OTTILIE VIRSES POV
After my night bath, kapansin-pansin ang naging paglambot ng buhok ko. Parang magic naman pala 'tong binigay ni Plutus sa'kin. Dahil diyan, hindi na ko masyadong badtrip sa kan'ya.
I sat in front of my vanity mirror, I carefully followed the instructions inside the box even though I barely understood what half the products were for.
When I finally used the curly hair brush, my eyes widened in shock. The comb slid through my curls so easily without getting stuck even once. For the first time in my life, hindi ako nakikipag-away sa buhok ko! My curls looked softer, healthier, and more defined. Even my chestnut-brown hair seemed shinier than usual, glowing warmly under the light.
Sa sobrang excited ko, dali-dali akong lumabas ng kwarto at mabilis na kumatok sa pintuan ni Plutus.
A few seconds later, bumukas ang pinto.
Plutus stood there shirtless, looking half-asleep and completely annoyed. My eyes widened as my brain temporarily stopped functioning. His pale skin almost glowed under the dim hallway light, every muscle on his chest and stomach clearly defined. His broad shoulders nearly filled the doorway, making my small 5'3 frame feel even tinier compared to his towering 6'5 height.
Nabalik lang ako sa ulirat ng sigawan ako ng asungot.
“Are you just going to stand there staring like a confused goldfish,” he grumbled, clearly irritated, “or did you wake me up for an actual reason, evil witch?”
My face is heating up in embarrassment.
“I-I uh…” Nauutal kong itinuro buhok ko. “Look at my hair!”
His gaze shifted lazily from my face to my hair, taking his time as he looked me over. He scanned my curls slowly, and for a moment, his stare felt heavy.
Hindi ko mabasa ang. Wala namang emosyon sa mukha niya pero napansin kong bahagyang tumigas panga niya habang nakatitig sa’kin.
I couldn’t quite read him, wala naman kasing emosyon sa mukha niya. But something about the way his jaw clenched and the way his throat bobbed made me nervous.
He stayed silent, his eyes still on me.
Parang bigla tuloy akong nahiya.
“Uh… thank you sa hair essentials, bye!” mabilis kong sabi bago bumalik sa kwarto ko at isinarado nang malakas ang pinto.
My heart pounded as I leaned against the door, panting slightly.
Okay, anom'yon?
For a second, akala ko kakainin na niya ako ng buhay sa paraan ng titig niya.
Napaka-weird talaga ni Plutus.
~~~
After I finally calmed down from the strange encounter with Plutus. huminga ako nang malalim at nagpasyang mag-focus na lang sa kaso ko.
Lumapit ako sa whiteboard na ilang araw ko nang tinatakpan.
Dahan-dahan ko 'yong inalis, at inilantad muli ang halos blankong white board na gagamitin ko para ayusin lahat ng impormasyon tungkol sa pagkamatay ni Lucas Raven.
Kinuha ko ang marker at nagsimulang magsulat.
Napapabuntong hininga ako habang nagsusulat. Ang buong akala ko kasi ay si Elena na ang huling biktima pero mukhang nagkamali ako.
Second Victim: Lucas Raven (soccer athlete)
Missing Body Part: Right leg
Details: Lucas's body was discovered on the academy's sports field. His right leg had been carefully severed.
Pagkatapos kong maisulat iyon, lumapit ako sa desk ko at kinuha ang litrato ng bangkay ni Lucas mula sa morgue. Ako mismo ang kumuha noon.
I pinned the photo beneath his information before stepping back.
Lucas… and Elena.
Kinuha ko ang red marker at isinulat sa gitna ng board:
RED ROOM LEGEND
The words glared back at me, sharp and haunting against the whiteboard.
There was something sinister about how both murders had been so clean, so precise, and yet... no one seemed to care.
Sa taas ng board, gamit naman ang itim na marker, isinulat ko rin:
CRIMSON ACADEMY MURDER CASE
Pagkatapos, kumuha ako ng dalawang pulang tali mula sa maliit na box sa desk ko. Pinutol ko iyon at ikinabit sa pictures nina Lucas at Elena bago ikinonekta sa salitang “Red Room Legend.”
Tumayo ako sa harap ng board habang pinagmamasdan ang pulang mga tali na nagkokonekta sa bawat pangyayari.
This is more than just coincidence...
There has to be something linking these deaths.
I hesitated for a moment, then added one final note beneath it all in small, precise handwriting:
Note:
Students didn't panic, nor did the school take action, believing it was the enchanted mirror's doing.
I stepped back again, crossing my arms as I stared at the board.
Wala man lang ginawa ang school para mabigyan ng hustisya ang pagkamatay ng mga biktima. Pinakatitigan kong mabuti ang mga information na nakasulat sa board.
The pieces were starting to come together, but the more they did, the more unsettling everything became.
Kung mapatunayan ko man na ang red room ang may pakana nito, paano ko ito sisirain para wala na itong mabiktima pa?
I bit my lip, wondering how much longer it would be until the next victim... or if I’d even find out the truth before it was too late.
~~~
I woke up earlier than usual, surprisingly energized for school.
Mukhang effective nga ang ginawa ni Plutus sa katawan ko dahil pakiramdam ko, punong-puno ako ng energy ngayon sa katawan.
Kung effective lang sana sa sarili ko ang mga healing potions na kaya kong gawin, hindi ko na sana tatanggapin ang offer ni Plutus.
Pero gano'n talaga, thankful na lang sa ginawa ng asungot na 'yon.
Pagtapos kong mag-ayos, kinuha ko na ang bag ko at lumabas ng bahay.
Pero agad din akong napapreno ng makira ang kumikinang na big bike sa front yard ko.
Nanlalaki ang mga mata kong tinakbo ito.
The sleek design, the shiny chrome, and the sheer size of it looked like something straight out of a movie.
I couldn’t help but think how cool it was!
Hahawakan ko na sana ito ng bigla na lang lumabas sa pintuan si Plutus. Soot-soot na nito ang school uniform namin. Habang nakasabit naman ang backpack nito sa isang balikat niya.
But what caught my eye next was the guitar case strapped across his back.
Bago pa man ako makapagsalita, sinamaan na agad ako nito ng tingin.
“Don’t touch my bike,” babala niya habang nakasimangot. “One scratch and I’ll personally bury you in the garden, evil witch.”
Nakasimangot tuloy akong umatras.
"Hindi ko naman sisirain!" Singhal ko dito.
Plutus seemed to ignore me as he swung his slender leg over the seat. Sinoot niya agad niya helmet bago pinaandar ang makina.
Biglang umalingawngaw ang malakas na tunog ng engine kaya napatakip ako ng tenga.
"AHHH! ANG SAKIT SA TENGA!"
Through the visor of his helmet, I could see Plutus glance at me, and I just knew he was smirking in there.
Before I could even process the next moment, he revved the engine one last time and sped off, kicking up dust in his wake.
Taragis talaga ng lalaking 'yon!
The sudden gust of air and dirt hit me square in the face. I coughed, waving my hand in front of me as the dust clouded around me.
"Plutus! Gago ka talaga!" I shouted.
To be continued...
BINABASA MO ANG
Depression Plutus (Curse #4)
ActionOttilie Virses Lang, a half-witch, half-human, inherited a haunted house from her late father. Hoping to summon his spirit, she performed a ritual from an old book she found in the house. But things went wrong when she messed up the spell, accidenta...
