SCIAS OF THE UNDERWORLD

TWENTY-TWO

“Who are you?” tanong naman ni Cedrick. And she was about to say something nang unahan na naman siya ni Scias.

“I am Scias and I am with Ally,” ngumisi pa ito sa gawi ni Cedrick.

She cleared her throat. “What he means is that we…are partners in err…mythology class.” She laughed awkwardly in front of Cedrick ngunit nang tingnan niya si Scias ay parang wala lang ito. 

“Cedrick,” tawag ni Scias sa lalake. Tiningnan niya ito. And what he said next made her jaw drop. “What a terrible name,” saad ni Scias. And she couldn’t believe that he said it without so much blinking. Pinandilatan niya ito ng mata ngunit nagkibit-balikat lamang ang lalake.

“Pardon?” Cedrick asked.

“I said you have a—“

Bago pa man maipagpatuloy ni Scias ang sasabihin ay hinila na agad ito ni Ally palayo kay Cedrick. She knew it. She smelled trouble even before it came. She knows that if she didn’t stop him, gulo ang mangyayari. She gave Cedrick an apologetic look bago sila lumabas ng cafeteria. Hindi na niya natawag si Juno but she has more important matters to deal with. And that is to reprimand Scias, the god of the underworld, and trying not to choke him in the process. 

Nang makalabas na sila ng cafeteria ay saka niya hinarap si Scias na nakangising nakatingin sa kanya.

“What the hell were you doing?”

Scias looked at her questioningly before he looked at Azul behind him who just shrugged. “What was I doing?”

Pinanlakihan niya ito ng mata. “Insulting Cedrick?”

And the man had the nerve to look confused as if what he did wasn’t an insult at all. “I was merely stating facts. He has never been to hell. He can’t compare his little heartbreak to hell—“

“You called his name terrible!”

“Because it is! Come on, Cursebreaker, don’t tell me you liked that name?” he asked with a disgusted look on his face.

“Pwede ba, Scias. I agreed to your arrangement—“

“You didn’t really have much choice. You help me or you die.”

She heaved a frustrated sigh. “My point is, since we both need each other, I suggest we respect each other too. And that includes no insulting my friends or anyone I know. And why on earth am I even telling you this? This is basic human decency!”

“I’m not human, though,” diretsong saad nito. She just groaned inwardly and shut her eyes for a short while. Nagdidilim na ang paningin niya at nangangati na ang kamay niyang manapak. She stopped herself before she loses control because she doesn’t think it is a good idea to punch the god of the underworld in the first place. She doesn’t want to argue especially not to him dahil pakiramdam niya’y hindi rin siya mananalo.

“How about we do this: you mind your own business, I mind mine. Mangingialam lang tayo if it concerns about the curse and that missing object—“

“—my heart, actually.”

“—and if it doesn’t belong to that certain criteria then we don’t mind each other. Do you understand?”

Nakatingin naman ang lalake sa kanya na para bang hindi ito makapaniwala sa sinabi niya. Azul just gave her a blank look.

“That man looked like he was going to break your heart again and I really don’t see why you would want that for yourself. And why would you let that kind of man break your heart in the first place? If you want to get hurt then at least do it with someone who’s as good-looking as me.” 

She couldn’t help but scoff at that. She held up another hand. “Okay, we are not doing this. You don’t tell me what to do and you don’t tell me what’s good and what’s not for me. And you certainly don’t have the right to insult people like that—“

“He was stating facts, though,” singit naman ni Azul dahilan para mas uminit ang ulo niya.

“I don’t know what standards you have in whatever realm you are in but if you don’t like Cedrick just stay away from him and don’t do something to him.”

Scias just waved a dismissive hand before he said, “He’s not worth it, anyway.”

At wala na siyang nasabi. She was left speechless by how it was so impossible to talk to him. Hindi niya alam kung makakaya niyang makasama ito hanggang sa makita nila ang hinahanap ng lalake. The Glenrils might not be the cause of her death but high blood pressure.

“Look, Cursebreaker, I just want to protect you. You can’t break the curse if you’re damaged—“

“I am not damaged! And I will never be damaged!”

