Celestine And Helios | A Novelette By Arki Aaron

Chapter 6

My head spun around like a whirlwind, trying to understand what Helios just said. "What did you say? You are about to die?'" I repeated, the word feeling strange and scary on my tongue.

"But... how? Why?"

He shook his head, his face showing he was hurt. "It's a long story," he said, his voice sounding sad. "But to make the long story short... I don't have much time left."

My brain felt like a buzzing beehive, filled with a swarm of questions. Parang wala na akong ibang marinig,. The deafening silence sent shivers to me.

How could this be real? And why did it have to happen to us? But among all the chaos in my head, one thought stood out the most—Helios was dying.

"I... I don't get it," I said, my voice shaking with shock. "Tell me, prank ba ito? A pre-wedding prank? Nasaan ang camera, ilabas mo na.” I looked around hoping to find cameras, hoping that this is just a joke.

Helios sighed, and that is when I realized that he is telling the truth.

Helios looked at me, his eyes showing a mix of sadness and desperation. "It's complicated," he explained quietly. "But... if I marry you, it's the only chance to give me more time."

I felt like the floor was falling out from under me, leaving me lost in a stormy sea of confusion and disbelief. "But... why me?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. Mas lalong gumulo ang isip ko dahil sa sinabi niya.

What does our marriage gas to do with his life? Anong mangyayari kung magpapakasal kami? Mas hahaba ba ang buhay niya?

“My power is slowly fading and I need to have a wife as soon as possible." I was taken aback by what he just said. Power?

Bago pa man ako makapagtanong ay agad akong napatakip sa bibig ko dahil sa gulat nang masaksihan ang unti-unting pagbabago ng itsure ni Helios.

As he stood before me, a transformation began that chilled me to the core. His once human form stretched and contorted, his limbs elongating into grotesque proportions. His skin, once smooth and pale, now took on a sickly gray hue, mottled with patches of inky blackness.
I watched in horror as his hands grew, fingers extending into long, jagged claws that glinted in the dim light. His eyes, once vibrant and captivating, now burned with an otherworldly blue glow, the pupils narrowing into menacing slits.

The fabric of his sleek black suit strained and tore as his body expanded, muscles bulging beneath the fabric until it shredded away completely. In its place, a mass of sinewy flesh and twisted bone emerged, monstrous and unnatural.

And then, from his back, sprouted a pair of leathery wings, membranous and bat-like, stretching out to their full span and casting eerie shadows across the room. The air around us seemed to grow colder, thick with the scent of decay and impending doom.

As he turned his gaze towards me, the lights flickered and dimmed, plunging the room into darkness save for the pulsating blue glow of his eyes. Fear seized me, paralyzing every muscle, as I stood transfixed by the horrifying creature before me, knowing that I was utterly defenseless against whatever malevolent force had taken hold of him.

Dahil sa matinding gulat at takot ay nahulog ako sa upuan ko. Lumapit siya sa akin para tulungan ako pero ako na mismo ang lumayo. The Helios in front of me is so much different, napakalayo sa Helios na nakilala ko.

He looks like a monster. No— a demon!
As he completed his ghastly transformation, the room seemed to tremble with an unearthly presence, every corner echoing with the sinister aura he emanated. But it wasn't just his appearance that sent chills down my spine; it was the sound of his voice that truly sealed my terror.

From his twisted form emerged a voice that seemed to resonate from the depths of the underworld itself, a guttural growl that reverberated through the very foundations of my being. Each word that he said is filled with malice, a serpent's tongue is going out as he talked. It slithered through the air like a dark melody, weaving its way into the darkest recesses of my mind, leaving me trembling in its wake.

And yet, beneath the menacing timbre, there lurked a haunting familiarity, a ghostly echo of the voice I once knew. It was as if his humanity still clung to the fringes of consciousness, struggling against the overwhelming tide of darkness that threatened to consume him whole. But it’s not darkness that is consuming him, he is the darkness himself. He is the real him.

"I am Helios, the prince of Hell and Underworld," he said and his voice was overlapping and deep. As he talked, it felt like the room squeezed tight around me, making it hard to breathe. His voice was scary, like something from a really scary story. It made me feel like all my worst fears were coming true, sending shivers down my back.

"No... You're not Helios!" singhal ko nang magtangka siyang lumapit sa akin.

Akala ko ay pupunta siya sa akin pero nagulat ako nang bigla siyang napahawak sa bibig niya at umubo. As Helios gradually shifted back to his human form, the torn fabric of his clothes revealed the strong muscles beneath. The transformation had ripped his outfit, but it couldn't hide the strength in his frame. Even though his appearance was a bit rough, it was a relief to see him return to normal. Despite that, the blood on his palms still sends me shivers.

"See? I'm dying," he chuckled and looked at me with a smile even though blood kept on flowing from his mouth.

The monster I saw earlier and the Helios in front of me right now, are they really the same? Hindi pa rin nagsi-sink in sa utak ko ang mga nangyayari. Para aong nasa panaginip, and if this is really a dream, I want to wake up!

Gayunpaman, hindi ko maiwasang malungkot sa sitwasyon ni Helios. He looks weak and awful with those blood. If what he said is true, then what should I do?

"Y-You are the prince of hell, you say." I tried to compose myself and suppress my fears. Ang itinatanim ko na lang sa isip ko ay siya pa rin si Helios. If he really is a bad guy, then he should have killed me earlier, but he did not.

He nodded in response. "Then what are you doing here in our world?"

"Destroy. I live for destruction and to make mortals suffer," he replied that made me stoned to my position. What? Does he mean that he will kill us all?

"Pero kung itutuloy ko ang kasal, does that mean that you will regain your power and kill all of us."

"Everyone but not you, my love. You see, I’ve been looking for a perfect bride for the past hundred years, and now that I found you, I just can’t let this chance slide."

"No, hindi ako papayag!" singhal ko at palabas na sana ng kwarto nang bigla siyang magsalita.

"If you'll not, then I'll die," he uttered with his weak husky voice. Doon tumulo ang luha ko, nanghihina man ang tuhod ko ay pinilit ko na maglakad palabas.