Descendants of the Gods

Chapter 53: The Styx

KASDEYA ARGYROS' Point of View

Hindi ko alam kung nasaan ako at bakit ako nandito. My back is pressed on a cold, flat surface with both of my palms clasp over my mouth.

Mabilis ang bawat pagtibok ng puso ko. I don't know why, but I know I need to keep my mouth shut.

Pinakalma ko ang aking sarili para hindi bumilis ang paghinga ko. I dare not to make any sound even when I have no idea what's happening. Para akong tanga na nagtatago sa takot.

Kusang gumagalaw ang aking katawan.

My eyes avert to my side when I turn my head. Tumingin ako sa likuran ng pinagtataguan ko.

It's like watching myself in a screen. Nararamdaman ko ang kaba at takot na kumakain sa sistema ko pero tila hindi ako yung mismong gumagalaw sa katawan ko. It's strange, but what I see next is even stranger.

Nasa isang malaking kwarto ako. The lights are dim, and most of the lights are on the ground as it create a pool of spotlight on the different displays scattered around the room. Para akong nasa loob ng isang exhibition or museum.

On top of each display lies different artifacts and treasures. Nakilala ko ang ilan, pero ang iba ay hindi pamilyar.

Ngunit hindi iyon ang nakakuha ng atensyon ko.

Sa pinakagitna ng kwarto ay nakalagay ang isang display na naiiba sa lahat. It's surrounded by lights coming from the floor, but it's also lit up from the ceiling. A pillar of white light surrounds it as if it's the main attraction in the entire room.

A girl covered by the curtain of darkness circle the display in the middle. Dahil sa dilim, tanging silhouette lang niya ang makikita mo.

Kumurap ako kaya luminaw ang aking paningin. Still, it's hard to distinguished who she is because I can't see her face. Nahaharangan ito ng mahaba at kulay itim niyang buhok.

She stops walking around the display before facing it it. Nakatalikod siya sa akin kaya hindi ko makita ang ginagawa niya.

All I could see is the movement of her hands, but it's minimal. Naningkit ang mga mata ko habang inoobersbahan ang kanyang ginagawa.

Based from her physique and straight black hair, this girl is unfamiliar. Wala akong kilala na may ganitong itsura, so I know that I have never met her in my life.

Nanatili akong tahimik habang napupuno ng kaluskos ang paligid dahil sa mga kilos niya. Nakatago lang ako sa likod ng isang display, pinapanood ang susunod niyang gagawin.

I don't dare to leave my spot, for some unknown reason, an unspoken thought fill my head that I shouldn't.

She raises one of her arms as she holds something glimmering in her hand. The spotlight focused on the display defines every cut and edge of the thing she's holding.

Naningkit ang mga mata ko. It's a type of white stone. Malayo ang display sa akin at maliit lang ito, kaya hindi ko makita ng mabuti. I couldn't figure out what kind of stone it is.

"Like what you see?"

Tila binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig dahil sa boses na nanggaling sa aking likod. I turn to its direction on instinct, and I see a familiar little girl in front of me.

No, she's not actually familiar.

Kulot ang mahaba niyang buhok, pero yun lang ang nakikita ko. She's covered by the shadows, and no matter how hard I try to take a peek of her face, my eyes won't clear up like the usual.

Hindi ko kilala ang mukha niya kaya hindi siya pamilyar, but I feel like I already know her without seeing her face or knowing her name at all.

I've met her before— but not literally. She's the girl who called me pathetic back then, nung nahimatay ako sa gubat pagkatapos patayin yung demigod na nakapasok sa Acropolis. Why am I seeing her again?