Dormisteryo

10

Choosing between two sides is really a hard choice.

Specifically if you're not really involved in the case on the first place. Kahit sino naman ang nasa katayuan ko ngayon ay siguradong malilito at magdadalawang-isip sa kung ano ang dapat na gagawin matapos ang lahat ng nangyari.

It was just a few days since I transferred into this university, few days since I lived with those people, and few days since I left the hometown where I grew up and died legally in paper.

Lucas Reinhart was dead, he was no longer existing. Hindi ko na kaya pang bumalik sa nakaraan dahil ang alam ng lahat ay wala na ang Lucas na nakilala nila.

I'm now Kent Harada.

But why the hell are these unfortunate events keeps happening to me. Maging dito ba naman, sinusundan ako ng kamalasan? I had enough of those problems already.

I even lost my life to escape the past.

And here I am, contemplating about whether to surrender myself successfully with the mercy of this Criminology student who badly wants to find his missing girlfriend, a missing person who was lost in the premises of Dormisteryo.

Napabuntong-hininga na lamang ako. Maging ang problema ng iba, kailangan ko na ring problemahin. When would this thing stop from happening anyway?

"Namumutla ka?" I was shaken upon hearing that voice.

Napatingin ako sa taong nakasalubong ko sa daan, si Azi. He was wearing a clean uniform, he belongs to the class of psychology upon looking on the lace of his ID.

"Oh—" I was about to say something but nothing came out of my mouth.

Hindi pa rin ako maka-move on sa nangyari. The presence of that person still irked me even now. Gusto kong bawiin ang lahat ng nangyari, if only I could threaten them back not to release anything about me to the public, I could possibly have leverage.

But I was so weak to say something due to the fact that I was shocked about the way how they uncovered information about me. Those jerks!

"Ayos ka lang pare ko'y?" Azi touched my shoulder and looked into my eyes directly. "Putlang-putla ka, ano bang nangyari sa 'yo?"

I can't help but shook my head. "W-wala 'to, kinabahan lang ako sa first day ko rito."

Azi smiled. "You're not a good liar. Umayos ka nga, alam ko kung nagsisinungaling ka o hindi, I've met a lot of liars already. Trust me, wala ka pa sa kalingkingan nila, pare ko'y."

Yeah? How about my whole personality, Azi? Do I look like a different person compared to my previous life? Kung alam mo lang. I've been keeping secrets since day one.

"You got me," I sighed. "But I need to be alone right now."

Tiningnan ko siya sa mata and I felt something in between us, like he's ready to stare back as long as I can hold it with him. In the end, I'm the one who looked away.

"Ikaw bahala, pero kung gusto mo ng kausap, nandito lang ako pare ko'y, ikaw lang talaga ang sa tingin ko ay puwede kong pagkatiwalaan sa Dormisteryo," Azi tapped my shoulders before walking away.

I looked into his direction as I watched him go. He respected my request. Hindi niya ako pinilit na sabihin ang rason kung bakit ganito ang ikinikilos ko. Somehow, despite the weirdness he had shown me earlier, I have felt something that he was quite interesting.

First impressions always last, but maybe it could change in a jit.

Nang makalayo na si Azi sa akin, I decided to continue walking on my way back to Dormisteryo. Bigla akong nawalan nang ganang pumasok sa klase, it makes no sense.

Pakiramdam ko ay kailangan ko na namang baguhin ang lahat para sa sarili ko. If that person would threaten my safety, I sure will threaten his life as well.

My parents have connections.

They know people. And the people they know has a lot of influence among the society.

One wrong move and we can have them eliminated.

Habang naglalakad ako ay pinakikiramdaman ko lang ang mga tao sa paligid. I can sense if someone is looking at me, if they are observing me from afar.

And whoever that person who have found information about me, mukhang may idea na ako kung sino ang taong iyon.

My pace went faster, with an objective running inside of my head.

Pagkarating na pagkarating ko sa Dormisteryo, I had met Kyle prepping her things already. Mukhang patapos na ang shift niya at malapit na mag-ala una ng hapon.

"Uy, Kent! Kamusta ang first day?" nakangiti niyang bati sa akin.

I smiled a bit then I looked on her eyes intently. "It was not that good. Pero may gusto lang akong itanong sa 'yo."

"Ah, a-ano 'yon?" she stuttered for a moment. Masyado ba akong intimidating?

I put my hands on top of the podium. "Puwede ko bang malaman kung sino yung lalaking nasa unit 6?"

Her eyes widened. "Bakit gusto mong malaman?"

"Just answer my question please," I closed my eyes, trying my best not to burst my bubbles.

I'm not feeling well right now. My trigger has been pulled already. Any moment now, I would totally lose it.

"Si Ray, computer science student sa Arcana—"

"Nandito ba siya?" I asked her.

She immediately pulled out the logbook from the drawers and checked it. "Umalis siya kanina para pumasok, it was nine o'clock in the morning. Hindi pa siya bumabalik," aniya.

"Thanks," aniko.

Tinalikuran ko siya at agad akong naglakad palabas ng Dormisteryo. I will find that guy, he is the only one who could answer my question.

Siya ba ang humalukay sa nakaraan ko? What else did he find that Cris didn't tell me?

If that secret comes out...

No.

I will not let that happen.