Chapter 26: Twenty-sixth
The three finally settled in the place. They looked around the place, but they made sure not to separate from each other. They kept an equal amount of distance from each other and noticed that the place was empty and pretty spacious. The pungent smell of cement hit them.
"Finally, took you some time to discover this place..."
An icy voice echoed the room. They panicked and immediately searched for the owner of that voice. "Who's that?" Tamitha yelled. The unknown let out a devilish laugh that made Tamitha furious. "Who the hell are you?!"
Suddenly, the whole place lit up. A familiar face revealed herself to them with a devilish grin, seating pretty at the table placed at the center of this vacant room.
"P-Pearl?"
Tamitha squinted her eyes dubious of what she's seeing. She lowered her hand that's holding the flashlight and slowly approached the lass who's smirking. Pollux swiftly grabbed her and shook his head when she turned around with a confused look.
"Nice guess, hon," The stunning lady on her black long sleeve bodycon jumpsuit romper and red heels stood straight from the table and heavily walked near Tamitha but the more she got closer, the more her face become distorted along with her body, it's like she's shedding skin, a whole transformation happened.
The three took a step back; surprised at what they're seeing.
"What the hell is that?" Castor whispered as he moves closer to Tamitha and Pollux's side.
She stopped midway and flipped her hair before posing like a runaway model. "Surprise!" She snickered teasing Tamitha.
"Asteria?!" Tamitha's tantalizing black eyes widen as soon as their eyes met, but when she saw her irritating smile, Tamitha's eyes flared up and ready to attack her however, the guys were quick to stop her.
"You bitch! Where's my best friend?! I'm going to freaking kill you!"
"Oh, easy tiger! Rawr!" Asteria seemed to enjoy seeing Tamitha this pissed off. The twins gave her a death stare too while preventing Tamitha to approach the lass.
"Oh, hon, you can't kill me ― But! I would love to see you try... Right, Pollux?"
Both Tamitha and Castor furrowed their eyebrows and looked at Pollux. Tamitha calmed down and stood up properly, fixed her clothes that got wrinkled when the guys stopped her from attacking Asteria. "What is she talking about, Pollux?" Tamitha asked.
Pollux glared at Asteria, who's still smiling mischievously while twirling her red hair.
"She's a goddess."
"W-What? What's all this, P?" Castor questioned completely clueless about what's happening.
"I don't care whatever you are. Just bring back my best friend."
"Just let them go, Asteria. It's me who you wanted, right? Just leave them out of this."
"W-What? Pollux! What the hell are you talking about?!"
Asteria looked amazed more than anything else. She's enjoying what's happening right now. She intently examined the three: one looked determined to bring her best friend back, one seemed convinced that everything happening now was because of him, and one appeared to be entirely clueless.
Asteria raised her eyebrow, and once again let out a loud chuckle. "Ah! Humans, you amazed me. How pitiful." It's astounding how she quickly changed her mood from being gleeful to infuriated.
"You're a feisty woman, Tamitha. I'll give that to you ― however, I'm deadlier." Asteria looked at Tamitha fiercely that made the lass gulped hard but didn't back down and gave the same intensity of stare.
She shifted her gaze to Pollux, "And you, my dearest Pollux... Hate to break this to you, but I ain't interested in you."
"W-What do you mean? Why are you here, then? Plus, what happened to my Father?"
"Oh! Nice question!" She clapped and ran back to the table she was sitting at earlier. "Before I answered that — let's welcome our special guest!" She excitedly announced as she swiftly snapped her fingers.
There appeared the person they have been searching for, tied down in a chair with a white cloth blocking her mouth preventing her from talking. All messed up and sweating bullets. She lost a ton of weight and looked pretty dehydrated. Seeing her from that state, she has eaten nothing for the past week. Her eyes droopy and red from all the crying she has done.
"Oh my gosh, Pearl!" Tamitha cried, her heart broke seeing her best friend at that state. She hurriedly approached her best friend.
