A/N: And I'm back! Sorry if it took a while. I had to finish working on the "Chronicles of the QED Club" before continuing the wave of updates.

For those who aren't aware, the "Chronicles" or "COQC" is a book that I'm gonna self-publish soon! If you're interested in having a copy, please wait for the official announcement and order details this November! You can also read the chapters here on Wattpad.

Enough with the shameless plug! Let's get back to the game!

HEL

POOR DAD. I wish I could be there to console him.

I was scrolling through my newsfeed when I saw this amateur video from a random netizen. A female high school student got run over by a reckless driver. At first, I thought this was just a usual clip. The ones you commonly see on the internet. But when I paused the video and zoomed it on the people around the girl's unconscious body, I saw a familiar face.

It was my dad. And his loyal sidechick.

In the age of social media, hindi na kailangang dumepende sa media sites para makasagap ng balita. Anyone can be a journalist—a citizen journalist to be specific—as long as they have a smartphone, a social media profle, and an internet connection.

Thanks to the video uploader, I got an idea of what might be going on in my dad's life right now. He knelt down before the body. He sat frozen for minutes. He looked genuinely concerned in the video, as if he cared for the girl lying in front of him.

That didn't look like him. I heard from multiple sources that he's cold and harsh sometimes. He doesn't feel emotions the way normal humans do. So this crack in the personality that I've known him for? It's kinda strange to me.

But he's a human after all. Like me. Like everyone else. Humans can change over time. Good turn evil. Evil turn good.

"I knew her."

I looked to my left. Officer Gareth Estrada was firmly clutching on the steering wheel. I was seated beside him. High school students like me aren't supposed to be chilling in a police car unless I'm a victim or a suspect. But the officer made an exemption for me. After all, we had a case to solve.

"Margarette Fernandez..." Sandaling nagawi ang kanyang tingin sa akin. "Hindi kami naging close noong ako pa ang chief ng campus police, pero ilang beses na nagkrus ang landas namin. She was the head of the student executive committee, I think? Pero ang pinakatumatak sa akin ay ang aming encounter early this year."

"What was it?" I curiously asked.

"She went to my office and begged me to do everything to catch the mysterious M," the officer answered, his eyes blinking as if he was reminiscing the good old days. "Naikuwento ko na sa 'yo ang tungkol kay M, 'di ba? O hindi pa?"

"You told me some things about that person," I recalled. He was only giving me snippets of what he knew, but I still managed to put together a picture of what he's trying to say. So there's this evil mastermind who's planning and executing crimes in Clark High. That person's the reason why the officer, then-inspector, lost his position in the campus police.

"Don't you wanna try solving that case?" he asked.

I hummed as I watched the other cars blur past us. "My dad's already investigating that case. I don't think he'll appreciate my help. If he can't solve it, then I can't~"

Also I only accept and investigate cases personally referred to me by clients. By "clients," I mean, the spirits who are still seeking justice for their deaths. So far, no one from Clark High has ever visited me. The only spirit who had a connection to that school was the one we found a few days ago in an apartment.

"Ang sabi mo, kaya mong kausapin ang mga patay, 'di ba?" the officer asked, glancing at me. "Naisip ko lang na baka pwede mong kausapin ang mga espiritu ng mga biktima. Tapos ituturo nila sa 'yo kung sino ang pumatay sa kanila. Meron akong officer noon na involved sa organisasyon ni M. Mukhang marami siyang alam pero 'di niya naibunyag sa amin ang lahat ng nalalaman niya."

"My special skill doesn't work that way, officer~" I said in a singsong. "I can only talk to spirits if they talk to me first. How do I put this? Let's use a phone call analogy. Kailangang tawagan muna nila ako bago ko sila makausap. Hindi pwedeng ako ang magda-dial sa kanilang number. Get it?"

Napakamot ang isang kamay ng officer sa kanyang ulo. I tried to simplify it, so I hope he already understood. "Ang complicated naman pala niyang ability mo. Akala ko kagaya ka ng mga psychic na pwedeng tumawag ng mga espiritu."

