Chapter 30
The 'coordinates' whom, Zeus compelled already, were easy to transact with. They easily opened the gate at the tunnel for our trolley. Connor even winked at them and whispered something before proceeding.
"You really okay?." Zeus turned at me.
Inayos ko ang takas na buhok ko at ngumiti sa kaniya. The cold wind crushing my face is still bearable. Naririnig ko parin ang mga hiyaw ni Connor at ni Remus sa bilis ng takbo ng aming sinasakyang kahoy na may gulong.
"I'm fine." I think. "Don't worry about-."
"What do you mean by don't worry?." Now because of his voice, Lorcan and Persephone turned their heads to us. "You are basically spacing out all the time, you're pale and you're weird."
I sighed. I don't know if I'll completely forget my situation now and focus on that word 'weird'. Okay! I'm offended.
"If I am weird, so be it." I said, murmuring, but enough for him to hear.
He groaned. Almost going ballistic. Uh-oh. "And you just heard that word? Lorcan, back me up."
Lorcan chuckle. "Brother, after all, your mate is still a human. She's not dead. Yet. So of course, she'll feel tired or depressed. Home sick, maybe?."
Maybe, Lorcan's right. This is because I can still feel and recognize feelings. Maybe, I'm tired or depressed. Tired of our ventures and depressed because I missed Earth.
Where all I can problem is how can I go home at exact time without mom and dad getting mad at me.
"You're homesick?." Alalang tanong agad sa akin ni Zeus.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah."
"See? Stop over reacting, brother. Let's focus on this." Lorcan said.
Zeus looked at me like he was reading my mind but I'd make sure that I purified all my thoughts that can go possibly be red inside his mind. I focused hardly on that. Hindi ako pwedeng magpa bigat pa rito. I've been a free loader for months.
"Brother, let him. I'm loving this scene." Perse giggled. "My big brother, Zeus Maximilian is getting stressed over a girl."
I turned my head away and tried blocking their voices at my hearing sense. They were bickering about me and Zeus. And I can't just join them.
"Guys, what do you think will be Father and Maximo's reaction when we didn't went down for our breakfast?." Ulysses laughed.
Connor turned his head to him.
"Like, he'll be like 'Go find the successors! Make sure they're back until dawn or I'll your bodies with fire!'." Connor even tried making a deep voice and oh, he's actually imitating the King.
"Oh, I love that." Persephone laughed, completely forgetting about the war between her and Connor.
Connor grinned at Perse. "Oh, you are always my fan, Claudia."
And with that, Persephone glared at Connor and engaged a punch to his face which, he instantly avoided.
"Moodswings." Connor grinned.
Oh, Persephone really doesn't like being called Claudia.
The successors for the whole night. Pinanatili ni Ulysses ang kaniyang hangin sa normal na bilis para siya ay makapag pahinga rin. Ayokong matulog. Nag paalam ako sa kanilang matutulog narin ako maya maya, ngunit mukhang hindi ko ata magagawa iyon.
Ayokong matulog. Ayaw ko nga ring ipikit ang aking mga mata sa takot na baka may makita manaman akong mga pangitain.
This is better. Tahimik rin naman kaya kahit papa ano ay nakakapag isip isip ako.
The sound of the wind and the hits of the wheels of this trolley on every rock of this tunnel is all we can hear around. The tunnel has really huge stalagmites and crystals around. Like this is a treasure ground not yet being discovered
It was unbelievably long and wide as well.
Panigurado sa dulo nito ay matatagpuan ang liwanag na tatawagin nilang entrance. Kung saan makakabalik na ako ng Earth. I can now smell polluted air again. Hindi man nakakatuwa ngunit nae excite ako sa mga susunod na mangyayari.
Hindi ko na namalayan na nakatulog na pala ako. Luckily, I didn't dream of anything.
Naging maayos at maginhawa naman ang tulog ko. Wala rin akong naalalang nanaginip ako. Magandang indikasyon 'yon na umaayos na muli ang lagay ko. Sa isang araw na wala akong tulog ay nabawi ko 'yon sa iilang oras lang.
Nagising ako sa tawanan sa paligid.
"Sshh. She'll know your scent." It was murmurs.
Idinilat ko agad ang mga mata ko at inadjust ang tingin sa liwanag. Wait.
What the hell?
Bakit may liwanag? I blinked rapidly para mai ayos ang nakikita ko ngunit nanatiling maliwanag ang paligid. We're in a tunnel! Paanong magkaka roon ng liwanag rito?
"Guys?." I tried calling them but no one answered.
I sat down. Pinakiramdaman ko ang sarili ko. I focused hard at ipinikit ng mariin ang aking mga mata. Too much static for the day.
"Lorietta."
Huh?
"Where am I?."
Is this from the voice in my head again? It's been a while since the last time we spoke. If it wasn't for Ulysses, I'd spend more time with that voice. And that...
"Who's much cooler? Ulysses or Connor?."
I groaned and snap out of my vision. I closed my eyes firmly and felt my own body levitating around. As I made sure that I'm comfortable on my seat. I peak on my mind.
Ugh! Whites!
"Aw!." I snap out and found Ulysses scratching his forehead.
"She's getting good. She can resist your vision, Uly!." Perse giggled.