"Nah Ah! Not so fast!" Asteria wagged her fingers pointed at Tamitha, making her stopped from moving. She froze up. She can't move her body. It surprised Tamitha not knowing she could do that. She panicked, not able to move, and started puffing.
Pollux approached Tamitha to keep her calm. "Asteria, stop!" Pollux demanded. Asteria giggled before undoing the mojo she did. "Told you, don't mess with me." She stated in a sing-song way while checking her nails.
Tamitha panted the moment she felt her body moving again, a tear even escaped from her eye, with noddle legs. She looked at her arms with fear and hugged her body, afraid of what just happened to her. Pearl got concerned for her friend but can't do anything but look at them from afar and cried.
"You monster! W-What do you want from us?!" Castor was brave enough to confront Asteria but easily backed down when Asteria looked at her.
"Castor," Pollux called. "C, hold Anika."
The entire room felt Pollux's serious tone. This is a whole new Pollux they are seeing. He looked almighty and authoritative, not one who you want to mess up with. Asteria tensed up. She cleared her throat and acted as if she was not affected by Pollux's stone-cold voice.
"What do you want?" Pollux said fiercely.
"Well, I hate to say this to you, but it's not you who I'm interested in."
"This is the last time I'm going to ask you this... What. Do. You. Want?" Pollux emphasized every word, sending shivers to all their spines.
"T-The twins... I want the twins." Asteria stuttered.
Pollux raised his eyebrow as he shifted his head sideward. "I thought you're not interested in me?"
Asteria coughed once more. She stood up from her seat and directed her to stare at Tamitha who's now calmed down beside Castor who's comforting her. Then, to Pearl, who's facing front to Tamitha.
"Pearl and Tamitha," Asteria replied shortly.
It was now Tamitha's turn to ask, "What do you want from us?"
"I'm just trying to prevent you from causing abomination. You don't belong here."
"Are you for real?!" Tamitha scoffed. "How the hell are we supposed to do that? Plus, we're not twins. You're mistaken. Now, let Pearl go." Tamitha slowly advanced towards Pearl as Asteria got bothered with Tamitha's statement.
"No, NO! My prophecy is never wrong. You both are a danger to this society!"
Pollux noticed what Tamitha's doing, so he did his best to distract Asteria from them. He also tried to block their way keep Asteria's attention to her.
"Prophecies are crap."
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Asteria stopped pacing, wagged her fingers as if she's casting a spell on him as she approaches Pollux, but the lad remained unbothered and confidently stood up in his place with his hands inside his pockets.
"You know that thing's useless to me."
Asteria's face turned red, fuming mad at what she's hearing.
"I'm telling you, you're saving the wrong person. Didn't it occur to you why she's having those visions? Or how can she open up a portal? They are one of us Pollux, believe it or not, that's the truth."
Tamitha stopped from her tracks, Asteria's statement got to her. 'I-I'm a goddess? Impossible. She lying.' She wondered to herself and try to shake it off and returned entangling Pearl carefully trying not to get caught. However, Pollux remained mummed and look intently at Asteria.
"Remember at the concert? That girl tried to enthrall me! That's why she fainted, she's not in control of her abilities yet and that's a danger to the mundanes!"
"You're lying! Stop making up things! If I'm a danger to this world, why take Pearl? What does she have to do with all this?! Let them go and take me instead!" Tamitha thundered, shifted her direction, then went closer to Asteria to confront her.
Asteria scoffed, "You have guts to defy me, huh?" Tamitha glared in return, "Let them go."
The lass returned to her seat. Once settled, she took a deep breath and looked at them with an annoying smile plastered on her face. "I can't. She has what I need." Pearl wriggled out of those ropes while talking gibberish under the white cloth blocking her mouth.
"And what is that, that you need?" Castor asked. He remained silent for quite a while since he's still trying to let these things sink into him.
"Oh, it's nice to hear your voice again, dear!" Asteria teased, his jaws clenched preventing himself to explode.
