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

"MAY I remind you na isa akong tech genius at hindi isang magician."

It only took less than two hours before Herschel Aguirre—also known as Hershey—arrived at Clark High. As usual, magulo pa rin ang buhok niya na parang dinaanan ng bagyo. Suot pa rin niya ang salaming may makapal na frame at nakasabit sa likuran ang kaniyang lab coat.

Dahil hindi pa safe na bumalik sa clubroom, sa rooftop muna ang temporary headquarters namin. Sa sahig kami umupo—ginawa naming banig ang diyaryo ng Clarion—dahil walang available na upuan dito sa taas. Salamat sa maulap na kalangitan, hindi kami masyadong nainitan.

Loki told him about our dilemma and his request to edit the audio clips in Zoey's possession. Napakamot tuloy ng ulo si Herschel at awkward na ngumiti sa amin. Mukhang napasubo siya sa challenge.

"I'm yet to develop a software capable of generating and mimicking a human voice," dagdag niya. "For now, what I can do is cut and splice the audio clips."

"I can request copies of the recorded interviews from Zoren under the pretense of examining her interviewees' oral statements," sabi ni Loki. "I see no reason why she won't give them to us, unless she's hiding something."

"Great! Kapag nakakuha na kayo ng copies, ibigay n'yo agad sa 'kin para magawan ko ng magic."

"We've now solved the editing part." Kumumpas si Alistair sa bisita namin. "But how can we prove that our edited recorded interviews are more genuine than Zoey's? Having two versions will only confuse the student body. Do we have a way to replace hers?"

"You seem to underestimate my Irregular. He's a guy who can make a seemingly impossible thing possible."

"Not really." Namula ang mga pisngi ni Herschel. "What we need to do is overwrite the files in her device."

"Do we need to steal her phone or laptop?" tanong ko. "Because that might put us into trouble."

"No! We just need to make her download a file where the edited versions will be secretly attached. Kapag dinownload at in-open niya 'yon, the mechanism will automatically overwrite the ones saved in her devices. Iisang version na lang ang magiging available."

That was all Greek to me. Wala akong ideya kung paano niya gagawin 'yon, pero mukhang kumpiyansa si Herschel na matutupad niya ang wish ni Loki. Tama nga ang desisyon ng club president namin na humingi ng tulong sa kaniya. The next question was: Paano namin mae-execute ang lahat nito?

Tumingin si Loki sa screen ng phone niya bago lumingon sa akin. "It's already lunchtime. Why don't we pay our writer friend a visit and set our plan in motion? Lorelei, come with me. Jamie and Alistair, stay with Herschel and make sure he won't get bored."

"Loki dear, baka puwedeng ako naman ang isama mo?" hirit ni Jamie, naka-puppy eyes pa. "Isinama mo na kahapon si Lorelei. Quota na siya."

"No." Umalis na sa rooftop si Loki at bumaba na ng hagdanan. Sumunod ako sa kaniya. Sinubukan ding sumunod ni Freya sa akin, pero mabuti't kinarga siya ni Alistair. Loki and I were going to the battlefield. Mas mabuti kung mag-i-stay muna siya rito.

Bago ako tuluyang nakaalis, napansin ko ang pangmamata ni Jamie sa akin. Hindi dapat siya magalit o magtampo, lalo na't wala akong sinuggest kay Loki na ako ang isama sa pupuntahan niya. Ni hindi nga ako nag-volunteer.

"Once the original files are overwritten, what are we going to do next?" tanong ko nang nakahabol ako sa kaniya sa hagdanan. May mga nakasalubong kaming estudyante na pinagbulungan kami. They must have also read the Clarion's article.

"We'll make the recordings public and make everyone on campus believe that Zoey edited her sources' statements to attack us," sagot niya. "We discredit her, we discredit the article."

"So you intend to publicly humiliate her? What if she isn't aware that her sources have been forced to feed her wrong information?"

Sandali siyang tumigil at lumingon sa akin. "Look at the bigger picture here, Lorelei. By damaging Zoey's reputation as a writer, the Clarion will also take a blow from this conundrum. We attack Zoey, we attack Augustus. Students will wonder why the editors let an erroneous report be published in the paper."

"So this will be our revenge?"

"When someone shoots you with bullets, you throw them a hand grenade. They've messed with us, we'll make a bigger mess on them."

