CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter may contain content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, self-harm and suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault, strong language and more.

Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.

LORELEI

"SOMEONE BROKE into your apartment?" Alistair asked as we were walking down the third floor's hallway, on our way to the clubroom. Tapos na ang morning period namin kaya may time na kaming bumisita roon. Nauna kong ikinuwento sa kaniya ang conclusion ng Avada Kedavra case, 'tapos ang panloloob sa apartment namin. "May clue ba kayo kung sino ang may gawa n'on?"

Umiling ako. "Wala raw napansin si Tita na kahina-hinalang taong pumasok sa apartment. Tinanong namin ang mga tenant sa katabing units, pero wala rin silang napansin na kakaiba. Wala ring CCTV camera sa bawat floor. We have no clue on who did it and what they looked like."

"They stole only Loki's laptop, huh? The thief must have known what that device contains. Otherwise, hindi 'yon pupuntiryahin. Alam mo ba kung ano'ng laman n'on?"

How should I put it? Parang hindi maganda kung aaminin kong blackmailing materials. "Let's just say the laptop contains files that Loki may use in the future to turn a situation in his favor."

Umangat ang isa niyang kilay. "Then you can suspect the people who know about the laptop's existence. Kung may sinabihan kayo tungkol sa laman n'on, they are at the top of your suspect list."

No one knew about the Pandora's Box in Loki's laptop except the two of us. I had never mentioned its contents to anyone when I brought it to convince Luthor and the student council not to dissolve our club. Whoever was in possession of that laptop, as long as they cracked the password, could literally and figuratively make anyone kneel before them.

"Maiba ako. St. Bart's cultural festival is fast approaching," banggit ni Alistair nang kumaliwa kami sa hallway. "Bago ako umalis doon, sinabihan ako ni Lionel na welcome tayong pumunta kung gusto natin. Do you want to come?"

Akmang pipihitin ko na ang doorknob ng clubroom namin nang bigla akong napahinto. Then there was silence. That was just a categorical question, yet it took me a while to think about it. Of course, I missed my old school. Na-miss ko ang mga hallway, ang cafeteria, at iba pang lugar doon. Na-miss ko rin ang mga dati kong classmate at teacher. If given the chance, I would want to visit there again. However, my bitter memories associated with it were making me reconsider.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," dugtong niya nang nanatili akong tahimik. "Ilang linggo pa naman bago ang festival. Puwede mo pang pag-isipan."

I ended up not answering his question. Hindi pa ako handang sagutin 'yon sa ngayon. I turned the knob and pushed the door inward. Papasok na sana ako, pero nanigas ako sa aking kinatatayuan nang tuluyang bumukas ang pinto. There were two familiar figures at the end of our long table. Magulo ang buhok ng lalaki na parang hindi sinuklayan habang naka-braid ang abot-dibdib na buhok ng babae.

"L-Loki?!" I gasped with my eyes wide open. There he was, seated in his swivel chair with Jamie standing beside him. Parang ilang taon na kaming hindi nagkita kahit magkasama kami araw-araw. Hindi ko kasi in-expect na makikita ko siya ngayon dito sa clubroom.

Umangat ang ulo niya sa akin. Isang walang buhay na tingin ang isinagot niya.

"B-Bakit ka nandito?" Kinusot ko pa ang mga mata ko at lumapit sa mesa para tingnan kung siya nga talaga ang nakaupo roon. Baka isa siyang mannequin na ginawa ni Jamie dahil sobrang miss na niya si Loki. Walang ekspresiyon sa mukha ng lalaking tinitigan ko kaya aakalaing isa siyang manyika.

"Why do you look and sound so surprised? I'm the club president, and I have every right to be here."

Confirmed. Siya nga ang kaharap ko at hindi isang mannequin. I did not mean to sound as if I was not happy to see him here. Pumuslit ba siya para makapasok sa school building?

"Pero 'di ba, suspended ka pa?" sunod kong tanong. "Paano ka nakapasok?"

