A/N: This is the end of the scarlet thread that will lead us to the center of the web. As early as now, I'm asking you not to post any SPOILERS. Let's not ruin other people's reading experience. Thank you!
LORELEI
PARA AKONG bulag na nangangapa sa harapan ko. From a pitch black vision, nagkakaroon na ng kaunting liwanag ang aking paningin. I began to see silhouettes of the people around me. Tila may malaking itim na circle sa gitna ng mga nakikita ko.
Pakurap-kurap ang aking mga mata. Diniinan ko na sakaling makatulong ito sa pagpapabalik ng aking paningin. Balak ba kaming bulagin ni Rosetta? This could affect our eyesight!
"My eyes!" Jamie screamed. I could see her body bending and moving in front of me. "How can I appreciate the beauty of the world without my sight? Paano ko na makikita si Loki dear?"
"Don't worry," tugon ni Alistair na sa nasa aking kanan. Mas kalmado siya kumpara kay Jamie. "Babalik din sa normal ang paningin natin after a few seconds."
"That flashlight must have emitted at least 300 lumens of light," Loki said. Thanks for the trivia, but that's not what we needed right now. "It's strong enough to disorient and temporarily blind us."
"Gets ko na kung bakit nasabi niyang effective ito sa mga manyak," komento ni Jamie. "Mas maganda pa yatang gamitin 'yon kaysa sa pepper spray."
"You don't have to use that flashlight or pepper spray if there aren't any manyaks in the world," I replied with a hint of contempt.
We weren't complacent. We were only taken by surprise that Rosetta pulled something like this. Apat kaming nakapaligid at nagbabantay sa kanya. What were the chances that she could overpower us? Would I say that we underestimated her? Maybe. But we were on our guard the whole time. This was just a lucky punch.
But I couldn't let her get away. Hindi ko hahayaang maging two-zero ang score niya sa 'kin. Pinilit kong maglakad patungo sa pinto ng rooftop. Unti-unti nang lumiilit ang itim na spot sa paningin ko. Lumilinaw na rin ang mga nakikita ko. I could manage to at least walk and find my direction.
"Saan ka pupunta, Lori?" tanong ni Alistair.
"I'm going after her!" sagot ko. Matapos ang lahat ng pinagdaanan namin, hindi pwedeng mauwi sa wala 'yon. "We can't let her run away with the hard drive!"
"Pero hindi pa gano'n ka-okay ang paningin mo!"
I didn't care. Sabi nga ni Loki, temporary lang ang pagkabulag na 'to. My vision's getting better anyway. Imbes na maghintay akong bumalik sa normal ang aking paningin bago ko habulin si Rosetta, mas gugustuhin kong habulin na siya agad habang bumabalik ang paningin ko.
Pagkabukas ko sa pinto, may naaninag akong tao sa may hagdan. Was that Rosetta? No. Hindi kagaya ng ahas na 'yon, maiksi ang buhok ng taong 'to. He must be a guy. He must be a student based on the blue color of his clothes.
"Watch your step!" he warned. "Madulas ang hagdan!"
Teka, boses ni Rye 'yon, ah? Bakit siya nakahiga sa may dulo ng hagdanan?
Humawak ako sa railings habang pababa ng hagdan. He's right. Madulas nga ang bawat tinatapakan ko. Muntik na nga akong mag-slide.
"Ano'ng ginagawa mo rito?" Nilapitan ko siya't tinulungang tumayo. Nakahandusay siya sa tabi ng railings. Nabiktima yata siya ng madulas na steps. Naging maingat ang kanyang sumunod na kilos. Sinubukan niyang humakbang kaso muntikan na siyang nadulas.
"I followed you here under Maggie's orders," paliwanag ni Rye sabay hawak sa railings. "Pumwesto ako diyan sa may landing sa fifth floor habang hinihintay kayo. Nang may marinig akong sumigaw, I tried to rush to the rooftop, kaso nadulas ako sa hagdan. Someone must have poured some slimy stuff on the steps, making them slippery."
