Izeiah's Pov
It was a good, bloody day.
I've officially transformed into a pufferfish.
Anyways, Qen succesfully managed to bring the file back to life. He said that he got help from Blue and that it made things easier.
Other than that sweet, happy news, was the Izeiah's Game. Magaganap ngayon ang ikalimang Izeiah's Game at naannounce kung sino ang magpaparticipate. The people who completed their homework were immedietly excluded. Thank god because I have errands to run.
It was a rare time where I don't have a helper for my mission since each helper I had in the past now refused to do it for the seocnd time because 'teaming up with me bring their souls to the brink of death'... whatever that means.
I would team up with myself if I get the chance.
"Qen... Ivan kept repeating to me that the file was the past, but why do I see James?"
He turned to me, guilt and sadness dancing in his eyes. I knew something was wrong.
I took a deep breath and played the video that was shown.
James was on the phone with someone. Unfortunately, I couldn't hear what the other person was saying to him.
(A/N: "____" represents the response of the other person talking to James on the phone. It's a big blank because the caller couldn't be heard in the video.)
Video
"Wala na siya sa school. Sabihin mo kay Gythe na planuhin na niya ang pagtakas niya. Kakalabas lang nung binabantayan ko at kung hindi pa siya lumabas, mamamatay siya."
"____"
"She just consumed the poison you gave me. No worries, I got all tasks under control."
"____"
"The lunacies are safely stored in the place you told me. And it seems her body will start fighting the poison itself in a few months so you got a bit of time to get out of the place"
"____"
"Sasabihin ko nanaman saiyo, mahalagang makalabas kayo dapat sa eskwelahan dahil pagkatapos ng school year, siguradong surrounded ang school pagkabukas palang ng mga gates ng Izeiah High. Mas mabuti kung lalabas kayo ng maaga para hindi makuha ang mga mukha niyo sa camera."
—
"Nakuha ang file sa aking computer."
"____"
"Gago, nakakalimutan mo yatang hindi lang ako at ikaw ang mga utak? Kaya ka nahihirapan na isagawa ang plano mo dahil puro sarili mo lang ang iniisip mo."
End
"I'm sorry, Izeiah. Alam kong malapit si James sayo at ang ate mo. Hindi ko lang inakala na magagawa niya ito."
I tried to take back control of my shaking hands, but I seemed to have failed, miserably I should add, as not only did it shake bad, but my nails started digging itself into my palms.
"Q-Qen..." I showed my hands to Qen in panic and he immediately grasped it in his hands.
"It's okay, Izeiah. It's okay. You're okay." He soothed me by patting my back gently.
"Why did he stab me?" Tears flowed down my cheeks as I failed to understand how he could betray us.
For what reason?
I felt a hand over my eyes... I sobbed in confusion.
"Calm down, Izeiah."
Oh
That's why everything turned red.
Narrator's POV
Izeiah slept like cat, sleeping through the whole morning and only waking up in mid-afternoon.
She sat absentmindedly on her bed and stared straight through. She was left alone in the dorm because Qen went to Izeiah's former dorm because he remembered that one of Izeiah's plan for the morning today was to burn all of her clothes that were touched by Clarisse. And since she couldn't do it due to her morning breakdown, he just thought that he should do her this favour.
"Qen? Since when did you become nice enough to do an errand for a lowly girl?" Clarisse asked.
Hindi sumagot si Qen at nagpatuloy lang sa pagsindi ng apoy gamit ang posporo pero palaging nasisira sa dalawa ang punyetang posporo.
Huminga siya ng malalim at kinuha ang selpon para matawagan ang Butler niya ng tulong.
"Bakit hindi ka pumapansin? Qen, in the future, tayo tayo ang magpapartner para lumago ang mga angkan natin. Meron akong itataguyod na Shikaiken Clan kapag magiging asawa na ako ni Ivan. Alam mo naman iyon di ba?" Nakangiting sabi niya sa lalake na nahihirapan na paapuyin ang bundok ng damit.
"Alam ba ni Qim na malapit ka kay—"
"I'm sorry, but could please shut the fuck up?" Qen finally opened his mouth due to annoyance.
It was when he finally succeeded at getting a small bit of one shirt on fire that he realized that it wasn't safe to do so to the environment. He sighed and was suddenly feeling troubled.
'Surely, it's also fair to throw all of these to the trash? But donating it seems to be a bit more... helpful to the earth?' He thought deeply.
"Gryst's heir, what are you doing?" A deep voice sounded behind them which made both people turn around.
"Ivan!" Clarisse excitedly exclaimed.
'Gryst's heir... parang grease.. tagapagmana ng grasa. My goodness, I never realized that.' Qen thought and pondered how other people might have thought after hearing others call him by that.
