Victorina Academy

Chapter IX

Chapter 9:

My eyes repeatedly darted at the inscribed texts on the elegant paper in my hand. Tila ba may mga sariling buhay ang mga salitang nakaukit dito, ngunit nahihirapan pa rin ang aking utak na intindihin kung ano ang nais nitong ipahiwatig. Nanginginig ang aking mga kamay at tila mas lalong lumamig ang buong silid habang paulit-ulit kong binabasa ang mga salita. The words only give me one feeling: danger.

"Ylona? I-I can't understand," Rhea said, pulling me back to reality. Bakas na bakas rin sa kanyang mukha ang takot at pagkalito. She's staring at me in shock as if there's something in her mind that is against what she expected the letter to say. But I can't open my mouth, because I honestly don't know what to say.

"Let's try to decipher it." Rhea shifted a little to her right so she could have a better sight of the paper. I also slightly tilted it for her to see the words clearly.

She started running her hand on the words that are exquisitely carved on the golden surface. My heart is beating too fast as my brain starts to absorb some light about the meaning of the message.

"Rhea," I said in a hesitant tone. My best friend looked at me again, and I can't help but be guilty about not telling her anything. She already knows more than she should, so I think it wouldn't hurt if I'll tell her about what I know. Nevertheless, she has always been honest with me. If there's one person who can understand my situation now, it would be her. And Kuya Keyford, her brother, was also one of Ate Claire's closest friends.

"I wasn't honest with you when I said that I know nothing about who might be the people who wanted to give me this letter." 

She frowned and studied me for a while. I bit my lip knowing that I might've hurt her for not telling her anything.

"People?" she said, more perplexed. Alam kong mas maguguluhan siya sa aking sasabihin, ngunit ito lang ang alam kong paraan upang mas maintindihan namin ang mga pangyayari. She also deserves an explanation.

I breathed deeply and stared right into her eyes. "Bago ako pumasok sa building kanina, pumunta muna ako sa opisina ni Mr. McGray. He said he wanted to talk to me."

Gulat ang tanging reaksyon na nakita ko mula kay Rhea. Alam ng lahat na pili lamang ang mga estudyanteng nakakapunta sa ikalawang palapag ng Admin Building. The officers of the Supreme Student Council and the holders of the positions in the Student Hierarchy are the only students who are allowed to step foot on those grounds. I was also surprised earlier when Miss Miller said that the school president wanted me to go up to his office.

"Hindi ko sana gustong sabihin ang lahat ng nalaman ko mula kay Mr. McGray dahil ayokong mapahamak kayo ni Elijah. But I didn't expect that you actually know something that might be related to Ate Claire's death." The last word came out vaguely from my mouth. Rhea is staring at me,  listening intently to what I am still about to say. I took an anxious glance around us and I wish the whole morning will pass like this—everyone just minding their own businesses. "Mr. McGray warned me. Whatever it is that's been going on inside this school, it all started to resurface since my cousin's death. Ate Claire was killed. The fire in the Lotus Hotel was not an accident. There are people who wanted her completely gone." My voice sounded very eerie even to me, and Rhea could only cover her mouth in disbelief.

A moment of silence passed between the two of us. The only sounds we can hear are the buzzing conversations of the people around us.

"The dove, the one mentioned in this letter—it is the crest of my family. I didn't know that we have one, and I also didn't wonder why the statue in the middle of the fountain in the Crosswood mansion is a dove that seems ready to fly. No one ever mentioned it to me." The image of the bird with its wings wide open is flashing in my head. It has been there since that fortress was built. But I never thought that it is actually my family's symbol.