DEMIGODS: The Rule Breakers

Chapter 22: To the Greenwood Haven

“Hey...” I looked behind and saw Apollo standing in the corner. Earlier, I excused myself to replenish my mind and was not expecting a guest in my room, “I’m sorry for what happened earlier,”

I shrugged and leaned my back on the balcony. Apollo seems calmer than when we first met, “Hindi ako palaging seryoso. But when it comes to Marina, I always take everything seriously... Especially that she is bearing our second child,”

Ilang beses kong kinurap ang mga mata ko habang nakadungay siya sa balkonahe, seryoso man ang mukha niya ngunit kitang-kita ko ang kislap sa mga mata niya nang banggitin niya ang tungkol sa pangalawa niyang anak. At ngayon ko napagtanto kung saan nanggagaling ang galit niya nang malaman niyang nawawala si Marina.

Saglit n’ya akong nilingon habang may isang nakakalokong ngiti ang sumilay sa mga labi niya, “I already know that you’ll reject the offer about knowing your prophecy. I can clearly see in your eyes that you wouldn’t want to have a single hint about what’s ahead of you,”

“What’s the purpose of the challenge when you clearly know what will happen?”

“Ayaw mo ba talagang malaman?”

“Ayoko nga,”

A soft, kinky laugh escaped his lips, “Fine. But you should be careful—”

“I know. The Kins aren’t our only enemy because even the gods look at us as sinners they needed to dispose of,” I interrupted him. He smirked upon seeing how serious I am, and for some reason, my childish side was slowly disappearing.

It was like a hint for me to take everything seriously, that this path we chose was no longer a child’s game. This is reality.

“Yeah, even the gods...” He whispered. Apollo’s eyes worriedly lock his eyes in the horizon, and as the harsh wind to our faces. I realized that the words he spouted aren’t just nonsense response, and instead, there is a context hidden to it, “What will you do if the person you trusted so much suddenly betrayed you?” He asked.

Pakiramdam ko ay binibigyan n’ya ako ng karampot na ideya tungkol sa hinaharap ko ngunit imbes na mainis ako sa kanya ay tila nais kong magpasalamat dahil sa ginagawa n’ya.

“I do not judge based upon what I see, and I always seek for a reason. Because I know that you’ll never do something ungrateful to others without any reason. So, I wouldn’t be angry if someone betrayed my trust and instead I will look to the other side,”

Apollo smiled upon hearing my response. He pulled a paper out of his pocket, and as he unfolded it in front. I was mesmerized to see a map with glowing coordinates.

“You’ll be needing this,” He handed me the map. It was a map headed to the Cryptic Chambers. I confusedly looked at him and pointed one of the glowing parts of it, which says Greenwood Haven, “You need to bring Artemis in that place,”

“Why?”

“Obviously, she needs help,”

I squinted at him as I languidly folded the map and slowly hid it inside my pocket, “You’re the god of medicine and other shits,”

“Kaya nga tinuturo ko ang lugar na ‘yon. Bobo ka ba?”

Tahimik na nilaro ni Apollo ang kanyang kapangyarihan habang umuusbong ang ngisi sa kanyang mga labi. Tinapunan ko siya nang inis na tingin, at bago niya pa mabuksan ang kanyang bibig ay lumagabog ang pinto at bumungad sa amin ang isang batang lalaki na seryosong nakatingin kay Apollo.

“Oh? Bakit ka nandito?”

Halos humagalpak ako sa tawa dahil sa tanong ng bata sa kaniya. Tiyak akong siya ang panganay na anak ni Apollo kay Marina dahil kuhang-kuha nito ang mga mukha at ugali ng kanyang ina.