"You must be Izeiah's former playmate."
"Quit the act. Magkakilala tayo, gago."
"What are you doing, Ivan?"
"I've been robbed, what did you expect me to do? Dance?"
"You can't be robbed of something... someone that wasn't yours to begin with." Qen whispered quietly, intending it to only be heard by himself.
"You're not here to test my patience, are you?"
"Nandito ako para sunugin ang mga damit na ito because according to Izeiah, it's been touched by something nasty."
"Sinungaling pa ang babaeng pakakasalan mo, Qen. Are you—"
"What does it take for you to fucking shut the hell up?"
"Qe-Qen?"
"I have standards"
Qen itched to live, but Ivan seemed to be glaring at one direction . So, he guessed that Izeiah must have come.
"Qen? Nandito ka lang pala? And Ivan too with a nasty bimbo?"
"Where did you learn that?" Qen frowned upon Izeiah's choice of words.
"It's how Green described her. I assumed it must be something bad so I felt it would suit her perfectly."
"I didn't know we could do that now." Qen whispered as he didn't know that the long time rule of not swearing infront of Izeiah has been finally lifted.
Although, in the end, Izeiah still learned swear words, but they didn't want to be the root of her naughty vocabulary. 🤭
"Susunugin mo ba dapat ang mga damit kong ito?"
"Yes. But it would hurt the Mother Earth."
"Since when did you care?"
"I'm part of the Green Community. I'm a representative."
"Since when?"
"Since I said so..."
".....alright, fine. I'm practicing the art of niceness so, I'll donate them."
"That's not a word."
"Niceness? Ano ba dapat? I always forget since it's useless. Anyways, I need to talk to you."
Qen and Izeiah went on their merry way ignoring Ivan who was seething in anger.
"So, Qen, tell me. Bakit ka pumasok dito?
"Because of you and your mess.. I hate being in the same grade as you because then, I'll always be the closest one to call to fix your mess." Sabi niya.
"That's not true, mostly si Ren ang pumupunta."
"Hindi nga siya uma-attend sa school na ito, di ba." Sarkastiking sabi ni Qen.
"Bibisitahin ko si Ren, lalabas ako. Ikaw na bahala sa Headmaster?"
"I know you're being polite, but can you not ask if you know that I have no choice, but to help you?"
"Ha! See, at times, I am polite."
———
Izeiah recalled all the lessons and her experience as she politely knocked on the door. It was a pain to be nice.
It took a minute for the door to fly open and reveal Ren's annoyed face. It was amusing for 13 seconds, but that was all it,
"Why?---- why me? Why not Len?" Desperation wrapped his voice like the tortilla around a burrito.
"Ano nanaman ba ang problema mo? Binabayaran ka yata para pumunta dito."
"Wala. Pasok ka na nga. Hindi nagmumukhang presentable ang porch ko kung nandito ka" hindi na lang pinansin ni Izeiah ang sinabi niya at pumasok na.
"I have found the mole."
"Ano nanaman ba ha?"
"Stupid. Bobo. Walang alam. Matagal ng naibalita na merong traydor sa clan. At alam ko kung sino. Si James lang naman. Siya pa nga ang palaging bumibisita sa bahay. Punyeta."
A gasp of surprise followed and I smiled proudly. I'm the one who solved it.
"Give me your computer. I'm going to start my plan for his future."
Pero kakarinig niya palang ng computer, pumuti ang buong mukha nito at tumakbo sa computer tapos yinakap.
"N-no. Invasion of privacy ka kung kukunin mo ang laptop ko."
I rolled my eyes.
"Are you hiding something?"
"Wait lang, okay? Meron pa akong kailangan na tapusin muna tapos pwede mo ng magamit." Muntik pa siya madapa dahil sa pagtakbo niya papunta sa kwarto.
As far as I can remember, I don't think I eat computers.
"Bakit ka ba kasi nandito?" Bungad niya ng makalabas na siya.
"I'm here to begin my revenge."
"To who?"
"James Ling. The traitor."
"What the fuck?"
James' Pov
Everyone thinks that I might be going crazy.
They said that I was trying to reach for the sun while standing on the deepest part of hell.
But how would they know?
Once they taste the despair and gloom of my world, would they even allow themselves to think they can belong to society?
I can only force myself to rise from all the corpses I got buried on. However, it was hard to stand above all if I only have such measly wealth and power. I had to look for someone else to boost me to the top.
And I found one.
She was everything I needed.
I had to present more than half of my riches to ask for her hand. And although that wasn't enough, she was kind and didn't bother with the little bit of money I had. After all, it was only a few millions.
But the girl was nothing compared to the Empress.
"Yes, the Empress that I'm going to marry in a few months."
I grinned
Hard work really pays off.