“Right. But you will be soon if you continue to talk to that miscreant.”

She groaned in frustration and marched away from them. Wala siyang mapapala kapag patuloy siyang makipag-usap dito. Hindi niya ito pinansin kahit na tinatawag nito ang pangalan niya. She continued walking hanggang sa makaabot na siya sa classroom kung saan ang susunod niyang klase. Sinigurado niyang sa pinakasulok siya nakaupo dahil alam niyang tatabihan lang siya ni Scias at Juno. She wanted to take a break from them. Because if she talks to them another minute longer, baka masasapak niya ang dalawa. And she doesn’t want to do that. Not when they could bring her to hell if they wish to.

So tahimik siyang nakaupo sa kanyang silya at napabuntong-hininga habang iniisip ang mga sinabi ni Cedrick. Hindi niya alam kung bibigyan pa ba niya ng pagkakataon ang lalake. When she was talking with Cedrick earlier, she definitely forgot about everything else. After all the pain she’s had with him, mahal niya pa rin ang lalake. Hindi niya maipagkakaila iyon. She still loves him like it was yesterday.

Kanina, she almost said yes. But then figured she needed time to think about it. She still loves the man enough that she doesn’t want him to get involved with her anymore. Because being with her only means putting a target on his back. With Scias and Azul around, he won’t be safe. With those Glenrils trying everything just to kill her, Cedrick won’t be safe. He knows Scias and Azul's protection will never extend to Cedrick lalo pa at alam niyang hindi magiging magkasundo sina Scias at Cedrick. 

She closed her eyes as she finally made a decision.

Ngunit sandaling katahimikan lang iyon nang marinig niyang bumukas ang pinto. Siya lang naroon sa silid dahil may thirty minutes pa bago magsimula ang klase niya. Nang tingnan niya kung sino ang nagbukas ng pinto, it was Scias and Azul. She groaned inwardly.

“Please give me a break. Isang pambebweset niyo pa at masisipa ko kayong dalawa.” She closed her eyes again and rested her head on the back of her chair. Hindi niya narinig ang dalawa na nagsalita. Hindi niya na rin inalam anong ginagawa nito. Maya-maya pa, dumarami ang mga tao sa loob ng silid. Umiingay na rin kasi ang paligid and she could hear giggles of girls not too far from her. Kumunot naman ang noo niya when she heard a familiar voice amongst the giggles.

Nang pakinggan niya itong mabuti, she realized it was Scias. Her brows furrowed as he listened further and realized he was flirting with the girls in her class. She opened her eyes at tiningnan ang gawi nito. He was laughing with the other girls while some even went as much as caressing his arms and leaning their heads to his shoulders. Napataas naman ang kilay niya nang makitang tila nasisiyahan pa ang lalake dito. She just rolled her eyes and slumped back on her seat ngunit halos mapatalon naman siya sa gulat nang may magsalita sa tabi niya.

“I sometimes find it annoying,” saad ni Azul.

Nagtatakang nakatingin siya rito. “What?”

“I hate humans. Especially women,” sagot naman nito saka sinamaan ng tingin ang mga babaeng nakapaligid kay Scias.

Hindi niya alam kung anong sasabihin because for one, she doesn’t exactly like those kinds of women either. Kaya nanahimik nalang siya at ganoon din si Azul. Mas mabuti pa ito ang katabi niya dahil hindi naman ito nagsasalita. She doesn’t have any reason to get pissed at him.

And it was when the professor entered the classroom that the girls went to their respective seats and Scias went to sit beside her. Kaya napapagitnaan siya ng dalawa. She rolled her eyes at alam niyang nakita iyon ni Scias. Ngunit tumawa lang nang mahina ang lalake saka lumapit sa kanya at bumulong, “This is the first time I’ve been in a class.”

At alam niyang hindi ito nagbibiro. She glanced at him and she could clearly see him sitting properly and very eager to listen to whatever the teacher was going to say.

Napabuntong-hininga nalang siya. Who could have known the god of the underworld would get excited over school?

* * *