No. That wasn't an accident. That was planned! Bago siya nagpakita sa amin sa rooftop, malamang may binuhos siya rito sa hagdan. Rosetta probably anticipated na sakaling hindi niya kami na-disorient gamit ang flashlight, hahabulin namin siya. Dahil hindi kami aware sa patibong na sinet niya rito, madudulas kami at magkakaroon siya ng time na tumakas!
"Did you see you Rosetta?" I asked. "'Yong ahas na may mahabang buhok at may dala-dalang hard drive?"
Tumango si Rye sabay turo sa baba. "Nagmadali siyang bumaba. Sinubukan ko siyang habulin kaso nadudulas ako sa bawat hakbang ko."
"Hindi pa naman siguro siya nakalalayo, 'no?"
Nagpatuloy ako sa pagbaba sa landing ng fifth floor. Rye told me to be careful dahil baka may inilagay pang slimy stuff si Rosetta sa susunod na hagdan. Well, as long as nakakapit ako sa railings ng hagdan, walang mangyayaring masama—
"OUCH!"
I gasped when I skipped a step and fell on the floor. Hindi ko maiwasang mapa-aray sa sobrang sakit. Napagulong ako sa sahig habang hinahaplos ang ankle ko. Crap, I might have sprained it. Kung kailan bumabalik na sa normal ang paningin ko, doon pa ako naaksidente.
"WATCH YOUR STEP!" sigaw ni Rye nang narinig naming bumukas ang pinto sa rooftop. Naisipan na sigurong sumunod nina Alistair, Loki at Jamie. Kapag hindi sila nag-ingat sa pagbaba, baka magaya sila sa 'kin.
"Lori!" Alistair and Jamie yelled at me. Nakita na siguro nila akong nakahandusay sa sahig. I wasn't clumsy. Nataon na hindi ko nakita ang hahakbangan ko.
Alistair rushed to my side and tried to help me. Inalalayan niya akong tumayo. Maingat kong itinapak sa sahig ang kaliwa kong paa. But I felt a stinging pain when it touched the floor. Napilay nga yata ako.
"Dapat kasi hindi mo na pinilit!" pangaral ni Jamie na parang magulang. "'Yan tuloy, naaksidente ka pa!"
"Imbes na pagalitan n'yo ako, bakit hindi n'yo habulin si Rosetta?" sabi ko. "Hahayaan n'yo na lang ba siyang makatakas?"
"She's already delayed us enough to make her escape," Loki answered. "We don't know where she's headed. We're only gonna waste our time and energy."
"Then what do you suggest?" Halos tumaas na ang boses ko. "That we let her get away with the hard drive? For the second time?"
"What we need to do right now..." Loki replied, looking down at my left foot. "...is to bring you to the clinic and have your ankle checked."
"But Rosetta is—"
"Tama si Loki," pagsang-ayon ni Alistair. "Kailangan na nating ipatingin 'yan."
Kumuyom ang mga kamao ko. Bakit ba kasi hindi ko nakita 'yong huling hakbang na 'yon? E 'di sana sabay-sabay na naming hinahabol si Rosetta. Ayaw kong maging pabigat. Pakiramdam ko tuloy, ako ang dahilan kaya hindi na talaga namin mahahabol ang babaeng 'yon."
"Rye," Loki called. "Is there a way that we can stop a student from leaving the campus premises?"
"Yes," sagot ni Rye, maingat na bumaba sa hagdanan hanggang sa makalapit siya sa amin. "We can tell the guards at the gate to stop any student who might try to leave."
"As long as Rosetta's within the campus premises, there's still a way that we can find her. There's no need to rush," Loki tried to assure me. "For now, let's go to the clinic."
Napabuntong-hininga na lamang ako. Maingat nila akong inalalayan pababa ng hagdan. I felt like a child being taught how to walk. Medyo nakakahiya.
"Kokontakin ko na muna si Maggie at ang Office of Campus Security," sabi naman ni Rye sabay labas ng kanyang phone.
***
The look on the nurse's face as we entered the school clinic was screaming, "Ikaw na naman?" Pasensya na, malapitan yata ako sa mga aksidente nitong nakaraang araw. Two days ago, I was rendered unconscious by my own stun pen. Today, I got my ankle sprained.