Of course, we had to fight back. But as much as possible, I did not want any collateral damage from this clash between our club and the student publication. Pero mukhang kahit anong gawin namin, hindi talaga maiiwasang may ibang madamay.

On our way to the editorial office, the two of us endured piercing looks from curious students. I heard their whispers, badmouthing our club. Na-tempt akong pagsabihan sila na kasinungalingan ang kanilang nabasa sa diyaryo. Mabuti't nakapagtimpi ako dahil walang mabuting maidudulot 'yon.

Saktong pagdating namin sa tapat ng opisina, nadatnan namin si Zoey na may dala-dalang manipis na kahon, mukhang isang package na ipinadala para sa kaniya. She smiled at us while Loki maintained his poker face.

"I was about to say good afternoon, but that would be too insensitive." Huminto siya sa tapat ng pinto at itinago ang package sa likuran niya. "You must have ill feelings toward me because of the article. But I only did my job. Trabaho lang, walang personalan."

"Your job is to tell the truth," mahinahong tugon ni Loki. Ramdam kong pinipigilan niya ang sarili na makipagdebate. "Almost everything in your article is false."

"Nakasasakit ng loob ang sinabi mo, pero naiintindihan ko ang nararamdaman n'yo." Paniwalang-paniwala talaga si Zoey sa isinulat niya. "Sooner or later, the admin will launch an official investigation into the cases that you've masterminded. So much for your Moriarty."

"If you're committed to the truth, give us copies of the audio recordings of your interviews with your so-called sources. We'll examine them just to be sure that you didn't take any word out of context."

"I can give you the transcripts to save you time from listening to them."

"We want the raw files. You could have edited the transcripts to suit the quotes in your article."

Nagtitigan muna kami ng ilang segundo ni Zoey, parang may pagdadalawang-isip sa parte niya. "Fine! We promote transparency in the Clarion, so I see no problem sending the files over. Kung 'yon ang ikatatahimik ng konsensya n'yo, pagbibigyan ko."

"Send them to ," sabi ni Loki. "By the way, do you mind if our club gives an official statement about the accusations?"

"That will be great! Do you want to do an interview now? Free ako hanggang one o'clock."

"Not an interview, but a press release. I'll send it over once we're done with our review of the recordings."

"I prefer a one-on-one or group interview with your members so I can raise important points about the issues."

"Need not to worry. I can enumerate at least ten questions that you might have in mind right now. We'll answer those questions in our press release."

"Looking forward to it!"

Kumaway sa amin si Zoey bago pumasok sa editorial office habang kami'y muling umakyat sa hagdanan para hintayin ang ipadadalang file niya. Nakadepende sa mga audio recording ang kapalaran namin. Puwede naming mabaligtad ang sitwasyon kung sakali.

Ang akala ko'y dederetso kami sa rooftop para balikan sina Alistair, Jamie, at Herschel, pero biglang lumiko si Loki sa fifth floor at naglakad hanggang sa marating namin ang radio station.

"Ano'ng gagawin natin diyan?" kunot-noo kong tanong. "Balak mo bang mag-apply bilang radio jock?"

"If we wanna publicly humiliate our student publication, a live radio broadcast will do the trick," paliwanag niya. "We'll ask the station manager to air our one-on-one face-off with Zoren across campus."

"Teka, kaya nilang gawin 'yon?" Dahil isa akong transferee, hindi pa ako gano'n ka-aware sa kanilang radio station. Alam kong nag-e-exist ito, pero ni minsa'y hindi pa ako nakapag-tune-in sa kahit anong on-air segment nila.

"The radio station plays Christmas songs every lunchtime starting November. On special events, such as the student council debates, they broadcast it live."

"But you've never told Zoey about this radio broadcast."

"Once the party is set, she will have no choice but to attend."

Huminto na siya sa tapat ng pinto. Sinamahan ko siya sa pagpasok. This was my first time to be here. May maliit na lounge sa loob kung saan may mga couch at center table. On our left was the station manager's cubicle while on our right was the DJ's booth.

"Wait here," utos ni Loki bago ako iniwan sa lounge at pumasok sa cubicle ng station manager. A bald man around his forties greeted my companion and shook hands with him. Nakita kong gumalaw ang mga labi niya, pero hindi ko narinig ang kaniyang mga sinabi. Napakrus ang mga braso ng station manager, patango-tango habang nakikinig sa kasama ko.

