Matilda's POV
I was silenced.
Di rin ako makagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko. I was like a post standing in the middle of a huge crowd. A crowd full of immortals and mortals. A single soul in an abyss of chaos with no idea what the hell she is seeing.
All I know is that they're here.
The deities who chose to protect their realm from those who seek to threaten it.
And then I saw Persephone.
And then the ground opened.
And souls were set free.
"Kanina ka pa nakatayo diyan.." napailing ako pagkatapos marinig ang boses ni Art na siyang gumising sa'kin.
Nginitian niya ako kahit tila ibinabad sa dugo ang damit niya. She gave me a smile that tells me she knew this would happen from the start.
Napatingin siya sa gitna kaya't napatingin rin ako. Sumugod na ang mga kaluluwa't mga bangkay na nagmula sa portal ng Underworld na binuksan ni Persephone.
Nagtaka ako dahil narinig ko ang mahinang pagbibilang ni Art.
"3... 2..." and on cue, nagsilabasan mula sa bawat sulok ng lugar ang mga Arcadians na may kani-kanilang bitbit na weapons.
"How did you know all of this?" tanong ko kay Art.
"Ahh.. Haha.." nagkamot siya ng ulo. "Di ko talaga alam nung una ihh.. Di talaga dapat ganito yung mangyayari... Binago ko lang... Tapos nagsilabasan na lahat ng visions ko kasi nakaya kong magsulat ng bagong kwento para sa digmaang to! Oh dibaa?!?!"
Otomatiko akong napangiti. Saka napaisip sa ibang mga kasama namin na hindi pa dumadating. Ngunit bago pa ako makatanong, inunahan na niya ako.
"Kung gusto mong tanungin ako tungkol kina Kara... ang masasabi ko lang, huwag kang tumingin sa itaas pag may nagising na. Hihihi..." and she went off.
Huwag akong tumingin sa itaas?
Agad akong nawalan ng balanse habang nasa gitna ng malalim na pag-iisip. Pagdilat ko ng aking mga mata, nakita ko siya na nakapatong sa'kin.
"What the f-" I stopped myself from cursing a God.
He used his arms to hold his weight and not crush me to death. With a sly smirk, he said, "Too early."
Hinampas ko ang dibdib niya at inutusan siyang umalis mula sa napaka-awkward na posisyon namin. Binigyan ko siya ng matatalim na tingin pagkatapos dahil nagawa pa niyang ngumiti hanggang ngayon.
He's giving me a smile that I can read.
"I'd rather die than do that with you. Ang kapal ng mukha mo." inayos ko ang dulo ng shirt ko na nakaangat.
He was not offended though.
Instead, lumapit lang siya sa'kin. Aatras na sana ako kaso huli na dahil nasa likod ko na ang braso niya, keeping me from walking away.
"Don't.. Don't do this here. Please." I exhaled while looking down.
I felt his mouth slowly touching my ear and then...
"Do what? Kiss you?" he let out a chuckle. "When your mother is watching us?"
Nanlaki ang aking mga mata nang dumistansya sa'kin at hindi ko na naramdaman ang kamay niya sa likod ko.
With my heart beating fast, I tilted my head and saw a woman standing behind him.
Her hair as brown as chocolate... hazel eyes radiating with healing and her perfect face was facing me.
She was wearing a chiton that was made out of liquid mirror and a golden head band with an oval-shaped mirror at the center. Her glowing skin puts the sun to shame.
"N-nandito ka.." dahan-dahan kaming humakbang papalapit sa isa't-isa.
Gently, she touched my cheeks with teary eyes. "It's been forever..." naiiyak niyang sabi habang patuloy na sinusuri ako.
"My grace..." she ran her fingers on my hair. "My child... is as young as ever."
Natawa ako ng mahina. "What are you talking about? I already have a grand daughter..."
"Alam ko..." her voice brought my energy back. The energy that I lost due to healing others. "Alam ko kung paano ka nila pinatay... Alam ko kung paano mo ako paulit-ulit na tinawag sa Elysium.. Alam ko lahat.."
"Pati na rin ang mga panahong kinailangan mo ako ngunit hindi ako dumating." dugtong niya.
"You don't have to say anything, ma." tuluyan na nga akong naluha. "Kahit pagbaliktarin ang mundo, ina pa rin kita at hinding-hindi magbabago ang pagtingin ko sa'yo."
Niyakap ko siya nang napakahigpit. The last time I hugged her like this was when I got claimed at the Claiming Ceremony. And that was it. That was the last time I also saw her, ever again.
Until now.
"What did I do to get this chance of seeing you again?" bulong niya.
Pero mas ikinagulat ko pa ang mga katagang binitawan niya kasunod.
"What did I do to see you and Thea alive?"
"You met her?" tanong ko nang bumitaw na kami sa isa't-isa.
Tumango siya. "She's as beautiful as Adelphine." sagot niya. "As smart and loud as Hephaestus."
"As loving as you..." dagdag niya.
"But she's also got your... lips..." I said. "And figure..."
Aaminin ko, nung bata pa si Thea, para siyang maliit na version ni Iaso. Although she has freckles and a bit of spots on her face, she sill resembled her. Yun nga lang, napakakulit at napakaingay. It was no denying that it was her that looked like Iaso the most.
"You've been standing there for a few minutes now and here I am trying to not get your moment disturbed." napatingin kaming dalawa kay Thanatos na may ibinaon sa lupa na gigantes. Napangiti ako dahil kanina pa pala niya kami piniprotektahan para hindi masira yung reunion namin ni Iaso.
Pagkatapos, kinuha ni Iaso ang kamay ko. Her touch sent a bolt of energy. My eyes hurt for a bit because of the sudden power that I quickly learned how to hold it in.
"Let's heal everyone." anunsyo niya.
Napasinghap ako nang bumigat ang katawan ko. I looked down and saw a million individual strings of yellow light radiating from our feet. I saw one of it glowing so I traced where it is connected to.
It ran towards Ria's wrist. Not only that but I noticed that everyone else had a floating circle of light wrapped around their wrists.
"What-"
"Your new ability." ani Iaso. "You always heal mortals after something happens to them but you never knew you can heal them even before harm touches them."
"It is true that you are a healer, Matilda." she stroked my hair. "But you're more than that now."
•••
Sumingkit ang aking mga mata nang mabilis na sumirado ang sugat sa balat ko pagkatapos ito daanan ng palaso.
Two students suddenly fell from the sky. They both groaned after they heard their bones break. I looked at them with pity as their bodies begin to heal.
At the edge of my peripheral view, I saw Eris standing, holding a leash that was tied around a man in front of her. He had dark blue skin and his eyes glowing red.
With her eyes on me, the goddess released the leash and what happened next terrified the rest of me.
The man ran wildly to a student and directly tore off his skin from his body exposing his bones. Nagsitakbuhan ang mga kapwa estudyante niya pagkatapos makit ang nangyari sa isang kasamahan nila.
"Eurynomus.." bulong ko sa aking sarili. Isang daemon sa Underworld na kinakain ang balat ng mga mortal.
'You can't heal that.. can you?' Eris laughed in my mind.
Kumunot ang aking noo nang gumalaw yung lupa. Followed by the explosion of the volcano. All our eyes were at the volcano and my heartbeats began to race.
A large arm broke out of the crater followed by another arm... and then a head...
Slowly, I saw a titan crawl out of the crater.
Napaatras ako at napatingin kay Art na nakatingin rin sa'kin. With fear in her eyes, she gave me a nod.
And I knew it.
We are no match to the Father of the Gods.