『SKYLER』
It’s been two hours since we were thrown in this dull, boring detention room. I was silently sitting on an armchair, tapping my fingers while Sapphire was busy indulging herself in the book she was reading—Boy Meets Girl.
My mind is filled with numerous thoughts right now. I am not naïve, not know that someone is playing on me, on us. All these scenarios aren’t just a piece of coincidence. It was all planned.
With Sapphire having Ice’s face, the cryptic woman with a hoodie having Reina’s face—it was all like a deceitful game.
“You bored?” I asked.
Nakita ko ang mabilis n’yang pag-irap sa ‘kin kasabay ang pagsara niya sa libro. Nang harapin niya naman ako’y mabilis niyang isinaludo sa aking gitmang daliri niya dahilan ipang matawa ako.
“I am in hell with Satan’s successor. Who wouldn’t be bored?” She hissed.
Nilapat ko ang kamay ko sa aking dibdin at umaktong para akong nasaktan kaya muli niya akong inirapan at binuksan librong binabasa niya.
Hell, Satan, huh? I bitterly smiled and remembered something awful—the Seven Kins of Purgatory.
Long ago, the Seven Kins of Purgatory was introduced to the Demigods Academy; not only was it relevant for us to know them, but because of a certain transfer student from 10 years ago.
The Seven Kins of Purgatory or the seven demons reigning the Dark Continent were said to be the most disgusting beings, for they live in the endless darkness along with curses they hold. They are invulnerable in their continent, for not a single demigod can use their blessings in that land.
Yet, in the hands of the king vessels, they are just like us—a being that can be killed. A Seraphim can also hurt the Kins, or if they set foot in different continents, but not Satan, for he is the real king of the Kins, an invulnerable demon that can only be cut down by a king vessel.
But… King Vessels are rare. They are no longer exposed by our people, ever since Tita Savannah claimed her dream and introduced the Princess Selection System. Though some of them still do exist, it was only the King Vessel System that was eradicated.
Hence, King Vessels are still born; they came from the royalties, making their blood to be more powerful than normal demigods or even princesses. And it was believed that, King Vessels were demigods that were blessed by Rhea, the mother of all gods, in order to overthrow the ungodly kings.
Ginala ko ang mga mata ko dahil sa pagkabagot hanggang sa makita ko ang isang transparent na vase na may lamang tubig. Wala sa sarili kong nilaro ito hanggang sa umapaw ang tubig habang lumulutang ito.
“Fucking Hell!” Nawala agad ang focus ko nang sumigaw si Sapphire dahilan upang mabilis na lumubog ang tubig.
Kasama ko nga pala siya.
Nakangiwi ko siyang nilingon, ang mga mata niya’y nanlalaki habang nakatingin sa vase. Nang humarap siya sa akin, ang nakakatawang mukha niya dahil sa takot na para bang may nakita siyang multo ang bumungad sa akin.
Sa loob ng Shier University, pinagbabawal sa mga demigods ang pag gamit ng mga blessings maliban na lamang kung binigyan kami ng mga mission.
And since we are attending a university in the realm of the mortals, Dad introduced us to the Bulletin Archive, a system for us to follow if we wanted to be outside the university and use our blessings.
The quest scale depends on three codes: Flavus, the easiest type of mission and can be finished by a single demigod. Next is Lividus, the average type of mission. A mission that can is done with two to four demigods within a day or two. And lastly, Croceus, the hardest mission finished by an entire section categorize by the class system in the Demigods Academy because it can be done for weeks or even months.
Napabalikwas ako sa ‘king puwesto nang may humawak na isang malamig na kamay sa braso ko, naiilang akong lumingon sa kanya habang ang mga mata niya’y takot pa rin na nakatingin sa vase na para bang hindi n’ya kinain ang pagkain ng patay last week.
“Is this school haunted?” Sapphire asked. She blinked multiple times, and then she gasped while clinging her arm to mine. “You’re not answering! Does it mean this university is really haunted?”
Dahan-dahan kong inalis ang braso n’ya sa akin, aasarin ko pa sana siya nang may mapansin akong kakaibiga sa may bintana. Mula ro’n may isang Echidna ang gumagapang sa may kisame papunta sa aking puwesto.
Mahigpit kong hinawakan si Sapphire at saka nilapit siya sa akin habang ang mga mata ko’y nakapako pa rin sa Echidna.
Kakaiba ang kulay nito kumpara sa natural na luntian na kulay nito, ang mga kaliskis nito ay kulay kahel habang ang mga nanlilisik nitong mga mata ay dilaw. Bukod do’n, kapansin-pansin ang dugong tumutulo sa leeg nito mula sa isang kagat.
At habang tinitingnan ako nito sa mga mata ko, ramdam na ramdam ko ang pagkasabit niya sa isang demigod.
