The Semideus

Chapter 6

NOSTALGIA

Nagising ako sa ingay. Bahagyang kumunot ang noo ka nang makarinig ng pamilyar na mga boses, The Fates. Moirais.

"Hindi mo pa rin ba mahanap ang thread niya? Imposible naman 'yon, Clotho," mahinahong wika ni Lachesis. Bumangon ako mula sa pagkakahiga ko, at umupo. Napasulyap siya sa'kin at maliit na ngumiti.

I saw Atropos sigh deeply when she saw me awake, "We are left with no choice, then."

I opened my mouth to speak, pero tila umatras ang dila ko nang maalala ang mga kasamahan ko. Did they all die?

"W-why am I still alive?" hindi ko napigilang tanong.

Atropos rolled her eyes, "Obviously, we couldn't kill you without your thread. Kailangan muna naming hanapin ang thread mo para patayin ka. Hindi namin makokontrol ang tadhana mo kung wala kang thread."

"I-I thought Lord Thanatos was going to kill me?" tanong ko.

Lachesis held my hand. She smiled dearly at me. "Oh, we've just decided to send you to the Olympian World while we look for your thread."

Natigilan ako. Did I hear it right? I'm going to the Olympian World? For real?

"Pero syempre, papatayin ka na namin kapag nahanap na naming ang thread mo," mataray na wika ni Atropos. Oh, I think it's okay. I was meant to die anyway. Just this one chance to go to the Olympian World is totally fine.

"We can still change our minds if you prove yourself worthy of being a Semideus," wika ni Clotho. Marahas na napatingin sa kaniya si Atropos, tila hindi sang-ayon sa plano.

Bago pa man makapagreklamo si Atropos, nagsalita na ako. "Thank you. I will prove myself worthy. I will try not to fail your decisions."

Ngayon naman ay napalingon sa'kin si Atropos. She scoffed, "Dapat lang! Mapapahiya kami kung sakaling lalampa-lampa ka. Ipapalabas naming na gusto naming gawin kang apprentice kaya ayusin mo talaga! Hindi naman kasi naming puwedeng sabihin na nawala naming thread mo! Nakakahiya!"

I nodded. Naintindihan ko naman. It's still a mystery to me on why I don't have clear memories, and why my thread is missing. Did someone... mess it up?

"Clotho, tapos na ba ang Semideus test?" tanong ni Lachesis.

Clotho nodded, "Mamayang gabi, paalis na sila patungo sa Olympian World. We still have plenty of time to explain things to her. Na-explain na kasi sa iba. Baka mabigla siya pagpasok."

"Yay!" Lachesis exclaimed. "You will be a Semideus, and magiging mentor mo ang isa sa mga Gods. The Olympians are Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Athena, Hermes, and Dionysus."

"You could also be mentored by minor Gods, if masyado kang mahina," dagdag pa ni Clotho.

"Bukod sa magiging mentee ka, isasabak din kayong mga Semideus sa mga misyon sa mortal world. You'll be doing what the Gods must be doing. Ang tatamad talaga ng mga Diyos na 'yan!" reklamo ni Atropos.

Lachesis chuckled, "Let's go, Xynthea. You still have to make friends."

Friends? I wonder... if in my past, I had friends. Ang hirap talaga kapag walang alaala ng nakaraan. Ni hindi ko nga alam kung ilang taon na ako.

"Xynthea?" Clotho called. Nauna na pala silang naglakad, hindi ko na napansin. I sighed and started following them. We were headed to the Olympus Gates again. Kung titingnan ang loob ng Olympus Gates para namang walang patutunguhan 'yon, it was dark. But of course, the magic is always within.

Awtomatikong nagbukas ang Olympus Gates para sa tatlong Moirai. Sumunod ako sa kanila sa pagpasok, at nagulat nang ang kaninang dilim sa loob ay biglang nagkaroon ng kulay. Maaraw pa rito.

Nakarinig ako ng kantahan, at 'di kalayuan ay amoy ng bonfire. Celebration. Malamang mga Semideus ang mga 'yon. Kahit naman ako magce-celebrate kung sakaling nakapasa ako sa Semideus test, pero sabit lang naman ako rito.

"Nagkakasiyahan na sila, ah?" nakangising tanong ni Clotho. She looked at some new dancing Semideuses.

Atropos scoffed, "Nah, it's too early to rejoice. Baka mamaya'y sumuko sila sa training and missions." Bahagya naman akong natakot dahil d'on. Really? Malupit ba talaga ang trainings?

Tumikhim si Lachesis. Hindi naman n'ya nakuha ang atensyon ng mga Semideus, kaya't tinaasan niya ang boses niya, "Semideuses!"

Only few turned.

"Call them mortals," utos naman ni Atropos. Lachesis agreed so later on, she called them mortals.

"Mortals!" at ngayon palang sila lumingon.

"Gosh! Mas gusto ata nilang maging mortal kaysa maging Semideus!" wika ni Lachesis. The music stopped and everyone's attention was on us— or should I say, me.

Marahil nakikilala ako ng iba, at alam nilang hindi ako nakapasa. I just smiled shyly. Don't worry, guys! Miski ako'y naguguluhan sa mga pangyayari, but everything happens for a reason, right?

"I have a little fellow here who failed the Semideus test. However, she caught our attention and we would like to make her a Semideus, then our apprentice. She's a new addition for the new batch of Semideuses. Enjoy!" wika niya.

"That's unfair," narinig kong wika ng isa.

Narinig din 'yon ni Atropos kaya't suminghal siya. "It is fair. It is the fates' decision. No one should defy fate, peasant."

Simula n'on, wala na akong narinig na reklamo. Ramdam ko pa rin naman ang kakaibang tingin nila sa'kin. I just smiled a little to ease the atmosphere. No one smiled back, though.

Iniwan na ako r'on ng Moirais. Hindi ko naman alam kung s'an ako puwedeng lumapit. I think they don't like me, or maybe because my addition to the batch was just so random. Was it first time in history?

Umupo nalang ako r'on sa log malayo sa kanila. I tied my hair to a bun, but someone pulled it. Napalingon tuloy ako, at bumungad sa'kin ang little huntress.

She smiled, "Sinasabi ko na nga ba. Lampa ka."

Umupo siya sa tabi ko, at nanatili ang kunot sa noo ko. She played with the leaves, and her smile was still evident. She looked at me again when she noticed that I was staring at her.

"I'm Diane," pakilala niya. "Ngayon lang may nangyari na ganitong pagkakataon. Lahat ng hindi nakapasa, hindi talaga nakapasa. It's strange that you passed. Naiisip ko tuloy kung anong mayroon sa'yo na nakapagpakuha ng atensyon ng mga Fates."

Ngumiti ako nang maliit. "Hindi ko rin alam," maliit kong sambit.

"Anyways, Xynthea, why don't you be my friend?" tanong niya.

Nanlaki naman ang mata ko, at kahit siya, nanlaki rin ang mata. "Paano mo nalaman ang pangalan ko?" tanong ko.

Napaawang ang bibig niya. Confusion was written on her face. "I just... know it, Xynthea," tila namamangha n'yang sabi.

We were silent for a moment until she held out her hand. Tinanggap ko naman 'yon. The moment our hands shook, I felt nostalgic?

The Semideus
by lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

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