REYNARD

YOU KNOW what? I kinda missed the USC beat. Don't get me wrong. I was enjoying my stint as the LEXECOM beat reporter, especially now that Castiel had become the presiding officer while Alaric was the majority leader. But man, the chance to roast their public information officer was always such a delight! I wanted to push Rowan Oronce to his limits and see how far he could go with his mental gymnastics and narrative spinning. I kinda envied Rie for being in that media room. Yup, I'm calling Ambrielle 'Rie' from now on.

After a two-week break, the second semester at Elysian University had officially begun. Good news para sa mga estudyanteng gustong matuto at para sa campus journalists na gusto nang bumalik sa pagre-report ng mga ganap sa campus. Unfortunately, the LEXECOM sessions wouldn't start until next week. For the next few days, I'd be a discarded piece of wood in the sea, floating aimlessly until someone picked me up and used me as a firewood.

In the meantime, I needed to find myself a distraction. The very first USC press briefing for this semester happened to be broadcasting on the television mounted on the wall of our editorial office. I paused from playing Minesweeper and listened to what Rowan had to say.

"... For those who are curious about Priam's health condition, we have received permission from his family to share with you that he's been in a comatose state since last week."

I wheeled my chair back, reclining against the backrest as I crossed my arms. Poor Priam. He was just strolling around campus to ensure that the event was going smoothly when he got stabbed multiple times. Wala ako sa pinangyarihan ng insidente nang mangyari 'yon. Nasa auditorium ako no'n para abangan ang opening ng Romeo and Juliet. I was already in the queue when I received a notif from our Herald group chat. My editor asked me to rush to the CBA area because a commotion was happening there.

When I arrived at the scene, a pool of blood greeted me as well as a stunned crowd who couldn't believe what had transpired just a couple of minutes ago. Na-witness ko pa nga kung paano binuhat sa stretcher at ipinasok sa naka-standby na ambulance sa quadrangle si Priam. Castiel was also with him. The way he stared blankly at nothing and the way his mouth hung loosely open showed me how devastated he was.

I might not be a fan of Priam—particularly since he greenlit the deceptive Oplan First Lady that dragged Fabienne into their mess—but he didn't deserve to be hurt that badly. Based on the medical report shared by the USC right after the incident, most of his stab wounds were shallow. Only two were deep enough to pose a threat to his life.

Because that was such an unexpected tragedy on the first day of the campus fair, I fished out my phone and typed a couple of paragraphs to send to my editor. Other students had already posted photos and videos of the incident on SchoolBuzz. Siyempre, 'di puwedeng magpahuli ang Herald. We also couldn't let the college publications post the story before us, so my thumbs danced across my screen.

BREAKING NEWS: USC PRESIDENT ATTACKED

University Student Council (USC) President Priam Torres was attacked by an unidentified assailant during his inspection of the booths at the campus fair.

Witnesses claimed that a person wearing the old yellow-and-black CBA college uniform sprang from behind Torres and stabbed him multiple times. USC Vice President Castiel Seville was with Torres when it happened.

"Nakiki-jamming kami sa kanta n'ong singer nang may biglang sumigaw," claimed a witness who requested anonymity. "Nagulat na lang kami nang makita naming may nakahandusay na lalaki riyan."

Police officers stationed at the quadrangle responded to the incident and apprehended the assailant. They refused to identify the suspect as the investigation was ongoing.

Torres was rushed to the hospital with Seville. The USC has yet to issue a statement.

This is a developing story.

Considering the importance and urgency of the incident, my editor instantly published it on our website and posted it on our SchoolBuzz account. Many were shocked by the news. Almost everyone around me at that time was on their phones, their eyes widened and mouths gaping open. Some of them even chose to leave the campus fearing another attack. It was a nightmare.

Two weeks later, here we are. Business as usual.

Now back to the briefing.

"I will now take your questions," Rowan said with a smile. His friendly demeanor somewhat made it challenging for my colleagues in the campus press to give him a hard time. "Please don't be too harsh with me. Kasisimula pa lang ng sem so I'm begging for leniency. Yes, Ambrielle from The Herald?"