Marahan ang bawat pag gapang niya at bago pa ako tuluyan na ma-hypnotized nito, mabilis akong tumingin sa sahig.
“Mayroon ba talagang multo rito? Tangina, Skyler. H’wag mo akong iiwan.” Dinig kong bulong ni Sapphire.
“Just stay—” I gasped when Sapphire’s shadow disappeared, making me wonder what happened.
On top of me, the Echidna was suffocating Sapphire with a complex tail. On the other hand, Sapphire was twitching and trying hard to open her eyes, but she couldn’t. The Echidna slowly leaned to Sapphire’s neck and hissed.
“Lost…”
The Echidna immediately threw Sapphire, but I was too far from Sapphire that I failed to save her, making her head hit the ground.
And with an unconscious Sapphire, I can freely use my blessing. I shut my eyes and concentrated, feeling all the water around me—the humidity in windows as well as the floor, the water from the vase, and the faucet.
As I steadily gathered them around the Echidna, an enormous amount of water began to envelop her until it turned into a sphere, imprisoning her.
Saglit n’yang nilangoy ang loob habang pilit kumakawala dahil hindi niya magawang makahinga sa loob. Nang dahan-dahan na sumuko ang mga mata n’ya, bigla na lamang nagliwanag ang kagat sa kanyang leeg hanggang lumitaw ang mapupulang ugat doon at binalot ang buong katawan niya.
At sa pagbuka ng Echidna sa kanyang bibig, isang itim na usok ang kumawala ro’n na nagpaitim sa tubig dahilan upang hindi ko na siya makita.
“Thy king, thy cursed, thy dead…”
“Thy living, thy blessed, thy seraph…”
“All… must be named.”
A crimson light suddenly blinded me for a while until it slowly ceased. All the water and even the Echidna’s presence evaporated as if nothing happened in this room at all. I shrugged off the thought and tended to Sapphire to wake her up.
The Echidna is not the only mysterious thing here, but as well as the woman lying in front of me.
“What happened?” Sapphire blinked multiple times as she carefully sat. “Did the ghost slap me?”
Nagkibit-balikat lamang ako sa kanya. Hindi ko alam kung umaarte lamang siya sa harap ko o hindi. Pero sigurado akong hindi ganitong kabobo si Ice kahit naka-undercover siya. Hindi siya basta-bastang umiimik lamang at sa tingin ko’y mas gugustuhin niyang hindi sayangin ang boses niya.
“Let’s just go, Sapphire,” I mumbled.
And with terror written all over her face, she nodded and dragged me out of the detention room. But I didn’t expect that she’ll pull me in front of my father’s office. I looked at her with disbelief, yet she continued to drag me inside by knocking at the door three times.
Dad gave me a confused look when we got inside. He was in the middle of signing a pile of papers when we burst in. I just shrugged at him and pointed to Sapphire because I didn’t have any idea what she was also thinking.
“Good morning, Mr. Lockser.” I heard Sapphire said. “H’wag po sana kayong ma-ooffend pero p’wede niyo po bang ipa-blessing itong Shier University? Noong nasa Detention Room po kasi bigla na lamang pong umangat ‘yong tubig sa vase—”
Nang tumikhim ang tatay ko’y isang ngiwi ang dahan-dahan na kumubra sa aking labi. “I’ll think about your suggestion, Ms. Mendoza. But can you please excuse us first? I need to discipline my son for being an impolite student in Ms. Guevarra’s class earlier.”
“But I was with him—”
“I know that he’s the one who started it.” Dad interrupted. Sapphire looked at me first before leaving at my father’s request.
We remained silent for a while until his eyes squinted at me, raising the tension inside the room.
“We have a rule, right?” He asked.
I wryly smiled. “I know… but—”
“Anong ginawa mo sa klase ni Ms. Guevarra, Skyler? She went here earlier…” Skyler. I am now a hundred percent sure that he’s mad.
I avoided his eyes and scratched my head. “I was just teasing Sapphire earlier. But I can explain why I used my blessing—”
“Then, do it.”
“Well… at first, I was just bored. Then, something odd happened, an orange Echidna appeared out of nowhere. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit o paano lalo na’t may barrier na nagpoprotekta sa Shier University.”
Dad squinted his eyes. “Orange? Are you making this shit up to cover your—”
“No! Dad, I promise!” I panicky said. “The Echidna was bitten on her neck, she’s ogling at me. Tapos may sinabi pa siyang kakaiba bago siya naglaho… king, cursed, living, dead, blessed, seraph all must be named?”
Dahan-dahan na dumilim ang ekspresyon niya habang nakatingin sa akin kasabay nito ang biglaang pagtayo niya.
Nang makarating siya sa aking harapan, ang mga seryoso niyang mata ay puno ng poot at galit.
“Gather all the demigods. We will have a lot of Croceus Missions.”
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