Naghanda ang nurse ng isang palanggana na may tubig at yelo. I took the sock off my left foot and noticed the swelling. Ramdam ko rin ang sakit kapag ginagalaw ko 'yon. Ipinababad ng nurse ang paa ko sa palanggana. I bit my lower lip as I soaked my foot into the basin. Nangilabot ako sa lamig at pinigilan kong mapa-aray. But as minutes went by, unti-unting nabawasan ang sakit.
After fifteen minutes, binendahan na ng nurse ang paa ako. Para daw mabawasan ang pamamaga. Pinagpahinga muna niya ako sa ward.
"I really thought na hindi niya tayo susubukang isahan," sabi ni Jamie habang nakatitig sa paa kong balot ng elastic bandage. Magkakasama na naman kaming apat sa clinic kagaya noong isang araw. Parang deja vu. "She seemed sincere nang sinabi niyang ibibigay na niya sa atin ang hard drive kapag na-delete na niya ang file."
"Maybe you didn't know her that well," komento ko. Siya ang pinakaunang nagsabi na pinagkakatiwalaan niya si Rosetta. Ngayon, ano na? Masasabi pa rin kaya niya 'yon? If she still believed that her friend is trustworthy, she's a fool.
Nagawi ang aking titig sa kaliwa kong kamay. Binigyan na rin 'to ng ointment kanina dahil sa itinapong mainit na kape ni Rosetta. I could still feel how the hard drive fell into my hand. I really thought na sa amin na 'yon. By now, we should have known the secret that Stein was trying so hard to keep from being revealed.
Alas, the hard drive was lost once again. Kung noong isang araw ay ako lang ang naisahan ni Rosetta, ngayon, kaming apat na.
"You should have held her arms the moment she's done deleting the file." Loki looked at Alistair. Nakasandal siya sa pader habang nakakrus ang mga braso. "That way, she couldn't have pulled off that stunt."
"I don't wanna resort to that method unless she posed an actual threat," Alistair replied. Nakaupo naman siya sa paanan ng kama. "She could have felt harassed by that aggressive action."
This time, Alistair's gut feeling was wrong. Tumama siya kay Jamie noon. Pero kay Rosetta, hindi. He thought that she can be trusted. But what happened on the rooftop revealed that she can't be.
"That's the problem, isn't it?" I asked. "We thought that by coming alone, she didn't pose any kind of threat. That there's no way she can outsmart the four of us. But we were wrong."
"Dapat siguro may nakapuwesto sa pinto para hindi siya agad nakatakas," sabi ni Jamie. "The last man standing could have stopped her!"
"Keeping close enough to her would have intimidated her."
"We should have checked her bag."
"Even if we did, hindi natin aakalaing blinding flashlight pala ang mukhang lipstick na ginamit niya kanina," tugon ko. "She already anticipated na posibleng i-check natin ang gamit niya. Kaya naghanap siya ng item na pwede niyang gamiting panlaban na hindi magmumukhang kahina-hinala."
"We can debate all day on what we could have done right," Loki spoke when I took a pause. "But that won't change anything. That ectothermic, amniote vertebrate is still in possession of the hard drive. What we must be discussing is how to move forward—"
Bumukas ang pinto ng kwarto at pumasok ang isang nakasalamin na babae. Nagsitahimik kaming apat. I was surprised to see her here, but I remembered na may nag-inform pala sa kanya. Maggie walked toward my bed, her spectacles gleaming.
"Rye told me everything," she greeted us. She adjusted her eyeglasses as she turned to Loki. "So the one who stole the Augustus' box is Rosetta?"
We nodded. What's the point of still denying it?
"Tinimbrehan na namin ang Office of Campus Security," she went on. "No student will be able to leave the campus until class dismissal. The only way she could escape is through jumping over the high walls. But we have security cameras on those areas kaya malalaman natin kapag may umakyat sa bakod."
"Thank you, madam chair," tugon ni Jamie. "Wala nang ibang mapupuntahan si Rosetta. Pwede natin siyang hanapin kapag okay na si Lori."
"If there's a lesson learned today, never underestimate our enemies," Loki remarked. "Remember that Rosetta is a snake. She doesn't need to climb the walls. She only needs to slither her way out through a hole or a small gap in between the gates."
