False Mysteries

"Melizabeth," bago pa tuluyang mandilim ang aking paningin, narinig ko pa ang tawag ni Thanatos.

I shut my eyes and I rested my hand on the wall, trying to find support para hindi ako matumba. Subalit, naramdaman kong inalalayan ako ni Thanatos patayo.

Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ako biglang nanghina dahil sa pitik sa'kin ni Yiannis. Did he cast a spell on me or something?

Naramdaman kong napasubsob ako sa dibdib ni Thanatos. I couldn't hear him clearly, and I could also hear the faint voices of Circe.

Nagulat naman ako nang marinig ang boses ni Yiannis sa loob ng aking utak, "Tell them that you do not know me, and I just attacked you. This is an order."

Pakiramdam ko'y tumango ako, at wala akong magagawa kundi sundin ang kaniyang utos. I feel like my brain has submitted to Yiannis. Am I being controlled? Bakit naman nila ako gustong kontrolin? Are they afraid that I might do revenge, and not save the world?

"Melizabeth!" ngayon ay narinig ko na ang sigaw ni Thanatos. Napamulat ako nang hinampas niya palayo ang kamay kong nakahawak na pala sa belt niya.

My eyes were still blurry, but I looked at him and saw his jaw clench. I feel drunk and weak, gayunpamang hindi naman ako nakainom!

"Sino bang umatake dyan?" tanong ni Circe. I faced her kahit na parang wala akong lakas, and everything is still blurry. I pouted before shrugging, "Hindi ko alam!" That sounded weird. It was almost like a whisper, but I was shouting! What is happening to me?

Naramdaman kong binuhat na ako ni Thanatos na parang sako. Bakit parang sako? Gusto ko bridal style! Pinalo ko ang pwet ni Thanatos dahil sa inis ko.

Narinig ko naman ang tawa ni Circe, "I wonder kung anong ginawa sa kaniya ng attacker."

I drifted to sleep, at hindi ko na narinig pang muli ang kanilang pag-uusap.

"You need to protect us, Melizabeth," iyan ang huli kong narinig mula sa boses ni Yiannis.

Us? Eleusinians?

Thanatos' Point of View

Pinagmasdan ko si Melizabeth na ngayon ay nakahiga sa chambers niya sa underworld. Kasama ko si Persephone, at kahit siya ay nagulat nang malamang nanghina si Melizabeth.

Hawak-hawak ni Persephone ngayon ang magical girdle sa waist niya. She flinched when she felt some sort of power, "Isa nga siyang mortal, hindi ba?"

Tumango naman ako, "She has mortal blood."

"She's become attached to you, Thanatos," wika niya habang nakatingin kay Melizabeth. "Ang hinihingi niyang kapalit ay ang maging Goddess of Death. To replace your position."

Kaagad akong nagtaas-kilay, "Pumayag ka?"

Napahinga naman ako nang malalim nang umiling siya, "I did not give her an answer. Baka balang araw ay magbago ang isip niya. Ang sabi niya sakin ay she wanted to kill, but I believe there's a deeper reason kaya gusto ka niyang palitan. Wala ba siyang nasasabi sa'yo?"

Umiling ako. Melizabeth is very transparent with her feelings for me, but she's also secretive. May mga bagay na hindi niya sinasabi sa'kin, at kalimitan ay nadidiskubre ko nalang. She was not the type of person to open up her problems. She was the type of person to keep it all by herself.

Alam kong ang gusto niya n'ong una ay revenge. But that was because of her childish mind. Nasisiguro kong dahil sa mga karanasan niya rito sa Olympian World, nagbago na ang isip niya. Unless something provokes it again.

Ano kayang tinatago mo sa'kin ngayon, Meli?

"Sa tingin ko mga Eleusinians ang umatake sa kaniya," wika ni Persephone.

"Eleusinians? Members of the cult that you formed?" Tanong ko.

Tumango naman siya, "Wala na silang cult base, kaya't nagkahiwa-hiwalay sila, but I think they are on the move again. After all, nabalitaan ko sa mga espiya ko sa alagad ni Apollo na lumabas na raw ang last Eleusinian mystery kay Melizabeth."

"What's the last Eleusinian Mystery?"

Nagkibit-balikat si Persephone, "Only true Eleusinians know. Kung ano man ang nakita ni Apollo at Melizabeth, those were fallacies or white lies. Ganiyan lagi ang mga Eleusinian Mystery. It won't be a mystery if it is known, Thanatos."

"It's either kabaliktaran or there's a hidden agenda," pagpapatuloy pa niya.

"Kung gayon, kailangan natin tanungin si Apollo. Hindi ba mas magandang kausapin mo siya, Persephone?" Tanong ko naman.

Umiling siya, "Kalaban si Apollo. Habang si Melizabeth naman," napatigil siya at bumuntong-hininga, "The Eleusinian that attacked her may have entered her brain and control her. We should keep an eye on her, I really do not trust the greedy Eleusinians."

Tumayo si Persephone. She snapped her fingers at mayroong isang libro na lumabas sa kaniyang palad, "Basahin mo ang librong iyan upang malaman pa ang tungkol sa mga Eleusinians. I trust you, Thanatos. You know that I- we need Melizabeth."

Binigay niya sa'kin ang libro, "Protect Melizabeth at all costs."

Tumango ako, at napagdesisyunang puntahan muna si Cassandra. Maaaring siya ang makapagsabi sa'kin ng mga nangyayari. Kahit alam kong hindi ako maniniwala because of her curse.

Pumunta ako sa room niya, at napansing mas lalo siyang namumutla at nanghihina. We've been giving her food, but she remains weak.

"Cassandra," mahinang wika ko. She looked at me then to the book that I am holding.

Napahinga nang malalim si Cassandra at tila mas lalong nanghina, "Eleusinians will cause the Olympian War. They have trained to become powerful like the Gods, and they wish to get Melizabeth to their side."

Nagkunot-noo naman ako. Impossible. A mortal can never be powerful like Gods. "How? Why?" I asked.

"According to Apollo, Melizabeth is a mortal with the soul of all Olympians. Therefore, she has the power and magic of all Olympians."

"Sabi rin doon na she will be the one capable of saving the universe, but that was a false myth. She was only created by the Eleusinians so that they will be saved."

Tumawa naman nang mahina si Cassandra, "You don't believe me, right?"