to let out air, before gritting his teeth again.

"Ash..." nag-aalalang sambit ng kambal niya.

Slowly calming down, Ash nodded his head, but still continued to take long and deep breaths.

Bumukas ang pinto ng conference room para ibungad sina Zack at Raphael.

"I was summoned?" tanong ni Raph nang makapasok.

In the middle of the table, purple mist gathered to show, once again, Mikhail's memory of Hedone.

At first it was the memory of him running around a dark maze while being chased by the Minotaur. He panted loud, but even louder was the sound of bullets being fired.

The monster stopped chasing him when it looked to its left, seemingly distracted.

Tinapon ni Mikhail ang baril niya saka umikot at binilisan ang pagtakbo hanggang sa makalabas siya sa isa pang garden maze, kung saan siya sinalubong ni Celeste na nakakunot ang noo.

"May- may halimaw!" He warned her. "Kailangan nating magtago!"

The memory sped up to when Mikhail and Celeste went out of hiding after hearing Hedone's voice. Hinanap nila ang boses nito at lumiko-liko sa labyrinth, hanggang sa matagpuan nila itong nakahiga sa lupa.

Napaiwas ako ng tingin nang makita ko si Hedone sa paningin ni Mikhail sa sandaling tumabi ito sa kanya.

"Tell the others not to worry... I'll find my way out of this labyrinth."

Kagat-kagat ang aking pang-ibabang labi, humugot ako ng malalim na hininga at nang pakawalan ito ay napailing.

"That's..." Nagkasalubong ang kilay ni Raphael. "How?"

"Henri said that you're most likely to know where this labyrinth is," sabi ni Dad. "Do you?"

"That labyrinth, is a part of a prison in the Underworld," seryosong sabi ni Raphael.

"Whose prison?" usisa ni Tita Kara. "Which deity?"

Raphael slowly shook his head.

"Tell us," utos ni Dad sa kanya.

He pursed his lips, his entire chest and shoulder lifting as he took in a very deep breath. "That's..." he sighed, still shaking his head.

"That's the intestines, of both a god and a domain."

Kumunot ang aking noo.

A god, who is also a domain or a place in the Underworld...

Palihim akong napasinghap.

The god-domain. The deepest abyss.

"Tartarus," deklara ni Raphael. "She's imprisoned in Tartarus."