Go, Rie. Ask the most important question.

"I want to preface my question by saying that it's unfortunate to learn about the president's current state," Rie began in a somber tone. "I'm a hundred percent sure that I can speak on behalf of the campus press and say that we're wishing him a speedy recovery. But we have important questions to ask."

"Uh-oh." Rowan stretched his lips into a wider smile. "Mukhang mahirap ang tanong mo, ah? Please be gentle."

Rie let out an awkward chuckle first. "I hope this one won't come across as insensitive. Since the president is in a coma, we don't know exactly when he's going to wake up and assume his duties again. Given that situation, has the USC discussed invoking Article V, Section 3, Subsection D?"

"The provision that grants the USC the power to oust the president as long as there's a unanimous consensus?" Rowan cited. Oh, he knows his Constitution? "First of all, that does come across as insensitive. Second, no, we haven't discussed it yet. We in the USC hope and pray that Priam will regain consciousness soon and reassume his position as president. Also, there's no need for us to make such a drastic move since the acting president is leading us. Next question—"

"Speaking of the acting president," Rie cut his words short. Good! Once a reporter sank their fangs into their targets, they shouldn't let go easily. "We received reports that Castiel Seville hasn't shown himself on campus since he assumed the presidency. Is that not a cause for any concern?"

"Castiel is discharging his duties as acting president as we speak," Rowan replied quickly as if he was expecting that question. "This may come as a surprise to you or to anyone who cares, but the acting president isn't the type to make public appearances just to show he's working. Hindi siya kagaya ng mga epal na politiko—"

"But according to his classmates in BS Psychology 3, he hasn't come to class since the start of the second semester." Rie wouldn't just let go. That's my girl! "If he's nowhere to be found in his classes and nowhere to be found on campus, how can you assure the student body that the USC is navigating these unchartered waters very well? Maybe the most apt question is: Does this ship still have a captain? Or has the captain abandoned us?"

"Castiel doesn't want to make anyone worried about his condition, but he has gotten the flu, that's why he's not yet around." Rowan also wouldn't let up. "But rest assured that this ship still has a captain and he's on top of everything. That's how dedicated he is in fulfilling his duties as acting president and leading us in such an unprecedented time. Now, can I move on to the next question?"

That was an excellent questioning by Rie. First briefing pa lang ng USC ngayong semester, nagisa na agad si Rowan. If she kept this attitude up, she'd be a formidable contender for the news editorship. That would have been okay with me if I wasn't also vying for the same position.

This must be a tough time for Castiel. I hated his guts, I hated his schemes, but I pitied him with everything that's going on. He wasn't the type of person to abandon ship, but Priam's situation must have freaked him out so much that he opted out of his responsibilities.

I couldn't help but wonder how hard it must have been for Fabienne. She and Priam weren't really a thing, but the news impacted her so much. Iniwan nga niya ang opening show ng Romeo and Juliet para pumunta sa ospital kung saan dinala ang USC president.

Anyway, I heard enough from Rowan. The next set of questions was about the student help desk for the freshies who weren't familiar with second semester stuff and for the transferees who were new to the campus. The juicy part was already over.

LATER THAT afternoon, I found my new best buddy Michelangelo Jordan in the Center for Community Development Services. Ilang weeks din kaming 'di nagkita dahil sa sem break. Our mandatory community service sessions were suspended for a while, but we were on campus. I attended meetings of The Herald's news department for our next set of event coverages while he practiced basketball with his teammates in the gymnasium.

A smug look was always plastered on his face as if he was the heir of a multi-million company. But today, he looked kinda troubled. Hindi pa nag-i-start ang inter-school basketball tournament kaya malabong malungkot siya dahil natalo sila. He also wasn't involved in any controversy recently, so there's no reason for him to be sad about additional punishments. Wala rin siyang girlfriend kaya mukhang 'di wasak ang puso niya. Kung meron man siyang nililigawan ngayon, mukhang 'di siya maba-basted—basta 'di iko-consider ng babae ang ginawa niya kay Fabienne no'n.