Bumuntonghininga ako nang malalim at umupo sa couch. Hindi ko kayang basahin ang kanilang mga labi. May mga bagay talaga na nagagawa niya pero never kong magagawa sa buong buhay ko. Ni hindi ko nga kayang matulog nang dilat ang mga mata gaya niya.

Ilang minuto ang lumipas bago siya lumabas ng cubicle. He jerked his thumb toward the door. Sumunod ako sa paglabas niya. Walang bahid ng pagkadismaya sa mukha niya kaya malamang ay umayon ang lahat sa kaniyang plano.

"How did it go?" agad kong tanong. "Did he agree to your request?"

"Tomorrow at lunchtime, a special program will air," sagot niya. "There, we can talk about the allegations being thrown at our club. In case you're wondering why the station manager owes me favor, I helped him find the missing CDs there. Wasn't a difficult case."

So far, everything was going smoothly as Loki planned. Zoey had no idea that a trap was being laid for her. I wished the circumstances did not need to reach this point, pero nandito na kami.

Nadatnan namin sa rooftop sina Alistair at Jamie na tutok sa laptop ni Herschel. Parang may ipinanood siyang movie o ipinakitang design na tiyak na nakakuha sa kanilang atensiyon. Maging si Freya, nakiusyoso rin sa kung ano ang nasa screen.

"What do we have here?" tanong ni Loki kaya lumingon ang tatlo sa kaniya. Mabilis siyang nilapitan ni Jamie at hinila patungo sa spot kung saan siya nakaupo kanina.

"Hershey is showing us the software he's gonna use to edit the audio recordings. And it's so cool!" paliwanag ni Jamie nang hindi pa pinakakawalan ang braso ng club president namin. "Kumusta pala ang pakikipag-usap n'yo kay Zoey?"

"I expect to receive the raw files within the day. I'll immediately forward them to Herschel so he can starting working his magic. How long do you need?"

"An hour or two." Umangat ang tingin ni Herschel sa kaniya. "I also need a close and quiet workplace para hindi ako masyadong ma-distract. Hindi ba puwede sa clubroom n'yo?"

Mariin ang pag-iling ko. "Baka may biglang manggulo 'tapos lalo ka pang ma-distract. Let's think of somewhere else."

"Library?" sabi ni Jamie. "Siguradong walang mang-iistorbo sa kaniya roon kasi tahimik ang lahat."

"But will he be allowed inside?" tanong ni Alistair. "Hindi siya estudyante rito kaya baka harangan siya ng librarian. He's also wearing a different school uniform so he will stick out like a sore thumb."

"How about my apartment?" suhestiyon ni Loki. "It's peaceful and quiet there around this time."

"You mean our apartment," pagtatama ko. Hindi lang siya ang tenant sa unit na 'yon. "Pero tama si Loki. Mukhang best option 'yon."

"That will do! Basta walang maingay at manggugulo sa 'kin." Tumayo na si Herschel at pinagpag ang pantalon niya. Ipinasok niya ang kaniyang laptop sa loob ng bag. "Let's go?"

"Wait!" Napataas ang kamay ni Alistair. Lumingon kami sa kaniya. "Mag-a-ala-una pa lang. Tatlong oras pa bago class dismissal. Do you suggest na mag-cut tayo ng classes?"

Muntik ko nang makalimutan na may pasok pa pala kami. Masyado na akong na-busy sa case na ito.

"Alistair, if the world is about to be destroyed and this is the only chance where we can save our planet, what would you choose?" seryosong tanong ni Loki. "Spend your last remaining hours in your boring classrooms or protect the world from devastation?"

Masyado namang malayo ang ginawa niyang analogy sa sitwasyon namin at sa pagkawasak ng mundo.

"Matalino ka naman, Al!" bulalas ni Jamie. "Kaya mong bawiin ang scores na mawawala sa 'yo today. Ikaw pa?"

Bumaling sa akin ang kababata ko. "What do you think, Lori?"

Napakibit-balikat ako. "I'm too preoccupied with this case. Kahit pumasok ako ngayon sa klase, feeling ko'y wala akong maa-absorb sa discussion. I don't want to skip classes, but this is way more important to me right now."

