VERITAS

CHAPTER I

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VERITAS’

Entering our room becomes a bit hard for me, and I can't seem to find an answer for that either. The sight of the lifeless body earlier has left me feeling uneasy and my movements betray my discomfort as we step into the room. 

Upon walking inside, I heard my friend, Easton quickly updating our classmates on the earlier encounter. Like everyone else, a wave of shock swept through my peers as they digested the details — much like our minds had previously soared into a field of thoughts and questions about the unfolding events. I really couldn't believe it.

Why had a student's death become a possibility within the borders of our university?

Though this is not an unusual occurrence in our field, it really added to the prevailing state of our deep confusion and intensified our thoughts in mind. Pakiramdam ko ay sumasakit ang ulo ko!

The quest to uncover the truth hangs palpably in the air and everyone seems to be waiting on knowing what really happened.

They keep on asking me and Easton yet I couldn't find any guts to answer them one by one. I only sigh at them and turn my attention to my chair, I couldn't help but notice its emptiness.

He's absent again...

A heavy sigh escaped me as I ambled towards the vacant seat, slumping into it and resting my head on the table in sheer boredom.

I again release a sigh and sigh as I slowly open my eyes, only to be welcome by the sight of my friend, Maun Takata looking at me with his raising brows.

"Ano?" Masungit kong tanong sa kanya na agad naman niyang nginiwian.

"Magkwento ka sa'kin mamaya ha!" He makes his eyes smaller as he scanned my face, but I only ignored him and proceed on letting my eyes close as I sleep.

Minutes later when the noisy room is immediately broken by Ma'am Cynthia's arrival, prompting us to rearrange our seats and focus ahead.

"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted, placing her books on the desk and brandishing a stick in her hand.

"Ma'am, ano pong nangyari dun sa estudyante?" Agad na tanong ni Agasse Park, nakaupo sa harap ng row kung saan ako ngayon. Muli akong napatingin sa katabi kong upuan.

Isn't he going to attend the class again?

"Let's talk about it after the class. VPIO—oh, where's Nigel?" Agad na napatingin ang lahat sa akin, specifically sa tabi ko nung nabanggit ang pangalan na iyon. He's my seatmate, obviously. I gulp as I avoided my classmates' gazes, probably they are asking me with those looks again.

I sigh 'cause even ME doesn't know where is he again, perhaps I do? Well...

"Where's Nigel, Veri?" My eyes automatically shift towards the professor who gives me her questioning eyes, "I-I don't know po, Miss." It's true though, I am not aware of where he is. I'm not so sure. The only thing I know is that... he's uninterested in attending morning classes for some unjustifiable reasons. He doesn't have the feel.

LOL? Yes, that's him, that's Nigel. The captain of  Veritatem Probare Investigatory Organization of SLU. Siya lang naman ang pinakawalang pakialam na taong nakilala ko as soon as I entered this University and even when I joined the VPIO.

"Okay, okay, mamaya na natin 'yun pag-uusapan. Don't worry about the incident, it is already handed to professionals..." Maam Cynthia says and begin her class, and that's also the seconds boredom once again engulf me. I tried my very best to listen and understand her lecture, but it seems like my mind was nowhere. I think I didn't notice it flying for an hour.