Hope of the Dying World

CHAPTER 53 - THE MALL

"Full name."

"Dr. Jose Protacio," He looked up to recall Rizal's full name. "Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, miss."

"How many siblings does he have?"

"Ten---"

" Wrong." Miss Valdez tried if he'll explain or not.

"They were eleven, miss, but your question is how many siblings he has. Meaning he's not included." Trestan explained again and Miss Valdez just nodded.

"What are the two novels he wrote?"

"Uhm... Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, miss."

"Why did---" Miss Valdez was interrupted by the student who just entered their classroom.

Trestan creased his forehead when he recognized that it was Blair. His classmate was simply laughing at her because she entered the wrong room.

"Excuse me, miss." He immediately walked towards her direction and pulled her outside. They receive some teasing from Trestan's classmates.

"Trestan? Why..." Blair confusedly looked at him. "Why did you pull me? I'm about to enter my classroom."

"It's..." Trestan sighed. "It's not your classroom, that is my classroom and yours is there." He pointed her classroom two rooms away from his.

"Fudge! It's so embarrassing! I gotta go. Bye." She quickly ran away and left him. He shook his head and watched Blair entering her classroom. 'She's so occupied. Tsk.'

+++

December 10, 2020

Ferran just got home from work. It's eleven o'clock in the evening and Blair was probably sleeping at this hour.

His niece was living with him after the incident happened to her parents. He opened her room's door to check on her and he found her sleeping soundly and peacefully but her swollen eyes and reddish nose did not escape Ferran's sight.

She was hugging their family picture but Simeon carefully lifted her arm to pick up the picture frame then he put it on the bed side table.

He sat on the side of her bed and caressed her hair. "I'm sorry. It's my fault... you are experiencing this pain because of me. Sorry."

Hot tears fell on his cheeks but he immediately wiped it and kissed her forehead before leaving her room.

When he entered his room, it's messy. He has no time to clean it, especially his study table where the documents, information, people involved, and other important things regarding his mission were scattered there.

He needed to imprison Mr. Wang and there's another person he needed to investigate.

Dr. Maria Garcia.

Her photo was printed and it was connected to Mr. Wang's. Maybe she was involved, he's not sure and doesn't want to investigate her though 'coz she's Carina's best friend for Pete's sake but there is a big part of him that wanted to uncover something.

The truth, maybe? Not sure.

He let his body fall on the soft mattress and without changing his clothes, he quickly fell asleep.

***

Noises.

Cries.

Fears.

Lost.

"SL News... A bomb exploded in ... Mall and ... in about half of the mall. It is not yet ... died in this tragedy and ... injured but ... interviewed earlier... hundred of people..."

Ferran felt his body was inside the mall where many people were calling for help. It was as if he's inside the mall and the fire was around. His arm was injured.

A little girl was looking at him and crying. He was about to approach her when the restaurant on her side exploded and the body of the little girl flew somewhere.

"No!"

Ferran doesn't know what to do. Everyone is panicking. The smoke was thickening around and he was having difficulty breathing but before he lost consciousness, he saw those feet running towards him.

***

The alarm clock rang throughout his room that made him awake. He saw the familiar ceiling and when he looked around, he was in his bedroom. He also checked his arm that was injured in his dream.

'Wait! Is it a dream or a memory?' He asked himself then sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sure that I didn't experience that incident. Is it just a dream? But..." He closed his eyes and recalled something from his dream and his past life.

"It happened. It is not just a dream." He mumbled then a thought popped into his mind. "It's Ferran's memory! If I'm not mistaken?"

'Why am I dreaming of Ferran's memory? Is it also because I'm in his body? Hm...'

"Uncle? W-What are you saying?" He didn't notice that Blair was watching him from his bedroom door.

"It's... Nothing. Uhm... Do you eat breakfast?" He immediately changed the topic. He doesn't want Blair to be suspicious of him.

"Nope. I was about to wake you up so we can eat together."

"Ah. Just a moment. I'll just take a quick bath. Wait for me." He immediately entered his bathroom and sighed when he closed the door.

After they ate breakfast, Ferran dropped Blair at her school before he went to the police station. He saw Sanchez refilling his tumbler bottle in the water dispenser.

"Sanchez, I have something I need to discuss with you." He whispered to him then he proceeded to his cubicle.

"What is it?" Sanchez asked when he sat on his swivel chair.

"There is another incident that will happen but it's from Ferran's memory." He whispered again and they talked that only the two of them could hear.

"Ferran's? But why did you dream of his memory?"

"Maybe because I'm in his body." He concluded.

"Well, what incident?" Sanchez crossed his arms. "If it involves you being on the brink of death again, no thanks."

"A bomb will explode in a mall."

"W-What?" His eyes widened. "Are you sure about it? What if  it is just a dream? What if you're just stressed and your mind is making up things?"

"No. I remembered it. It will happen soon. Don't you believe me? I know what I am saying."

"Fine. Fine. What about it?" Sanchez asked, hiding his fear.

"I don't know the specific mall 'coz the news that I dreamed of was incomplete. Broken words."

"When? We should make a plan. It will lead to great damage if that memory was right."

"I don't know---"

"Ferran, how will we solve it if you can't remember?"

"Hm... wait!" He closed his eyes and forced himself to remember the details inside that mall.

"There was a huge burning Christmas tree... A banner with the word 'SALE'. It's December... Sh*t! A part of it was already burned but... But... But it's the year 2020!" He opened his eyes and saw Sanchez writing some important things he had said.

"How many floors does that mall have?" Sanchez asked while thinking of something.

"Three."

"It's the V Mall."