19TH of JUNE
"Come, I'll show you the Isles of Blest," wika ni Hades at naunang maglakad, sadya nang sumunod ang paa ko habang nagmamasid ang paligid.
I have no control of myself because obviously, it is a memory. We were in another place now.
Huminga naman si Hades ng malalim at nagsalita, "In the Fields of Elysium you can choose to be reincarnated and if you still do good and did that three times a row, you'll be sent here in the Isles of the Blest. Heaven, perhaps."
I looked around and it was clearly paradise here. Lahat sobrang ganda! Napansin kong ang mga tao or shades dito ay Greek Heroes! Achilles! Ma, crush ko 'yon!
"Who are you looking at, Xynthea?" puna sa'kin ni Zeref. Umiling naman si self, at iniwas na ang tingin kay Achilles. Noooo! Achilles, my Trojan Hero! The one who was invincible except for his heel.
He clicked his tongue, and walked more closely with me. Halos nanginig ako. Is that why I always feel something odd whenever I am with him? Because of my past memories?
"We're going to have a quick look in Tartarus," Hades said.
Nanlamig naman ang pakiramdam ko bigla— as if I felt like something bad was going to happen.
Hades chanted something, and after it, we were already sent to a new place. Tumingin ako sa paligid at napansing halos wala akong nakikitang liwanag. I felt someone hold my shoulders. Zeref.
"It's dark in here," saad ni Damon.
Nanliit ang mata ko nang makarinig ng tunog ng mga halimaw. I almost shut my eyes when I heard screeching noises. Zeref carressed my shoulders, as if comforting me.
May iba sa mga narito ang halos nagwala dahil sa presensya ni Hades. I could also sense that Thanatos is here.
"Thanatos, is he still here?" tanong ni Hades. Bumitaw naman si Zeref sa balikat ko, at ramdam ko'y lumapit siya kina Hades.
I heard Thanatos' heavy breathing. "Yes, he is."
Suddenly, a cold wind gushed over me. A soft hum tickled in my ears. I hugged myself.
Then, I heard Zeref's voice in my head.
"Come here, Xynthea."
Napalingon naman ako sa direksyon. Wait, hindi iyon ang tinungong daan ni Zeref, ah? And was it really Zeref, or that mysterious man?
I didn't want to move towards it, but my feet just did. Gosh, what are you doing, self?!
"Go on, Xyn. Move closer."
Their voices became distant. Takte, bakit ka lumayo sa kanila, Xynthea?! Delikado rito!
"Zeref?" sambit ko. Halaa, bakit ang uto-uto mo, Xynthea?! Hindi ata 'yan si Zeref. Gods!
"I am here."
Naningkit ang sarili kong mga mata ng makakita ng kulay lilang liwanag. In reality, my heart is already pounding hard. But I feel like it wasn't in my memory.
Ba't naman ang confident ko dati, ghorl? Hindi ba ako nagduda? Huhu, baket?
"Xynthea. Unleash your power."
Nagkunot-noo ako. Power? Anong kapangyarihan?
"Zeref? What are you saying?" tanong ko. Ay ang kulit mo, self. Hindi nga siya si Zeref! Takbo na!
Napatalon ako nang makaramdam ng hawak sa balikat ko, but it wasn't a touch of a physical hand, but something like a smoke. It passed by me, and then it lit up.
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.
🥳
Votes and comments are highly appreciated. Thank you for reading!