[3RD POV]

The sun is already rising. Nagsimula na ulit ang panibagong araw sa academy, nagsilabasan na ang mga estudyante sa kani-kanilang mga dorms. Ang iba ay dumeretso para mag-training, ang iba ay sa guild, habang ang iilan ay dumeretso na para gumawa ng mission.

Everyone thought it's just an ordinary day... without knowing that inside of one of the academy's room...

Are the higher up officials.

Walang maikukumpara ang mabigat na tensyon sa silid, kung saan naghalo-halo at nagsama-sama ang kilalang mga gifteds sa iba't ibang henerasyon.

It took a couple seconds before they got to react, after hearing what Joker just said. Pare-parehong hindi nila inasahan ang mga salitang binitawan ng batang kilalang wanted criminal.

They didn't expected that a criminal, a mass murderer's 3rd condition was to take her life if she tried to betray them. It may sound heroic, and everyone in the room acknowledge that. But still...

"Understood." Malalim ang boses ni Bora nang sagutin niya ang panghuling kondisyon ni Joker.

They acknowledge that it sound heroic, but there's no reason for them to not accept that condition.  A wanted criminal just gave them permission to take her life. 

It's like a prey who walked into the predator's nest, and just gave them the consent to devour them. 

Joker smirked. "Not holding back, huh?" Sarkastikong sambit niya. "Well, that's that. Even though it's my condition, I'll still help you with it."

"By now, you should start letting your students know, 'ight?" Nakangising dagdag ni Joker. "I mean, you don't want to surprise them like 'tada! we're all going to die!'" Joker laughed.

Walang tumawa sa sinabi niya, bagkus walang buhay ang mga mata ng mga nakatingin sa kaniya. Except for one, as if Rox wasn't crying a while ago, she's now trying to stop herself from laughing. Joker stopped laughing instantly, her face winced.

"Tsk, ya'll don't have sense of humor. While that one's head is fucking broken." Bulong ni Joker. "Just inform them, this is not just your fight." Walang gana niyang sambit.

With his serious face, Bora looked at Joker. "I was about to do that."

Marahang pinikit ni Bora ang mga mata niya, nang sa gano'n walang makakita ng kulay nito at itsura. Pasimple niya ring inilagay sa ilalim ng lamesa ang mga kamay niya. Casually, he moved his hands.

No one felt anything, hear anything, or knew something just happened. No one knew... that the academy— is moving.

Sa dami ng estudyante, at sa mga nagtataasang indibidual sa nasa academy ngayon, walang ni isa sa kanila, ang nakapansin na gumalaw ang paaralan. Sa loob ng iilang segundo, ang silid kung nasaan ang mga opisyales ay naiba ang pwesto.

"The first... person who'll enter this room. Will receive that task." Malamig na sambit ni Bora.

No one answered, a sign that they all agree. They all went silent, waiting for the first person to enter.

And that person is....

"Zeke!" Pagtawag ng isang estudyante sa lalaking lakad takbo kung kumilos. 

A guy with a weird hairstyle and a face with full of piercings. A not so familiar guy. A member of the guild Coders, and one of the students who joined the Clash of Guilds almost two years before.

Zeke.

Nagmamadali siyang naglalakad sa hallway habang sinusundan siya ng isang estudyante. A new guy. A rookie of the Coders this year, following his senior.

Vince.

"Zeke! Late na naman tayo sa guild! Yari tayo kay Eslin!" Kinakabahang sambit ni Vince habang sinusundan ang nauuna.

"Shut up! Mabilis lang 'to!" Giit ni Zeke. Pasimpleng nakahawak sa tyan. "I-I just need to go to the toilet real quick." He murmured. 

"Bakit ba kailangang kasama ako?-"

"Because I'm your senior and you need to follow me!" Mahinang tumunog ang tyan ni Zeke. Muli siyang bumulong. "At ayokong mapagalitan mag-isa..."

Unti-unting namumutla ang mukha ni Zeke na mabilis ding nagkaroon ng kulay nang makita ang pintuan sa palikuran. As if he saw the light as his eyes sparkled in joy.

Hawak-hawak ang tyan, nagmamadali siyang tumakbo papunta sa pintuan. As soon as he opened the door, his joy was taken back in an instant. 

He was frozen in his place, left hand on his tummy and right hand on the doorknob. Nakatulala siyang nakatingin sa pabilog na lamesa, kung saan nakaupo ang matataas na opisyales ng paaralan.

Hindi kaagad nakakibo si Zeke dahil sa bilis ng pangyayari, hindi pa napoproseso ng utak niya. The strongest, gifted with titles, students that leads this generation. They are all inside the room with him, all eyes on him.

"A-Ah..." Just a second ago, Zeke felt that he was about to shit on himself but it was gone in an instant... maybe he already did shit on himself.