"See?" Napaturo sa akin si Jamie. "Kahit si Lorelei, uunahin niya ang club natin kaysa pumasok."

Natahimik nang ilang sandali si Alistair bago siya bumuntonghininga. "I guess it won't hurt if we cut class just this once. Let's go to your apartment. We can ride in my car if you want. Kasya tayong lima roon."

Bumaba na kami mula sa rooftop. Hawak-hawak pa rin ni Jamie ang braso ni Loki habang nakaalalay sa akin si Alistair. Sumabay sa pagbaba namin sa hagdanan si Freya. Hindi pa rin nawawala ang mapanghusgang tingin ng mga estudyanteng nakasalubong namin sa daan.

We went straight to the parking lot kung saan naka-park ang kotse ni Alistair. My childhood friend took the driver's seat while Loki took the shotgun seat. Gusto sanang umupo ni Jamie sa harap, kaso hindi puwede kaya wala siyang choice kundi samahan kami ni Herschel sa backseat.

Bago ko isara ang pinto, napansin kong nakaabang sa labas ng sasakyan si Freya, kumukurap-kurap ang mga mata niyang magkaiba ang kulay. Gusto ko siyang isakay at isama sa apartment, pero hindi puwede. Kahit kamag-anak ko si Tita Martha, hindi ako exempted sa policy niya na no pets allowed. It might cause an issue sa ibang nangungupahan kapag pinayagan niya kaming magkaroon ng alagang hayop.

"Meow?"

"Sorry, I can't bring you home." I rubbed her chin. Nafi-feel din siguro niya na hindi siya puwedeng sumama sa amin kaya hindi na siya pumasok sa loob ng kotse. All I could do was to assure her that we would be back to play with her in the clubroom once this ruckus was over.

PAGDATING NAMIN sa apartment, agad na sinet-up ni Herschel sa living room ang kaniyang laptop at nagsuot ng headphones. Nai-send na ni Zoey kay Loki ang mga recording via e-mail. Nai-forward na rin ng roommate ko sa tech expert namin ang mga audio clip. Nakasalalay na sa kaniya ang lahat.

"I've told Zoey that she's welcome to join me tomorrow in the special radio program," kuwento ni Loki habang mabibilis ang pag-tap niya sa phone screen. "She's excited about it. No person can easily resist the temptation of the spotlight. What I'm typing right now is the official statement of the QED Club."

"Loki dear, do you want coffee or tea?" Pumunta si Jamie sa kusina at pinagbubuksan ang mga overhead cabinet. Masyadong abala sa pagko-compose ng message ang lalaking tinanong niya kaya hindi siya sinagot nito. "How about you, Al? May gusto ka ba?"

"Anything's fine. Thank you." Tumambay muna si Alistair sa tapat ng spider's web of conspiracy ni Moriarty. Sinundan ng daliri niya ang isang sinulid na nakakonekta sa retrato ni Augustus.

Sunod na tinanong ni Jamie si Herschel, pero wala rin siyang natanggap na sagot mula rito. Masyado nang absorbed ang bisita namin sa pag-e-edit ng audio.

"Medyo mainit ngayong hapon kaya better kung juice ang ititimpla mo," payo ko. "May powdered juice diyan sa cabinet. Nandiyan din 'yong pitcher. May yelo rin sa freezer."

"Thanks, Lorelei! Mas mabuti yata kung tutulungan mo ako, 'no? Tutal sa 'yo apartment 'to."

"Kaya mo na 'yan. Reliable ang memory mo, 'di ba? Alam mo na kung saan nakalagay ang mga gamit namin." Siya na ang nag-volunteer na gumawa ng drinks kaya hinayaan ko siya.

"Sobrang thank you talaga, Lorelei!"

"You're welcome."

"Lori, do you have a moment?" tawag ni Alistair sa akin sabay turo sa labas ng apartment. Tumango ako sa kaniya. Nauna siyang lumabas 'tapos sumunod ako.

Dahil abalang-abala ang bawat isa sa kani-kanilang ginagawa, walang nakapansin sa paglabas namin. Mas mabuti nang hindi kami masyadong nakaistorbo. I closed the door of our unit behind me before turning to my friend.

"What is it?" agad kong tanong. Confidential ba ang gusto niyang sabihin kaya kailangan namin ng privacy?