He jested, but I agreed with his description of my classmate.
"You should have coordinated with us," Maggie told him, folding her arms. "Kung sanang in-inform n'yo kami, mas nakapag-prepare tayo ng mga execom member na magbabantay sa may hagdan patungong rooftop. She wouldn't have had the chance to escape."
"She may look dumb, but she's a bit clever," Loki replied. 'Yan ang napatunayan namin nitong mga nagdaang araw. "She would have noticed the suspicious number of students near the rooftop and smelled a trap. Wait. Snakes can smell, can't they?"
"Hindi ba siya bumalik sa aming classroom?" tanong ko.
Maggie turned to me and shook her head. "Pagkasabi ni Rye sa akin, nagpa-deploy na agad ako ng execom members para hanapin siya. Wala siya sa classroom n'yo, sa meeting place ng Paranormal Club, sa cafeteria o sa iba pang lugar."
"Maybe she burrowed herself in the ground," Loki jested again. "That's what snakes do."
"Rye's already checking the security footages as we speak." Maggie ignored his remarks. "Susubukan niyang i-trace kung saan nagpunta si Rosetta pagkababa niya sa rooftop."
"She probably went somewhere she could hide the hard drive," Alistair muttered, touching his chin. "She won't be carrying it around knowing that we're after her."
"Saan bang part ng campus pwede niyang itago 'yon?" tanong ni Jamie, napadampi ang kanyang daliri sa labi niya. "Maybe in her locker? No, masyadong obvious kung gano'n. That's the first thing na itse-check natin."
"Have you checked kung bumalik siya sa kanyang dorm?" I asked. "Sa White Hostel? She lives in Room 404."
Umiling si Maggie. "Hindi pa namin napupuntahan 'yan. Kung hahalughugin namin siya sa hostel, kailangan muna naming mag-secure ng permission mula sa building manager. We can't just go in and search every floor. Labas na 'yon sa jurisdiction natin bilang executive committee."
"Baka kailangan ni Rye ng tulong sa pagtse-check ng video?" tanong ni Alistair.
"Tatawagan niya ako kapag may napansin na siya sa footages. For now, kailangan nating—"
KRING!
A long, screeching noise startled us in the room. That's the sound of the fire alarm, wasn't it? Pero hindi ito galing sa clinic. Galing ito sa labas.
"A fire in the middle of the day?" Loki snickered. "What a coincidence, isn't it?"
Bigla akong kinutuban nang masama.
"Let's check kung saan galing 'yon." Dahan-dahan kong ibinaba ang aking paa at isinuot ang sapatos ko. When my left foot touched the ground, nakaramdam pa rin ako ng sakit. But the pain was no longer as intense as earlier.
"Magpahinga ka muna kaya, Lori?" pag-aalang sabi ni Jamie. Marahan niya akong itinulak pabalik sa kama. "Baka mapano 'yang paa mo kapag nagpumilit ka."
"Don't worry about me," tugon ko sabay taboy sa kanyang mga kamay. "Kaya ko na ang sarili ko."
"If you push yourself too hard, you might partially tear your ligaments. The recovery period is three to six weeks," Loki told me. "If you rupture your ligaments, which is the worst, that will take several months."
Lumingon ako sa kanya sabay sabing, "Thanks for the trivia."
Sinubukan kong maglakad kahit paika-ika. Hindi ako pwedeng magpahinga lang dito sa clinic. May masamang kutob ako sa fire alarm na 'yon.
"Let me help you," sabi ni Alistair na umalalay sa paglalakad ko. Alam niyang magpupumilit ako kahit ano'ng pagbawal nila sa 'kin.
"Baka pwede tayong makahiram ng wheelchair?" tanong ni Jamie. "Para hindi na mahirapan si Lori na maglakad?"
"Huwag na," I refused. "Hindi naman ako nabaldado."
Sabay-sabay kaming lumabas ng clinic. Muntikan na akong harangan ng nurse pero sinabi ko sa kanyang okay na ang pakiramdam ko. We've been here for thirty minutes already. I couldn't stay here the whole day.
