REYNARD

CASTIEL DISAPPEARED once again. It felt like déjà vu. Pagkatapos ng interrupted presser niya, bigla siyang tumakbo palabas nang hindi man nag-e-excuse o tinatapos 'yon. It was so abrupt that my colleagues were stunned and speechless in the press room. Curious reporters turned to Rowan Oronce, our inside source at the USC, but he remained tight-lipped. Some even staked out the office and admin building, hoping to catch a glimpse of the acting president or his shadow.

Kung anuman ang narinig niya sa phone call, 'yon ang nagpabalisa at nagpatakbo sa kaniya. He ran the same way a person who had seen a white lady would run. Baka minumulto siya ng nakaraan o ng kasalukuyan.

The good news? Priam is already awake! Rowan confirmed it in the afternoon. Most discussions on SchoolBuzz shifted to the USC president. Natabunan na nga ang biglaang pag-walkout ni Castiel. The king would return to his rightful throne soon, and a few cared about the interim leader.

Unfortunately, Priam would need some weeks to recover fully before reassuming the presidency. His vice president, Castiel, was nowhere to be found—not even in the university apartment. So that means...

"Please raise your right hand and repeat after me."

This morning, reporters witnessed the oath-taking of the new acting president. Castiel's thrilling reign was short-lived and ended on a cliffhanger. Apparently, he took a leave of absence following his sister's death. May she rest in peace, by the way. He would need some time to grieve. Ang behavior niya no'ng press briefing ay proof na hindi pa siya mentally and emotionally ready para i-lead ang student government.

So the responsibility fell to the next person in the line of succession: Alaric Esteban. Nakatuntong siya sa podium, nakaharap kay USC Chief-of-Staff Lavinia Esquivel na siyang nag-a-administer ng kaniyang oath, at nakataas ang kanang kamay. He got a smug look on his face as if he had already won the game before it even started.

"I, state your name, do solemnly swear..."

"I, Alaric Esteban, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully fulfill my duties as Acting President of the University Student Council until the duly elected President reassumes the powers and duties of his office."

"I will, to the best of my ability..."

"I will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and By-Laws of the Student Government of Elysian University."

"So help me God."

"So help me God."

"Congratulations, Mr. Acting President." Lavinia extended her hand to him, and they posed for our cameras. Alaric beamed with confidence, while Lavinia looked slightly uneasy in his presence.

I had to hand it to the USC. Despite their reservations about him, they chose to swallow their pride and do the right thing. Denying Alaric the presidency— even temporarily—would have sparked controversy, something they desperately needed to avoid.

Knowing Castiel's history with Alaric, I was a hundred percent sure that he would not approve of this move. Either the USC could not reach him or they chose not to inform him, anticipating his displeasure at the appointment.

"He's the most powerful student on campus now. Controling both the LEXECOM and the USC is like playing both white and black pieces in chess. He can practically do whatever he wants," Rie murmured. Nakaupo siya sa bandang harapan habang ako'y nakatayo sa tabi niya.

Back when I covered the USC beat, I used to sit at the back for no particular reason. Maybe she chose her seat for visibility. Regardless, no one could overlook a reporter from The Herald. Whenever she spoke, everyone would pay attention.

"But his reign will be short, maybe just two to three weeks?" I crossed my arms, glancing at her. "Kung unconscious pa si Priam, malamang mas mahaba pa. Baka nga permanently i-assume na niya ang position kung sakali. But Priam's awake. The king will return soon, and the regent must make the most of this opportunity."

She turned toward me, eyes flicking up. "Rey?! What are you doing here? This isn't your beat."

I shushed her. Pinagtinginan kami ng mga katabi niya, ang iba'y kunot-noo pa. "The LEXECOM chair is here, so I'm here, too. Don't worry! I won't ask any questions—"

"Shush!" sabi ng katabi niya. Napatakip ako ng bibig. Sorry!

"Whatever." Rie rolled her eyes and resumed typing on her laptop. "Just don't get in my way, ha? This is turf."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Thank you, Lavinia," Alaric projected his voice, ensuring clarity without a microphone. "May I say a few words?"

Lavinia glanced at Rowan for approval. Mariin itong tumango sa kaniya. She stepped aside, motioning to the lectern, while the PIO retreated a few steps.

Alaric stood before the lectern, his gaze sweeping across the room filled with reporters eagerly awaiting his address. Our eyes briefly met, and I saw determination in his fiery gaze—not the cold, chilling look of a murderer. Not gonna lie. His looks and his posture made him appear presidential.

My investigation into his potential involvement in the assassination attempt on Priam hit a snag. Nakausap ko na si Priscilla no'ng nakaraang linggo, pero wala siyang naibigay na substantial information sa 'kin. She seemed to be telling the truth. Napaisip nga ako na baka mali ang anggulo na pine-pursue ko at baka nagsasayang din ako ng oras, gaya ng nabanggit ni Rie.

