Legends of Olympus (On Hold)

Masquerade III: Veil and Thorn

Isa-isa kong tinignan ang matatangkad na mga lalaki, na may malalapad ding mga balikat. Nakasuot ng mahabang itim na coat, kapares ang itim na pants at itim din ang buhok sa likod ng mask.

"Tch." I clicked my tongue after growing impatient, for spending a few minutes wandering around the crowded hall without seeing him.

Napagdesisyunan kong gamitin ang kapangyarihan ko.

Nagtipon ang mga anino sa aking paanan at namuo ng pudla kung saan ako nahulog, at umangat mula sa sahig ng corridor na nasa labas ng ceremonial hall.

I checked on both ends of the corridor.

Nothing.

Shadows crawled to cover my entire body and transported me in the middle of our living room at the dorm.

Luminga-linga ako.

Still no one.

Darkness overwhelmed my sight again, and light only passed through the moment I found myself standing at the center of our training field behind the house.

My eyes automatically drifted to a gently moving sillhouette inside the dark greenhouse.

Pinaningkitan ko ito.

Wait.

Napatigil ako.

Is that...

I took a few steps to the side to get a glimpse of who he was with.

'Sino 'yan?'

Napaiwas ako ng tingin bago pa malaman ng kapatid ko kung sino ang nakita namin.

Nothing we were meant to see.

Muli kong ginamit ang aking kapangyarihan para lumitaw sa guest wing ng Academy.

As far as I know, he came here to fetch Raphael, because he was invited to join the masquerade ball too and celebrate with us.

But still, nothing.

Napabuntong-hininga ako at bumalik sa dating kinatatayuan ko sa loob ng ceremonial hall.

Nagsimula ulit akong maglakad-lakad, hanggang sa maikot ko na ang buong hall, at dumating ako malapit sa isa pang champagne table kung saan natagpuan ko sina Reign, Amber at Ash na magkasama't nag-uusap-usap.

Tinago ko ang aking presenya nang di nila ako mamalayang dumaan.

Saka ako biglang napatigil.

Reign...

Henri always stares at Reign when she's not looking, doesn't he?

Umatras ako nang ilang hakbang.

Nagpalikod ako sa mga estudyante at aurai na dumadaan habang nakamasid sa babaeng tila sinawsaw sa ginto ang katawan dahil sa suot niyang gown.

Bahagya siyang nakaharap sa'kin at nakatalikod sa dance floor.

Pagkatapos, inilibot ko ang aking paningin sa paligid niya, at naghanap ng isang pares ng mga matang nakatuon sa kanya.

I did find one, but he was wearing a navy blue suit.

I found another one too, near the dance floor who wore a black suit but it was not Henri.

And then a third one, standing by another table with a group of friends.

Then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth...

I mentally scolded myself soon after for underestimating Reign's popularity among the male population of our students.

And as I was about to stop counting them, I noticed a dark figure near the furthest table, his tall height and broad shoulders casting a shadow on the student that was behind him.