Chapter 1: Midst of Storm

The wind harshly brush my skin, it sent chills throughout my body and although it is only afternoon, the weather is already cold. The roughness of the wind is just like the sand where I am sitting along with my brother— it's as if gentleness will never come. Not now, that a storm is about to come.

I turn my head to look at my one-year-old brother. He's sitting silently beside me, as if his mind is wandering about things kids at his age could not.

"Let's go back?" I invited him. He only look at me and nodded. I can't help but to raise the sides of my lips because of that.

I hold his little hand as we walk calmly, barefooted. I supported him as he walk because he still falls down everytime he is trying, it was because he is only starting to learn.

Not so far from us, I saw our residence, my beautiful mother is patiently waiting for us to come. Ikinaway niya ang kamay niya at matamis na ngumiti, ibinalik ko ito nang pagtango.

She wave her hand while gently and sweetly smiling at the both of us, I returned it with a simple nod.

"Mama..." it was only a whisper but I heard it escape my brothers lips as his eyes spark in a familiar way. It was how I look at him and our parents. The kind of stare full of passion.

"Did you enjoy the breeze and the waves of the sea?" that was her introduction to us.

Gently, I nodded with smile plaster on my lips, "It was cold, and the waves are in rage yet it was peaceful,"

I turn my gazes to my younger sibling who is now hugging our Mama's legs, "He seemed like he was thinking deeply awhile ago," said I.

My mother laughed at my remark, "He really resembles your father in many different ways."

I agreed with her. Father looks and acts like this small cinnamon roll. That's why between the both of us, he's really close to him.

Inside our house, my father is sitting comfortably at our sofa, playing with the flying silver ball with his pointing finger. His power is really something, until now it amazes me. His stamina to manipulate it is something I'm looking up to.

Father's serious gazes went directly at us. He's really, indeed, the God of Beauty, while my mother is the Goddess of the Night. And it was only a matter of time before they handed me those two titles.

The clan of gods and goddesses are one of the rarest, and above all, the most important because we serve as the balance of this world. The families of gods and goddesses can only be counted with fingers these days, that's an exaggeration but having this vast world, we can be considered the fewest, and we choose to stay low and away from people.

"Silentis Night," my father called me.

I sit beside him on the long chair he is sitting to right away when he mumbled my name.

"Tomorrow night, are you ready for it? Some of the gods and goddesses from different hiding town will come to be the witnesses."

My heart accelerates as I think of what will happen tomorrow. They will finally release the two symbols that are on my back. It just means, I will be an official holder of goddess of beauty and of night. That was a rare case, and only a few of us get two titles.

My mother and father were both god and goddess, and it is no wonder that I inherited both of their powers as well. In our line, it's rare to have a marriage with both gods and goddesses having a union. Often, a vampire, wizards, werewolves, mermaids and others to be matched in our race.

When I was born, the two familiar symbol of my parents are seen on my back, but it was sealed until my eyes became fully silver white.

The rules are so vague and it's confusing, but for years, that's how our race lives.

But what we were worrying about is my brother, he has the silver white eyes the day he was born but there were no signs of any symbol. My parents let the elderly know about it but they, too, had no answer to our question based on my parents story. But I was afraid if I was the reason of it, because I got the two titles of my mother and father, I'm afraid that my beloved brother won't receive or inherit anything. It scares me to think about it, that I cease him to have a title, to have power.

All of those who had the same case as me who had two titles are only child, that confuses me the most. And if like my mother and father, the parents are both gods, when they conceived two children, one will get the title from the mother and the other will get one from the father. That's why when they heard about me having two titles and then having a sibling, they were shocked, how much more our parents.

Sucks to be married as both gods because they can only have two children as the maximum. So maybe that's the reason why others prefer to find a partner who is not of our race.

"Papa, do you think I can carry the obligation? Being both the new Goddess of the Night and Beauty?"

His serious face soften at my question, "Of course, Silentis Night. You can protect the night and all the beauty of the world."

Although he seems very serious, he is really sweet to us. Many drools and are captivated at his gorgeousness as a man, even at his current age, well, that's understandable because of his title, but I will replace him soon.

When the night comes, I can sense the intensity of both my mothers eyes and mine. She is the Goddess of the Night, and the power of it made her someone unbreakable. I know they have been through a lot, and those days are coming for me as well, teaching me greater lessons in life. Learning, collapsing and rising again.

I stared at the moon outside the window, it was covered by clouds, a storm is about to come. The gods and goddesses are probably busy right now.

"Got penny of your thoughts?" I glance at my mother as she spoke. Like me, she also loves the night.

"I'm actually nervous, although the serenity of the night really calms me down, I can't help but to think over the fact that I'd be handling two titles."

She chuckled a bit as her silver white eyes twinkle.

"Silly. You're Silentis Night, I heard a lot from your Maestros, you are one of the strongest goddess of this generation."

I purse my lips. I am excelling but in reality, can I really do it?

Of course, you can, Silentis Night. You are the daughter of one of the famous people from the clan of gods and goddesses. And your role in everyone's everyday life would be big.

I'm excelling at my training and studies but does that really mean I will be able to deal with both this power? I am not aware how does the sensation feels like, I am not sure if what I'm studying will really matter if everything is all practical.