"Wait, didn't I tell you yesterday that my suspension has been lifted?" Kumunot ang noo niya sa akin. Tumingin siya sa ibang direksiyon at humina ang boses. "Or was I talking to myself when I received the good news from my brother?"

My eyes shifted their gaze away from him to the girl beside him. Nakaka-miss din palang makita si Jamie lalo na ang laging pagdikit niya kay Loki kapag nasa clubroom kami. After ilang days ng pagiging missing in action niya rito, sa wakas ay nagpakita na siya. At ang rason kung bakit muli siyang sumulpot? Dahil kay Loki.

"Have you met Alasdair?" tanong ni Loki sa kaniya sabay muwestra sa kababata ko. "No? He's our new member, recruited by Lorelei during my absence as club president."

Alasdair? Saan niya napulot ang pangalang 'yon? Noong nag-meet sila sa apartment, Altamont naman ang itinawag niya. Hopeless na talaga siya pagdating sa mga pangalan. At least, Alasdair was closer to Alistair, compared to Altamont.

"Oh!" Jamie looked at me suspiciously before approaching the guy on my right. "Hi! My name's Jamie Santiago, a former theater actress and now a QED Club member! Pleased to meet you!"

"I'm Alistair Ravena. The pleasure is all mine."

"Do you mind if I call you Al? Ang haba kasi ng Alistair, eh!"

"Sure!"

The two of them shook hands and exchanged smiles. Ngayo'y officially na kaming magkakakilalang apat.

Jamie clapped her hands once, a grin plastered on her face. "Why don't we hold a party to celebrate Loki's return and welcome Alistair to the club?"

"Instead of holding a party, we must focus on solving cases," agad na kontra ni Loki. "Once the students hear that the QED Club is back, requests will start pouring in again. We must be ready to be at their service."

"Minsan lang, Loki! Pagbigyan mo na!" pagsusumamo ni Jamie. "Habang wala pa tayong clients, enjoy-in muna natin ang pagbabalik mo. We need to have some fun!"

Kaso iba ang kahulugan ng salitang fun para kay Loki. Masaya na siyang may iniimbestigahan kaming kaso.

"I saw it," Alistair whispered in my ear. "How quickly she changes her façade. Her smile when we entered the room, the daggers she shot at you, and her smile when we shook hands. There's more to her than meets the eye."

My mouth hung loosely open as I glanced at my childhood friend. This was the first time he met Jamie—I never mentioned her to him!—but he had already sensed that something was off with her. But why should I be that surprised? The moment he and Loki met at the café almost a month ago, he figured out almost instantly that my companion and I were only pretending to be a couple. He got a skill of seeing through the masks of those whom he encountered.

"Don't you agree, Lori?" nakangiting humarap sa akin si Jamie. Ngayon, tinatawag na niya ako sa nickname ko na para bang close talaga kami.

"Sure, why not?" I was not against the idea so I nodded. "Walang masama kung magpa-party tayo hangga't wala pang kumakatok sa pinto natin. It's good to have that kind of fun once in a while."

"How about you, Al?" sunod niyang tinanong ang kababata ko. "Okay lang ba sa 'yo na mag-party tayo para i-welcome ka at i-welcome back si Loki dear?"

"As long as we have something to celebrate, why not?"

"But something else is much more important tha—"

Jamie pressed her forefinger on our protesting president's lips, instantly silencing him. "Three of us have voted for the party kaya ipu-push na namin. Just relax and enjoy, okay?"

Pero hindi siya basta-basta patatalo. "I veto that motion."

"Ano'ng veto-veto? The majority has spoken! Magpa-party tayo sa gusto mo o hindi!"

"I am the president," may diing sabi ni Loki. Hindi ko siya gano'n kadalas marinig na ipamukha ang kaniyang posisyon. He would only probably use it in a situation where he was outvoted. "Even if the majority agrees, I can veto it."

"In most organizations, the president has veto power," sabi ni Alistair. "In the case of this club, you can only exercise that power if it's granted by our constitution and by-laws or a charter. Meron ba tayong gano'n dito?"

Mariin akong umiling. "Walang kahit anong official document ang QED Club. Application form lang ang meron tayo."