Asteria clasped her hand before answering, "She has the amulet."
"What?"
"What amulet?"
"No, I have the amulet."
The three said in unison and shifted their gaze to Pearl, who's shaking her head while crying. No idea what Asteria's talking about. She's a complete mess, face filled with tears and her hair's completely disheveled. Tamitha didn't waste another time. She gripped her flashlight and clicked on the secret button, revealing its other feature: a stun gun.
The button released the handle and trigger for the stun gun. Tamitha swiftly pointed the stun gun towards Asteria then pulled the trigger and the next thing they saw was Asteria on the ground twitching badly.
Both guys' eyes widen, not expecting what just happened, it just happened quickly. "What the hell are you waiting for? Let's go!" Tamitha shouted and ran towards Pearl, who she finally extricated. Castor, who's still startled from Tamitha's sudden attack, slowly jogged towards the ladies while shifting his gaze back and forth.
"Y-You guys, go ahead. I'll make more time for you to escape." Pollux absent-mindedly stated fixated at the goddess who passed out on the ground.
"What?! No! She won't be awake for a long time, just leave her here!" Tamitha argued, but Pollux just gave them a death stare so they got no choice but to leave him behind.
Castor piggyback ride Pearl because she's too weak to run. Tamitha let them climbed up the stairs first as she slowly supports Castor from carrying Pearl on his back.
"Pollux, please be careful." Tamitha pleaded, before completely vanishing from the basement.
They are once again at the library part of the room. The freshly brewed coffee registered to their sense of smell, helping them relax for a bit. Castor adjusted Pearl on his back while Tamitha searched for their way out. "Where did that small door go?" She talked to herself as she relentlessly ran from one side to another.
Suddenly, a screech sound resounded the place.
"Tammy! Where are you?!" Castor panicked. He opened his light from his phone once again and looked around. "In here!" Tamitha shouted back a couple of feet away from him. He sighed in relief and went closer to the lass.
They examined the door that just opened out of the blue, but as soon as they went near it a blinding flash of light directed at them. They immediately covered their eyes with their hands and made them took a step backward.
When the light directed away from them, Tamitha looked at the door once again while squinting her eyes, trying to adjust her sight. "Who's in there?" She asked as she slowly approached the door.
When her sight finally adjusted, her eyes widen; appalled to see who was on the other side of the room. "H-Headmaster?" She stuttered.
"Come on, let's get you out of here!" The headmaster looked serious while gesturing them out of the place, Tamitha creased her forehead confused about what's he doing here and why is he helping them.
She got a lot of things to process. From all the craziness Asteria mentioned to them, to Pollux leaving himself all alone in there and now, with the headmaster helping them. It's a lot for her to process in one day. She was just a normal college girl last year. Suddenly all this madness came crashing at her all at once.
She didn't bother asking anymore, she just followed him. The headmaster quickly closed the door after them. "W-Wait, Pollux's still in there!" Tamitha stopped, but the lad just ignored her.
Castor put Pearl down first and let her wore his puffer coat before carrying her again. "Double time! We need to get out of here fast."
"No! What about Pollux?!" Tamitha cried, glued to her place, not wanting to leave Pollux behind.
Damon, the headmaster, instructed Castor to get out of the place and ran to the car parked outside of the university. He handed him the keys and opened the door for him. Castor paused for a while and looked at the car keys Damon handing out. He didn't want to leave Tamitha alone here, but he's concerned about Pearl's state too.
"Alright, take care of her." He sighed before getting the keys and ran out of the storage room.
Now they are alone.
"Come on, Tamitha. Pollux knows what he's doing."
"No! I dragged him out of this! I-I can't just leave him here."
"Look, Tamitha, he's not in danger anymore, okay? Just trust him on this and let's follow his orders. We need to go somewhere safe."
With a heavy heart, Tamitha let Damon pushed him away from the place.
"Be safe, Pollux..." She sobbed.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone