Depression Plutus (Curse #4)

CHAPTER 36 Defense

OTTILIE VIRSES POV 
 
 
 
"Ottilie! Tayo na next!" Mahinang tili ni Jenna habang inaalog ang braso ko. 
 
"Oo na. Kalma ka lang kasi, prepared naman tayo," turan ko kay Jenna habang humihikab.

Magdamag kaming walang tulog matapos lang ang visual presentation namin. Sa awa ng Diyos, natapos naman namin ito on time.
 
Sabay-sabay kaming napatayo ng makita naming lumabas ang group 1 sa analysis room. Mukhang kakatapos lang nilang mag present. Lahat nga pala kami ay naka-stand by sa extension room ng analysis room para maghintay. Hindi kasi kami allowed na manood sa ibang grupo habang nagpe-present ang mga ito, para maiwasan na din ang dayaan. 
 
"Guys," tawag ni Dylan na kararating lang. 
 
Saan naman kaya galing ang isang 'to?
 
"Nagtanong-tanong ako sa group one. They said that the panelist has prepared a question for us, if we cannot answer it, minus points daw iyon sa grupo," pag-inform ni Dylan. 
 
"Omg! Mas lalo lang akong kinabahan," napapasabunot sa buhok na turan ni Jenna. 
 
"Tss, we come prepared," Plutus smirked. "They better prepare hard questions for us to show some respect to our hard-earned effort on this case." 
 
Nahampas ko nga ito sa balikat niya dahil sobrang pagkayamot. "Napaka-yabang mo talaga! Paano kapag hindi natin nasagot ah?" Singhal ko sa kanya na ikinangisi niya lang.
 
"Don't worry. I got it under control," he said arrogantly.
 
"Okay, Group 2! You're next!" Tawag ng staff. 
 
Ayon na nga, sabay-sabay na kaming pumasok sa loob habang titig na titig ang iba naming classmates, or should I say kay Plutus lang? Naka-suit vest lang naman na kulay itim ito with tie pa iyon. Nagmukha tuloy siyang isang badboy male professor sa outfit niya. 
 
Required kami na mag formal attire for the presentation, at ang napili kong sootin ay isang little black dress na pinatungan ko ng school blazer namin. Si Jenna naman ay napiling mag black skirt at white long sleeves, habang kaparehas naman ni Dylan si Plutus. Naiba lang sa kulay dahil dark blue ang soot ni Dylan. Mukhang nag-usap ang dalawang 'to sa sosootin nila ah, hanep. 
 
As we entered the room, I could already feel the tension buzzing in the air. Dylan, Jenna, Plutus, and I were lined up in front of the panel of professors, Mr. Armstrong, Ms. Rutherford, and Mr. Barron. Behind us was the projector that flickered to life as Dylan and Plutus set up our visual presentation.
 
Nang matapos sila sa pag-aayos, tahimik kaming tumayo sa harapan habang hinihintay ang go signal ng mga panelist. Ito ang pinaka-ayaw ko sa lahat, ang tumayo sa harapan. Masyado akong expose sa lahat ng pagkakamaling magagawa ko. Napahinga tuloy ako ng malalim, pinagdadasal na maging successful ang presentation namin ngayon. 
 
"Alright, group 2, you may begin now," Mr. Barron announced. 
 
Jenna took a deep breath and stepped forward first, speaking clearly as she began. "Our research leads us to believe that Lysandra’s death was the tragic result of a complex dark ritual known as the Soul Binding Convergence. It’s a rare and advanced spell used to summon a spirit from beyond. Lysandra intended to channel the spirit’s knowledge for her own research."
 
Ms. Rutherford leaned forward, nodding thoughtfully, while Mr. Barron scribbled something in his notebook.

Ano kaya ang sinusulat niya doon? 
 
Then Plutus took over smoothly, his deep voice resonating through the room. "However, Lysandra made a critical error during the ritual’s final phase." He gestured to the screen, where we displayed an illustration of the ritual circle. "One of the key symbols in her circle was misplaced, likely from a minor miscalculation, but even a small mistake in rituals like these can lead to devastating outcomes."
 
Mr. Armstrong raised an eyebrow. "So you’re saying that a single error caused the entire ritual to backfire?"
 
Plutus nodded. "Absolutely. In this particular ritual, even the smallest alteration can invite uncontrolled forces."
 
Gusto kong mapatampal sa noo ko sa pagiging walang hiya ni Plutus sumagot sa panelist. Jusko, wala man lang paggalang ang isang 'to. Akala niya siguro prinsipe pa din siya sa mundo na ito.

