LUNA

26: The High Ruler

"Did I hear you right?" Tartarus stopped his fist midair. Tinignan niya ang bata na ngayon ay humihinga ng malalim bago niya ilipat ang atensyon kay Midnight. "Zagreus?"

Walang emosyong nakatayo si Midnight sa labas ng ring. Though, his eyes went to Day, to the young boy who is now heaving hard. Shirt and hair too damped from his sweat, both of his trembling hands placed on his knees as he catches his breath. Day looks exhausted. Midnight slightly smiles from the view. He is amused by how persistent the young boy is.

Day is now under training. Physical with Tartarus. Intelligence with Vlad. For a young boy in his age, Midnight is quite satisfied that the kid is not complaining. Of course, he did tell the kid that he will break one finger from him every time he complains. Day wouldn't love that, so he did his best not to say a word even though his body is screaming for a rest.

Sinenyasan ni Tartarus ang bata na uminom muna ng tubig bago sila bumalik sa ginagawa nila. Agad naman sumulpot si Vlad para bigyan ng tubig ang humihingal na bata.

"Hindi naman siguro mali yung narinig kong," Tartarus wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead when he leaned forward the ring's rope. "Gusto mong pumunta sa Lapetus? Ngayon? Like, literally today? Not tomorrow or the next day? You know, uh, maybe let's do some preparation first? We still need the approval of the royal family in order to enter their borders, right? Ngayon talaga gusto mo, Zagreus?"

Midnight's dead bloody eyes stared at Tartarus's emerald orbs. Wala sa oras tuloy napalunok ng laway si Tartarus. The guy scratches an imaginary itch behind his ear, quite terrified by Midnight's answer.

"Let me clarify some things for you, Tartarus" Midnight crossed his arms over his broad chest. Gracefully. Elegantly. Tartarus pursed his lips from the gesture. "I am not telling you this out of consideration, I am telling you this because it's an order" he gestures for the kid to come closer, and Day almost choke on his water. Binalik ni Day ang bote kay Vlad at agad itong bumaba para lapitan si Midnight. "The king of the mortals has already approved my request, so we will be heading out today"

Tartarus shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Isasama natin si Day?"

Pinatong ni Midnight ang kamay sa taas ng ulo ng bata. Day flinched from the sudden gesture, but he immediately recovers. "Depende. Pagod ka na ba?" Walang emosyon na tanong ni Midnight sa bata.

Day swallows the lump in his throat, his body slightly trembling from being this close to a demon. He already knows the answer to Midnight's question. There's no choice to begin with.

Day shakes his head. Sabay punas ng pawis sa mukha niya gamit ng kanyang shirt. "N-no"

Midnight nods. Contented. He would've broken a finger if the kid said yes. "Good" he snaps his fingers and Vlad is already behind him, "Vlad, clean this child"

"Yes, your highness"

"Tobias is still there, I presume?" Bumalik ang atensyon ni Midnight kay Tartarus na ngayon ay bumaba na sa ring.

"Yes. I think. He's still, doing a.. job" Tartarus shrugs.

Midnight beamed a sadistic smile. "30 minutes and we're off"

It didn't take long for the group to go. Kahit hindi maitindihan ni Tartarus kung bakit gustong pumunta ngayon ni Midnight sa lupa ng mga tao, hinayaan na lang niya ito. Wala siyang planong mamatay. Ika nga niya. But Tartarus is not stupid. Every movement from Midnight is calculated, and he's smart enough to figure that the demon prince is planning something mischief again.

Indeed, Midnight wants to visit the mortal lands just to give clarification for his theory about the kid. At dahil naka kuha na sila ng permisyo sa hari, malaya na silang makakapasok sa Lapetus.