May mga nagsilabasan din na ilang estudyante na na-curious. Hindi ang school building namin ang nasusunog. Wala akong nakikitang usok. Sinundan namin ang tingin ng mga nakikiusyoso at nagawi sa direksyon ng isang gusali na ilang metro ang layo sa kinatatayuan namin. Patuloy ang paglabas ng maitim na usok sa isa sa mga palapag nito.
Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. That's the White Hostel!
"Doon nag-i-stay si Rosetta, 'di ba?" tanong ni Jamie bago iginala ang tingin sa amin.
Loki only stared at the hostel fuming with black smokes. The entire building wasn't on fire. Only one floor of it. Pero kung hindi agad mapapatay ang apoy, posibleng kumalat ito sa ibang palapag.
"Ano'ng floor ng unit niya?" tanong ni Alistair.
"Fourth floor," I muttered, swallowing the lump in my throat. Binilang ko kung pang-ilang palapag nagmumula ang apoy at usok.
Ground... Second... Third... Fourth.
Napahawak ako sa aking dibdib. I may hate Rosetta right now, pero sana'y wala siya roon nang sumiklab ang apoy. I wish she was somewhere else.
"Hello? Kindly deploy some of our members," Maggie told someone over the phone. "Kailangan nating tumulong sa crowd control. May mga nakiki-tsismis na estudyante sa labas ng hostel."
"Hey." Tinapik ako ni Alistair sa balikat. "Huwag kang masyadong mag-alala. There's a chance na wala si Rosetta roon."
"Pero—"
"Hay, ang kukulit talaga ng mga estudyanteng 'to! "Please don't get too close to that area!" suway ni Maggie sa mga lalaking lumalapit sa nasusunog na building at nakalabas ang mga phone para kunan ng photo at video. Humarap siya sa amin. "Can you guys help me turn those students away? Lorelei, you can stay here. Kami na ang bahala."
"No. I'll be fine."
Naglakad kami patungo sa White Hostel. Inalalayan pa rin ako nina Alistair at Jamie habang binubulyawan ang mga estudyanteng papalapit doon. Sa 'di kalayuan, narinig namin ang sirena ng mga firetruck. We could see the gates being opened to let them inside the campus grounds.
"Huwag ho tayong lumapit sa nasusunog na building! Masyadong delikado!"
"Please go back to your classrooms! Baka mapahamak pa kayo!"
The firemen got off their truck and took out their water hoses. Walang tigil ang pagbuga ng tubig sa nasusunog na palapag. Kinailangan din naming umurong palayo sa sunog.
I remembered that time na nasunog ang isang bahagi ng apartment ni Tita Martha. The fire back then wasn't caused by an accident. It was caused by one of the tenants to hide the fact that he killed his live-in partner.
After thirty minutes, they declared a fire out. Pinasok ng mga bumbero ang gusali para tingnan ang damages. Mas dumami pa ang mga estudyanteng nakikiusyoso sa labas. Meron na ring teachers at ilang school personnel na nakikitingin.
"Do you think na—"
"Let's hope not," I cut Jamie's words short.
Minutes later, may bitbit na black body bag ang dalawang bumbero na kakalabas lang ng building. As my eyes followed them intently, parang may kakaiba sa pakiramdam ko. May kaba. May pagkabagabag. Ayaw kong i-entertain ang isang thought na sumagi sa aking isipan.
Walang pasabing naglakad si Loki patungo sa dalawang bumbero.
"Loki!" I hissed his name, but he didn't bother to reply. Dire-diretso lang siyang naglakad.
Wala kaming nagawa kundi sumunod sa kanya. Kung sanang hindi ako paika-ika kung maglakad, wala akong problema ngayon.
But he didn't get to the area where the firemen were standing. He only went close enough to hear what they were saying. Huminto rin kami sa parehong spot kung saan siya tumigil.
"We found this body in Room 404." We overheard the firemen talking. "Mukhang doon nagmula ang sunog."
"May identification na ba?"
"Halos nalusaw na sa init 'yong suot niyang ID. Pero may mga natira pa ring letters. May R at O ang kanyang name. Hindi ko na mabasa 'yong mga sumunod na letra."
"Tanungin natin mamaya ang building manager at alamin kung sino ang tenant ng Room 404 na may magkatabing R at O sa pangalan."
