FORTY-FOUR. 

HYPNOS' MAGIC ITEM. 

SINUNDAN LANG nina Courtney at Ephron si Henry na 'di nila alam kung saan  siya pupunta. Then he slowly opened the large door in front of them, and they gradually entered the cafeteria na halos walang masyadong tao.

Napapaligiran 'to ng isang telang ginto, at sa itaas nito ay nakasabit ang isang mabigat na mukhang espada na katulad ng kay Ares. Mahahaba rin ang mga upuan at mesa. Sa gitna ng mahabang mesa ay isang bungo at isang kandila.

"Hoy!" Sigaw ng lalaki sa kanya. They were now being approached by a blond guy. Mukhang kakalabas lang niya sa klase niya at inilapag niya ang kanyang mga libro, "Hindi ko pa nakakalimutan kung ano ang ginawa mo noon sa kaso, Henry. The day you and Giovanni killed in the First Domain."

And he lost his calm days. All Henry could put up with them was a sneaky smirk. Pinili niya ang lugar na 'to dahil ito ay tahimik. Pero ngayon na may isa pang nakikisawsaw, surely, his serene days are over.

He wrapped his fingers over his chin; if he could recall anything, it had to do with the bits he left behind. Sinadya niyang paghiwalayin ang mga ebidensya dahil alam niyang maaasahan niya silang lutasin ang kanyang kaso.

This is what he believes in. Sabihin niyo na lang that the three of them become tools for his ultimate goal.

He went over to the blond man, who had a scar on his right face, tanned skin, and a set of red and gold eyes. May mga hikaw din siyang nakalagay sa kanan niyang tainga.

It was quite vibrant. Red, green, violet, and yellow. He also wears a violet uniform. He can only guess he passed up Orpheus Academy. He was encircled by a bright aura.

"Ah, that..."

Inilagay na lang niya ang kanyang daliri sa baba at ngumisi si Henry sa kanila. You could tell that something was going to happen here.

"First, how did you respond to my clues? Tell me about it; I'm curious."

"Frayden," tinawag ni Courtney ang kanyang pinsan at umiling siya habang dahan-dahan niyang hinimas ang ulo nito para mapakalma. As far as she can tell, Henry is testing them. He's more dangerous in that state.

"What would you like to know, Henry? You started it, didn't you? So, Tell us—"

Henry scowled at them, "Answer me first."

Courtney had been friends with this jerk for a while, so she knew when he started becoming serious. And judging by his expression, she may understand why he wanted that detective.And why did he set them up with the case?

She was trembling right now, and she had never felt so scared before. However, she suppresses all of these emotions in order to figure out how she can get them all out of this particular situation.

"I never expected you to be so far from being a jerk. You asshole. Tinatrato mo  ba kaming mga laruan? Does that work for you?" Courtney asked, crossing her arms at him.

"Gorgonian, let me start with your answer. Tell me immediately, please." Henry grinned at them.

Lumapit na lang si Henry sa kanila at isa-isa niyang binigyan ang mga 'to ng masamang tingin. His expression darkened more, and he flashed them a shady smile, "I've come here for one reason. So tell me what happened with the case."

With no other option, Courtney revealed the power to the holograms by opening the Book of Fate. When he saw it, his eyes grew wide. "This is what's playing us all, isn't it? And you're curious about the identity of the scientist who has this?"

"Oo. Gusto ko siyang wasakin."Henry hissed.

Courtney had anticipated the type of man he would be, but she had no idea he would be considerably more dangerous than she had imagined. Until now, she couldn't understand why the scientist was holding this object.

Is it truly the thing that nearly wiped out the realm in the previous fate?

It was a magical item. Something that the scientist made. The Quartz Belt. It was indicated within the pocket watch.

You would track the clock's movements and carefully touch it. When you contact the hand, it emits light and creates a hologram that projects your fate. Magic encircled it, and the item gave out a golden glow.

"Did you know something about this?" Courtney frowned and yelled at him. He was normally silent, and now he isn't saying anything. And she sensed something was off. "You died at precisely 7: 00pm in the First Domain. And it has to do something in Quartz..."

"It was a number. It was seven."

"Something has to happen to satisfy that. First, we found you and saved you on that particular day. Second, you chose to leave us. The third step is to become a Lyrica tool. Fourth, make contact. The fifth step is to take the test. Sixth, join the military, and finally, assassinate. Seven, face your father and take on your misery." Courtney sighed, "You've been playing with us all along. You intended in using this for what purpose?"

May mali rito. Alam ni Courtney na may mali.

