Bahagyang lumiwanag ang paligid. Then, I saw him. The face of the mysterious man. Gusto kong hawakan ang puso ko dahil sa kaba.

Then a gold symbol alike to a planet lit up in between the two of us. There were also ancient greek letters.

My eyes caught one name, and I froze in my position. Χρόνος.

"C-cronus," basa ko sa letra. Then it glowed more. Napansin kong may simbolo rin ng orasan sa gitna.

Titan of Time. Was he the mysterious man? Kaya ba laging natigil ang oras kapag nakikita o nararamdaman ko siya? Ibig sabihin... nakawala siya?

"Release me, Xynthea."

Nanlaki ang mata ko. Why would I?! Don't tell me, I really did release him this day... Is it the 19th of June here in my memory?

"You must."

Humakbang naman ako palayo, ngunit may malakas na hangin ang tumalik sa'kin palapit lalo. Napaawang ang bibig niya. His body was full of bruises, and his arms seemed to be cut but put back. He was shackled by heavy chains, and there was a big wound on his chest.

Nanginginig na ang labi ko sa takot.

"They will kill you," he said in a very low voice. It was almost a whisper, but I heard it clearly. Who will kill me?

"I will protect you, Xynthea." Nanlaki ang mata ko lalo. I heard this phrase before I unsealed the woman!

"P-protect me from what?" mahina rin ang pagkakabigkas ko.

His shackles clanked as he walked towards me. Umubo siya nang malakas, at nagsimula na namang magsalita.

"From the Olympians. They will kill you, Xynthea. They already know. Release me, and I will protect you."

They know what exactly? Umiling ako. "No, I don't believe you."

Humakbang na ako papalayo, pero tila kontrolado ang galaw ko.

"You are under my time control, Xynthea. No one will save you here because everything else around has stopped."

Stopped? But... I can still breathe, and move my head. If time stopped, I should stop too, right?

"You are just under my control, but like me, Xynthea, you have the power of time that is why you can still move. The power that could only release me from this."

W-what? What does he mean that I have a power of time? I'm just a mortal! 

"You are not a mortal, Xynthea. You have my powers because you inherited it," he said.

"Hindi ako naniniwa—"

"You are a child of the prophecy," sabat niya sa'kin agad. My eyebrows made a furrow.

Then, he uttered a familiar prophecy. One that I've heard before.

"It is prophesied that Zeus will bear extremely powerful children with Metis.

The first, a daughter who'll possess beauty, bravery, courage, and wisdom.

The second, a child more powerful than Zeus himself, who would eventually throw the world in flames or lift the world to the heavens."

I almost stopped breathing. Then, someone behind me held my shoulders. Gulat akong napalingon, and there, I saw the woman I unsealed.

The woman who made me remember this day.

"Metis," Cronus greeted. M-Metis?

"M-ma," I greeted... I... I— I greeted?! My mind can't process this all!

"W-why did Cronus call you Metis, mother?" tanong ko pa.

What the Olympus.

Then, she smiled to me, and like earlier in the seas, she kissed my forehead.

"I am Metis, my child. You are the second child, prophesied to become more powerful than your father, Zeus."

"W-what, Ma?" hindi ko makapaniwalang wika.

"They will do everything to kill you, my child. That is why you must release Cronus—"

"I won't!"

Nagulat siya sa biglang sigaw ko.

"You have to, Xynthea. He is the only one who could help you," Metis said.

Umiling naman ako nang patuloy. Who in the right mind would do that?!

"Do you know why they made mortals welcome here in the Olympian World and become Semideuses?" biglang tanong ni Ma.

Napasinghap naman ako nang humigpit ang hawak niya sa'kin.

"That's because they are looking for the children of prophecies, and eventually kill them. You must rise, Xynthea."

"If he will be released, everyone will forget about you and me. You will be safe. But in return you must forget too."

"But... why?" I asked. "Why must I forget?"

Wait... this scenario... I heard this before in the City of Epirus in Adelina's voice!

"They need to forget that you exist, Xyn," sagot ni Mama. "There was a misunderstanding. I will find a way to fix it, and I promise you... you will remember everything in time."

"We're running out of time. He's coming now," she said again. Then, I realized that time was ticking once again.

"Cronus."

We all turned and panicked when we heard the voice of Hades. Then another one— Thanatos— said, "She is here. She must be killed."

Nanlaki ang mata ko. So, it was... true? I am sure that they were pertaining to me.

"Break the seal, Xynthea."

My head turned to the seal, the clock symbol. I moved fast as lightning, and held the clock-like seal. A loud struck of clock filled and echoed throughout Tartarus.

I really did unseal Cronus. The seal broke, and time stopped once again. The footsteps behind us stopped.

Cronus held my hand, and in one tick of the clock, darkness filled my eyes.

But it was not the end of what happened on June 19, it was only the beginning of that day full of chaos.

The Semideus
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

🥳

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