"By the way, officer~" I jerked my thumb over my left shoulder. "I hope you don't mind if a new acquaintance of mine rides with us. May bibisitahin din siya sa pupuntahan natin."

Ilang beses na tumingin sa rearview mirror si Officer Estrada. Naniningkit pa nga ang mga mata niya para makita kung sino ang itinuturo ko. Well, he couldn't probably see her since he didn't have his third eye open.

"Hel!" he growled. Every tinge of color left his face. Parang nakakita siya ng multo kahit hindi naman. "'Di ba sinabi ko na sa 'yong huwag kang basta-basta magpapasakay ng kung sinong espiritu? Paano kung hindi na siya umalis sa police car na 'to?"

"But she's a good spirit~" I replied. "She's not gonna haunt this police car forever. Nakikisabay lang siya sa atin kasi 'di niya kayang mag-teleport."

"Kahit na! Mabuti nga't hindi ko siya na nakikita. Gusto mo bang atakihin ako sa puso? Baka bumangga tayo sa kalsada!"

"Relax, officer~" I tried to calm him down. Why was he so terrified? I twisted in my seat to check the white lady at the back. She asked me if she could hitch a ride. How could I refuse? Ilang oras na raw siyang naghihintay sa tapat ng police station kanina. Hayan, nalungkot tuloy siya. "Don't be sad. Masama lang ang gising ni officer kaya ganyan ang mood niya—"

"Hel, please tigilan mo na ang pakikipag-usap sa kanya. Nangingilabot na ako!"

His voice was shaking. He might be having a heart attack right now. I don't want us to meet an accident where he might die and hold grudge against me.

Inayos ko ang aking upo at hindi na tumingin pa sa likuran. I only glanced at the rearview mirror and gave the white lady a wink.

"About this Margarette girl," I went back to our topic before we got sidetracked. "How close was she with my dad?"

"Masasabi kong hindi talaga sila gano'n ka-close." Medyo kumalma na si officer. Unti-unti nang nagbalik ang kulay sa kanyang mukha. "Ang ka-close talaga ni Loki ay ang kaibigan ni Margarette. Si Rhiannon o Rhea. Nang mamatay si Rhea, napansin kong mas naging distant si Margarette kay Loki. Sinisisi niya ito sa nangyari sa kaibigan niya."

Oh, is that so? I watched the video again. Margarette must have felt some resentment toward my dad. But my dad... didn't reciprocate it? I see. He must be blaming himself too for what happened to that Rhea girl. I don't know the full story behind this accident video, but he must have felt some responsibility to what happened to Margarette. Why would he react this way if he didn't?

"Teka, sigurado ka ba sa pupuntahan natin?" Officer Estrada asked, turning the wheel to the right. "Sure ka bang doon natin makikita ang mga taong hinahanap natin?"

"I checked the profile of Margarette's parents," I answered, clicking on my Facebook app and browsing through my history. "I read that today's her interment at Pax et Lumen Memorial Park. They must be there with the grieving family and friends."

I still haven't had any serious conversation with my dad and his friends since the day I snuck into their school. They must be so busy with other cases. But I needed to put an end to the murder case in the apartment. Kailangan ko na silang makausap at makakuha pa ng impormasyon.

My eyes landed on the folder resting on the dashboard. The logo of the Angeles City Traffic Management Bureau was printed on the front cover. Officer Estrada is in the Major Crimes Division. Why did he have a file related to traffic?

I grabbed the folder and opened it. The officer only shot me with a glance. I guess the contents weren't that confidential. He would have scolded me for randomly grabbing some stuff in the police car.

Silently I read the file with my eyes, turning over the pages as soon as I was done with them. I was still confused as to why the officer had this document. Was he suspecting that there's a foul play?

"Alam mo bang nahirapan akong kunin ang file na 'yan?" the officer shared. "I requested for that file last week, pero hindi agad pinrocess ng Traffic Management Bureau. Ano raw ba ang pakialam ng isang taga-Major Crimes sa isang traffic accident?"

I went back to the first page before darting a glance at him. "So how did you get it?"

