Descendants of the Gods

Chapter 43: Under the Starry Night

KASDEYA ARGYROS' Point of View

"I already told the Deputy Commander that you're with us."

Napatigil ako sa pagbukas ng pinto ng sasakyan nang magsalita si Theon. I look at him but his attention is somewhere else. Papasok na siya ng kotse no'n kaya sumunod ako.

"What did he say?" I ask after putting my seatbelt. Narinig ko rin ang pagbukas at pagsara ng pinto sa likuran namin nang sumakay sina Paris at River. Theon starts the car before answering.

"He doesn't have a choice but to be fine with it. Adonis won't send you back."

Nakahinga ako ng maluwag dahil doon. I really don't know what Sir Adonis would say. Sa sobrang bait niya ay 'di mo alam kung maaawa siya sa'yo at hahayaan ka, o papabalikin ka dahil sa pag-aalala.

Sumandal ako sa kotse at tumango. "Good," I respond before turning away from him. "Matutulog na muna ako."

Hindi na siya sumagot kaya pumikit na ako. But when the car starts to move, I couldn't keep my eyes close.

In the end, I just watch the blurring sceneries as we pass through them. Streaks of blending colors engulf my line of vision, from the amalgamation of the markets to the greens and browns of rice fields beyond asphalt roads.

Nakadikit lang ang mga mata ko rito. Hindi na natuloy ang sinabi ko kay Theon, mukhang nawala na nga talaga ang antok ko.

Mula sa malayo ay nakita ko ang pagsikat ng araw. It slowly peeks from the horizon as the black curtains of midnight lift up to give way for a new day.

Hindi ko maiwasang mapabuntong hininga. Feeling ko sirang sira na ang body clock ko kahit na isang araw palang ang nakalipas simula nung umalis kami ng Acropolis.

And I can't forget that I have six days left to complete the mission and remove this death curse on my body.

Sa labas lang ang tingin ko kahit na sobrang ingay nina Paris sa likod. Puro sila daldalan at chismisan ng mga nangyayari sa Acropolis. Kilala yata nila lahat ng demigods roon.

Tumagal rin ng ilang oras ang byahe. Gusto kong matulog pero katawan ko na mismo ang umaayaw. My mind is vacant for any racing thoughts, causing some memories I've been suppressing to reemerge in the surface.

Kaya napunta sa nangyari kanina ang iniisip ko.

I close my eyes again, the scene replaying like a broken recorder. The red skies, black moon, and the dark ashes in the air.

Sa lahat ng mga napaginipan ko, this one is the most disturbing.

And I'm counting my other nightmares. Kasama ang mga panaginip kung saan may mga namamatay na tao. There's a girl pierced with shiny lances in a dark area. Mayroon pang isang babae na walang buhay sa isang malawak na hagdanan, pinapaligiran siya ng mga taong nagluluksa sa kaniyang kamatayan.

There's more of those dreams. Of people dying or suffering. I can pull hundreds and hundreds of those scenes at the top of my head, all of them are gruesome, tragic, and painful in their own ways.

None of those could compete to the weighing feelings in my chest when I dreamt what I did earlier.

Napakuyom ako ng kamay sa biglaan nitong panlalamig. My lips quiver at the mere thought of it. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero apektadong apektado ako sa panaginip na yun.

No one's dying. No one's going through the most miserable moment of their life. But the lack of someone's presence in that dream is another reason why it's so lonely and dead. The feel of the dark filth in the air could make me feel emotions I didn't think I'd meet again. The anger, despair, and hopelessness.