Huy, gar wala ka sa kaharian mo, ano ka ba. Pero dahil turn ko na, mamaya ko na siya pagagalitan.

I took a step forward as I added, "As she chanted the incantation of Cor Sacrificium, the spell backfired instantly. This misstep pulled in a malevolent force instead of the intended spirit. It was as though Lysandra had torn a hole into the spirit realm, but instead of gaining knowledge, she invited something far darker."
 
Mr. Barron looked intrigued, tilting his head slightly. "A malevolent force, you say? Describe what that did to her."
 
I clicked to the next slide, which showed an image of Lysandra’s body with blackened veins. "This dark energy invaded her body in chaotic waves, taking over her life force. The cursed magic spread rapidly, and her veins turned black. She experienced severe pain as her spirit began weakening."
 
Jenna added, "The intense panic and the overwhelming power of this force meant she couldn’t stop the ritual. The circle she drew was supposed to protect her, but it became her prison instead, binding her to the energy she’d summoned."
 
Ms. Rutherford looked concerned. "If she was that powerful, why couldn’t she escape the ritual?"
 
Ayan na nagsisimula na ang sunod-sunod na tanong. Mabuti na lang at napaghandaan na namin ito, kaya nagpapasalamat ako na hindi kami nangangapa ng isasagot sa mga tanong nila.
 
Si Dylan ang sumagot ng tanong ni Ms. Rutherford. He stepped forward as he told the final piece of the puzzle. "Because the magic reacted violently to her attempts to escape. This dark magic left burned runes along her wrists, forearms, and chest, acting as marks of the failed spell. And about the black residue we found around her mouth and in her lungs, that’s a direct result of the cursed fumes from Cor Sacrificium, which poisoned her from within."
 
He gestured to the slide, showing a close-up of the residue. "As she struggled, her breath filled with the dark mist she couldn’t escape. Her throat and lungs were seared from the inside, making it impossible for her to call for help or breathe properly."
 
The room was silent for a moment as the weight of Dylan’s words sank in. The panelists seemed to be pleased with our presentation. Abah, dapat lang, tiniis ko ang pag-iinarte ni Plutus kagabi habang ginagawa ko ang presentation namin, kesyo ang pangit daw, tabingi, dapat dark colors lang ang ilalagay at kung ano-ano pa. 
 
"In the end, Lysandra’s own magic trapped and killed her. The ritual she attempted, reckless as it was, turned against her. The last thing she experienced was the horrifying realization of her mistake… followed by an agonizing death," Dylan concluded. 
 
Mr. Armstrong finally spoke, looking impressed. "That’s quite a conclusion. So, in essence, she was destroyed by the very thing she sought to control?"
 
Jenna nodded. "Yes, sir. It’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of dabbling in forbidden magic without fully understanding the risks."
 
Mr. Barron leaned back, his gaze serious. "Well, you’ve certainly given us a thorough breakdown of her missteps. I can’t say I’ve heard of a student case like this before."
 
Ms. Rutherford looked at us with a mixture of pride and caution. "You all have done a remarkable work. Just remember, knowledge of dark magic is a double-edged sword. Use it wisely."
 
We nodded, exchanging a look of relief and satisfaction. It was clear we’d left an impression.

As Mr. Armstrong finally dismissed us, I hesitated for a second before I raised my hand up to call their attention. My friends suddenly halted as they turned to look at me in surprise.
 
"Yes, Ottilie? Do you have a question?" Ms. Rutherford’s warm gaze settled on me. 
 
I suddenly felt a knot of nerves in my stomach, but I swallowed hard and nodded. "I… I wanted to ask if it’s truly possible to summon a spirit into our world. Or even… the soul of a person."
 
The panelists exchanged glances, clearly taken aback by the question. Mr. Barron furrowed his brow, and Mr. Armstrong leaned back in thought. Ms. Rutherford, though, gave me an encouraging smile.
 
"Yes, Ottilie, it is possible under the right conditions, though it is incredibly rare and highly restricted," she began. "Summoning a spirit or soul from beyond requires not only immense skill but also a tremendous understanding of balance between the worlds. Any disruption to that balance, even a minor one, could have severe consequences. This is why spells like the Soul Binding Convergence are considered dangerous. Without mastery, they risk opening channels that shouldn’t be tampered with. And even then, summoning a specific person’s soul is extraordinarily difficult, it takes not only precision but also a willingness to accept whatever the spirit might bring."
 
"Thank you, Ms. Rutherford."
 
Mr. Armstrong’s smile softened as he looked at us. "I’m glad you asked, Ottilie. It’s the questions like these that push us to understand the boundaries and the risks of our work."
 
 

 
To be continued...