Could you blame me? Somehow, I couldn't just let go of it! Maybe because I wasn't the type to give up easily. Raising the white flag at the first sight of a challenge would do me no good. Just to be clear, the word surrender is in my vocabulary, but it would only cross my mind once I had exhausted all options. Right now, I was hitting a dead-end, but I couldn't see myself stopping any time soon.

I didn't wanna waste time and resources, but if my efforts could lead to a conclusion that silenced the conspiracy theories swirling in my head, I could say it was worth it.

"Good morning, my fellow Elysians," Alaric began, staring straight into the camera with a well-modulated voice. "As of today, I shall serve as the acting president until Priam Torres reassumes his duties and responsibilities in the USC."

He didn't say the quiet part out loud, but he refused to acknowledge Priam's presidency. If he had, he would have addressed him as president. So far, he had been consistent since the impeachment.

"I wish Priam Torres a speedy recovery after waking up from a six-week coma. I also wish USC Vice President Castiel Seville a well-deserved break, especially after what recently happened to him. I look forward to working with him again in the LEXECOM."

Opening his short speech with good gestures, huh? Maybe there was a catch here.

"As you all know, the past three weeks have been contentious between the USC and the LEXECOM where I serve as the majority leader," Alaric continued after a brief pause. "Some accusations have been thrown at me, and those accussations have been appropriately responded to."

I wouldn't call a denial an appropriate response. Imagine if the university officials I had exposed told me, "No, that's a bunch of bull" when I asked them if the controversy was true. That wouldn't cut it.

"But right now, the student body must come together," he said with conviction. "During my term as acting presidency—no matter how short it may be—I intend to mend the dents and fill the cracks in the student government. And that mission starts today."

Spoken like a true politician! He must be trying to contrast himself with the previous acting president. Castiel's rhetoric was divisive and toxic. Alaric's was unifying and soothing. He could turn out to be a trapo should he choose to pursue politics as a career.

"I commend the USC for stepping up and asking me to serve as acting president until Priam Torres fully recovers." Alaric motioned to the officers behind him. "The USC and I may not see eye-to-eye on a number of issues. We have had many disagreements in the past. But they set their personal feelings aside because they know that the student government needs a steady hand on the wheel while the captain is indisposed. I look forward to working with them. That's all."

The room burst into applause. Rie and I were among the few who refrained from clapping. The guy had basically just promised to do his job. Ano'ng dapat palakpakan do'n? Kung kumain siya ng buhay na manok sa harapan namin, baka nakipalakpak na rin ako.

"We thank everyone for coming," Rowan announced into the mic as Alaric stepped aside. "We won't be taking any questions since we need to brief the acting president about urgent matters. Have a great day, everyone!"

He waved dismissively as the rest of the USC officers descended from the podium and exited the press room. Nagsitayo na ang ilan sa mga reporter at sinundan ang mga 'yon sa labas. The cameraman rushed out first to capture Alaric Esteban entering the USC office with the council. Nakabuntot pa rin ang mga reporter, kumukuha ng mga photo at video sa bawat hakbang ng mga estudyante sa kanilang harapan.

Rie lingered in the press room. Ang akala ko'y susundan niya ang mga USC officer, but she went the opposite direction. Hinabol ko agad siya bago pa tuluyang makalayo. Ang bilis ng lakad niya!

"Hey, aren't you going to cover that, too?" I asked to get her attention.

She halted before turning to me. "If you were still on this beat, hahabulin mo rin ba ang mga USC officer?"

"Not unless I had an important question," I replied with a shrug. "Like a dog with a bone, I wouldn't let go until I got the answer I needed for my article."

"I don't have anything important to ask them, so I'm leaving." She turned on her heel and walked out of the building. I followed her, matching her pace.

I couldn't help but ponder how awkward it must be in the USC office. The man who had tried to oust them was now about to give them orders.

BY LUNCHTIME, Rie and I were back at the editorial office. Halos walang tao rito dahil nagsialisan na ang karamihan para kumain ng tanghalian. Rie headed straight to her workstation and I returned to mine. Ita-type ko na sana ang password ko sa welcome screen ng desktop computer ko nang bigla akong nahinto.

"That's strange," I muttered, squinting at the mouse. Muntik ko nang mahawakan 'yon, pero mabuti't napigilan ko ang aking kamay.

"What is?" Rie must have heard me, as we were the only ones present, separated by just a divider.

"Someone tried to access my computer," I revealed, narrowing my eyes further.

"Huh?" She leaned over, looking down at me. "Paano mo nasabi?"

I flicked my gaze up to her. "I always place my mouse one and a half inches away from the keyboard. Today, it's three inches away."

"Eh? Dahil lang do'n?"

