[Seven-Minute Semblance] MASTERMINDSFORHIRE & RAGNAROK

Chapter 6 - Mea Culpa

Joyeuse.

26. April.
Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Carnation Street.

5:30 p.m., Casey and I were at San Lorenzo Park. I insisted we waited for Futhark, since I asked him to bring the snacks for our wee Throw Henrik Whitdur to Jail project. Another reason why I was keen on having him with us was for transparency.

I found it rather unpleasant when he talked to Alice, so I figured he would feel the same when I talked to Cassandra. We needed him anyway, he knew more about the case than anyone. It's Wonderland Organisation and his own father anyway.

But thirty minutes had passed and the bloody git was still nowhere around the park. He didn't even call or text.

"Kailangan ba talaga nating hintayin si Futhark?" asked Cassandra.

"We have to," I replied, defeated. "Futhark and I are dating now, so I have to bring him."

Cassandra's eyes widened. Now I had that off my chest. I had been planning how to tell her everything since last year, but I thought... dropping everything like a bomb worked better. I didn't know how she'd react, but I'd rather her emotions explode on the spot.

She sat in a contemplative silence for a brief moment, before she knowingly smiled and said, "You're finally dating him, huh?"

"Finally?"

"Nasa Pampanga pa lang kayo, noong t-in-ext mo sa 'kin na nag-confess s'ya sa 'yo sa Windsor, nahalata ko nang may feelings ka rin para sa kanya. Plus, iba rin talaga ang trato mo sa kanya."

"What do you mean?"

"He's actually the only person you care about. You don't care about other people, but Futhark—you'd burn a city for him."

I lowered my head and fixated my eyes on the grass and the way they brushed against my shoes. I knew I had feelings for Futhark. I just wasn't sure what those feelings were, and I was scared to process them.

All I knew was that I had to be close to him for a reason.

Cassandra's phone rang. She knitted her eyebrows as the caller presumably poured their feelings out. Seconds later, she responded, "Sige. D'yan na ako dederetso." And then she ended the call.

"Who was it?" I asked, watching her prepare to leave.

She stood up. "A PO2. A professor from Coronado University was found dead in his own room in Carnation Street."

I jumped to my feet and clapped. "Ooh, murder. Let's go." I took my phone out to contact Edward Dace.

"What do you mean, let's go?" She raised her eyebrow.

It took only three rings for Edward to answer. "Shh," I told Casey. "I'm talking to Edward."

"Ang sabi ko kanina, 'wag akong tatawagan dahil kasama ko si Macey!" he barked. "Siguraduhin mong may namatay kaya mo ako tinawagan dahil kapag tinawagan mo ako dahil bored ka lang, iha-hack ko lahat ng accounts mo."