"Zeke!-" Natigilan din sa pagsunod si Vince at nauntog siya sa likuran ni Zeke nang mahinto ito. Kunot noo siya napatingin sa loob ng silid para makita ang dahilan kung bakit natigilan ang kasama, at kapwa nito ay nanlumo rin siya sa pwesto niya.

"S-S-S-S-Sorry-" Hindi magawang maayos ni Zeke ang pananalita niya. "W-W-Wrong room."

"Zeke Prosta." 

Dumoble ang bigat ng pakiramdam ni Zeke nang banggitin ni Bora ang buong pangalan niya. Sa isip, pakiramdam niya ay boses ni satanas ang tumawag sa kaniya.

Kusang napatayo nang tuwid ang lalaki, sumaludo pa. "Y-Y-Yes, principal Bora!" He said full of energy.

In a serious face and tone, words that can bring the chills down your spine. Bora, with a poker face and eyes cold as ice, said...

"Code RED."

Zeke's eyebrows rose, eyes twitching. "H-Huh?-"

Nang muling magtama ang tingin niya kay Bora, mabilis siyang natauhan at pumasok sa isip niya ang salitang binanggit ng principal. Muli siyang napatayo nang tuwid at sumaludo. 

"Y-Yes, copy sir!" 

As if he wasn't trying to shit a while ago, Zeke's expression and aura changed as he left the room with a serious face. Naguguluhan man, nagtatakang sumunod sa kaniya si Vince na walang kaalam-alam dahil sa bilis ng pangyayari.

"Z-Zeke, anong nangyari?" Marahang tanong niya habang nakabuntot sa kasama.

 Seryosong naglalakad si Zeke, pero sa kaloob-looban, hindi niya rin mapigilang kabahan at maguluhan.

Every academy has different rules. Iba't ibang paraan ng pagpapatakbo ng kani-kaniyang mga opisyales at principal. At sa Solar Academy, meron silang mga patakaran. 

They use codes to deliver messages.

"Code Red..." May diin na pagbanggit ni Zeke. Mariin siyang nakakagat sa ibabang ngipin habang magkasalubong ang dalawang kilay.

"It means..."

DELIVER MESSAGE TO ALL OF THE GUILDS. WE NEED HELP. ASAP.

Namilog ang mga mata ni Vince at nakaramdam ng pagsitaasan ng balahibo sa katawan. "That means..."

"Yeah." Pagtuloy ni Zeke. "We need to contact the guilds, and make sure that THEY'RE coming too."

"They?"

A confuse look was plastered in Vince face, while Zeke started reminiscing. A scenario popped inside of his head, a scenario that he won't forget. The feeling, the tension, the chills, as if he's feeling it once again.

"Them... I call them the Pillars. Pillars that stood and support the three academies.."

A group of gifteds is in his mind. Their faces. Their gifts. 

Mga estudyanteng nasa tuktok, at tinitingala.

"The Crowns."

"The Grim Reapers."

"The S Class Guild."

"The Sins."

"And the Generation of Prodigies."

Ang mga kilalang grupo na nasa tuktok ngayong henerasyon. Mga pangalan na mababanggit at kilala nino man.

"Fuck, it looks like we'll meet him again." Iritadong bulong ni Zeke. "Arghhhh! They're too much to handle! I don't want to see all of them!" Giit niya. Inis siyang napakamot sa ulo.

Kunot noo siyang tinignan ni Vince na nakasunod sa kaniya sa paglalakad. "H-Ha? Sino-"

"The Judge!" Mabilis na sagot ng lalaking nagsisimulang mainis. "I don't want to see him again!"

"P-Pero bakit? Hindi ba siya ang pinakamalakas ngayon na estudyante sa lahat ng academy?-"

"Oo! Pero!-" Zeke glanced at Vince, irritated. He can't put his frustration into words.

"He's different! Arghhh!" Zeke raised two of his fingers. "There are two kinds of Gifteds that I don't like or that creeps me out."

"First, the Sin's guild's Master— Nyx. He's too mysterious. It feels like he's already attending your funeral when you see him, and you're in the purgatory once you meet his eyes."

"Second, the asshole, the Executioner— Gin. For pete's sake, he's older than us but acts like a freaking child! He's immature which is fucking irritating because he looks like a child who can shatter an island with just a meteor!"

Nagpatuloy sa paglalakad ang dalawa habang naglalabas ng sama ng loob si Zeke.

"E-Eh... paano naman ang Judge?" Nagtatakang tanong ni Vince nang hindi ito banggitin ng kasama sa dalawang kinaiinisan niya.

Nahinto si Zeke, inaalala ang huling pagkikita nila ng taong pinag-uusapan nila ngayon. The smirk that guy has, and his cold eyes.

"He's freaking both! He's mysterious and fucking immature at the same time! He has the cold aura that Nyx has, and the cocky attitude that Gin has too!"

"That Judge! He's a fucking menace to society!"

CHAPTER 10
Code Red