SCIAS OF THE UNDERWORLD

TWENTY-THREE

He never went to a school. He never needed it. He was already armed with knowledge the moment he existed. He was fascinated by the setup—students listening to a more knowledgeable man in front. And the more he listens, the more he already knows everything the man was talking about. So e spent his time flirting with the pretty student sitting on his right. Sa kaliwa naman niya si Ally nakaupo but she was too absorbed in listening to the man in front.

Naramdaman niya ang kamay ng babae sa kanyang braso. She was running her slender fingers on his arm. A smirk played on his lips as he looked at her and she was also looking at him.

One thing she didn't regret about going into the mortal realm is the beautiful women. Especially in this school. He smiled when he felt a scrap of paper on his hand. Nang buksan niya iyon ay napangisi siya lalo nang makita kung ano ang nakasulat doon. He looked at the student beside him. Malagkit itong nakatingin sa kanya and he did the same.

He winked and the student bit her lip. It was then that his name was called by the professor.

"Mr. Luciano?" tawag ng matanda sa kanya. He peeled his gaze away from the woman beside him and looked at the man in front. Ngumisi siya sa gawi nito.

"Care to tell what you're doing in my class?"

Scias Luciano. That was the name he decided to use.

He looked around and all the students were looking at him. Pati na rin si Alaska sa tabi niya. Ngunit nakita niya rin itong umiiling at napayuko.

He grinned at everybody before he said, "Well, this beautiful woman asked me to meet her later after class at the back of the gym." He flipped the piece of paper and showed it to everyone and then he smirked. "Who am I to say no?"

He could almost see smoke going out of the old man's nose but he couldn't care less. Why would he? And the old man couldn't do anything. After all, he just told him what he wanted to hear. And now the old man couldn't say anything other than continuing the class.

Scias never lies. He always tells the truth. He isn't bound to some curse or anything like that that prevents him from telling a lie. It's just his nature. He doesn't lie. He would never tell a lie.

"Are you f*****g serious?" narinig niyang bulong ni Ally sa tabi niya. He looked at her and grinned.

"What makes you think I was kidding?"

Her jaw clenched. "Did you just seriously tell the teacher you're going to make out with her?" She eyed the woman next to him.

"He was asking! I don't lie," pabalik niyang bulong sa babae. And the moment he said it, he could literally hear her groaning inwardly. He was waiting for her to say another thing but she didn't. Her attention was back to the old man still talking in front of the class.

One thing that also baffles him is the fact that Ally seemed immune to his charms. It wasn't a coincidence. She is immune to compulsion, she makes him literally vulnerable, and most importantly, she doesn't seem to be attractive to him. In his short time in the mortal realm, he has observed that people—particularly women—are drawn to his face. He just couldn't understand why Alaska doesn't look at him the same way.

"Are you one of my sibling's child?" bulong niya sa babae dahilan para nagtatakang napatingin ito sa kanya. He couldn't think of any possible reason as to why this woman is his weakness in the flesh. She might be a demigod for all he knows.

Ngunit sinamaan lang siya ng tingin ng babae. "Pwede ba," she hissed. "Spare me with your nonsense. Kung ayaw mong makinig, huwag kang mandamay," she said in between gritted teeth. Scias finds it fascinating. The woman isn't attracted to him and yet with her simple grimace and her disgust, it makes him want to piss her off more. Ngunit alam niyang hindi magiging maganda ang reuslta kapag ginawa niya iyon kaya nanahimik nalang siya.

But the question still lingered in his mind. Anong meron sa babae at may kakayahan itong siya lang ang nakakagawa? Is it part of the curse? Perhaps it is. Because it was the only reason he could think that made sense.

The old man in front of them stopped talking and told them things to do before their next meeting next week. Napatingin siya kay Alaska na dali-daling nagliligpit ng gamit niya. Azul looked at Alaska before he looked at Scias and they both shrugged. Nang matapos magligpit ng babae, tiningnan sila nitong dalawa ang masama.

"I know you want to protect me from whatever monsters trying to kill me but for once, just for today, pwede ba lubayan niyo muna ako?" saad ng babae. Magsasalita na sana siya nang magpatuloy ito, "What I'm saying is, I don't want to see you around with me today. And besides, should something happen to me, madali niyo naman akong mahahanap. You did it once the first time the three of us met." She eyed the two of them ngunit nanatili silang tahimik.

