THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Exactly one week before the finale!

LORELEI

OUR DAILY execom meetings have been always held in our cramped office. But today's different, I guess? Ipinatawag kami sa gymnasium. To my surprise, hindi lang kami-kaming taga-executive committee ang nandoon. The honorable student council officers were also in attendance, with Emeraude Emerson leading the five.

Nabanggit ni Rye Rubio sa amin bago kami pumunta sa counseling office na may importanteng announcement siya. Napaisip tuloy ako kung tungkol saan ba 'yon. Alam kong may upcoming event kaya pinagawan niya kami ng letter cutouts noong isang araw. But I couldn't imagine why such event, whatever that may be, would call for an assembly.

Agad na umagaw sa atensyon ko si Luthor, hindi dahil sa chilling aura niya, kung 'di dahil sa tangkad niya. He's the tallest among the five so I couldn't not notice him. Even in a large crowd, it would be easy to spot him. When our eyes met briefly, he quickly cut his gaze away. Baka napansin niyang nakatingin din sa kanya si Loki kaya umiwas siya ng tingin.

Nakaupo kaming apat sa may bleachers habang ang iba namang execom members ay nakatayo at naglalakad-lakad sa harapan namin. May kaunting awkwardness sa amin. Hindi ko matukoy kung dahil ba 'to sa banta ni Stein o sa ibinunyag niya tungkol kay Jamie. One thing's for sure: He left us with some thoughts to ponder.

"Why don't they start this assembly and be done with it already?" bulong ni Loki. He's not a fan of gathering so I understood his rant. Kung hindi namin siya binantayan kanina, malamang pumuslit na siya. He'd rather be somewhere else than here. "They're wasting our precious time by calling everyone in here. Did they forget that they can send whatever they wanna say via text message or group chat on social media? That's what technology is for!"

Nagawi sa kanya ang tingin ni Rye na nasa paanan ng bleachers. He shot my seatmate with his one-eye glare that silenced Loki instantly.

Bigla tuloy akong nalungkot. Parang may kulang kasi sa scene. Habang nakatingin ako kay Rye, hindi ko maiwasang ma-imagine na may babaeng nakatayo sa tabi niya. Nakasalamin, naka-bangs at maiksi ang buhok.

If Maggie were still here, paniguradong pagsasabihan niya si Loki tungkol sa kahalagahan ng mga ganitong meeting. She'd also be silencing him with a stare and put him in his proper place.

I shrugged the thought off my head. Mas malulungkot ako kung lalo ko pang iisipin.

"Baka may malaking event na pinaghahandaan ang student council," komento ni Jamie habang pinaglalaruan ang kanyang braided na buhok. "May events na tayong in-organize before pero never silang nagpatawag ng ganitong assembly sa lahat ng execom members."

My gaze lingered on her for a moment. She's not yet in her usual self, but I felt glad that she's saying something. Her counseling session must be helping her.

Bumaba ang aking tingin sa kanyang wrist. Natatakpan pa rin ito ng kanyang sleeves. Muling nag-flashback sa akin ang nangyari sa rooftop. I looked somewhere else. Ayaw ko na ulit maalala 'yon.

"Or there's a change in campus policy," Alistair added, surveying on the execom members before us. "Maybe that's why they need everyone in the committee to be present so we can be properly briefed. They can easily address any questions or concerns while we're gathered here."

Nothing has changed about Alistair. He's been always there for us. Naging isa siya sa mga sandigan ko noong nagluluksa ako sa pagkamatay ni papa. Nandyan din siya para kay Jamie matapos ang kanyang suicide attempt noong isang araw. I couldn't imagine how we could pull through everything without him on our side.

I couldn't imagine how my life would be if I lose any of them.

Stop entertaining those thoughts, Lori! Gaya nga ng sinabi ni Dr. Theresa Pierre, I shouldn't worry about the future because it could certainly affect how I deal with my present. Ang kailangan kong gawin ay enjoy-in ang kasalukuyan, habang magkakasama kami.

