REVERSE ✓

Chapter 10: Prince Of Devils

CASSIEN

IT COULD not be possibly Ranpo. How could it be him? He had been with us, investigating about the case— there also wasn't a single reason why he'd do such hideous act. Or. . . was there?

Halos ikabaon na ng sentido ang pagmasahe ko rito. The recent event gave us tremendous shock and distress. Nai-stress na ako sa tambak kong schoolworks, dadagdag pa 'to? Just what on Earth is this Ava thinking, pointing Ranpo as her perpetrator out of the blue? Indeed, she must've hit her head so hard.

"Well?" tanong ko sa sarili habang pinagmamasdan ang message ni Conan sa 'kin kaninang madaling-araw.

"Cassien, hintayin niyo kami sa tapat ng gate niyo. We'll pick you up at 6:30, sabay tayo ni Newt pumunta sa school."

Maisie told me she couldn't be with me this morning— plausibly because Ranpo was a close acquaintance of mine and she doesn't want to get involved. Pero bakit 6:36 na wala pa sila Conan at Newt? Ano, kinakarir talaga ang Filipino time?!

Habang nakatayo sa harap ng pintuan namin, naririnig ko ang balitang pinapanood ni Mama sa TV. As expected, it was all about a highschool student who hit Ava with a car. It was about Ranpo Kuroba, the king of Reagan's detective club. The morbid news must've already traveled throughout our school and Ranpo's companions, which included me, are going to be the stars of the day.

Iyon siguro ang dahilan kung bakit gusto nila Conan na sumabay sa pagpasok sa school. Gusto rin kasi yata nilang sabay-sabay kaming maging stars! HAHAHA.

Kahit na walang chismosa't chismoso sa 'min— I mean, less population of Mariteses— hindi pa rin nila maiiwasang marinig o makita 'yon mula sa media. At syempre, mapapag-usapan. I really were nervous as hell, not just about what was about to happen to me but also to Ranpo who has been taken in custody by the police force since yesterday.

The cell was no place for great detectives like him.

Let truth be told, I know about nothing more about Ranpo than his being genius who could solve a case without leaving his seat. Who knows, he might be really capable of doing that. . .

"Need a carriage, Princess?"

My train of thoughts was interrupted when a black car stopped before our gate. It was a plain car that you'd often see in the streets pero nang bumaba ang window, I know this wouldn't be a normal ride.

"May kotse ka, Newt?!"

He coughed and looked away with a smile. "I borrowed it."

I made a face and pointed at him. You're unbelievable! Your face was giving me a different answer! Bala ninakaw niya 'to? Hala?!

"From whom?"

"From the ruler of the underworld who couldn't resist the power of my eye. Turns out, he was the long defeated villanous monster from my previous life. I only have discovered it recently when we faced off each other and felt the grimoire presence from the book he was holding—"

"Okay, okay! Sasakay na 'ko~" I immediately cut him off, kung ano-ano nanaman kasi ang pinagsasabi. When I opened the passenger's seat door, saka ko lang napansing wala si Conan. "Nasaan pala si Co—"

"He had an urgent matter with the sorceress this morning hence his absence. Although he indeed was the one who suggested this idea of arriving together at school."

Sorceress? Sino nanaman ang tinutukoy niya? I'd hope he didn't mean it literally, though. If so, ayoko nang isipin ang kababalaghang ginagawa ni Conan.

Just as usual, the expedition was too silent. Newt's focus was the road that his expression never changed even only for a second. Okay, sige. Aamin ako, I've been observing him throughout the ride. Now that I thought of it, he's too mysterious.