"Two Tuesdays from now, your dad will celebrate his birthday," paalala niya sa akin. "Tito Walter said that he will be on a business trip that day, so he has decided to hold an advance celebration on the Sunday before."

"Oh." Napakurap ang mga mata ko. Dapat ko bang pasalamatan ang kababata ko sa pag-remind sa akin? "I almost forgot, like how he almost forgot that I exist."

"Tito wants me to ask you if you can come. He actually wants me to persuade you to come."

Hindi ko napigilang matawa. "Did he misplace my number kaya hindi niya ako ma-contact? He could have texted or called me! Oh, yeah. He must be so busy with work, he couldn't do it himself."

"He thinks that you have blocked him from your contacts kaya ipinadaan niya sa akin ang invitation."

Napakagat ako ng labi. I actually did. Matapos ang sorpresa niya para sa akin sa Diogenes Café, agad kong inilagay sa blocked list ang kaniyang number. "Since when did you become my dad's messenger?"

"He wants you to be there." Iniwasan niyang sagutin ang tanong ko. "He won't go through the trouble of asking me to relay his message if he doesn't. So . . . will you come?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, my fingers tapping on my elbow. My default response would be "no." But something was holding me back from refusing to go. Kung sasabihin kong "no," sigurado akong iko-convince ako ng kababata ko na dumalo.

"Let me think about it," sagot ko. 'Yon ang safest answer sa ngayon. "Sa dami at bigat ng mga nangyayari ngayon, hindi pa ako makapagbibigay ng matinong desisyon."

"Just let me know once you have made up your mind." Ngumiti siya sa akin bago binuksan ang pinto. "Shall we go back inside? Baka magtaka sila kung ano ang pinag-uusapan natin."

IT TOOK only an hour for Herschel to finish the editing. Bigla siyang tumalon mula sa pagkakaupo at iwinagayway ang mga kamay niya na parang sumasayaw ng random dance moves. Hinawakan niya ang kaniyang laptop at nagpaikot-ikot muna bago niya ipinakita sa amin ang completed rendering ng audio files.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the original version!" he said before pressing the play button. Narinig namin ang boses ni Zoey na nagsimulang magtanong at ang boses ni Benjamin na dere-deretso kung sumagot. Talagang idiniin ng interviewee na gawa-gawa namin ang bomb threat para magpasikat sa campus.

"Do you believe that the QED Club was behind the bomb threats?"

"Matatalino ang mga member nila kaya hindi na ako magtataka kung makaiisip sila ng gano'ng gimik para magpasikat. Gusto nilang magpanggap na mga bayani sa Clark High kaya naisip nila 'yon. They're not our heroes."

"And . . . here's your salvation!" Muling pinress ni Hershey ang play button. The next audio clip started the same way as the first one, pero ang pagkakaiba . . .

"Do you believe that the QED Club was behind the bomb threats?"

"Matatalino ang mga member nila kaya hindi sila makaiisip ng gano'ng gimik para magpasikat. Hindi nila gustong magpanggap na mga bayani sa Clark High. But they're our heroes."

Napatakip ng bibig si Jamie sa pagkamangha habang patango-tango si Alistair matapos marinig ang buong edited version. With Herschel's superb editing skills, nagawa niyang gawing pabor sa amin ang statement ng mga witness. And it was flawless. Too flawless! Hindi halata na in-edit ang audio.

Sunod niyang pinlay ang interview ni Zoey kay Adonis. Gaya kanina, puro pandidiin sa amin ang mga sagot ng interviewee. Pero nang pakinggan namin ang edited version, we only heard Adonis defending our club's name from the allegations.

"What can you say?" nakangiting tanong ni Herschel sabay baba ng laptop niya sa mesa.

"Perfection, Herschel, perfection!" bulalas ni Loki na sinabayan niya ng mabagal na pagpalakpak. "We can turn the tables now, thanks to you. I can imagine the surprise on Zoren's face once she hears the overwritten audio clips."

"My work isn't done yet. Now I need to secretly embed these clips on the file that your poor victim will have to download." Muling umupo si Hershey at tinutukan ang laptop niya. Sunod-sunod na pagtakatak ng keyboard ang narinig namin. "Tapos ka na ba sa official statement n'yo?"

