Immortal City

Chapter 32

Chapter 32
New Target

Cenon is amazing.

Alam ko na matalino siya pero hindi ko inakala na ganito siya ka-talino. I can't help but admire her right now with her brilliant deduction skills. Kanina ay ipinakita na ang first hint sa challenge this week—that is letter C. And the only thing I can make out of it is that it's what Kaoru calls me. But hearing Cenon share her insights inside our dormitory now...

"The next one will probably appear tomorrow," she says.

"I think so too," Zairus agrees.

Halos silang dalawa lang ni Zairus ang nagkakaintindihan kanina pa. Of course, some of us shared our own ideas, but not at the level of those two. Earlier when we visited Luna and Kaven, Lucienne said Zairus is a beast. But I disagree. I think it's actually Cenon.

Cenon said we have to assume that in this competition, everything is strategic and deliberate. Hindi lang basta-basta sa classroom nila nilagay ang first hint. And sure enough, she's proven her point with her observations. Observations that even I didn't notice or think of.

According to Cenon, nagpakita kanina ang unang hint sa labas ng classroom nila at exactly 2:00 in the afternoon. It lasted for four minutes before it disappeared. She believes the next hint will appear tomorrow at the class beside theirs.

Her assumption is based on the location of our classrooms.

Unlike our sections back in our school, walang pangalan ang class namin dito sa Academy. No Class III-D or anything of the sort. Sadyang hinati lang ang mga participants sa limang classroom kung saan mayroong around forty students ang isang class. Magkakalapit lang ang classrooms namin. And depending on where you'll start counting, Cenon's classroom can be considered as the second classroom—the place where the hint appeared at 2:00 p.m.

At ngayon, sa tingin ni Cenon ay magpapakita ang sunod na hint sa pangatlong classroom kung saan naroon sila Julien at Van.

"So tomorrow in Julien's classroom at 3:00 p.m.?" tanong ni Lucienne.

"No," sagot naman Zairus. "We still can't know for sure."

"H-huh? Bakit naman?" naguguluhang tanong ni Riley.

"Dahil pwede rin na mamayang 3:00 a.m. magpakita ang next hint," paliwanag ni Cenon. "Letter C is just the first one and it's not yet enough to support our theory. Baka may iba pang pattern na pwedeng mangyari kaya mas mabuting tignan natin sa parehong oras."

See? She's really brilliant.

"That's it then," sabi ni Kaoru. "Napatunayan na natin na si Cenon talaga dapat ang top one sa Immortal City." At nagtinginan na naman sila ng masama ni Zairus.

"Si Cenon naman talaga dapat," gatong pa ni Ione.

"Totoo," sabi ni Lucienne. "Madaya 'yan si Zairus. Using your ability is cheating you know?"

Natatawa nalang ako dahil hindi na naman maipinta ang mukha ni Zairus dahil pinagtutulungan na naman siya ngayon. Namumula naman ang mga pisngi ni Cenon at mukhang nahihiya sa mga papuri na natatanggap niya.

We decided to check Julien and Van's room later at 3:00 a.m. just in case. Hindi na kailangan na lahat ay sumama at iyong mga may gusto lang ang nagpresenta. But Cenon and Zairus needs to go. Sila ang utak ng N.O. at hindi pwede na wala sila mamaya. I also volunteered out of curiosity. Lucienne chose to sleep instead for her beauty rest. Matutulog nalang din daw si Julien, at si Riley naman ay baka raw hindi magising ng gano'n kaaga. Si Ione ay magpapagising daw sa'kin. Sa side ng boys ay si Kaoru lang ang gustong sumama dahil daw sasama ako.