So what's making him sad today?

"Yow!" I walked toward him with my right fist raised. Nilakasan ko pa ang aking boses para makuha ang atensiyon niya. "It's been a while, huh? Kumusta ang sem break mo?"

But he left my fist hanging. Come on, man. I wouldn't usually do this gesture, but I wanted the two of us to be friends, so I had to. Nakayuko siya at nakatulala sa sahig, bahagyang nakabuka ang bibig. Unang linggo ng bagong semester, gano'n na agad ang itsura niya.

Let me try yanking his consciousness back to reality by talking about that thing.

"Have you heard about what happened to Priam Torres?" I asked out of the blue. My gaze lingered on him, hoping to see even just a slight reaction. "I wanna see him fall, but not that kind of fall. Ilang beses siyang pinagsasaksak. Naka-survive nga siya kaso na-comatose naman. Kaka-shock, 'no?"

"I didn't know that Bran would do that sort of thing," Michelangelo muttered, shaking his head slowly. Bran? Oh, yeah. They belonged to the same college so they must have known each other. "If I'd known, I would have stopped him."

I sat beside him, laying my palms flat on the surface. "There's nothing you could have done anyway. Wala kang idea sa balak niyang gawin. Don't be so hard on yourself."

He raised his head to look me straight in the eyes. "What if I kinda knew?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "Kinda?"

"Sh*t," he cussed before hanging his head low again and squeezing his eyes shut. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Mitch," I lowered my head so our faces would be at the same level, "you knew what was gonna happen to Priam?"

His right hand made a dismissive wave as if he was shooing me away. "Forget what I said! I knew nothing about it. I was as shocked as everyone."

"Mitch!" I almost yelled at him. "Narinig ko ang sinabi mo kanina."

"Baka nagkamali ka ng dinig. Huwag mo nang ipilit. Wala kang record na may sinabi ako."

That's where you're wrong. If only it wouldn't give away my trick, I would have fished my phone out of my hoodie pocket, stopped the audio recording, and replayed his voice to remind him. But no, I couldn't reveal the cards that I was holding close to my chest.

Tuwing nagkikita kami para sa community service sessions namin, laging naka-open ang recording app ko sakaling dumulas ang dila niya at may masabi siyang 'di niya dapat i-share sa 'kin. I was fully aware that it's a bit unethical to record someone without their consent, but how else could I catch a fish except by its own mouth? I hated lies, but I didn't lie to Michelangelo about the recording. I just chose to not tell him.

"If you knew, did someone else know about it?" I pushed further as I moved my face closer to his head. Nabingwit ko na ang isda sa bibig nito. Hindi ko na dapat pakawalan pa. "If yes, did those people do anything to stop it?"

"Whoa!" Michelangelo sprang from his seat and stepped away from me. "Bakit bigla ka yatang naging imbestigador? Daig mo pa ang mga pulis kung makapagtanong, ah?"

"I'm just curious!" I threw my hands up in the air. "We're not big fans of Priam. But we can agree that he didn't deserve to be stabbed multiple times and fall into a coma, right? If I wanna exact revenge, I'd write a scathing article about him or the USC. Ni hindi ko nga siya naisipang tusukin ng ballpen."

"Y-Yeah." His eyes looked down. If I were a judge, I'd suspect that he's guilty of an undiscovered crime. "Gusto ko ring makaganti sa kaniya, pero hindi sa paraan na nangyari. I would have hurt him, but I would not have tried to murder him in broad daylight."

"Yet you're feeling a bit guilty. Kitang-kita sa mukha mo." I pursed my lips in his direction. "That guilt will eat you up if you keep it to yourself. Baka hindi ka pa makapag-practice nang maayos mamaya."

He continued averting his gaze from me. I could smell the hesitation coming from him, but the stench was getting weaker. Just a few more pushes, and that smell would dissipate.

