Chapter 6

APOLLO’S POV

I glanced back as I walked away from them. I made sure they walked safely bago sila nawala sa paningin ko. This situation is freaking me out but I didn’t show it because Cass might freak out also. 

Napaupo ako sa ilalim ng puno while I’m holding my chest. I’m having panic attacks. 

Napapikit ako at inalala ang mga pangyayari bago nawasak ang mundo. 

Right, if Viviane was here with me, I’m sure I'd be fine. I have to go home bago ko kukunin yung kailangan ko sa school. I know it’s impossible but I’m hoping that she’s awake.

I stood up and tried my best to calm myself. I remember how Cass looked at me when she was scared. If I freak out and panic in front of her, I’m sure things will be a mess. I’m not a strong-willed person but I’m trying my best to be one.

As far as I know, Cass is the most intelligent teenager in our city, she has done numerous research before and she won awards. Vivianne is a fan of hers and she even wanted to do research like her but she just can’t because her parents will not allow her. She’s from a family of musicians after all, so all she did was study music. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop her from pursuing research so she did music-related research even though she loves science.

Vivianne and I have been together and all she talks about was Cassiopeia’s awards and research so I can’t really say na hindi ko masaydong kilala si Cass. I actually know a lot of things about her dahil kay Vivianne. Sometimes, I get jealous because kahit nasa date kami, Cass pa rin so I went to see her at school by collaborating with our schools. I was disappointed when I saw her lab but the dedication she has using her old lab was fascinating.

Right now, Cass is awake, maybe she’ll find the answer to this. I know it’s difficult but I’m gonna wait until she makes her move. Until then, I have to protect her. She’s the brain of our pack for now.

“Saan ba?” I asked myself kasi nalilito na ako kung saan ako dadaan

I looked around and all I saw was broken electrical posts and burned buildings. I even saw frozen people on the ground. Specifically, I saw the lady who sells strawberry cakes. Parati akong bibili sa kaniya kapag gusto kong kumain ng cake but right now, she’s just here laying on the ground, without her other hand which was probably eaten broken.

What did she do to deserve this?

A strong wind gushed behind me at napatingin ako sa likoran. The sun was above me but I didn't feel the heat. Did the ozone layer repair itself all these years?

Without humans, there would be no pollution so I guess the ozone layer is back.

I can even see the mountains from afar clearly. 

I decided to walk again papunta sa right side where I saw the lady. Her cake shop was actually my marker kung saan ako dadaan.

As I was walking, it brought back memories which are kind of painful. This road is where we usually walk and stop by if we want to eat. Everything was going smoothly, I was about to propose to Viviane because I already got her parent’s approval and then this happened.

Sa di kalayuan, I saw a huge broken gate with vines in it.

That’s our gate.

I ran at pumasok agad. The house was intact but some parts of it were broken. The door was not present anymore kaya nakapasok kaagad ako. The second floors were intact dahil sa mga kahoy na gumapang sa ibaba. The stairs were full of plants and even the walls. Nature at its finest.

I climbed up the stairs para puntahan si Vivianne. She was sick at that time so she stayed in her room. 

Before I could even glance in her room, I took a deep breath to prepare for what I was going to see. She might be there intact, alive or in pieces.

I walked slowly and I went inside her room.

“I knew it,” I whispered as I watched her laying in her broken bed.

Her face was intact but with cracks and some of her body parts were broken.

Without hesitation, I picked up the pieces and tried to form them just how they used to be. I’m sad but there is nothing I could do about this. If she was here, she'd be upset if I sulk about it. 

It took me a couple of hours to finish and I noticed that the sun will be setting around 2 hours. I whispered my goodbyes and I went out. Our school is not that far from here so it’s fine.

I walked papunta sa school with a hole in my heart. Never did I imagine grieving like it’s nothing because I have to be strong for the sake of others.

When I arrived at the school, it was all messed up. All I saw was the school walls but my lab survived. Naglakad ako papunta sa gilid ng school building where my lab was. There I saw my incubator. A self-preserving incubator that doesn't need electricity. Kinuha ko yung tatlong natitirang prototypes at agad na lumabas to look for the other prototypes which I hid under the soil. The moment I reached there, I saw it already but it was broken maybe because of the change of pace of nature. Aside from that, there is now way they’ll survive without being frozen or being placed in the incubator so I expected this to happen.

I was about to go back to them when I heard a sound sa likod ng lab namin. I took my pen and slowly walked to where I heard the sound.

I peeked through the broken walls and saw a forest pig.

Bingo!

I activated my pen and did my best to kill it. I’m really sorry about this forest piggy, I’m not this violent but I need to eat some protein. Me and the other survivors need you.

After I was able to hunt it, I dragged it papunta sa tabing tubig at nilinisan sito. I took off it’s fur and blood stains. After cleaning it, I carried it at my back at napatingin sa araw.

The sun is setting. I should head back.