"Then his veto power is non-existent. We have to submit ourselves to the will of the majority. Dahil tatlo sa apat na member ay in favor sa party, 'yon ang susundin natin."

"Yay! Mabuti't may member tayo gaya ni Al!" Halos magtatalon sa tuwa ni Jamie. "Loki dear, hindi mo kami madaraan sa technicality kasi wala naman tayong set of written rules dito."

"Fine! Just this once, let's have it your way." Napataas ang mga kamay ni Loki. "Just don't ask me to buy the food and drinks. This is your idea, not mine."

"Don't worry, kami nang bahala ro'n!" She turned to me and Alistair. I know where this is going. "Is it okay kung kayong dalawa ang bumili ng pagkain at inumin sa cafeteria? Dapat may maiwan sa atin dito sa clubroom para bantayan si Loki dear. Baka bigla siyang tumakas."

Siya ang nag-suggest ng party pero sa amin niya ipinapasa ang legwork. Baka gusto niyang ma-solo si Loki kaya kaming dalawa ni Alistair ang inuutusan niya? I might not be as sharp as Loki or Alistair, but I could see right through her intentions.

Bago pa ako makapagbitiw ng oo o hindi, may biglang kumatok sa pinto namin. Kung sinuman ang nasa labas, hindi na niya hinintay ang aming sagot. Basta-basta niya pinihit ang doorknob at itinulak papasok ang pinto.

Who is it?

I took a step back and clutched onto the nearby chair. My legs began trembling as I stared at our visitor's familiar face. I thought that Luthor was the only one who could send chills down my spine. But as it turned out, there was another one.

Nag-iba ang ihip ng hangin sa loob ng clubroom. Nabalot ng seryosong ekspresiyon ang mukha ni Loki, nakapatong ang mga siko sa armrest ng upuan, at ipinagdikit ang mga dulo ng daliri na parang nagdarasal. Napawi naman ang ngiti sa mga labi ni Jamie at napaurong sa likuran ng swivel chair. Tanging si Alistair ang nanatiling kalmado sa amin.

Stein Alberts, also known as Moriarty, stood before us. Ang akala ko'y nasa coma pa siya? Pero kung talagang siya ang kaharap namin, nagising na siya mula sa halos dalawang linggong pagkakahimbing niya.

"What's with the heavy atmosphere here?" bulong ni Alistair sa akin habang pinagmamasdan ang bisita namin.

Naikuwento ko na sa kaniya ang iilang encounter namin sa tinaguriang Napoleon of Crime noong una ko siyang dinala rito sa clubroom. Pero hindi pa pala niya nakita sa personal ang taong 'yon.

"Remember Moriarty? That's him. He's also the boy in the video, the student that Loki repeatedly kicked."

Stein slid his hands inside his pockets and stood near the other end of the table, directly opposite to Loki. "Sorry for letting myself in without your permission. I got too excited to see you again. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Dahil medyo malapit ako sa kaniya, my instinct told me to take more steps backwards. Hinila ko rin ang sleeve ng uniform ni Alistair para mapaurong din siya. Stein's aura was suffocating me kahit wala pa siyang ginagawa.

"Congratulations, you're still alive," Loki greeted him. There was a glint of anger in his dull eyes. He must be maintaining his composure in front of the boy who had his friend murdered.

"How about a thank you?" Stein dragged a chair and sat on it. He crossed his legs and placed hands on his lap as if he was a king comfortably seated in his throne. "A simple expression of gratitude won't be remiss."

"Why should I?"

"Because I've decided not to pursue a case against you. You could have been in jail by now if I did."

"Oh, you want me to say the magic word?" Loki's eyebrow crept up. "Thank you."

"That didn't sound sincere."

"Irrelevant. You wanted me to say those words, so I did."

"Fine!" Stein held both of his hands up in the air. "I promise not to file a case against you, with or without a sincere thank you. I can't lose my archenemy now that the game has gotten more interesting. If I did, I would lose a valuable playmate."

"So plotting your victims' demise was a game for you?"

"The same can be said whenever you solve cases."