"I'm here to listen," I told him in a soothing voice. I wasn't used to comforting someone, but the situation called for it. "Don't worry, wala akong isusulat na article tungkol dito. Everything will be off the record. You have my word."

He flicked his gaze up to me. "Talaga?"

I raised my right hand. "Promise. Cross my heart."

I was secretly recording our conversations, but I never intended to use whatever's in there to expose him or anyone on campus. It would merely serve as a reference, a compass that could point me in the right direction. When Valeria Encarnacion told me about Oplan First Lady, my fingers were itching to pull the trigger and bring down the entire USC. But I gave her my word that I'd not write about it until the proper time came. Same condition was applicable here.

He returned to his seat, lowering his head again. "May galit ako kay Priam dahil sa pamamahiya niya sa 'kin. Pero wala 'yon kumpara sa galit ni Bran. Kilala mo naman siya, 'di ba?"

"Runningmate siya ng na-disqualify na presidential candidate last election," I recalled. "Base sa witnesses, paulit-ulit daw siyang sumigaw ng 'Para kay Candice' habang inuundayan ng saksak si Priam. It looked like he was just avenging that girl who reportedly fell into severe depression after the elections."

"Hanggang ngayon, 'di pa rin matanggap ni Bran na na-disqualify sila," kuwento niya habang pasulyap-sulyap sa 'kin. "No'ng umaga ng campus fair, minessage niya ako para ipaalam na nandito siya. Nagkita kami at sandaling nag-usap. Kinumusta ko siya, pero mukhang wala pa ring nagbabago sa kaniya. Nando'n pa rin ang galit niya sa mga umagaw sa kanilang trono at nagtulak kay Candice na tangkaing... alam mo na."

I was well aware of her almost tragic fate. Candice Delavin's attempt to take her own life was reported on the SchoolBuzz weeks after her disqualification. The Herald even published an article on suicide prevention.

"Doon na niya sinabi sa 'kin na dumating na raw ang perfect opportunity para ipaghiganti si Candice," dugtong ni Michelangelo. "Hindi ko alam kung ano exactly ang kaniyang gagawin, basta nabanggit niya ang pangalan ni Alaric bago siya umalis. Kung alam kong balak niyang saksakin si Priam..."

"Wait." My eyes narrowed into slits. "Kaya ba medyo preoccupied ka ngayon ay dahil nangangamba ka na baka madawit ka sa nangyari? You two were probably seen together. Kung may CCTV camera pa no'n sa area, kuhang-kuha ang pag-uusap n'yong dalawa bago niya inatake si Priam. Is that what you're truly worried about?"

He breathed a long sigh, shutting his eyes for a few seconds. "Alam mo namang may brief beef kami ni Priam, 'di ba? Napanood ng mga estudyante ang away namin noon. Baka biglang may mag-connect the dots at idamay ako sa ginawa ni Bran. Ayaw ko nang madagdagan ang atraso ko lalo na't frustrated murder 'yon."

Napakamot ako ng ulo. 'Yon pala ang tunay na reason.

"Pero siyempre, worried din ako para kay Priam! I may not like him, but I didn't want him to die. Gaya ng sinabi ko kanina, sa ibang paraan ko siya gustong gantihan."

"I know, I know." He didn't have to emphasize it more than once. "Kung wala ka talagang kinalaman, wala kang dapat ikatakot. Just act normal and try not to look guilty about it because—as you've said—you're not."

"You're right. I had nothing to do with it so I have nothing to be concerned about." His worried face brightened up a little. Muli siyang humarap sa 'kin. "Basta wala kang pagsasabihan, ah? Scout's honor?"

I raised my right hand again. "Scout's honor."

Then we proceeded to do what we were supposed to do in the office. Our small pep talk somewhat uplifted his mood. Umaliwalas na ang mukha niya, 'di na masyadong problemado.

One question lingered in my mind. Did Alaric Esteban have anything to do with the attempt on Priam's life? 

30

NEXT UPDATE: Fabienne visits Priam in the hospital and meets the Torres family.