Alaska sighed. "So goodbye. Have fun," sabi ng babae saka naglakad papalayo. He remained seated on his chair, unable to believe that he wasn't even able to say a thing.

He looked at Az who was looking bored at him. Ngunit alam niya kung anong hinihintay nito. So he nodded slightly at agad napatayo si Azul.

"Just be discreet. Don't let her know na nakasunod ka sa kanya," he said and Az nodded bago ito lumabas ng silid.

Tumayo na rin siya at naglakad papalabas ng silid. And the moment he got out of the door, someone pulled him and without any warning, kissed him on the lips. He isn't foreign to such things. He had a fair share of carnal pleasures even in the underworld. But to be kissed by a woman without his permission is something new and quite frankly, something he has been expecting. As it was the same woman who gave him a note earlier.

The woman moaned when he answered her kisses. His hands were all over her and before he could even touch the rest of her, the woman pulled her towards the bathroom and locked it. She looked at him and his eyes mirrored the desire in hers.

"Such a wild, wild thing," he muttered and the next thing he knew is the woman's arms around his neck and one of her legs around his waist while kissing him deeply. He grinned as the woman took his hand and put it on her legs.

"Easy, kitten," he said and continued kissing the girl. Her hands were fast as they unbuttoned his shirt. And he closed his eyes as he felt her lips on his neck. She's hungry. He thought. Kaya naman nang naglakbay na ang kamay ng babae pababa ay pinigilan na niya ito. He looked into her eyes and grinned.

"Try harder next time," he said and in one swift motion, he twisted the girl's arm dahilan para mapadaing ito. He pushed her to the wall face first with her arm pinned on her back. He grabbed her hair and forced her to face him.

He leaned closer. "Tell me," he said, at hinigpitan ang hawak sa braso ng babae, "who sent you here?" he asked sternly. The woman looked at the mirror and Scias did too. At nang ginawa niya iyon ay nag-iba ang itsura niya sa salamin. It was his face. He could clearly see the horrified look on her face the moment she beheld his appearance.

He smiled and the woman screamed in terror. His hands went to her throat and choked her. Nagpupumiglas ito sa hawak niya at kitang-kita niyang nawawalan na ito ng hininga.

"I could do this all day, you know. You see, I happen to master the art of torture. If you don't want to say who sent you here to distract me then I will get the answers out of you." And as if on cue, his hands became as sharp as knives. The woman looked at his hand and tried to scream harder but Scias made sure she wouldn't be able to make a sound.

And when she let his finger go near enough her face, it was then that he heard her choke a word.

"P...Please," she said as tears started streaming down her eyes. But he is known for being merciless so he gripped her throat tighter.

"Who sent you?"

And perhaps the pain and the terror were too much that the woman decided to open her mouth. Niluwagan niya ang pagkakahawak sa leeg nito to allow her to talk. Ngunit bago pa man ito makabigkas ay bigla itong natunaw. Her body dissolved and became water. The smell of salt and the sea lingered in the air.

He played his tongue inside his mouth as he stared at the floor where the water moved towards the drain, going back to where it belongs—the sea.

He straightened his uniform and looked at the drain before he said, "I know you are listening. I know you are watching. I am coming for you, brother."

It was Dreylar. The Glenril attacks was also Dreylar. Hindi niya alam bakit siya pinupuntirya ng kapatid.

"The moment you hear about my existence in the mortal realm you send your goons to me," he said. "A rather futile effort."

And then he walked out of the bathroom. When he was walking down the hallway, he saw Alaska running towards him. He looked at her curiously as her face was masked with worry, fear, and panic. When she was finally in front of him, she was panting and he could clearly see the panic in her eyes.

Then she said, "Glenrils."

And it was enough for him to run towards the commotion. When he reached the lobby, there were about five Glenrils, choking five students. Ordinary people wouldn't see the Glenrils. Not when they're covered and concealed by a mist. What the students see are just the five students, having a very hard time breathing with their feet several inches above the ground.

He clenched his jaw at the sight. He couldn't care less about mortals being killed in front of him. But this time, he couldn't just ignore it. Alam niya kung sino ang nasa likod ng mga pag-atakeng ito. And he has to put a stop to it. Dahil kung hindi, mapapahamak din si Alaska. Kung mapapahamak si Alaska, hindi mawawala ang sumpa niya.

