THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: One day before the finale.

This is the conclusion part of Chapter 50! Since this update may contain major revelations, PLEASE DO NOT POST SPOILERS ANYWHERE. Reaction posts, memes, and GIFs are okay, as long as they do not give away the context. Let's not ruin other people's reading experience.

LORELEI

"Do you know one thing about me?"

"What?"

"I sometimes like to do the unexpected."

"Ugh! You... Why..."

"Stein, I thought we've agreed that we would never harm Loki?"

JAMIE UNBRAIDED her hair as she looked down on Stein. The latter extended a trembling hand, his fingers shaped like claws, to her. But she ignored him and watched as the bespectacled mastermind, whose smug look had been totally wiped off, gasped for air.

I was stunned. Loki and Alistair were stunned. Wala kaming nagawa kundi manood.

My eyes surveyed her right hand. She was still holding the injection pen that she used on the boy twisting in pain on the deck. Stein's eerie wails were almost drowned by the sound of the ship sailing through the waves and wind.

What's going on here? Bakit may hawak siyang gano'n? Bakit niya in-injection-an si Stein?

Sinubukan ni Alistair na lapitan si Stein, ngunit hinarangan siya ng kamay ni Loki. The latter also shook his head as if telling him that nothing could be done about it. We were too late to do anything.

"Ack...!"

Seconds went by, and Stein's arm went limp and fell on the deck, creating a soft thud. His eyes were protruding. His mouth was wide open, saliva dripping out of his lips. His left hand was also clutching on his chest.

I don't know what to feel upon seeing his lifeless face. I wanted to see him defeated, but not like this.

We stood in silence around the body, still shocked by the unexpected development. None of us moved an inch.

My eyes raised their gaze at Jamie. Sadness was etched on her pretty face. Her vibrant eyes turned dull, now devoid of any light it had always shed. She dropped the injection pen and knelt beside Stein. Maingat niyang ipinatong ang ulo nito sa kanyang lap. She removed the eyeglasses and combed his hair. Her steady hand ran through the mastermind's face, closing the eyes and the mouth. Stein looked like he was sleeping peacefully.

Doon na bumalik ang aking kamalayan. Doon ko na napagtanto kung ano ang nangyari.

Jamie killed Stein. Right in front of our very eyes.

I couldn't believe what I witnessed. She sprang up behind Stein before Alistair or I could make a move. I didn't know that she had it in her to do that.

"Sleep now." Jamie gently placed a kiss on Stein's forehead before she carefully laid it on the deck.

For a moment, I thought of running to her and hugging her as tight as I could for saving Loki's life. But my skeptic mind's telling me not to get any closer. It's as if there's still danger around her.

She looked at the injection pen in her hand and let out an exasperated sigh. "I've been keeping this thing in my hair since we boarded this ship. I had hoped na hindi ko siya kakailanganing gamitin. But..." Even her voice lost its enthusiastic tone. Parang walang buhay. Parang pagod na siya.

"J-Jamie," I called, my eyes blinking at her. "What did you mean when you said, 'I thought we've agreed that we would never harm Loki?' Or better yet, what's going on here?"

"In a desperate move, he went against the golden rule," she answered. "He left with no other choice. Kinailangan ko na siyang patigilin sa laro niya."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Tama ba ang naiisip ko?

"You're not just a spy for him." Loki took a deep breath, his eyes transfixed on our friend. "You're something much more, aren't you?"

Thanks to the lamp lights on our side, I saw her eyes gleaming with tears. Nakikita ko ang kalungkutan sa mga ito. Hindi ko masabi kung pagsisisi o panghihinayang.

"That's right, Loki." Jamie took a pause. "I am Moriarty. Or should I say, I am one of the two Moriartys."

I drew in a sharp breath, my eyes widening slowly. Tila huminto ang pahinga ko habang nakatitig sa kanya. I waited for her to say something else, but she did not.

So much happened tonight, my mind was in a disarray. I may or may not have heard her correctly. Kung pwede kong i-replay ang sinabi niya, ginawa ko na sana.

Did I hear her use the words "I," "am," and "Moriarty" in the same sentence?

"What do you mean by two Moriartys?" Alistair squinted his eyes. Maging siya'y hindi kumibo nang ilang segundo. "Stein is not making decisions alone?"

Loki quickly darted a glance at us. Our eyes met. "Remember what Augustus was trying to say in the board room? Actually, Stein is a su—. We already know that su— stands for successor. But I want to point your attention to the article. 'A' successor."

Muling nag-play sa isipan ko ang boses ni Augustus. Nanindig ang mga balahibo ko sa katawan na parang may bumulong na multo sa akin. That reminds me, noong minsan na sabay kaming pumasok sa school ni Loki, pinaulit niya sa akin kung ano ang sinabi ni Augustus bago nag-black out. He looked like he realized something back then, but he didn't tell me.

"Augustus was the editor-in-chief of Clarion. I'm pretty sure he knows his grammar, particularly his English articles," Loki went on explaining, shifting his glance from us to Jamie. "It struck me as odd that he used a instead of the. 'Stein is the successor' means there's only one person who inherited the title of Moriarty. On the other hand, 'Stein is a successor' could mean there's more than one person who succeeded the original title holder."

Jamie beamed a faint smile. "You knew all along?"

"I suspected."

Wait a minute. If she's one of the successors, that means she's involved in all of the—

I took one step backward and shook my head slightly. Bumigat ang puso ko matapos sumagi ang ideya sa akin. Jamie's been lying all the time? All the spy thing was a lie? All the brother thing was a lie? She's been pretending to be one of us when in fact she's at the top of the organization that we're trying to take down?

Isang rollercoaster of emotions ang gabing ito. Hindi ko na tuloy alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko. Lungkot? Gulat? Galit? Dismaya? Hinayang?

Kumuyom ang mga kamao ko. Halos bumaon na ang aking kuko sa palad. Ayaw kong i-entertain ang mga idea na kumakatok sa isipan ko hangga't hindi ko naririnig ang buong kuwento mula sa kanya.

"Explain yourself, Jamie. We deserve an explanation."

She bowed her head and inhaled deeply. I waited with bated breath for her to look at us again.

"First, I owe you all an apology," she began, gulping. "The truth is, I knew all along that my brother is the former Moriarty. I was on his side when everything started. I also didn't repress my memories about him."

My hand clutched on my chest. After giving her the benefit of the doubt... Oh my, Jamie. How could you do this to us?

"I was aware of my brother's activities, but I didn't take any part of it," she went on. "Ayaw niyang ma-involve ako sa ginagawa niya. He wanted to shield me from getting my hands dirty. I'm his little princess after all. Gano'n siya ka-protective sa akin."

"If you're aware of his crimes and you did nothing to stop him, you're equally responsible," Alistair said. Tiningnan ko siya't hindi ko mawari kung disappointed ba siya sa ibinunyag ng kasama namin. "Paano mo nasikmura ang ginawa ng kuya mo?"

"I believe in his vision. I believe in his ideas," sagot ni Jamie. Tumanaw siya sa malayo at kumurba ang kanyang labi. "Sabay kaming namulat sa katotohanan. It all started when my mother died. You heard it from Tita Dolores, right? According to the police investigation, someone sneaked into our house, saw my mom, killed her, and stole her valuable belongings. Everyone thought that it was robbery with homicide."

I do remember their kasambahay's tale about the Santiago family curse. Every two years, may namamatay sa pamilya Santiago. Six years ago, ang mama niya. Four years ago, ang papa niya. Two years ago, ang kuya niya.

"But... that wasn't the true story?" Loki finished.

Tumango si Jamie. "A year later, my brother found out that my dad killed my mom during an argument and trashed our house to make it look like a case of robbery. Ang galing, 'di ba? Nagawa niyang itago ang krimen. My bro tried to tell the police about his suspicions, but they only laughed it off. Doon niya napagdesisyunan na ilagay sa kamay niya ang hustisya."

I was at a total loss for words.

"My dad..." Jamie choked, then she cleared her throat. "... also molested me many times. Hindi ko na alam kung ilang beses. Ayaw ko nang alalahanin pa. My brother eventually found out, and he thought of reporting it to the police. But I told him that dad might kill him if he did. Kung nagawa nga ni papa na patayin si mama and he got away with it, magagawa rin niya kay kuya o sa akin."

My eyes cut away their gaze. This was too much to hear. This was too much to bear. No wonder why after the Cedric Castillejos incident where Jamie was molested, she was traumatized. She must have remembered her unfortunate experience.

I was through so many ordeals, but hers was on an entirely different level.

"For months, my bro created and revised the plan to murder my dad. One day, hinintay niyang lumabas ang papa namin mula sa kanyang workplace, inabangan sa isang alley na walang security camera, inundayan ng saksak, kinuha ang wallet at phone, at pinagmukhang robbery with homicide. It felt like justice for him."

Hindi ako sang-ayon sa ginawa ng kuya niya. Still I couldn't help but feel sad about the tragedy that befell their family.

"Since then, we had our peace. We were finally free." Jamie looked up at the starry night skies. Napatingala rin kami sa kalangitan. "Naalala ko pa, lagi akong kinakantahan ng kuya ko ng Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star para mapakalma ako tuwing naalala ko ang ginawa ng papa ko sa akin. That song always puts me at peace. It soothes my soul."

And that's why Moriarty chose it as their ring tone? Now I get it.

"But your brother didn't stop there," Loki said. He did not seem to be moved by the story. "He tasted blood, so he started craving for it."

"For a good cause," Jamie replied. "Everything he did was with good intention."

"That's also what some murderers say!" Loki retorted. "But they cannot erase the stain that they are murderers, no matter what their motives may be. A bad deed cannot wash out another bad deed."

Jamie shook her head. "He doesn't plan a crime for senseless reasons. Willing siyang madumihan ang mga kamay niya para matulungan ang mga nangangailangan. Ayaw niyang magaya sa amin ang iba."

"That doesn't change the fact that your brother is a murderer," Loki insisted. He wouldn't back down. "If you fail to see that truth, you've been blinded by your worship of him, seeing him as a venerated hero. You know what's worse? He tried to make an apprentice out of you and Stein."

I could tell from the tone that Loki's getting worked up again. I was torn on whether I'd tell him to tone down or I'd let him hammer the truth like a nail in Jamie's mind.

"You already know that Stein and my brother met in elementary," Jamie recalled. "As you might expect, they became good friends since then. They reunited noong mag-transfer si Stein sa Clark High. They started recruiting people who share the same belief as my brother."

The photo in Stein's folder hidden in the Augustus' box told us as much.

"When my brother died, Stein and I were surprised. We didn't know what to do with his legacy. Stein did not want my brother's efforts to be in vain, so he suggested that we continue it. He made a promise to my brother that he'd protect me, kaya gaya ng dati, hindi niya ako masyadong in-involve sa mga plano niya. He consulted me sometimes, but he didn't let me take the lead. He didn't let me talk to his generals."

I glanced at Loki and Alistair. They seemed to be intently listening to her.

"At first, Stein followed by my brother's footsteps. He only accepted requests from people who have been wronged. Then he got bored. Gusto niyang magkaroon ng challenge kaya imbes na sundan ang discreet na pagpaplano at execution, ginawa niyang mas bold at daring. Then he started to lose track of our goal. Nagsimula siyang tumanggap ng requests na nag-ugat sa poot at inggit. He focused on making it an entertainment and a business rather than a noble cause."

I suddenly remembered what we discussed in the execom office a week ago. About how the current Moriarty was going off the script written by the former. It matched with Jamie's story.

"So you let him drive the car that you and he inherited from your brother off the cliff?" Loki asked. "You didn't do anything to stop him?"

Umiling si Jamie sabay yuko. "There was one time na kinonfront ko siya tungkol doon. He shut me down and reminded me that he's the one-in-charge now. He's the one with influence over the members. I have little to none. Wala akong nagawa kundi hayaan siya."

"You enabled him," Loki said. "If you truly believed in your late brother's noble cause, you should have done something about it. You had a choice, and you chose not to make that choice."

"Maybe there's a reason why she couldn't," Alistair replied. "Posibleng may alas labas sa kanya si Stein kaya wala siyang magawa kundi sumunod."

"Naipit ako." Tumango si Jamie at saka bumuntong-hininga. "Of all people, Stein knows Jaime's secret as the founder of the group that plots the demise of other students. Imagine the scandal that it could create sakaling malaman ng iba ang tungkol doon. Almost everyone in Clark High praised my brother, even after his death, and I had to protect his image."

"By protecting his image, you allowed several meaningless deaths to happen," I told her. Sorry, I couldn't help but share my thoughts. "Their blood is in your hands too, alam mo ba?"

Naintindihan ko ang punto ni Alistair at ang paliwanag ni Jamie. Well, mahirap din kasing magsalita lalo na't hindi ako nalagay sa posisyon niya. Paano kung ako ang may kapatid o kaibigan na may ginawang hindi katatanggap-tanggap at kailangan kong protektahan? Would I have done the same? Would I turn the other way and let the monstrosity to go on?

"Those deaths bothered me too! Hindi naging gano'n kadali sa akin ang lahat!" Jamie exclaimed. Huminto siya sandali at kumalma muna. "Soon I realized that this isn't what my brother would have wanted. This isn't what my brother would have approved of. I was weighing my options kung ano ang pwede kong gawin. Isa sa mga choice ko ay baguhin ang grupo mula sa loob. That's where your brother came in."

My eyes widened. Loki and I exchanged glances before I turned to her. "You knew about Luthor?"

Jamie nodded. "Ako ang nag-suggest kay Stein na i-recruit siya. We became aware of Loki's detective club and we also learned na hindi gano'n kaayos ang relationship niya sa kanyang kuya. I told Stein that we might use it to our advantage. Aside from his influence as a potential student council officer, Luthor could offer us some insights on how to counter Loki. But the truth? I was hoping he would see our group's potential and challenge Stein's leadership."

Loki chuckled. "So you're the one who dragged my brother into this mess? Just to change the organization from the inside?"

Tumango si Jamie. "But that plan might take some time so I needed another option. Baka kasi mali ang tantiya ko sa kuya. He might let himself be dominated by Stein. So I considered making a move myself. Then another death occurred."

Ibinaling niya ang kanyang tingin kay Loki. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Rhea's death," Jamie spoke.

Loki's eyes blinked, looked down and cut his gaze away.

"That was the last straw," Jamie went on. "Hindi ko na matitiis na babuyin pa ni Stein ang nasimulan ng kuya ko. Hindi ko na rin natiis na may kagaya pa ni Rhea na wala namang kasalanan kundi ang mapalapit sa katotohanan. Protecting my brother's legacy is a priority, but we could have dealt with her in another way where she wouldn't be hurt. But Stein chose the most extreme option. I also grieved for her loss, believe me. Since I couldn't wait for my Plan A, I rolled out my Plan B."

"And what exactly... did you do?" Loki's voice cracked.

"I wanted to know if you have what it takes to take down Stein or the organization," she answered with conviction. "If your brother cannot change it from the inside, I'd rather see it go down in flames. Matapos mawala ni Rhea, hinintay muna kitang um-okay. I waited for months and feared that you might have lost interest in everything. Thank God you haven't. You became more determined to catch M, no matter what it takes. And that's exactly what I was looking for."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She planned everything way before we met and before I even transfered to Clark High?

"Dahil natunugan namin na iniimbestigahan mo na kami, sinuggest ko kay Stein na sumali ako sa QED Club para mag-espiya sa inyo. He agreed to my idea. I asked him to not inform me about his moves and only talk to me kapag kailangan. I know how to act, thanks to my theater training, but I want my reactions with you to be genuine. That's kinda risky because almost everyone in the group does not know about me. I could have been hurt. Well, I was. Many times."

So Stein was telling the truth all along!

Jamie pinched some strands of her hair. "Weeks before meeting you, I decided to braid my hair. You may have thought that I only changed my hairdo so I'd resemble Rhea and you'd easily let me in your club. Pero sa totoo niyan, I wanted to remind Stein and myself that someone who wore this braid died a meaningless death."

Sandaling nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa deck. I looked at Loki whose lowered his head. I couldn't see his eyes because of his bangs.

"Then I met you and got close to you," Jamie continued, smiling. "We ate together. We played games together. You welcomed me to your club even though you suspected that I might be an agent sent by Stein."

"I knew something was off when you beat me in blind chess," Loki replied. "There's more to you than meets the eye."

"I observed you up-close and made friends with Lorelei and Alistair. I really enjoyed every moment that we shared together. Every time we laughed and enjoyed those moments, nakakalimutan ko kung sino ba ako at kung ano ang pakay ko sa pakikipag-close sa inyo. Believe me when I say that my emotions and reactions during those moments are genuine. They have become my priceless possessions."

Me too. This may sound like an exaggeration, but I would trade my inheritance from my dad Walter just to relive those moments.

"When I sensed that Luthor was acting the way I was hoping him to and when I deemed you ready to take on the organization, doon ko na napagdesisyunan simulan ang galaw ko," Jamie revealed. Naging seryoso na ulit ang tono niya. "I made my move by telling you about the group's biggest source of funding: The Clarion under Augustus."

That's one of the reasons why I held on to the thought that she's really on our side.

"Matagal nang tinik sa lalamunan namin ni Stein si Augustus," she said. "He can't touch him because of the secrets hidden in his hard drive. When I told him that I planned to reveal the Clarion thing to you, he gave me a thumbs up. Ang hindi niya alam, sinuggest ko 'yon upang simulang i-cripple ang grupo namin."

For that, we have to thank her.

"Remember when Stein joined us in our morning break?" Jamie recalled. "He told us that the organization got weaker. That's true. Magmula nang mawala si officer Bastien Montreal, he couldn't simply order any of his men to commit serious crimes. Wala nang maninigurado na walang kakanta sa kanila. The loss of funding from the Clarion and of the hard drive were the heaviest blows so far. Without money and blackmailing materials, humina ang hawak ni Stein. The organization was on its decline. But someone or some people had to finish it off."

Kung hindi ko pinakinggan ang paliwanag niya, I would have accused her of many things. Now that I've listened to her side of the story, I became more enlightened.

"All I wanted was to protect my brother's image," Jamie said, her eyes looking up. "I want him to be remembered by his good deeds. Ayaw kong madungisan ang reputasyon niya. Sadly, some things were beyond my control. You managed to dig deep about him and the organization. I soon realized that, if I really want to bring the group down, his secret couldn't be spared."

"The rooftop incident..." I muttered. "Was slitting your wrist just a stunt?"

Hindi siya agad nakasagot. I hope she wouldn't lie anymore. "I've known you guys for months. I kinda expected that if I do that in front of you, hindi n'yo ako pababayaan. Gagawin n'yo ang lahat para iligtas ako."

"But why? Why make that risk?" Alistair asked with concern. "You could have been seriously injured. You could have died."

"That was a gamble on my part," Jamie admitted. "You're considerate of my feelings. That much is obvious. So if I show any suicidal tendency, you wouldn't bring up the topic that might trigger my dark thoughts. You would hesitate to ask me your questions."

"But Stein must have suspected that you're working against him," Alistair added. "We haven't told you about these, but he revealed to us na ikaw ang nag-volunteer na mag-espiya sa QED Club at na isang stunt lang ang paglalaslas mo"

"I know what he told you. I asked him to expose me to you."

What?

"I wanted to know how you'd react. I wanted to know if what we have is genuine," Jamie said, her eyes looking down. "Gusto kong malaman kung itataboy n'yo ba ako. Gusto kong malaman kung puputulin n'yo na ang koneksyon n'yo sa akin. But you didn't. You still put your trust in me."

We did. Personally I do not regret my decision.

"You're the one who sent the invitation and the tickets, I assume?" Loki asked. "Last full show. Curtains fall. Final bow. Those are words commonly used in performances. Among the people we know, you're the most likely sender."

Jamie flashed a wry smile. "That's my conviction. I'm gonna put an end to all this. In one final act."

My eyes squinted at her. What did she mean by that?

Dahan-dahan siyang tumayo at huminga nang malalim. Nilanghap niya ang malamig na hanging pabugso-bugso sa aming direksyon. "Al, can you move Stein's body please?"

Nagkapalitan kami ng tingin ni Alistair, parehong nakakunot ang noo namin. Tumango ako sa kanya bilang senyales. He carefully lifted the body and brought it to a safer place.

"It is done," Jamie said, leaning against the handrail. She raised her chin, her sparkling eyes stared at the stars above us. She lowered her gaze and gave me a meaningful look.

"These past few months have been a blessing to me." Her eyes glistened with tears as she bit her lower lip. "Thank you. And I'm really, really sorry."

What happened next was something that I didn't expect.

I looked at her with a wide-eye stare. My mouth gaped at Jamie as she leaned back too much until her body slid from the handrail. Kasabay ng pagkahulog niya ay ang pagkalaglag ng puso ko.

Almost. Thank God, Loki was able to catch her hand! She's now dangling on the side of the ship with Loki trying to pull her back on the deck.

"WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO SAVE ME, LOKI? I'M BEYOND REDEMPTION! LET ME GO!"

"NO ONE IS BEYOND REDEMPTION, YOU HEAR ME?"

"BUT IT'S A GAME OVER—"

"IT'S NOT YET OVER! THERE ARE WAYS FOR YOU TO MAKE UP FOR YOUR MISTAKES! BUT NOT THROUGH THIS!"

What the hell was I doing? Why was I watching them in a shouting match?

Wake up, Lorelei! The upper half of Loki's body was bent over the handrail. He was slipping too!

Nagmadali akong tumakbo sa kanya. Muntikan na siyang mawalan ng balanse at mahulog, kung 'di ko lang nahawakan agad ang kanyang kamay. I had a mini-heart attack when his hand almost slipped.

"Hang on!"

Ouch! My hand clutched firmly on his wrist. Parang matatanggal na ang braso ko sa sakit! Ramdam ko ang bigat ng dalawa. My other hand held on the rail, but the moist was making my fingers slippery. My body was being pulled down too. Madudulas na ako!

"HELP! HEL—"

Tuluyan na akong nahulog mula sa handrail.

This couldn't be happening.

The three of us were falling...?

We would still enjoy the night without the terror of Moriarty.

We would still watch the sunrise tomorrow.

We would still chat and laugh.

Loki would still trade barbs with his brother.

Jamie would still cling to Loki's arm.

And I...

I would still look forward to making memories with them!

Ito na ba? Dito na ba matatapos ang kuwento namin?

Hanggang dito na lang ba ang lahat?

Maybe this was it.

Isinara ko na ang aking mga mata at inihanda ang sarili ko. The chilling sea breeze greeted my face.

"HOLD ON!" Alistair shouted as he grabbed me by the arm. Biglang namulat ang aking mga mata. I raised my gaze at him and observed his contorted face. Sinusubukan niyang humawak sa handrail at buhatin kaming tatlo. "HELP! HELP!"

"Alistair..." I muttered. Jamie must have asked him to move Stein's body so he couldn't save her.

Unti-unting dumudulas ang braso ko mula sa kanyang kamay. Kitang-kita ko sa paglukot ng kanyang mukha ang sakit. He tried to pull me, but he couldn't. We were too heavy for him.

The three of us were dangling on the side of the ship while Alistair was slumped on rail, trying not to join us in our imminent fall.

Hindi niya kaya.

Hindi niya na kakayanin.

Kapag ipinagpatuloy niya ito, mahuhulog siya kasama namin.

Anyone, please help us!

"OUCH!" I screamed in pain as I felt my arm being dislocated from my shoulder. The weight was too much for me! Halos maiyak na ako sa sobrang sakit. Pero hindi ko kayang bitawan si Loki na hawak din si Jamie.

"LORELEI, LET GO!" Loki yelled.

"NO, I WON'T!"

"LET GO!"

"AYAW KO!"

"PLEASE!"

"NO! HINDI KO KAYO BIBITAWAN!"

Alistair groaned as he clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth. His upper body was starting to slip from the handrail. Hindi na talaga niya kaya! Mahuhulog na kaming apat sa dagat!

Please! Can anyone come and save us?

"LET GO, LORELEI!"

"SABING HINDI! HINDI KO KAYA BIBITAWAN!"

"AT THIS RATE, THE FOUR OF US WILL FALL FROM THIS SHIP!"

I bit my lower lip as tears rolled nonstop down my cheeks. My arm was becoming numb from the pain, but I was still trying to hold on. Hindi ko siya magagawang bitawan.

"NO, I CAN'T—"

My eyes widened as I screamed at the top of my lungs. I felt his nails digging deep into my arm. The pain was too much already, I couldn't handle it anymore!

Then it happened.

My hand lost its grip on his wrist. He slipped from my grasp.

Tila naging slow motion ang nasaksihan ko. My ears became clogged. I could no longer hear my own screams. I could no longer hear the sound of the ship's engine.

My eyes looked down. Loki was saying something to me, but I couldn't hear him. His mouth was moving, but I couldn't make out the words. His right hand was stretched upwards while his left still held Jamie's.

He then shut his eyes as if he had already accepted his fate. His face became smaller and smaller until... there was a splash on the water.

My jaw dropped. I tried to scream, but no voice would come out of my mouth.

No, this can't be.

Alistair managed to pull me back to the deck. We both rolled on the floor. He was asking me something, but I couldn't hear him over the sound of my thoughts.

My tears turned into a stream. I got to my feet, looked down and still stretched out my arm below, hoping that they would grab it.

Loki... Jamie...

Please jump out of the water!

Jump out of the water and grab my hand!

Grab my hand!

Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang pinagsisigaw ko. Pangalan ni Loki. Pangalan ni Jamie. Pangalan ng mga santong kilala ko. Wala na akong pakialam kung mapaos ako.

I almost fell again from the deck when I tried to extend my hand further. Alistair wrapped me from behind with his arms and pulled me away from the edge. I slapped his hands away, but he wouldn't let me go.

I was bawling my eyes out.

I was screaming.

I was flinging my arms around, like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Calm down, Lori!"

Doon na bumalik ang pagdinig ko. Doon na nagsidatingan sa deck ang mga estudyante, faculty member at crew ng barko. Luthor was among them. His gaze landed on me before he ran toward the handrail and looked down.

"Turn this ship around!" I yelled repeatedly. "TURN THIS SHIP AROUND!"

Wala nang tigil sa pagpatak ang mga luha ko. Basang-basa na ang aking mukha. But I no longer cared how I looked.

I only cared about my friends. Two of my friends.

Alistair hugged me so tight, making me feel the warmth of his body.

I gazed blankly into the distance, my mouth hanging open.

q.e.d.

And there you have it! The last chapter of Project LOKI. Tomorrow, December 30, will be the epilogue.

Let me know your thoughts or reactions on Twitter by tweeting with the hashtag #ProjectLOKI!

Please avoid directly mentioning the names of characters that can be considered spoilers. Reaction posts, memes, and GIFs are okay, as long as they do not give away the context.