Descendants of the Gods

Chapter 42: Eye of the Storm

KASDEYA ARGYROS' Point of View

Pagkabalik namin sa hotel suite ay agad akong bumagsak sa kama. I haven't gotten any proper sleep for the past hours. Bumawi na ang katawan ko pagkatapos naming maghanap ni Theon sa labas.

Mabilis akong napapikit at nakatulog. I don't know how long I slept, pero naalimpungatan ako mula sa mahimbing na pahinga dahil sa hindi malamang dahilan.

When I open my eyes, it's already dark... but there's something wrong.

Kinuskos ko ang aking mga mata habang nakahiga. Tumingin ako sa kadiliman, kumukurap kurap para makakita ng mabuti. The awful feeling at the pit of my stomach grows, until it fully manifests into something similar to unease.

I blink again, but still empty. Hindi ako makakita sa dilim.

Mabilis akong napabangon mula sa kama. Halos kapain ko na ang paligid dahil wala akong makita. It's like a thick cloth is placed against my eyes. I don't waste time, jumping out of my bed immediately at the first sign of danger.

Tiningnan ko muli ang aking paligid. Halos umikot na ako sa buong kwarto kung hindi lang ako tumigil dahil napaharap ako sa bintana. Yes, I can actually see something and I'm not actually blind. A first sign of light.

Medyo mahina lamang ang ilaw na nanggagaling sa labas dahil natatakpan ito ng kurtina. I quickly run to pull the curtains away from the window. I need to know what exactly is going on.

Paghawi ko ng mga kurtina, kumalat ang ilaw patungo sa loob ng kwarto. I should feel a silver of relief, but my eyebrows furrow at a new realization.

What is this?

Lumayo ako sa itim na bagay. The air is contaminated by something— a dark substance that I've never seen before. My attempt to stay away from it proves to be futile when I see it everywhere in the entire expanse.

The space surrounding me is covered by the black matter. Gumagalaw galaw pa ito na tila lumalangoy sa hangin. Sa tuwing natatamaan ito ng ilaw ay nagbabaga ang mga gilid nito. The dark thing glows in a faint red, a shade of red that can only be associated with fire.

Hinawi ko ito gamit ang isang kamay, pero napangiwi lang ako nang aksidente kong masagi ang itim na bagay. I can feel it burning my hand, but then it fades away as if nothing happened.

My eyes travel back to the black filth obscuring my vision, then my gaze aims a little higher, until I'm already looking at the outside.

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata ko nang makita ang itsura ng mundo.

Everything is swallowed up by the black filth and a sinister energy hanging in the air. Nakatingin palang ako ay nasusulasok na ako.

The world is submerged into ruin beyond recognition. The lively streets are barren, at ang mga establishmento ay sira na. You can barely see anything beyond its silhouettes because of the shadows.

And the skies. Imbis na kulay asul o itim ay pula ito. As if the sun has completely engulfed the world. Dirty clouds lay low, touching the summit of short buildings and swallowing the taller ones.

I choke on my gasp when I finally see the moon. There are no stars, the heavens are nothing but a bucket of red blood, with the exception of a lone blackened moon providing no clear light. It's just a floating grey rock in the middle of the crimson vastness.

Napabitaw ako sa kurtina. I step back, the dark mist haunting my skin and searing my clothes. Ramdam ko ang pagguhit ng hapdi sa aking balat ngunit hindi ko ito pinansin. Habang tumatagal, mas lalong lumalakas nag kabog ng puso ko.