Kailangan kong ituon sa ibang bagay ang atensyon ko para hindi ko na ma-entertain ang mga gano'ng scenario. Sana'y simulan na ang meeting. That would keep my mind away from my fears. I also need to review my notes for our next class. Meron kaming long quiz at ayaw kong bumagsak.

Mukhang may nakarinig sa nasa isip ko. Emeraude walked to the center of the stage, holding a microphone. Luthor and the rest of the student council stood behind her in a line. Rye, who stood at the foot of the stage, made a beckoning hand motion to us. Mabilis kaming tumayo at lumapit sa entablado. Finally the meeting's about to start.

"Good morning, everyone!" Emeraude greeted with a smile. Napaka-positive talaga ng aura na ine-emit niya. "Sorry kung biglaan ang assembly natin today. May important at urgent announcement kasi kami kaya gusto naming i-relay agad sa inyo."

Now she had everyone's attention. Some might be asking: What's so urgent? Couldn't it wait for later today or another day?

"The student council is planning to hold a pre-finals party next week. We want to give our fellow students a morale boost for their final exams, especially the seniors. You know how hectic it's gonna be, right? So we want everyone to relax and enjoy before the hell week!"

Other execom members around us gave her a round of applause. Maging kami'y napasabay sa pagpalakpak. Alistair and Jamie seemed to be delighted with the news while Loki only rolled his eyes. He hated parties so I wasn't surprised. Me? I wasn't enthusiastic about it. Pwede kasing gamitin 'yong time sa party para makapag-review. But since it's gonna be an official student activity, I have no choice but to clap along and participate. We'd be on duty, I assume.

"But here's the twist!" Emeraude spoke again when the applause faded. Lalo pang na-excite ang mga nakikinig sa kanya. "Do you know where we're gonna hold it?"

Nagbulungan ang mga estudyante sa paligid namin. I heard them say the venues like "gymnasium," "grand hall," "events center at the mall," "function room of a five-star hotel," etc. Kung may twist ang pre-finals party, I bet na sa labas ng school siya gaganapin. The five-star hotel option sounded like a plausible choice.

"Definitely not at school!" Emeraude shook her head at someone. As expected. There's no real twist kung dito sa campus idaraos 'yon. "No, not at a hotel!"

"Why doesn't she cut to the chase and tell us the answer already?" Loki asked. May ilan sa mga katabi namin ang napatingin sa kanya. I nudged him with my elbow. Masyado kaming malapit sa stage kaya baka marinig kami ng student council president.

"The answer? A cruise ship!"

Everyone in the gymnasium let out a gasp... except the four of us. I stared at Emeraude with widened eyes before looking at my friends. Saktong nagkatinginan kaming apat. They had a mixture of shock and confusion painted across their faces. We must be thinking the same thing.

If we did not receive the invitation to a cruise ship three days ago, we would have been surprised and delighted as well. Lumipas ang ilang segundo, napalitan ang sorpresa at pagkalito ng pagiging seryoso. While everyone around us was happy, clapping and cheering, we were exchanging meaningful glances. Given the context of the message, I don't think that we could rejoice too.

"If you're worried about the fees, you don't have to!" Emeraude announced in a lively tone. "My family and the vice president's family will shoulder the expenses for this party. My dad is a good friend of the cruise line owner in Subic, so I can assure you that we're gonna have a great party!"

Pagbanggit niya sa vice president, agad kong binalingan ng tingin si Luthor. Nakatayo siya nang parang estatwa sa likuran, ni hindi nagbago ang puwesto o gumalaw man lang. His eyes looked straight ahead and he didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm as the other student council officers.

The invitation that we received did not include the sender's name. That left us with one mystery. Could it be him? I wouldn't be surprised kung siya nga. He's been making plans to take down the organization that he's a part of, and the final struggle that he loves to call was becoming more imminent.

Kung tama ang kutob ko, he might be planning to make a big move next week. Otherwise, why would he agree to this thing? Emeraude may love parties, but I couldn't say the same with Luthor.

Wait, next week? Stein mentioned the same phrase this morning! Sinabi niya na kailangan nang magpa-schedule ng counseling session ni Loki para sa susunod na linggo. He was too specific about it. Masyadong kahina-hinala.

If I connect the dots, this pre-finals party might play an important role in whatever they were planning.

"The name of the cruise ship is Dreamhill," Emeraude went on. "We've only seen the images inside and outside this huge boat, but I believe it's going to give us a great experience that some of us may be dreaming about!"

Dreamhill... Nagbato ako ng tingin kay Loki na seryosong nakamasid sa stage. Normally he wouldn't be paying attention to whatever the president was saying, but this time, he's all ears. This cruise ship thing surely piqued his curiosity.

I gulped.

Muling nanumbalik ang masamang kutob na naramdam ko noong araw na natanggap namin ang invitation. Lalong tumindi ang pangamba ko nang banggitin niya na ang "Dreamhill" ay anagram ng "Heimdallr," ang pangalan ng Norse god na nakatunggali ng kapangalan niyang trickster god. I did a quick research on the internet and confirmed that the two killed each other as the world burnt and sank into the sea.

Maybe this was a reach, but I couldn't shake the thought off my head that something bad might happen during this party. We better be prepared on that day.

"We want everyone to enjoy the party. We want everyone to marvel at the beautiful sunset and the endless cerulean sea. But because we are officers serving the student body, we will need your assistance in maintaining the order during the event. I hope that the student council can count on you."

"Of course, you can!"

"Thank you! Let's huddle together at the bleachers so we don't need to stand as we brief you about the event."

Nagmadaling bumaba sa stage si Emeraude at itinuro ang bleachers na nasa kanyang kanan. Sumenyas si Rye na pumunta kaming lahat doon. We followed like sheep to where they stood.

"She could have sent the details via text message," Loki muttered. "Or she could have asked Rye to relay the information to us. I don't see why there's a need for us to be here."

"Well, there might still be something else—"

Nakaramdam ako ng vibration sa aking bulsa. Saglit akong napahinto sa paglalakad. I pulled out my phone and checked on who sent me a text message. My eyes widened as I read one word from Luthor.

Backstage

Iniangat ko ang aking mga mata at lumingon-lingon sa paligid. I couldn't see him anywhere anymore. Umalis yata agad siya matapos sabihin ni Emeraude na mag-usap kami sa bleachers.

Ilang linggo na rin mula noong last niya akong tinext. If I was not mistaken, noong pinatawag niya ako sa archives section ng library upang ibigay ang autopsy at toxicology report ni Augustus Moran.

Mabilis kong ibinulsa ang aking phone bago pa may magtangkang sumilip sa nabasa ko. Mahirap na, baka masilip nina Loki o Jamie ang message. Alistair would respect my privacy so he wouldn't dare.

"Pupunta muna ako sa washroom."

"Gusto mo bang samahan kita, Lorelei?" tanong ni Jamie na akmang sasama na sa akin.

I shook my head slowly and tried to look so relaxed. "Huwag na. Kaya ko namang magbanyo nang mag-isa. Medyo masakit kasi ang puson ko. Pag-reserve n'yo na lang ako ng seat sa bleachers."

"Okay!"

I excused myself and walked as fast as I could to reach the left wing of the gymnasium, near the stage. Nilakad ko ang maiksing hallway patungo sa comfort room ng mga babae. But instead of going there, I walked straight ahead and turned right to the backstage. Luthor stood there, his towering figure cast a shadow on the floor.

Strangely, I no longer feel any chills coming from him. Kung meron man, mahina na lamang. I still don't know why. Maybe I already became comfortable with him being around me? Maybe I was assured that he's an ally, not an enemy that I initially thought he was?

"Hey," I greeted, making him slowly turn to me. "You know that you could have texted me whatever you want to say para hindi na natin kailangang mag-usap nang patago."

While I appreciate his efforts of hiding our conversations like we're engaged in a forbidden relationship, I couldn't help but feel nervous whenever we meet. Siyempre nababahala ako na baka may biglang makapansin sa amin o may pasikretong nakikinig sa pinag-uusapan namin. He's concerned about the privacy of our communication, I'm also concerned about it.

"We can't say if your phone has been hacked," Luthor said, clasping his hands behind him. He took a few steps toward me until we're only a meter away from each other. I raised my head to be able to look at his face that was like a sculpture's. "Talking face to face is better and safer, in my opinion."

Tumingin ako sa pintuang dinaanan ko kanina at ang pintuang nasa likuran niya. "People can still overhear us here. That doesn't make this place a safer choice to communicate. Baka nga may nakatago pang listening bugs dito. Loki might also sneak in and eavesdrop to our conversation."

"You don't have to worry," he assured me. "I had this area scanned for any listening bugs before the assembly. I also have someone keeping an eye on the pathways to the backstage. He'd alert me if someone's coming. However, we have to make this conversation quick. I don't know what excuse you—"

"Sinabi kong pupunta ako sa comfort room."

His dull eyes blinked. "That's probably one of the lamest excuses I have heard. Your female friend could have insisted to come with you. She might check on you in the comfort room if she's curious. Which means, our time to chat has been shortened."

"You can be straightforward and tell me what you have to tell me now," I replied, looking over my shoulder to check if someone's peeking. "Wala nang paligoy-ligoy pa."

"I see that you and my brother haven't heeded my advice," Luthor began. "Jamie is still with you. She's tagging along like a keychain attached to your bag. You haven't discarded her yet. May I ask why?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I maintained eye contact with him. "Because... she's our friend and we want to trust her."

"Despite her connection with the organization's founder?"

"Despite that." I nodded. For a second, I looked away from him. Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng meron sa mga mata niya. He may not intimidate me with his aura anymore, but the way he looked at me? He could send shivers down my spine with a stare. "Wala ka bang tiwala sa kapatid mo? If he shared the same concerns as you, he would have already pushed Jamie away. Pero mas pinili niyang hayaan siya sa tabi namin."

"Something happened between the four of you last week. At the rooftop. I heard from the witnesses that she tried to kill herself by slitting her wrist."

Well, he boasted about having eyes and ears everywhere so I wasn't surprised that he was aware of it. Halos lahat yata ng mga curious na estudyante, alam kung ano ang ginawa ni Jamie sa sarili niya. "She knew that her brother founded the M's organization. But she tried to repress that memory and pretended that her brother's the saint she has always thought of. She felt bad about herself kaya niya nagawa 'yon."

Silence ensued in the backstage. I may not read what he's thinking through his facial expression, but I could say that he's processing the information.

"And yet, you still trust her?" He broke the silence. His tone was becoming more chilling. Hindi lang tingin niya ang nakatatakot, maging ang boses niya. Why did he seem and sound obsessed about us trusting Jamie?

Muli akong tumango. Iniwasan kong tumitig nang matagal sa kanyang mga mata. "Also, Stein revealed to us that Jamie is her spy in our group. He also shared that she volunteered to join the Club so she could keep an eye on us for him."

I wasn't sure if that info came as a surprise to him. He's unreadable! We haven't told him about Jamie being a spy. Loki hinted about it when he and Rosetta paid us a visit last week. Kung magaling siyang magtagpi-tagpi ng mga detalye, he should have known or suspected already.

Well, he didn't need to know everything that we know. Sigurado akong may mga bagay rin siyang itinatago sa amin.

Luthor let out a long sigh, his eyes blinking. I could smell the mint from his breath. "And yet, you still trust her?"

I nodded for the third time. Feeling ko'y dyina-judge niya ako sa malamig niyang tingin. He must be thinking that I was a fool for still putting my faith in someone who has been associated with the enemy. If there's one thing I learned in my stint as a high school detective, not everything is divided between black and white. There are grey areas, and that's where we give people the benefit of the doubt.

"I refuse to believe that my brother is losing his touch," he said. "Unless he has a plan in mind, he wouldn't risk himself of being within the arm's length of an enemy. I would like to believe that he has a good reason for letting a rat within his circle."

Hindi man ako si Jamie, I kinda felt offended when he used the word "rat" to describe her. His tone may be neutral most of the time, but I felt contempt in his voice.

"Loki isn't a fool," I replied, looking at him in the eye. "You, of all people, should know that."

"If he's still the Loki that I knew from childhood, I agree with you." Luthor nodded. "However, since you and the others came along, he might have changed. He might have become blinded by what you claim as friendship. He is as razor-sharp as any blade. I prefer him to remain that way. However, these unnecessary emotions and superfluous human connections may have dulled his sharpness. And that is no way a good news."

Kung sanang mas marami kaming oras sa backstage, handa akong makipagdebate sa kanya. He spoke as if Loki having friends was a bad thing.

"This is the very reason why I cannot fully inform him of my plan," he went on, his eyes looking away. "I do not wish to increase the chances of my plan being thwarted because of his acquaintance who, as I have already forewarned, might become a liability."

"Look, we can talk about your feelings on Loki or Jamie, but we don't have the luxury of time right now, do we?"

"My apologies. I admit that I got sidetracked."

"So why exactly did you call me here?" tanong ko sabay krus ng aking mga braso. Muli na naman akong lumingon sa likuran, baka may biglang sumilip sa amin. "Hindi mo naman siguro ako pinatawag dito upang mag-hello lang, 'no?"

Luthor took a pause as he looked down. "Stein is planning a big move during the cruise party."

Ilang segundo akong tumitig sa kanya, pakurap-kurap ang aking mga mata. Bigla na naman akong nakaramdam ng kaba. Bumilis ang pagtibok ng puso ko. Namawis ako kahit na malamig sa backstage.

"So that was his idea? The cruise ship thingy?"

"No, that was mine," he answered. Hindi ako kumalas ng tingin sa kanya. I don't care if he could petrify me with his stare. "I told him that the cruise ship is a perfect place for his plan. He could minimize the chances of intervention from the outside since everyone will be trapped in a floating steel cage on the sea. No one can leave, no one can barge in. I already gave him the layout so he could plan accordingly."

I gulped. Alam kong kahit kakampi namin siya, galamay pa rin siya ni Stein. He would still be following his orders and supporting him to prevent being suspected as a traitor. But I don't feel comfortable knowing that he's helping him commit a crime or whatever that mastermind was thinking.

"Kapag naging successful kung anuman ang pinaplano niya, magiging accessory ka roon," I warned him kahit alam kong hindi ko na siya kailangang pagsabihan. He's smart. He should know about it already.

"You don't have to worry about me," Luthor spoke slowly and with more emphasis. "What I want you and my brother to worry about is cornering Stein during the cruise. The ship is going to be a cage for his targets, but it is going to be a cage for him as well. I told you that my brother and I need to work together, didn't I? This presents the perfect opportunity."

"Wait a minute." My eyes squinted as I remembered something. "Did you send us an invitation to this cruise ship three days ago?"

His eyebrows slowly furrowed as he stared at me. "Invitation? I haven't sent you anything. But I suggested the cruise idea to Stein five days ago. He could have been the sender."

Umiling ako sabay hawak sa aking chin. "Walang kahit anong symbol or signature ang invitation o envelope na pinaglakipan nito. If it really came from him, he'd surely put the letter M somewhere or if he's bold enough, he'd sign his name."

So if it wasn't Stein and it wasn't Luthor, who could it be?

May third party na naman bang involved dito? Please, no! We already had enough of that in the Augustus case.

"Who else knew about the cruise ship before the day we received the invitation?" I asked.

"Before three days ago? Only me, Emeraude, the rest of the student council, Rye Rubio, Professor Jim Morayta, and Stein Alberts."

My eyes looked away, blinking. So fewer than ten people were aware of the cruise party, huh? That narrowed down the list of suspects. But whoever sent that invitation, they shouldn't be our priority. We should focus on Stein's plan, whatever that may be.

"My brother must put Stein in checkmate during the party," Luthor said, making me look at him again. "And I shall take care of the remaining chesspieces on the board."

"So this might be the beginning of the end?" I muttered.

"This should be," he corrected me. "This is the perfect opportunity to launch an offensive. As I said, the cruise ship will be a moving cage for our common enemy. If Loki acts accordingly, Stein wouldn't have a chance to escape his fate. He would be like a king cornered on a chessboard."

"So you're finally going to throw your hat in the ring? The final struggle, as you call it. You finally found the most opportune moment to strike, if I may quote your own words."

"The truth is, I already have," Luthor said.

Sandaling nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa pagitan namin. Naantala ito nang tila may nakaagaw sa atensyon niya. He slid his left hand in his pocket and drew his phone. He read the message with his eyes. I wonder what's written in there. I assume it's important. Kung galing 'yon sa kanyang network service provider tungkol sa load promo, he would have quickly pocketed his phone.

"May paparating na ba rito?" tanong ko sabay tingin sa likuran. "Should I leave?"

Tumingin siya sa akin at hindi niya ako sinagot. Naglakad siya palabas ng backstage at nagtago sa likod ng isang panel kung saan kita ang mga execom member na nakalupong bleachers. I followed him and hid at the exact same spot.

What was he thinking?

May narinig akong mabibigat na yabag ng mga sapatos. Pumasok sa gymnasium ang isang pamilyar na mukha. Kumunot ang noo ko habang pinapanood ang pagtawid sa maple floor ni Inspector Morgan Morales at ng dalawang campus police officers. They headed to the bleachers.

"Ano'ng ginagawa niya rito?" bulong ko.

"You do know that I am still in possession of Augustus' box," Luthor whispered, his eyes maintaining their stare at what's happening on the bleachers. "With the assistance of Rosetta, we have identified some students who are affiliated with M's organization. People who Stein can use in any of his plans. In other words, his pawns."

Tumingin ako sa kanya't marahang tumango. When they paid us a visit last week, he and Rosetta did not leave the hard drive to us. May paggagamitan pa raw sila noon. But they gave us a copy of the picture where Stein and Jaime Santiago could be seen together in their younger years.

"This is my opening move," Luthor said.

"Sorry to interrupt your meeting. We're looking for a Fred Portellano. Nandito ba siya?"

"My brother must be complaining why we had to call you in the gymnasium," Luthor went on. "The assembly isn't necessary to brief you about the cruise plan. But it's necessary to lure out one of my targets."

Muli kong ibinaling ang aking tingin sa mga taong nasa bleachers. May isang lalaki na nagtaas ng kamay at nagdadalawang-isip kung tatayo ba o hindi.

"The gymnasium can be a cage," Luthor continued. "We can lock any or all of the doors to prevent anyone from going in and getting out. Right now, there's only one entrance and exit to this building."

"May we invite you to the campus police station? We have received an anonymous tip and some materials that implicate you to a number of illegal activities—"

The boy named Fred pushed the students in front of him and galloped from the bleachers. Nagmadali siyang tumakbo patungo sa isa pang nakasaradong exit. Unfortunately for him, no matter how fast he tried to run, may mas bibilis pa sa kanya. Rye quickly chased after him and tackled him to the floor. The campus police officers quickly restrained him and escorted him out of the gym.

I, and the others too, only watched as the events unfold before our very eyes.

"Bale..." Muling akong nagbato ng tingin sa katabi ko. ". . . ibinigay mo sa campus police ang files na nasa hard drive tungkol sa Fred na 'to? Isinuplong mo siya?"

"I have to clear the path to victory," Luthor said. "And I have no patience for useless pieces on the board."

q.e.d.

In the next update, we will board the Dreamhill cruise ship. The final showdown is imminent.

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