Doon na halos malaglag ang puso ko.
Rosetta may have annoyed us today. She may have betrayed my trust twice. But if she's the one inside that body bag, she didn't deserve it.
"Oh, my God," bulalas ni Jamie, napatakip ng bibig habang nakatitig sa mga bumbero.
"There's no confirmation yet," komento ni Alistair na may marahang pag-iling. "Huwag muna tayong mag-assume."
"T-Tama," pagtango ko. I tried to deny a morbid thought in my head. "May roommate si Rosetta sa kanyang unit. It can be either of them. Hindi tayo makasisigurong siya nga 'yon hangga't 'di nako-confirm."
But my gut feeling was telling me that the one in the body bag was her.
***
The rest of our afternoon was spent thinking and waiting for the confirmation on whose body was found in Room 404. Rosetta was still nowhere to be found. Hindi na siya bumalik sa classroom o pumunta sa ibang lugar na pwede niyang pagtambayan. I tried calling her phone pero "cannot be reached" ang sagot. Doon ako lalong kinutuban.
But the answer came soon after.
"Alam na namin kung sino ang dalawang tenants ng Room 404," matamlay na sabi ni Maggie nang magtipon kami sa execom office. "Carmelita Dizon and Rosetta Rodriguez. We talked to Carmelita a few minutes ago para kumustahin siya. She told us na hindi niya ma-contact ang kanyang roommate."
"Base sa footage ng mga security camera, lumabas ng school building si Rosetta matapos niyang makuha ang hard drive mula sa inyo," Rye added. "She could have gone anywhere. She also could have returned to her room in the hostel."
Loki slouched back in his chair. Alistair folded his arms and sighed. Jamie buried her face in her hands. Yumuko ako't ipinikit ang aking mga mata.
The minute of silence that followed in the execom office was deafening. It felt like we're mourning for the passing of someone close to us.
"Bakit?" Jamie broke the silence as she showed us her face. Nangingilid ang luha sa kanyang mga mata. "Bakit kailangang mangyari 'to sa kanya?"
She is Rosetta's friend kaya mas may impact sa kanya ang masamang balita na 'to. Kahit nagtatampo ako sa babaeng 'yon, masakit din sa pakiramdam ko na malamang wala na siya.
"She has outlived her usefulness," Loki said. "Stein already got what he wanted from her. The hard drive and the password. Plus, she's been compromised. We know she's the scarlet thread that can lead us closer to the core of M's organization."
"She's like a chesspiece that he easily discarded without any regret," Alistair added, clicking his tongue repeatedly. "He didn't want us to capture her."
But she's not just a pawn that can be randomly or strategically sacrificed. She's the self-proclaimed queen on M's side of the board. Wasn't she more useful alive than dead?
Hindi ko maiwasang mapatingin kay Jamie. She's also an agent of M. She was assigned to spy on our activities and act only when necessary. Kapag ba wala na siyang pakinabang kay Stein, basta-basta na lang siyang itatapon na parang gamit na laruan? Would she suffer the same fate as Rosetta?
I hope not.
Naging malungkot ang hapon namin. Kahit noong inihatid kami ni Alistair sa aming apartment, wala kaming kibo sa kanyang sasakyan. Nakatingin lang kami sa labas ng car window, pinapanood ang traffic at ang mga taong tumatawid sa pedestrian.
That night, I tried to read the books that Sir Friedrich Rivera gave me. Hindi pa namin siya nakakausap tungkol sa case ni Augustus. Masyado kasi kaming na-focus kay Rosetta ngayong araw. Kahit anong pagpupumilit kong basahin ang "The Serenade of the Siren," hindi ko malampasan ang unang page nito.
Rosetta's smiling face was flashing on my mind. Even the image of the black body bag being carried out of the hostel.
Umupo na lamang ako sa couch habang hinihintay ang in-order naming pagkain. I wasn't in the mood to cook any food. Baka pangit ang lasa dahil hindi ako maka-concentrate. So we decided to have our dinner delivered to us, much to Loki's delight. Sanay kasi siyang magpa-food delivery.
I don't know, but Freya probably felt that I had too many thoughts in my head. Lumapit siya sa akin at nanlambing. Well, she might help me clear my head. I rubbed her tummy and scratched her chin.