"Kinailangan ko pang makipagpustahan doon sa officer," he answered, smiling as if he remembered something funny. "Masuwerte si Loki dahil meron siyang kakilala sa Angeles City Police Department. Kung wala, mahihirapan siyang makuha 'yan."

"Wait. My dad requested for this?"

The officer nodded. "Hindi niya sinabi sa akin kung bakit. Pero malamang related 'yan sa isa sa mga kasong iniimbestigahan nila. Aba, nakakailang pabor na siya sa akin, ah? Kailan ko kaya siya sisingilin?"

I took one of the photos attached to the file and studied it carefully. It was a car wreckage.

"Why was my dad interested in a traffic accident that happened two years ago?" I asked, my eyes blinking as I looked out of the window.

The officer shrugged. "'Yan din ang tanong ko noong sinabihan niya ako. Noong una, nagtataka rin ako kung bakit. Baka may personal na kaso siyang iniimbestigahan sa labas ng Clark High. Lagi kasing within the campus ang sino-solve niya. Pero nang makita ko ang details ng biktima sa aksidente, medyo nagkaroon ako ng idea."

I looked for the victim's details. Jaime Santiago. Eighteen years of age. Drove a compact sports utility vehicle. Crashed his car at the intersection in the fifth district.

"Nang mabasa ko ang name niya, aba, parang narinig ko na noon, ah?" the officer said. "Kaya pala familiar kasi siya ang student council president ng Clark High. Two years ago. Nagkausap na kami noon sa office ko. Personal niya akong pinuntahan para i-request na ipaimbestigahan 'yong mga kahina-hinalang pagkamatay sa campus. Meron kasing mga suicide incident at accident noon na feeling niya, may involved na foul play."

"What a concerned student council president," I muttered. In my school, the student council wasn't doing anything so noble. They merely exist because they're required by our student body constitution.

"Nag-request din siya na kaagad ko siyang i-update kapag may development sa imbestigasyon," he went on. "Sayang nga lang dahil naaksidente siya. Wala nang nag-follow-up sa amin na mag-imbestiga. Tapos natabunan pa ng ibang insidente sa Clark High kaya hindi na namin naasikaso ang huling request niya sa amin."

"So is it safe to assume that my dad thinks there's something wrong with this person's death?" I asked with squinted eyes. "He won't be requesting for this file just to use it as another reading material, will he?"

"Bakit 'di natin siya tanungin mamaya? Kapag nakita natin siya sa libing ni Margarette."

Right. We'd be seeing each other again in a few minutes. It's been a while since he last saw me. When I illegally trespassed into their campus, I failed to meet him there. And I was also being chased by some boys so I had to leave prematurely.

"How do you pronounce his name~?" I asked. "Is it the usual Hay-me or Jey-mi?"

"Para sa akin, Hay-me," he replied. "Pero noong tinawagan ako ni Loki, Jey-mi ang tawag niya."

"Jey-mi? Like the name of one of his sidechicks?" My finger underlined the surname "Santiago." I saw this last name on one of the social media posts when I was stalking the QED Club.

"Kung 'di ako nagkakamali, magkapatid silang dalawa. May pagkakahawig sila, 'di ba? Parang nakita ko na rin silang magkasama noon sa campus, pero hindi pa gano'n ang hairstyle ng babaeng Santiago. Nakalugay pa noon ang buhok niya."

I remember meeting that girl in the Bascoville case. The first time I met my dad face to face. I could tell that she doesn't like me by the way she glared at me and how she gritted her teeth whenever she saw me.

She claimed to be my dad's queen, to which I responded, "A white queen or a black queen?"

Our police car entered the memorial park premises. I checked the interment schedule on the board and saw Margarette Fernandez' name alone on it. Good. We wouldn't have a hard time looking for it, in case there were a number of burials today.

The officer went on driving until he pulled to the side of the road. From where I sat, I saw a crowd of people wearing black dress.

And spirits in white ones too.

I know they're still in mourning, but we couldn't delay this any longer.

We may mourn with the living, but we must still give justice to the dead.

q.e.d.

If you've enjoyed reading this prologue, share your thoughts or theories on Twitter using the hashtag #ProjectLOKI!