My mother comb my long wavy hair with her fingers. "What do you think of the night?"

My thoughts deepened with that question. For me, it's beautiful, on my perspective it gives peace, and silence. It gives people a break. I only have beautiful meanings behind it.

My mother smiled when she heard my answer, "I know what you are thinking based on how your eyes sparkle. But my love, while some of us adores the night, there were some who fears it. It is vulnerability, unconsciousness, or even death for them. While it is solemn and quiet for us, it means weakness to a lot. It can be suffering and absence of hope. And the power that it will give you will cause anyone to stumble. So be someone who rules it responsively."

And so the morning the came. I immediately felt my brother caressing my cheek with his little hand, when I open my eyes, it met his right away. The blanket was wrapped around his body as well as on his head and the only thing that I can see on his body was his face.

It's cold, it is raining heavily. I got up and carried him to hug. His warmth is really one of the few things that I love.

My brother is just quiet while looking at me with his curious gazes when I turn my eyes on him. He doesn't talk much, he's distant and silent like the whole gods clan, but we're connected through the silence.

"I'm going to be a fully goddess later, can you believe that?" I said softly.

His lips pursed a bit, refusing to respond back.

"The storm that's coming is really bothering me."

I don't know but I feel uneasy, maybe because I'm nervous, or it's my senses telling me something.

"Oh, well. Let's just eat?" I invited him as I carry him to go outside of the room.

He always wake me up every morning, especially on the days that my parents are still sleeping. But there are days that they wake up earlier than expected.

I prepared something to eat for our family this morning, while my brother just followed my me around, clinging to my long white nightgown.

At noon, I cooked for all of us again because my parents were busy for what would happen later. They are trying to contact the few gods and goddesses that are coming through the special necklace that only the likes of us have.

The wind is strong and the rain continues. When I take a peek outside, the waves of the sea is in full rage, while the trees are swaying as the wind hits harshly.

The first visitor who came is the god of wealth, his son might not be a fully god yet knowing that he still holds the title. The silver white stone was still on his forehead, glowing and getting attentions, that's just like what my parents had.

Obviously, the man didn't even find the storm difficult to handle while going here because his expensive clothes aren't even wet and messy. He must be the same age as my father, he also looks handsome too, no wonder, he's a god afterall.

"Good afternoon, I arrived early, Silentus," he greeted my father.

"Vane, you haven't change," my father grinned and the guest grinned back. They are good friends, together with the other two friends who is not going to come, unfortunately.

"So as you. I can't believe your daughter will be ahead,"Vane glanced at me.

"Yeah. She only turned eighteen. Your son is two years older."

He shook his head as if worried, "That boy, he doesn't care about anything other than himself. I don't know how to tame him."

My father's grin widened even more at what the god of wealth said, "Taste your own medicine, eh?"

"He's worse than me."

Their conversation was interrupted when the younger guests arrived next. The goddess of nature, and the god of the sea.

I can’t help but look at the two. I will be like them. I am just as old as the woman and the man is two years older. They were one of the people I studied with under a well-known teacher back then. Laven still holds her cold aura, while Ocean looks sleepy as always.

Their hair is mixed with the same color of their eyes. It looks beautiful, their eyes are the strands of their hair with the same color compliments each other, in addition to that is the twinkling stone on their foreheads. It will be the same for me. But oh well, compared to them who are mixed with other races blood, I can feel the line of the vampire from Laven, and the line of spirit holders in Ocean, that was my difference to them.

Their godhood is whole even though they are mixed, it's just that that their blood from other races have them another power, and even on this moment I knew, they will achieve a lot of things.

My mother's smiling face welcomed them. She entertain them with grace, like a queen from some royal family.

"Your mother reminds me a lot of my Mom," Ocean said, he cross his arms.

I look at my mother because of that. She's preparing some tea for the visitors.

"I was expecting you to invite a lot," Laven spoke.

I shake my head and I saw my mother bow her head when she gave us the cup of tea.

"Just like yours?" I asked back, he smirked on what I said.

During these kinds of occasions, gods really invites a lot. But my family don't like that kind of custom, it is because my parents wanted us to just live by the beach peacefully. There's no need for a big celebration like party.

When the nights comes, the raging storm became really evident outside. It's too cold but everyone's cold expression worsened it all.

I'm wearing a blackless fitted white dress as I step on the middle of the circle they created.

I can feel the strange sensation especially when my eyes heated and my back experienced pain.

When my mother and father's hand went to my back, exactly where the symbols are, I immediately groaned and screamed. The excruciating pain dig deeper than my bones, it's like eating my flesh. The sensation went around my neck towards my forehead. I bit my lower lip, and I'm becoming weaker and weaker the longer their hands stay at the two symbols on my back.

I felt the tears ran fastly on my cheeks. I close my eyes to feel the pain— everything. My senses became clearer, it's as if everything about me enhanced.

After a few moments, I collapse from where I'm standing. Eyesight a bit blurry and strength coming out from my body. Before my consciousness fully go I heard them panicking and things seems became messy, I heard footsteps of some new visitors who came with the bad news.