How about Loki? Kanina pa siya nakatayo sa harapan ng kanyang spider's web of conspiracy, tila malalim ang iniisip. He drew an X on Rosetta's photo.
Three of Moriary's generals are now dead. The first one shot himself. The second got poisoned. The third died in a fire.
Only one man is left standing: Luthor. I wonder how he'd react to Rosetta's death. He agreed that she's a valuable piece to capture. Ni hindi ko pa nga nako-confirm sa kanya kung legit ba ang sinabi sa amin ni Rosetta o hindi.
I then heard three knocks on the door. That's strange. Usually tumatawag ang delivery man kapag malapit na siya. Hindi rin siya agad umaakyat sa unit namin.
Anyway, mabuti't nandito na siya dahil gutom na rin ako. Maingat kong inihiga si Freya sa couch, pero pilit siyang sumama sa akin noong tumayo ako at lumapit sa pinto.
As I swang the door open, I had goosebumps all over my body. Parang may dumaan na malamig na hangin. I heard Freya hiss and felt her body hiding behind my right leg.
The person who stood before me wasn't the one I expected.
"L-Luthor..." Pakurap-kurap ang mga mata kong nakatitig sa kanya. It's already eight in the evening. Medyo late na para bumisita siya. Ano'ng ginagawa niya rito?
"Good evening, Lorelei," he said in his chilling tone. The coldness of his voice was sinking into my skin, making my hair raised. Napatingin siya sa kamay ko at sa kaliwang paa. He noticed the bandages. "May I come in?"
Tumabi ako sa pintuan at hinayaan siyang pumasok. Nakabuntot pa rin sa akin si Freya na parang takot na takot kay Luthor. Nang isasara ko na ang pinto, naaninag ko ang dalawang lalaki na nakatayo sa labas. They looked like the bodyguards of the Mendez patriarch.
I turned on the bolt of the door as I locked it. Lumingon ako sa aming bisita. Luthor stood at the center of the room, his hands behind his back. Frankly I had no idea what he's doing here. Hindi ko naman siya ine-expect na ite-text o tatawagan ako para bigyan ako ng heads-up na pupunta siya rito.
The last time he went here was to see how his brother was doing after we got abducted by the late Cedric Castillejos.
"Why is there a strange smell in this apart—" Loki slowly turned around to face his brother. He didn't look quite surprised. "Oh, now I know."
Heto na naman tayo. I should brace myself because Loki's gonna start his banter against our inexpected visitor.
"Sorry, it's already way past the visiting hours," Loki told him, motioning his hand to the door. "Visitors are only allowed from ten in the morning until five in the afternoon. Try again tomorrow."
"This is not a social visit," Luthor answered, his tone was serious. "I'm here to tell you something important."
"Did dad evict you from the house? Do you wanna live with us? Kneel before me and I might consider."
"Loki!" I hissed at him. Could he stop his childish antics just this instance? May gustong sabihing importante ang kuya niya tapos kung ano-ano'ng pinagsasabi niya.
He cleared his throat and looked at his brother. "Obviously, you went out of your way to come here. What's so important that you had stray away from your evening routine?"
Inilabas ni Luthor ang kanyang phone at may it-in-ype sa screen nito. Lumapit ako sa kanya para makita ko nang malapitan kung anuman ang balak niyang ipakita. Iniharap niya sa amin ang kanyang phone. Noong una'y blangko ito, kaya kunot-noo akong napatingin kay Luthor. Pero makalipas ang ilang segundo, may mukhang lumabas sa screen.
Nanlaki ang aking mga mata at napahakbang ako paurong. Halos mapaupo ako sa sahig. Nanginig ang aking baba habang patuloy na nakatitig sa screen. My shaking right hand pointed at it. No words could come out of my mouth.
"Hi, Lori! Bakit namumutla ka? Para namang nakakita ka ng multo!"
"Ro-Rosetta?"
But she's dead already!
Teka, baka recorded video lang 'yon?
"Bakit wala kang masabi? Are you surprised to see me alive and kicking?"