Watching their exchange was similar to watching a tennis match. I looked at one player, then to the other as they kept on swinging their rackets. The atmosphere was getting more intense in the clubroom. None of us except Loki chose to engage with Stein.

"It's so nice to see new faces in your little club." His lips twisted into a mischievous smile at me, Alistair, and Jamie. Ibang-iba na siya sa Stein Alberts na una kong nakita sa abandoned school building. From being an innocent victim, he transformed into an evil mastermind. "First, Jamie. Now . . . sorry, who are you? Alistair? Ah! I may need to update my target list."

A corner of Loki's lips twitched, his eyes transfixed on our unwelcome guest. "What do you want?"

"To say hi? It's been a while since we last spoke. Did you miss me?"

"I've missed you so much that I'm about to ask my members here to tie you to that chair and torture you until you confess your crimes. This time, we'll put your confession on record and make copies of it."

Nabaling sa amin ang tingin ni Stein, nag-reflect sa mga lente ng salamin niya ang liwanag sa labas. Nanindig ang mga balahibo ko nang humarap siya sa akin. "Your friends here don't seem the type to resort to violence. And that will be anticlimactic on your part. It's like cheating in a game. I know you. You're not a cheater."

"If you don't want me to do it myself, you better leave." Tumango si Loki sa direksiyon ng pintuan. "You've already said hi to me and my club. You have no further business with us—"

"I'm sure you'll try to find loose ends in the crimes that you have alleged and will allege to me. But let me save you the trouble. You won't find any. So piece of advice—don't waste your time and effort."

"You think your crimes are perfect? News flash—perfect crimes cannot exist in this world because those who commit them are humans who are prone to errors. We'll eventually find some breadcrumbs that can lead back to you."

"You lost a queen the last time we played. Now, you've got more chesspieces to lose, Loki."

"So this is the part where you threaten us?"

Stein got to his feet, straightened his necktie, and buttoned his royal blue blazer. "If you attempt to push me off the cliff, rest assured I will drag you down with me."

"If I were assured that pushing you over will be your end," Loki smirked, "I would be glad to join you down the cliff."

"Just don't expect a soft landing beneath." Stein went for the door and held the knob. Before turning it, he looked back at Loki with a cunning smile. "By the way, I've prepared something to celebrate our return. I'd like to restart our game . . . with a boom!"

A deafening silence ensued as soon as he left the clubroom. Sa sobrang intense ng palitan ng dalawa, nanghina ang mga tuhod ko at muntikan nang bumigay. I was about to sit on Stein's chair pero mabilis akong nakalipat sa katabi nito.

I looked at my clubmates. Alistair managed to remain calm and composed throughout the conversation. Jamie sat on the chair next to Loki who was staring blankly at the wall. Moriarty's words had some effect on us. What more kung totohanin niya ang kaniyang banta?

"Looks like our party is postponed." Tumayo ang club president namin, naglakad nang paikot sa mesa habang nasa likod ang mga kamay. "What a coincidence. He returned to school the same day that I did. We should throw a party for him instead."

"What did he mean by this parting words?" tanong ko habang sinusundan siya ng tingin. "Restart your game with a boom?"

Loki put his hands together and placed them close to his lips. "He must have planned something big before dropping by here. An appetizer before the main course, probably."

"He said boom! Can it be—"

BOOM!

May narinig kaming malakas na pagsabog mula sa labas. Bahagyang yumanig sa clubroom na sinundan ng pag-ring ng fire alarm. Agad kaming lumabas para tingnan kung saan galing 'yon. I clapped my hands over my mouth upon seeing black smokes coming from the chemistry lab on the opposite wing. Nagsilabasan din ang ibang estudyante para makiusyoso sa nangyari doon.

"So this is what he meant." Nanliit ang mga mata ni Alistair. "A literal boom."

"H-How could he . . . ?" Napatakip din ng bibig si Jamie. "Meron kayang nasaktan do'n?"

Kumuyom ang mga kamao ni Loki habang nakatitig sa usok.

The first shot had been fired. This only meant one thing: Moriarty was back.

q.e.d.