Naythan wanted to text Nemesis because they weren't making any progress, at all!

'Hayst. Pero mas magagalit si Nem kapag nalaman niya,' isip-isip niya at ibinalik ang tingin sa mataas na building na nasa harapan nila. He literally had to shield his eyes in order to see the top of it. Nakabalandra sa itaas nito ang malaking logo ng Studio 66, ang isa sa pinakamalaking industriya sa media.

But then again...

"Manong, paano kung bentahan kita ng gayuma? Or better yet, I can give you a 25% discount!"

Rio's cheery voice filled the air as she lifted a small bottle. Winagayway niya ito sa mukha ng masungit na gwardiya, pero tulad ng ginawa ng kasama nito, he scowled at her and pushed it away.

"Miss, bawal talaga kayong pumasok dito. Wala ba kayong klase ngayon?"

"Oh! Actually, meron. Pero dahil kailangan naming imbestigahan ang nangyaring aksidente sa Mahogany Street para matahimik ang kaluluwa ng white lady doon, we chose to skip our classes today," walang prenong sagot ni Rio. "Besides, nag-attend din ng emergency meeting ang karamihan sa mga profs namin kaya malamang wala ring pumasok sa klase. Getsi?"

Mukha namang walang pakialam ang gwardiya kahit pa anong paliwanag nito.

Before he could even yell at the poor psychic, mabilis na lumapit si Naythan at ngumiti. "Sorry, malungkot lang talaga ang pinsan ko kaya naging hobby na niyang mangulit ng mga gwardiya. Hehe!"

"Huh? 'Di kaya---"

Siniko niya ito.

"Alis na kami, manong guard. Bye!"

Rio frowned but didn't say a word when he started dragging her away from the entrance. Sa kabila nito, naramdaman pa rin ni Naythan ang mata ng mga gwardiyang sumusunod sa bawat kilos nila. "Katakot naman. 'Di kaya paranormal creatures din sila?" He joked when they were at a reasonable distance.

"I don't think so. Mararamdaman ko naman kung may mali sa kanila." The psychic absent-mindedly held on to the pendant on her necklace. Hindi nakaligtas sa pagka-tsismoso ni Naythan ang pagbabago ng ekspresyon ni Rio nang mahawakan ulit ang mutya ng tubig. Before he could even comment about it, she quickly asked.

"My, my... At paano na tayo makakapasok nito? Wala naman tayong kakilalang sikat sa loob, at wala rin naman tayong impluwensya tulad ng kay Damien!"

But Naythan was already grinning.

"Tumatalab ang gayumang 'yan sa kahit na sino, 'di ba? Walang limitations?"

Rio blinked in confusion. "Yes! Pero paano nito...?"

Tinuro ni Naythan ang dalawang gwardiyang abala sa pagku-kwentuhan habang naka-duty. Lumawak na rin ang ngiti ni Rionach nang mapagtanto nito ang plano. She raised her hand up in a fist and cheered.

"Yes, yes. Ipaglaban! SA NGALAN NG PAG-IBIIIIIIG!"

"Umm... Rio? You don't need to shout."

*

"In 1982, a college student went missing for a week. The authorities searched for her, but they were left with a cold trail. After a month, they found the body of a teenage girl half-buried by the side of the road. The uniform she wore made it easy to identify that she was a student from Eastwood Central University..."

Kinailangang tumigil ni Nemesis sa pagbabasa. Wala sa sarili niyang tinitigan ang larawan sa kupas na pahina ng pahayagan. As expected, it was a bit grainy, but the image of the dead body wrapped in a white dirtied cloth made her feel bothered. Hindi siya psychic katulad ni Rio, pero sa hindi niya malamang dahilan, para bang may kung anong tumatawag sa kanya sa larawan.

The setting looked familiar, awfully familiar.

'Ito ang Mahogany Street.'

"So, she's our white lady?"

Napabalik na lang siya sa kasalukuyan nang sumulyap si Damien mula sa kanyang balikat.

He was leaning a little too close and that made her recoil in dislike. Wala siyang pakialam kahit pa mamahalin ang kasuka-suka nitong pabango.

"Looks like it. Wala namang ibang article na posibleng konektado sa lugar na 'yon. It makes sense since Caelum said there was one version of the story telling us that she had been a college student."

Sunod namang dumako ang mga mata niya kay Caelum na napapalibutan rin ng mga dyaryo. Kanina pa sila rito, at halos matabunan na ng newspapers ang buong mesa. Isinara nito ang hawak niyang papel at sumang-ayon, "That also makes sense why she was called by that name."