Kumaway ang Rosetta na nasa screen. Was it a video call? Nakikita niya ba ang reaksyon ko?
"Sumagot ka naman! Parang wala akong kausap! Hello, Loki! Sorry pala sa nangyari kanina!"
"What the hell is going on here?" Loki asked. He spat each word slowly. He didn't look surprised. He didn't look amused too.
I had the same question. Ano na ba ang nangyayari? Nananaginip ba ako o dala 'to ng sobrang gutom?
"As you can see, Rosetta Rodriguez is still alive," Luthor explained. Patuloy ang pagkaway ni Rosetta sa screen. Napa-thumbs up pa nga siya sa akin. "She's been taken to a safe location."
"But her body was found in the burnt—"
"She wasn't in her room when the fire started and grew in the hostel," he cut me off. Pinatay na niya ang video call at ibinulsa ang kanyang phone. "There was no real body found in Room 404 and inside that black bag. That was nothing but a trick."
"Teka lang!" Napataas ang dalawa kong kamay at napapikit ang aking mga mata. Pumapasok at lumalabas sa mga tenga ko ang mga sinasabi niya. I couldn't absorb any of it! "How did you know na trick lang ang nangyari sa sunog kanina? At paano mo nagawang contact-in si Rosetta?"
"Because I was the one behind it," Luthor said, staring at me with his cold gaze.
Halos malaglag ang panga ko habang pakurap-kurap ang mga mata kong nakatingin sa kanya.
"You're behind what?" My eyebrows furrowed.
"Everything that happened today," he replied. "Yesterday, I reached out to Rosetta discreetly. She told me that she wanted a way out of M's organization. I promised to help her. Of course, I had to confirm if she's worth capturing or she's a trap set by Stein."
"Since when did you know that she's affiliated with M?" Loki asked. Napalunok ako ng laway sabay bato ng pagilid na tingin sa kanya. I was the one who told his brother.
But Luthor ignored him. "Then I came up with a plan. First, we needed to show that she outsmarted the four of you so M wouldn't think that she's betraying him. Second, we needed to fake her death and put the blame on someone else. As it happened, there's this third party who poisoned Augustus and stole the hard drive from his confidant. Since he's not the one who signed her death warrant, M would think that the third party's behind Rosetta's death."
Wait, slow down! That was too much to process!
Ang ibig bang sabihin nito, walang kinalaman si Stein sa sunog kanina sa hostel? Tapos, ang ginawang pagbulag ni Rosetta sa amin para makatakas sa amin ay isang act lang? Bale hindi talaga siya kalaban?
Napasabunot ako sa aking buhok at sandaling tumingin palayo. Maging si Loki'y natahimik, tila ina-absorb pa ang lahat ng sinabi ng kanyang kuya.
"How did you know all about that?" Naningkit ang mga mata niya. "There are some pieces of information you shouldn't have known, no matter how many times you claim you have eyes and ears everywhere."
"We're in the endgame now so I believe it's time for you to know," Luthor answered. "I am one of them."
My eyes slowly widened at him. Oh, my God. I didn't expect him to drop that bomb tonight. Seryoso ba siya? I know that will ease the burden of hiding the truth from his brother but...
"But don't get me wrong," Luthor went on when Loki didn't react. "I may be one of them, but I am with you in taking down M's organization, the group founded by the late student council president, Jaime Santiago."
What happened next was really quick, I would have missed it if I blinked.
Loki landed a punch on Luthor's face. I gasped. Muling nanumbalik sa akin ang scene noon sa locker area kung saan nag-away ang dalawa. This time, wala nang script na sinusundan si Loki.
Sa sobrang lakas ng kanyang suntok, napaupo ang kanyang kuya sa couch at napahaplos sa kanyang panga. Dumugo ang gilid ng labi niya.
"I've waited so long for you to tell me that," Loki said.
q.e.d.
And that's the end of Chapter 45! We're finally down to five chapters!
We're in the endgame now. See you in CHAPTER 46: SHADES OF GRAY! I might take a few days of break before I post the start of the next chapter.
If you've enjoyed reading this update, share your thoughts or theories on Twitter using the hashtag #ProjectLOKI! Please avoid directly mentioning the names of characters that can be considered as spoilers.