Aagad niyang hinarap ang babae. "Run as far away from me as you can," saad iya rito. Nagtataka naman ang babaeng nakatingin sa kanya. He looked around at nakikita na niya si Azul hindi kalayuan sa kanila. Naghihintay ng utos niya.

"Just trust me, Cursebreaker. Run and hide somewhere safe. Stay away from the water."

"But—"

"I don't want you to get killed because that would also mean my doom. So please, run away and I will take care of these Glenrils."

From a distance, he could see Alaska's cousin, Juno running towards them. "Take her and you two get away from me. I can't use my powers if she's near."

Tumango lang ang lalake at hinila papalayo si Alaska. When he couldn't see her anymore at hinarap niya ang mga estudyante at mga guro na naroon. Umakyat siya sa isa sa mga bench na naroon.

"Alright, feeble humans. What you're seeing right now might be weird and I would suggest no one goes near them," saad niya at tiningnan ang mga rescuers na nagtangkang lumapit. Agad naman huminto ang mga ito at napatingin sa kanya. "Stay back. What you're seeing is just an unfortunate asthma attack. You will remember these students were taken to the clinic and are fine." He looked around and all of their eyes were on him as in a trance.

"Now turn your backs and go back to whatever business you had before this happened."

And as if on cue, the people turned their backs on him and started walking in different directions. Nang makaalis na ang mga ito, saka niya hinarap ang limang Glenril na nakatingin sa kanya. He looked at Azul and nodded. Sabay silang naglakad papalapit sa mga Glenrils. He could hear their low growl as they beheld them. They must have not noticed him as he's in his mortal form but when he walked closer, their sea stench became stronger and their growls turned harsher.

He opened his palms ngunit walang lumalabas doon. Mahina siyang napamura sa isip niya. Where could Alaska have gone? Hindi pa rin ito nakakalayo sa kanya.

"I know you're following orders from my brother," he said to the Glenrils. Hindi ito sumagot. They aren't capable of human speech. They have fish heads and tentacles while having a human body. Ngunit alam niyang naiintindihan siya ng mga ito.

"Tell my dear brother to leave me alone or he'll be expecting me to come behind after him and destroy everything he has."

But the Glenrils only growled more violently and he could see the faces of the students turning purple. Azul looked at him uncertainly and he opened his palm once again. And when he did, dark wisps of smoke started coming out. A grin formed on his face as he could feel the amount of power slowly surging through his body. He closed his eyes and took a breath. And when he opened them, his eyes turned red.

It was then that the Glenrils coiled and took a step back.

"Now, be a nice fish and let the students go," he said calmly. Ngunit patuloy pa rin sa pag-atras.

"Why are you here?" tanong niya sa mga ito ngunit hindi ito sumagot. He groaned inwardly. Wala rin siyang makukuha sa mga ito dahil hindi naman iyon nakakapagsalita.

"I guess we don't have a choice."

And as if on cue, he and Az moved as swift as the wind and attacked the Glenrils. The moment their fists hit the Glenrils, they burst into water and moving around the cemented floor, trying to find soil that will allow them to escape.

Azul was swift too. In a matter of minutes, they have disintegrated four of the Glenrils. Four of the students were already free. Isa nalang.

The last Glenril let go of the last student and before he and Az could attack it, madali itong nakatakas. But Scias isn't one to let his enemies go. Not when he has his power back. With justa a flick of his hand, the water that already seeped into the ground rose up. Azul watched as Scias played with the ball of water with just his hand.

"Surely my brother will get the message once he finds out some of his minions were not able to return." He grinned as the water turned black. Kitang-kita niyang gumagalawa ang tubig as if trying to get out of the bubble Scias made. But it was futile. And before the Glenrils could even move further, Scias turned the water into black mist. And then it was gone.

Nararamdaman pa rin niya ang kanyang kapangyarihan sa kanyang katawan—sign that Alaska is far from him. He looked at Azul.

"Find Alaska," he said and without so much a question, Az went to find Alaska. And he was left in the lobby. The people were doing their own thing as if there wasn't a fight that happened there earlier. He walked towards the corner where he could see a bubble of water, coiling as he came close. He scoffed. Hindi iyon natangay kanina. He smirked as he reached to touch the water. And without so much a thought, the water also burst into mist.

Now that he knows who’s been attacking him, he won’t back down. He turned and walked outside the lobby and ran to find where Alaska is.

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