『SUE』
As the curtains of the nightfall slowly closed, the cold, deadly breeze coming from the child of the sea gradually suffocated the boisterous street. Our feet followed the trail of lights, along with the command of the only demigods who personally knew this city. I roamed my sight around. This place was a wonderland and was becoming more magical as dusk slowly came.
"Do you have any reservations in our hotel, Ma'am?" The receptionist asked Serena.
Serena immediately shook her head, "I'm actually here to meet Aicelyn."
Nagdududa kaming tinapunan ng tingin ng babaeng kausap ni Serena't plastik na ngumiti sa kanya. Pa-kunwari pa itong may tinawagan sa telepono't muling hinarap si Serena.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. Ma'am Aicelyn strictly told us not to entertain any fans."
"I'm not a fan."
"I'm sorry, but according to Ma'am Aicelyn's manager, she does not have any appointment right now."
Pinanliitan ni Serena ng mga mata ang babae saka siya umismid, "Listen, I'm not a fan, okay? I am a friend of Aicelyn Gomez. If you don't know me, tell her manager that Serena Madrigal is looking for her."
Aicelyn Gomez?
Serena Madrigal?
The receptionist grimaced, yet she immediately dialed on the telephone once again. "Good evening, Sir Phoenix..."
Sir Phoenix?! Manager?!
What the fuck is going on? Hindi yata ako maka-relate. Sige, pokerface, Sue. Kunwari alam mo ang nangyayari.
"Her name was Serena Madrigal. She said she was Ma'am Aicelyn's friend. Yes, sir. Thank you." Once again, the receptionist looked at us suspiciously as if Serena had told her a stupid lie. "Sir Phoenix, Ma'am Aicelyn's manager, told us that they don't know a woman named Serena Madrigal-"
"Did you just say Serena Madrigal, Sofi?"
Mabilis na lumingon sa gilid ang receptionist kung nasaan nakatayo ang bagong dating na babae na may katulad niyang uniporme. Dahan-dahan na lumingon ang babae aa direksyon ni Serena't gulat na gulat na tinakpan ang kanyang bibig.
"Oh, my! It's really her! Hindi ko agad siya nakilala dahil sa ibang kulay ng buhok niya!"
"Do you know her, Ava?"
"Of course! She's a runaway model!"
"Then..."
Serena heaved a sigh. "I told you, didn't I? I am Aicelyn's friend."
The woman named Ava silently squealed and lightly pushed Sofi out of the way. "Ma'am Aicelyn's unit is on the 26th floor, unit 182."
"Thank you so much, Ms. Ava." Serena smiled. She glared at Sofi and immediately turned her back.
At dahil ako ang malapit sa kanya, ako pa ang hinigit ni bruha papunta sa elevator. Nang makasakay kaming lahat, bumaling ako kay Serena't nagsalita, "Serena Madrigal?"
"That's just a screen name."
"So, pati si Ice ay model katulad mo?"
Serena shook her head, "No. She's an actress."
Artista? Si Ice? Napunta ba ako sa ibang dimensyon, or something?
Ilang beses akong napakurap at lumingon kayna Celine, maging ang pinsan niya ay nanlalaki ang mga mata dahil sa biglaang pag-drop ni Serena ng bomba. "I told you back then, right? Lyn and I liked sneaking around. And this place became our paradise... well for a short time."
"What happened?" Aizelle asked.
"Sumikat kami," bulong ni Serena. "At napagalitan kami ni Tita Savannah."
"Hindi pa rin akong sanay na seryoso ka."
"Ako rin."
"Can't you twist your tongue again? Ang creepy mo kasi."
And because of their weird conversation, I can tell that Aizelle was unbothered by Serena's shenanigans earlier. Inirapan ni Serena si Aizelle saka kinuyom ang kamay niya, "Pagnasaktan ko na ang King Vessel mo, ikaw ang isusunod ko."
"No, thank you." Aizelle chuckled. "But, really... Phoenix as a manager? Kailan pa naging qualified ang bobo as a manager."
"Grabe naman kayong mang-bash. Wala ba ako rito?" Pabiro kong sambit.
Bago pa man sila makapag-side comment ay nakarating na kami sa 26th floor, mabilis din naming nakita ang unit number nina Ice saka nag-doorbell do'n si Aizelle. At bago pa man may magbukas ng pinto, saglit ko munang sinilip sina Sky na kanina pang tahimik.
Kibit-balikat akong tiningnan ni Riley saka ako muling bumaling sa harap. Bumungad sa aming harapan si Light na hindi maipaliwanag ang reaksyon napako ang tingin kay Aizelle. Tiningnan niya pa ang unit number ng condominium saka biglaang sinarado sa harapan namin ang pinto. Tangina nito.
Nang muling bumukas ang punto ay pasimple niya pang kinurot ang braso niya nang bigla siyang hinampas ni Sky sa batok. Grabe, damang-dama ko 'yong pagmamahal ni Sky kay Light.
"Tangina! Bakit kayo nandito?" Sigaw ni Light.
"Because Tita Alexis couldn't contact you," Riley pointed out. Walang modo silang pumasok ni Sky sa loob kaya't sumunod na lamang kami, umalis lamang si Light sa pinto ng si Aizelle na ang pumasok. "So, nasaan ang iba?"
Light avoided Riley's eyes and sighed. "May photoshoot sina Aizen at Ice. Si Xian naman... lumalandi?"
"Si Phoenix?" Tanong ko.