Tinaas ni Ephron ang kamay niya "What are we talking about?" he asked everyone, flashing a smile.

Sabay na napahawak sa mukha si Courtney at Frayden. Ang seryoso na nila rito! Bakit kailangan pang dumating at umarte na parang wala lang, ha? Parang napapalibutan na sila ng tensyon pero nakakagawa pa rin na magbiro ang lalaking 'to? Ibang klase rin talaga ang kanyang kalokohan!

Ngumisi naman si Henry and he crossed his arms and said, "We all need to use everything we have to attain our goals. Even if you need in using them as tools. And this game will help not just me, but also you."

"At sa tingin mo matutuwa ako ro'n? You have something to do with my memories, too."

"Sa tingin mo, bakit kailangan mangyari 'yon ng paulit-ulit? Do you know anything about the Mohs scale? Quartz is a mineral with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, which is a qualitative method for determining a material's hardness to abrasion."

"And?"

"In Quartz Belt's method, they needed to discover how long you could hold all of the ruins as a substance. Seven times of suffering is all they want to see in you. And you knew the awful memories would come to you at wala ka nang magagawa para iwasan 'yon."

Mas lalo pang pinawisan si Courtney at Frayden sa mga natutunan nila ngayon. 'Di nila inasahan na nagawa nitong manipulahin silang dalawa.

That the two of them are merely doing his orders the whole case that he wanted to solve. At inirapan lang siya ni Frayden. "Iyan ba ang dahilan kung bakit mo kami ginamit dahil lang do'n?"

"Talaga ba? Let me see something..."

Frayden couldn't take how devious this guy was. He couldn't tell what he had been thinking at all.

At siya ay kumuha ng isang kutsilyo na nagulat si Henry kung ano 'to. That is what he used on Nadalinde at the party in the First Domain. "You didn't mean to kill Nadalinde, tama ba? You intended to convey a message through her blood. You wanted to start a war against scientists."

☫✠_____♆_____✡♆

IT WAS EXTREMELY difficult to keep the evidence and blood. Especially since the blood is a different type. Frayden clutched it, and blood dripped from the knife.

'Di niya alam kung magiging gagana ito o hindi, at itinapon ni Frayden 'to sa relo na hawak ni Courtney. If that could understand the message, Henry must have a reason for all of this.

Finally, it revealed the message.

"Hindi ko sure kung sobrang naapektuhan kayo ng paborito kong laruan or...I'm looking at geniuses at the moment. Didn't you figure everything out?"

The magic instantly enveloped the pocket watch, and some golden lightning appeared, displaying a golden note and everything about Henry's message on the case.

'Nadalinde, or 'Mara, was one of the Cursed Demigods created by the scientist. I am completely aware of everything. What your plans are for Twilight Vale, and what you intend to do with the Archduchess. So here's a challenge for you. Let's have a game.'

Courtney couldn't get any gist of this. Kung 'di pa niya alam kung sino'ng scientist 'yon, bakit naman niya hinamon? But there's one thing she's sure of. "In Seven agony, you tend to bind yourself in the magic because you're trying to figure out how to escape the pain despite that the pain goes strong with it. But it's the scientist that you're challenging, alam mo ba kung ano'ng ginagawa mo?"

The Quartz Belt is a powerful magic item made by Hypnos. Their pain contains secret strength. Those with the capacity to alter time, magic, the past, and the future. And those that pass through this become one of the scientist vessels. And now they will have control over their own future. Nobody has ever escaped this magic. Never.

"And? Did Giovanni even know about this?"

"Oh, she didn't need to know that right now, right? This issue is only within ourselves. And I'm doing this so that it can benefit us. So I'm here to see where fate goes from here."

Courtney could only glare at him, but internally she wanted to curse him. Hindi niya inakala na ganito kagago ang lalaking 'to. Hearing his answers right now make her blood boil. This guy was able to manipulate all of them that much? Wala siyang pakialam kung sino ang madadamay niya rito.

"Alin ang pagpiliin natin dito, Courtney, wala tayong pagpipilian. Isa pa," dugtong ni Frayden kay Henry, na sinamaan na lang siya ng tingin. "T–tamo 'yan, kanina pa tayo tinitigan ng masama, eh!"

Knowing Frayden, she knew he didn't want to go through this alone. Courtney recognized she was dealing with a villain, thus she must have fought back now that Henry had tried her.

She didn't want to do it, but she had no other option. "Henry. I have to–"

"All right, all right, will you guys stop this bullshit?"As Ephron arrived, he placed his palm over Courtney and Frayden's head, grinned at them, and muttered, "Leave this to me."