Descendants of the Gods

Chapter 40: Shadow

KASDEYA ARGYROS' Point of View

The hallways are quiet and desolate. Parang nag-iisa ka lang kahit na alam mong may mga tao sa likod ng mga pinto. Tanging mga sapatos ko lang ang maririnig na tunog.

Nilibang ko ang sarili sa mga furnitures na nakalagay sa hallway. Statues, small tables, and pictures decorated them to seem less lonely. I busy myself by identifying each painting in my head to entertain my vacant mind.

The streaks of color blur as I pass them one by one. Each painting frame are separated by a chunk of wood-colored walls.

Pansin ko sa karamihan nito ay mga paintings sila ng mga gods— Olympian gods, to be exact. They depict them with their respective domains and appropriate symbols, making it easy to distinguish which god is which.

I especially note that Hades, god of the underworld, has at least two paintings with him. Ang ibang gods naman ay mas maraming appearances.

Napairap nalang ako sa kawalan.

Nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad. On the way, napagdesisyunan kong magtungo sa first floor ng hotel. Wala rin masyadong tao roon na hindi ko inaasahan. It's still early in the morning, pero sobrang tahimik sa lounge.

Maybe they don't accept many guests? Lalo na't para sa demigods at gods lang ang hotel na ito. Though I'm not sure, it's only base on my observations.

I look around the area. Even the people at the reception are missing. Talaga bang wala sila ng ganitong oras? It's like I'm in an abandoned yet grand hotel.

Dumiretso ako sa gitna ng lounge. Pinasadahan ko ng aking kamay ang grand piano. I let my hand touch its black body before walking to the seat in front of the keys. Nakabukas ang lid nito. It almost feels like an invitation.

I rest my hand on the white keys. Pinindot ko ang isa at gumawa ito ng mahinang tunog.

Naupo ako sa upuan. I place both of my hands on the keys, letting myself adjust to get familiar with my hand position.

Medyo matagal na simula nung huli akong tumugtog ng piano. The last time I ever played it was the day before my birthday, nung nakatulog ako sa attic ng orphanage.

Ever since I've been bound in Acropolis, I no longer had the opportunity to find the time to play the piano.

Alam kong may music room sa main building pero hindi ako nagpupunta roon. I'm already familiar with the locations in the Acropolis but I never bothered to check. Wala rin akong time para gawin 'yon.

To get myself ready to play, I first did my usual warm up. My piano instructor is also Ma'am Amanda from the orphanage. Lagi niya sa aking sinasabi na mag-warm up muna bago tumugtog ng maayos tuwing may session kami.

I play the major and minor chords with both of my hands. Napuno ng musika ang lounge ng hotel. When I press the key with a little more force, the sound it creates would be loud and will bounce back inside the large room.

I exhale loudly after finishing the basic chords. My hands feel like they're alive again. Naramdaman ko kung gaano ako katagal tumigil sa pagtugtog nang matapos ko ang warm up.

Then, I start to position my hands on the right keys again. Inalala ko ang mga notang dinikta sa akin ni ma'am Amanda noon.

Huminga ako ng malalim at nagsimulang tumugtog. I play it slowly, slower than the actual tempo of the song. Sinigurado kong tama ang keys na pinipindot ko.

My hands are careful not to make a mistake, and the music sounds like it's on slow motion, like how songs would sound when they are turned to soulful ballads. You can still hear the familiar melody, pero sobrang bagal ngalang.