A/N: ang timeline ng scene with Astraea ay sabay ng sa last chapter when Lucien snappedt. Char. TRIGGER WARNING!
Third Person POV
Astraea opened her eyes with the face of Zeus in front of her, ang buong akala niya ay nanaginip lang siya pero nang magsalita ito at tumayo ay nakumpirma niyang nasa harap niya nga ang lalaki, and she could only question herself why.
"You didn't tell me you were going to torture her!" Nanggagaliiting saad ni Zeus kay Hera na nakahalukikip lang habang nakasandal sa pader. She looked at him and scoff.
"Why did you think I asked you to kidnap her? Para dalhin siya sa New York Fashion week?" Umirap pa ito sa lalaki at naglakad palapit kay Astraea. "Look, she's awake."
Zeus kneel in fron of her and carefully touch her wounded face. Walang parte ng katawan niya ang hindi sugata, at kung noon ay nagagawa pa niyang yakapin ang sarili, ngayon ay miski umupo ay hindi niya magawa, she feels pain all over her body. All her wounds are fresh, hindi na ito nabibigyan pa ng panahon na maghilom dahil raw araw silang nilalatigo, at kapag hindi na sila kayang itayo, they would pour hot water on them, hot enough to make all the wounds burn in pain.
"Astraea, can you hear me?"
"Zeus," She said in rough voice, paos na paos na siya at bawat salita na binibigkas niya ay masakit para sa lalamunan niya. "H-help me..."
"Are you stupid, siya kaya ang rason kung bakit ka nandito!" Sigaw ni Hera sa kanya at sinipa pa siya sa binti, making her wince in pain.
Zeus looked at her with pity. He's not used to this, kapag pumapatay siya, pinapatay niya lang. He never tortures anyone, and he doesn't know if that even makes him a better person or what.
"Tigilan mo na ito, Hera, papatayin mo siya sa ginagawa mo."
"Duh," sabay irap pa ng babae. "That's the goal. Gusto ko lang ipakita at iparamdam kay Zepharos ang naramdaman ko when I found out that he burried my brother alive. And I want him to feel worse."
Umalis si Hera, iniwan si Zeus na nakatitig kay Astraea.
"I thought you were good," masakit na saad niya sa lalaki, and for the first time, Zeus felt pain. Ang tagal na rin niyang hindi naramdaman iyon, simula pa nung bata siya, but when Astraea said those words, he felt his chest hurt, kaya napahawak siya sa dibdib niya at iniwan na lang ito.
Zeus genuinely liked Astraea, she was innocent, someone who is the opposite of him. When they first argue, nainis siya sa babae dahil sa sobrang kawalan ng alam nito sa mundo, but when she apologized to him sincerely for not knowing anything, it was the first time that he was happy. When she was fidgeting and looking down while apologizing, and when she smiled widely when he accepted her apology. She was too innocent.
He did not expect that it is going to be like this, na maabutan na lang niya ang dalaga na hubo't hubad at puno ng sugat ang katawan. Ibang iba sa Astraea na nakilala niya. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and it looked at him with hopelessness, at nang pagsalitaan siya nito ay bumakas ang galit sa mata niya.
"Help," dinig niya mula sa loob, muli siyang pumasok at naabutan niya si Astraea na nahihirapang gumagapang palapit kay Leila. "Help, she's not responding."