Naunawaan agad ito ni Nemesis.

"The women's uniform at ECU is cream-colored, but a lot of people mistaken it for white."

Ibinalik ni Nemesis ang kanyang atensyon sa artikulo. She read and re-read every single line as if her life depended on it.

'Agnes Salvador?'

Napahigpit ang hawak niya sa papel nang malamang pinaghihinalaan din itong ginahasa at pinatay. Some accounts say that she could've been abducted and tortured, barely keeping her alive at all before she was buried by the side of Mahogany Street. Was she tortured to death? Or was she left alone to die?

Nonetheless, Nemesis had goosebumps at what horror happened to Agnes.

'Kaya hindi na ako magtataka kung bakit gusto niyang manggulo.'

*

Naythan and Rio slipped through the front door as the two guards were too busy talking to each other.

'More like, catching each other's attention. Hehe!'

Pagkatapos nilang maubos ang samalamig na binigay nila sa mga ito, agad nilang nasaksihan ang epekto ng gayuma. It started with a simple "nahihilo ako" and now they're at the "ang ganda pala ng mga mata mo" stage. Progress! At dahil nagiging distracted na ang mga ito, walang kahirap-hirap silang nakapasok sa gusali ng Studio 66.

"Gaano katagal tatalab ang gayuma?" He asked.

"With the amount with gave them, baka mga tatlong oras."

"Eh? So it depends on the amount?"

"Sa gayumang formulated sa shop namin, oo. Natatakot kasi kaming baka magamit sa masama."

"But it can work permanently, right?" Why? Nagbabaka-sakali lang.

Naningkit ang mga mata ni Rio sa kanya. "Pwede, but not without facing the consequences."

Hindi na umimik pa si Naythan. Sa katunayan, hindi na talaga siya nakaimik nang bigla na lang niyang nabunggo ang isang babaeng lumabas ng elevator. Naythan quickly took hold of her arm and steadied her. Delikado na, baka mabuko pa silang nag-iimbestiga!

"Sorry, miss. Ba't ka naman kasi---"

Damn, she was pretty.

'Delikado na talaga,' Naythan mentally joked.

Pero mas maganda sana ang dalagang 'to kung hindi siya nakasimangot. Her rich brown eyes glared at him as if he's just a piece of bubblegum stuck on the soles of her designer shoes.

"Tititig ka lang ba sa'kin o may balak ka ring mag-sorry?" She snapped.

Oops.

Ninenerbyos na natawa si Naythan, hindi inaasahan ang ganitong reaksyon. Not from someone who literally looks like an angel sent by the gods to stun him.

'What in the...ano ba 'tong iniisip ko?'

"Hey, 'di ko naman kasi alam na lalabas ka ng elevator. Kung alam ko lang sana, baka nagdala ako ng bouquet ng flowers ngayon. Hehe!"

Smooth, Naythan. Real smooth.

But the woman just rolled her eyes at him in dismissal. Bago pa man makapagsalita si Naythan para mag-sorry nang mas matino (sana), someone staggered down the nearby staircase and ran up to her. Hinihingal ang lalaki at nagliliparan sa hallway ang mga dala-dala niyang papel.

"Miss Tasha!"

Tasha didn't look like she was pleased. "Tagal mo naman. Ilang beses ko na bang sasabihin sa'yong ayokong naghihintay? Hay. Let's go, I still have several appointments to attend to."

"Pero ang sabi ng staff---"

"Wala akong pakialam sa kanila. Ngayon, 'wag mo nang dagdagan ang mga panira sa araw ko." Tasha glared at Naythan and flipped her long chestnut-colored hair. Nilagpasan niya ito sa paglalakad, while still addressing her personal assistant. "First the producer's dead, now this? Fantastic."

Her scent lingered in the air, a mixture of vanilla, strawberry, and bad decisions.

Nang tuluyan na silang makalabas ng lobby, doon lang ulit bumalik sa pokus si Naythan.

"Uy. Okay ka pa, Tantan?" Rio nudged him, naguguluhan sa kanyang pagkatulala. "Di kaya aksidente ka ring nakainom ng gayuma?"

Naythan scratched his head, embarrassed. Pero tuwing naaalala niya ang mga mata at taglay na kagandahan ni Tasha, he found himself enchanted all over again.

"Aish! Tara na nga. Kailangan pa nating mag-imbestiga bago pa tayo pagalitan nina Nem. Hahahaha!"

---