"Kasama nina Ice, since siya ang tumatayong manager nina Aizen at Ice."
"So, why didn't you contact Tita Alexis?" Celine asked. "At bakit sa bawat daanan namin nakapaskil ang mga mukha nina Aizen at Lyn?!"
"We became busy? It was entirely Phoenix and Xian's fault. Nanakawan kami dahil sa kanilang katangahan... but this is also part of the plan."
Nakangiwi kong tiningnan si Light, "Part ng plano niyong mawalan ng pera? Really?"
"Tanga," malutong pa sa chicharon niyang sambit. "Mga Mendoza ang may-ari ng Pentagon Network kung saan nagtatrabaho sina Ice ngayon."
"Any news about Sapphire?" Riley asked.
"Does she have a hint about who she is, or a month and a half is not yet enough?"
"That's the problem," Light mumbled. He suddenly used blessing, the Intelectix, showing us Sapphire's profile. "Something is jamming in her memories-"
"Home sweet home!" The door suddenly burst open, revealing four missing demigods with a tired, grunted look across their faces.
Sabay-sabay silang humiga sa malawak na sofa na para bang hindi man lang nila napansin na may ibang tao sa condominium nila bukod kay Light.
Tahimik lamang namin silang pinapanood nang biglaang umungot si Xian.
"Huhu, ang hirap naman suyuin ni Sapphire. Alam kong mataray na siya kahit noong naging empyrean soul siya... pero araw-araw ba naman ako tarayan na para bang nakakalimutan ang bonding namin everyday?!"
"But, Xian... you fucking seriously befriended Sapphire's fiancée. Saan ka kumukuha ng kapal ng mukha?" Dinig naming sambit ni Phoenix. "Uy, tulog na naman ba sina Aizen at Ice?"
Tinatamad na inangat ni Xian ang ulo niya't sinilip niya sina Ice. "Yep."
"Well, I can't blame them, especially Ice... 'yong character mo ba naman pinasigaw na lang nang pinasigaw?"
"But Ice is the only villainess na tinatangkilik ng mga tao."
Phoenix grimaced. "Aizen and Ice are doing their best... make progress to your job. Ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit umaarte ngayon sina Aizen. Puro ka lang pa-cute r'yan, hindi naman effective kay Sapphire."
"Bakit parang kasalanan ko? Bakit parang may sama ka ng loob?"
"I really do! Miss ko na ang Demigods Academy! Miss ko na chill-chill lang!"
Xian squinted his eyes, "Don't you miss Sue?"
"Bobo! Of course, I do! Paano na lang kung hindi na ako mahal ni Sue? Paano na lang kung ipagpalit niya na ako-"
"Kanino kita ipagpapalit?"
Phoenix's eyes widened, slowly turning his head in my direction, making me smirk at him. He ran in my direction as if he was not as lazy as a cow earlier and locked me in his arms. "I miss you..." he whispered, kissing my forehead.
"I miss you, too."
"Sana all masaya," bitter na bulong ni Sky sa likod ko.
Tinitigan saglit ni Phoenix si Sky saka ito humagalpak nang malakas, "Nakita mo 'yong picture nina Aizen at Ice sa billboard, ano?"
"Tch."
"Ang lakas daw kaya ng chemistry nina Aizen at Ice kahit na kontrabida ang ganap ni Ice, at hindi siya ang leading lady ni Aizen."
Bahagya akong umatras palayo kay Phoenix nang mas lalong lumamig ang bumubugang hangin sa paligid ni Sky. Anak siya ni Poseidon pero nag-fefeeling blessed child siya ngayon ni Artemis.
At dahil patuloy pa rin sa pang-aasar si Phoenix, hindi niya napansin ang matatalis na tingin sa kanya ni Sky. Isa pa rin kasi itong si Phoenix, hindi rin naman blessed child ni Artemis pero napakamanhid. Bigla na lamang nakulong si Phoenix sa isang water sphere dahilan upang magpatay malisya lamang ako.
"Hindi dapat si Phoenix ang kinukulong mo sa water sphere mo," Xian said, making Sky look at him. "Darius, Sapphire's fiancée likes Ice. Ang alam ko, balak niyang mag-confess bukas after ng last shoot nila Aizen."
"Sky," Riley called. "Tara shopping."
"Ngayon na?"
"It's only quarter to six, bukas pa ang mall."
"Okay." Ang weird talaga nila. Pota.
Bigla na lamang umalis sina Riley at Sky, na-undo rin naman ang blessing ni Sky at iniwan na basa si Phoenix.
Para sa dalawang demigod na parehas attracted kay Ice... napaka-fucking weird nila.
"What just happened?!" Phoenix exclaimed.
"Hmm... Light." I heard Celine say. Her eyes were locked to Light's Intelectix, analyzing it as if she found some clues from Sapphire's profile. "This is weird."
"What is?" Light asked.
"Xian, araw-araw kayong nagkikita, right?"
Xian nodded. "Oo, pero suplada, ampotek. Pasalamat siya't crush ko siya."
"Hmm... when you arrived here kahit isang beses ba ay ginamit mo ang blessed eyes mo?"
"Nope."
"Are you an idiot?"
Xian pouted. "Kasalanan ko na naman?"
"Anong mayroon, Celine?" Aizelle curiously asked. "I mean, what did you discover?"
Solemnity reflected from Celine's eyes as if she finally solved the mystery, the final piece in order to end the chase and fetch the last candidate.
"Have you ever heard the tale of the forgotten river of the Underworld?"
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