As much as I want to ask what clearly is happening. I forbid myself. Ugh, they tricked me again! I thought I'm out of the world againㅡ well, uhm, I'm really out of the world.
"Really? I'm like, I'm having the best part of my life and you just disturbed me." I murmured.
Ulysses chuckled. "Best part? Sleeping?."
I rolled my eyes.
"Come on! You're getting good at it! Say, six more times and we're done!." He added and laughed.
"So, I'm your rat to your experiment?." I raised an eyebrow.
Ulysses instantly raises both of his hand in a surrender stance.
"Easy. We're trying to open your spiritual self. For you to be able to join our spiritual link." He said, grinning. I became curious enough to ask more and set aside my moodswings with him.
Zeus turned his head to us while he's busy checking the supplies.
"Ulysses, we'll tell her about that in the right time. Just not now."
I creased my forehead. "Spill it or I'm gonna go down from this freaking trolley."
Remus groaned. "You won't like it, girl."
Lorcan added. "Tell the lady more things. We don't need to slowdown our vehicle just to keep with her human walking."
I butted in, almost raising my voice. "Excuse me! I'm gonna draught and let's see who's gonna be there first!."
"I'll do it!." Perse exclaimed.
I turned to her, panting.
"You did it before. Remember our dinner with the Versaius vampires last month? Where you just clogged Zeus's life force into you causing his system to break down?." She started.
Kumunot ang noo ko. "That time?."
"That's it!." She giggled. "You accidentally connected with your spiritual self, causing all the disturbance around fade away. You shoved, Zeus."
Kumunot lalo ang noo ko at tumingin kay Zeus na ngayon ay kumakain ng mansanas.
If that was me connecting with my spiritual self, bakit hindi agad sa akin sinabi? I mean, if they're eager to have me connected with it, dapat ay tinulungan nila ako hindi ba? Another set of questions flooded my mind.
"And you did nothing, because?."
"We want you to get it naturally. We got ours by force. The central was eager to look for the next King." Lorcan said.
I bit my lip.
"Maximo was chosen but due to some circumstances, Zeus got the destined human." He added.
Tahimik ang naging paligid. Tila interesado sa nangyayari. Tila interesado sa paksa ngayon. Maximo was chosen but Zeus got me, instead. Dapat bang si Maximo ang makakuha sa akin?
"And there are no other girls?." I asked again.
"Come on, Lorietta. You better stop. This might strain your-." I immediately cut Zeus off. If he's trying to pull me away from something then I won't let him do that.
"Shut up, Zeus. I'm trying to understand." I said through gritted teeth.
"Lorietta..." Ulysses uttered.
"Brother! Let her be!." Remus shutted him off.
"The Prophecy only showed you and He sent you to him." Lorcan explained.
"Why will He send me to Zeus, if supposedly Maximo is my master?." I asked.
Lorcan sighed. "That is something we will know when we reach Giza."
I quietly nodded. I let out a relieved sigh. Somehow, it comforts me. Some puzzle pieces are going into it original place. Some were not but I'm still grateful that somehow, I still got some.
Spiritual self. The visions. My current situation. Doomsday. Or end of the world.
I wonder which first should I get myself stressed out?
The last night of our escapade through the tunnel was quiet and smooth. Tomorrow afternoon, base on Lorcan's estimation, we'll be entering the portal that will lead us to, whoever Am Paro is. In Egypt..
I picked up my blanket to prepare for my sleep when I heard some little screeching behind the trolley. I looked around, terrified, my big eyes wonder around like quietly observing the tunnel.
Maybe it's just the tires of the trolley slowly loosening up.
I don't need to worry about it. We'll be on our destination tomorrow. So we won't need this little vehicle anymore. The sound of raspy winds of Ulysses continued to ease the night. It was creepy but I'm used to it since last night.
I lay down beside Persephone, she timidly opened her eyes and looked at me, alerted, when she figured out it was me, she just smiled and went back to sleep. I tucked myself in the blanket.
One more screech and I was startled.
Taranta akong napaupo at tinanggal ang naka balot na kumot. I even checked the others kung nagising ba sila sa ingay na 'yon o dahil sa biglaang pag galaw ko. But they look sound asleep to me.
Nilibot ko ng tingin ang buong tunnel. The dark passage was evident now dahil sa lumayong sasakyan namin. Tanging nagkaka ilaw lang kapag dadaan ang aming sasakyan na may bitbit na iilang lampara para sa paglalakbay.
My heart was obviously thumping hard.
I saw this scene from movies. This is where I'm gonna close my eyes and cover my ears dahil biglang may susulpot na sa gilid na multo o kaya murderer. How I hate horror movies.
I gently hold Perse's arm.
"Hey.." I whispered but she was sound asleep.
I frowned and looked around again. Crap! I'm getting nervous and all! What the hell is this place? I tried waking up the others ngunit hindi ata sila magigising ng simpleng pag tapik ko. Zeus was frowning in his sleep so I skipped him.
The monster might get mad.
Sighing, I tucked myself again in the blanket. Forcing to close my eyes and sleep. Forcing myself to calm down and it was just all in my mind.
Just like lazy nights, I fell asleep on one side in the vehicle. The gently swaying of the trolley made me at ease for like minutes, or seconds. I cannot comprehend what I really felt but it was like magic.
And one loud scream, we are all awoken.