I fetched my phone and turned on the flashlight, aiming it at the adjacent buttons on the mouse. Nang may napansin ako, sunod kong itinutok 'yon sa aking keyboard. I meticulously examined every key and found something curious.

"I knew it," I mumbled before meeting her gaze again. "I'm right! Meron ngang nakialam sa computer ko."

"What is it this time, detective?" she scoffed. "Off ba nang ilang inches ang keyboard mo mula sa usual position nito?"

I held up my mouse, showing her the buttons. "Grease."

"Grease?"

Ibinaba ko ang aking mouse at muling tinutukan ng ilaw. Dala na ng curiosity, pumunta siya sa puwesto ko. "Aside from the distance between the mouse and keyboard, I always wipe them clean with a microfiber cloth before leaving the office. I'm one hundred percent sure na pinunasan ko ang mga 'to kahapon. Kaya paano nagkaroon ng grease dito?"

"Baka nakalimutan mo siyang punasan kahapon o baka may isang staffer tayo na namali ng upo sa puwesto mo?" walang ganang tugon ni Rie. She was not taking me seriously.

Itinuro ko sa kaniya ang sticky note na nakadikit sa monitor. Nakasulat doon ang pangalan ko. Only someone unfamiliar with the English alphabet would make that mistake.

Muli kong sinuri ang keyboard, lalo na ang keys na may grease. Out of the twelve keys pressed by the intruder, only three were part of my password. Ang ibig sabihin, hindi niya nagawang buksan ang computer ko. But it's better to verify than to speculate.

"Kung talagang naniniwala kang may sumubok na mag-access sa computer mo, ayaw mo bang i-preserve ang mouse at keyboard?" tanong ni Rie. "Baka may ma-lift na fingerprints diyan at matukoy kung sino... sakaling nag-e-exist siya."

"As much as I'd love to send these items for fingerprint analysis, walang gano'ng capability ang university labs natin," dismayado kong sagot. "Kung ise-send ko sa mga pulis, wala namang dahilan para i-process nila ang request ko. Wala pang nawawala at wala pang perwisyo sa 'kin so far."

Iniharang ko muna ang aking katawan sa keyboard para hindi makita ni Rie ang password ko. I saw her rolling her eyes as she glanced away through her reflection in the monitor. Nang nakapag-log in na ako, agad kong chineck ang security logs. Muling nanliit ang mga mata ko nang may nakita akong tatlong log-in attempt pasado alas-nuwebe ng gabi. I had left the office around six yesterday, so that definitely wasn't me.

"Look." I turned the monitor toward Rie. She leaned in closer to get a better view. "Nakita mo akong umalis ng office kahapon, 'di ba? There's no reason for me to return here around nine in the evening. Wala akong urgent article na kailangang i-submit."

"You might be onto something," she mused, rubbing her chin and blinking at me. "But why would anyone be interested in what's on your computer? You're just covering the LEXECOM sessions."

"Now that is the question." I leaned back in my seat, intertwining my fingers behind my head. "What's the motive? The fact that someone tried to access my computer suggests they're curious about my progress."

"Meron ka bang ine-expose ngayon—" Rie cut herself off, covering her mouth. "'Di ba you're investigating the possible link between Alaric Esteban and Brandon Cabrera? Could someone else know what you're looking into?"

My gaze dropped. "Apart from you and me, only three people are aware that I've been making inqueries—two of them are in my artwork. Maybe one of them tipped off an interested party about my investigation."

"Or maybe someone in this office." Rie glanced sideways at the empty desks. Ngumuso siya sa illustration board na nasa likod ng monitor ko. "Inilagay mo kasi 'yan sa spot na madaling makita. Baka may isa sa atin na na-curious, tiningnan 'yan, 'tapos nalamang iniimbestigahan mo ang palpak na assassination kay Priam."

I scrutinized my mouse and keyboard once more. The person who attempted to access my computer had been sloppy, leaving grease on my devices without bothering to wipe their traces. Kung ako ang mag-a-access sa device ng iba, sisiguraduhin kong walang maiiwang ebidensiya. If we were in a detective novel, they would easily get caught—

Wait a minute. What if my initial assumption was wrong?

"What is it?" Rie asked. Napansin niya sigurong namulagat ang mga mata ko. "Kilala mo na ba kung sino?"

I met her gaze squarely. "This is just a theory, but what if I was meant to notice this attempt?"

Her eyes narrowed. "At anong purpose n'on?"

I took a deep breath. "Maybe the person or people behind it are trying to send me a warning. Maybe they want me to know that they know I'm onto them."

Was this supposed to scare me off? Because if it was, it had the opposite effect. It only fueled my determination. I wasn't the type of dog to tuck my tail between my legs at the first sign of trouble. In fact, this incident only motivated me further to pursue that story.

It would take more than a feeble scare tactic to stop me.

3

NEXT UPDATE: Our First couple pays a visit to a certain someone's grave.