Chapter 47: Run

Year 2018

"Mom he's so cute, can I pinch his cheeks?"

"Hey Marvyll stop that, you'll get bacterias on him"

"Mommaaa"

"Ahhh mom, Maia's crying"

Artemis looked up and saw that Maia was crying while Maddin was holding her. Magnus took Maia from Maddin and swayed her.

"Is our little Maia jealous now? He's our little brother though, you should care for him now"

Artemis smiled as she saw Maia stop crying and look at Magnus.

"Hah guess Maia doesn't like you"

"Shut up, she doesn't like you either Maddox, she cries just seeing your face you know"

Artemis could care less now about the twin's bickering, she scanned the room and felt a sense of happiness and fulfillment as she watched all of her children surrounding her and their newborn brother.

Artemis had just come back from the hospital after successfully giving birth to a healthy little boy. As soon as she stepped into the house, her children flocked around her to see their new little brother.

In one corner of the room, Artemis saw Khel looking at the whole family with a smile on his face. Artemis looked down when she felt a silent presence beside the newborn baby.

"Makoto?"

"Mama what's his name?"

The whole room fell silent as Makoto had asked this all eyes quickly turned to Artemis. But instead of answering, she just smiled and turned to Khel. Khel reciprocated that smile and walked towards the couch where Artemis was.

"Maki, that's what we'll name him"

Makoto looked at his baby brother and smiled when he slowly opened his eyes.

"Maki, we have the same color of eyes, like Maia too"

Everybody else knew what Makoto meant, he had just turned 7 and he had been curious about a lot of stuff.

Like why Magnus, Maddin and Maddox have different hair and eye color. Or why people call them an orphanage whenever he goes out. He was at the age where he wanted to question everything and everyone around him.

Artemis only smiled and caressed her son's head.

"Of course, you're all my children Makoto that's why you have the same eye color"

Makoto was going to ask something again when Maia's loud cries interrupted them.

"Shhh Maia what's wrong"

As Magnus swayed Maia, her cries became louder.

"Mom, a little help?"

"Khel could you?"

Khel nodded and took Maki from Artemis while the latter took Maia from Magnus.

She started humming and soon enough, Maia stopped crying.

"Mom, you need to teach me that song if that's the only way to keep Maia from crying"

"I'll teach you some other time"

Maddin smiled as Artemis agreed to teach her. Artemis could only feel the contentment and happiness that is brought by her children.

She might have been unlucky in so many things but at least she has her children. They are her trophies and prizes and she could never be more proud.

'That's right, this is what we have to protect Artemis'

Artemis' smile became larger when she heard the voice at the back of her head.

A few days later, even though Artemis needed to tend to Maki and Maia, bad luck hit the family.

"Kuya?"

"Marvyll sorry but can you stay in your room? Your kuyas and ate aren't feeling well"

Marvyll sadly nodded as she walked back to her room. Artemis opened up the door to Magnus and Maddox's room and saw that the two of them were laying on the bed.

Magnus who was laying awake saw her and slowly sat up on his bed.

"Magnus, how are you feeling?"

Magnus could see how Artemis was worried, it was sudden. Yesterday, right after the three of them bought groceries, they started feeling sick. Maddox had trouble breathing while Maddin was having a fever that would come and go. While it may seem just a simple disease for others, Artemis knew that that wasn't the case.

"I'm still coughing blood Mom"

Artemis sighed as she sat on his son's bed, she immediately noticed the pile of tissues that were in the trash can right beside the bedside table.

Magnus didn't have trouble breathing nor did he have any signs of fever but he was coughing blood. This scared Artemis more, her children except for Maia were all born with a strong constitution and they rarely got sick.

The sound of the front door opening and hurried footsteps made Artemis and Magnus look at each other.

"Artemis"

"Mom?"

"Wait here, get some rest okay?"

Artemis left their room and walked downstairs where she saw an anxious Khel staring in front of the television.

"What's wrong?"

Khel glanced at her before directing his attention back to the newscaster in the television.

"News Flash, incidents of a new viral disease had been recorded to enter the country. The disease includes symptoms like cough, high continuous fever, colds, trouble breathing, and blood coughing. Safety precautions are being implemented to the public. Doctors also highly advise that the people who will suffer from these symptoms should be isolated and quarantined as soon as possible."

Artemis felt her blood run cold, her children have been suffering from the said symptoms.

"It was declared as a pandemic Artemis"

Now Artemis understood the panic and urgency in Khel's voice. Their children were in danger.

"Wh–what should we do? If it's a disease, I'm sure the government could create a solution right?"

Khel pulled Artemis into a hug.

"That's right, we should wait, for the meantime you take the other kids and I'll look after Magnus, Maddin and Maddox. It's too risky for you especially when you just started breastfeeding Maki"

Artemis couldn't argue. When was the last time she really got scared like this? When was the last time she ever felt helpless and when did she start forgetting how to feel this kind of fear?

'We need to do something. We can't lose them. Prevention is still better than cure. We could save them if we would experiment on them'

Artemis nodded silently at the voice.

"Yes, that's what we should do"

Khel felt relieved to hear Artemis agree unconditionally to his suggestion, something that was so rare.

But little did he know, Artemis wasn't replying to his suggestion. Artemis was simply answering the voice.

The voice that told her, this too was a challenge from the seven lucky Gods.