"Just in time." May tinap na key si Loki. "Email sent."

"Received! Just let me do my magic."

Humarap si Loki sa aming tatlo nina Alistair at Jamie. "Let's show Augustus that he should never ever mess with the QED Club."

KINABUKASAN, DUMATING na ang pinaka-inaabangan naming face-off: Loki Mendez of the QED Club versus Zoey Bernardo of the Clarion.

"You have no conclusive proof that our club was behind the bomb threats or any of the cases that you've alleged to us," mahinahong argumento ni Loki. "To echo our official statement as a club, we firmly deny those baseless accusations and we call out the Clarion for spreading them."

"Baseless accusations?" Natawa si Zoey. "We have witnesses who claimed that your club orchestrated these so-called cases para makilala kayo. If we put their statements together like puzzle pieces, we can see the big picture: Your club has been deceiving Clark High. By the way, this isn't an opinion. This is a fact."

Gaya ng sinabi ni Loki, kinagat nga ni Zoey ang special radio program kung saan dedepensahan ng president namin ang club at pabubulaanan ang article ng Clarion. Naka-broadcast ito nang live sa buong campus kaya siguradong maraming napatitigil sa pagkain o paglalaro para tutukan ang debate sa pagitan ng dalawa.

Only Loki was allowed inside the DJ's booth. Naghintay kami nina Alistair at Jamie sa lounge ng radio station habang nakikinig at pinanonood ang dalawa sa katabing cubicle. Kasama rin namin si Freya—palihim kong ipinuslit sa loob—na mukhang gustong malaman kung magiging matagumpay ang plano ni Loki.

"How sure are you that your witnesses' statements have any credibility?" tanong ni Loki. "What if they've been coerced to speak ill of our club? What if you've misunderstood what they said during your interviews?"

"You asked for copies of the audio clips, so we heard the same thing."

"No, I heard the exact opposite of what you've claimed in your article."

Napawi ang ngiti sa mukha ni Zoey, kumunot ang noo niya. "You cannot refute the statements of the witnesses kaya ang understanding ko sa kanilang sinabi ang tinitira mo ngayon? My goodness! Are you that desperate?"

"Have you reviewed the audio clips since the day you submitted your article? Because you might have misunderstood what your interviewees said."

"I transcribed our interviews and double-checked them. Imposibleng nagkamali ako."

"Do you mind if you let everyone on campus hear the interviews?" hamon ni Loki. "We're in a live broadcast anyway."

"It's your funeral." Ngumisi si Zoey sabay labas ng kaniyang phone. Itinutok niya 'yon sa microphone at may tinap na key. "This is my interview with Benjamin Tenorio. Take a listen."

"Do you believe that the QED Club was behind the bomb threats?"

"Matatalino ang mga member nila kaya hindi sila makaiisip ng gano'ng gimik para magpasikat. Hindi nila gustong magpanggap na mga bayani sa Clark High. But they're our heroes . . ."

As the audio clip went on, dahan-dahang nanlaki ang mga mata ni Zoey. Bumuka ang bibig niya, pero walang boses na lumabas. Her shocked face was screaming "what the hell is going on?!" Maging ang student radio jockey na nasa booth ay nagulat.

"In your article, you wrote that Ben Ten claimed the bomb incident was staged by our club to make ourselves look like heroes." May dala pa talagang kopya ng Clarion si Loki na ipinakita niya sa ka-debate. "So why did your audio clip contradict everything you've written here?"

"M-May mali rito!" Paulit-ulit na umiling si Zoey. "Sigurado akong tama ang pagkakadinig ko sa mga sinabi niya! T-in-ranscribe ko pa 'yan!"

"The evidence is in your hand. And the evidence never lies. But you can, whether intentionally or not. How about the other audio clips? Can you play them as well?"

Nanlisik ang mga mata ni Zoey kasabay ng pag-tap sa screen ng kaniyang phone. Sunod niyang pinlay ang interview kay Adonis.

"Pumunta pa talaga sila sa apartment ko para kunin ang blackmailing materials ko. Pinuwersa nila akong itigil na ang pamba-blackmail sa mga babae. Wala akong nagawa kundi sumunod—"

"No, no, no! Something must be wrong with these recordings!" Agad na inihinto ni Zoey ang pag-play sa audio clip, balak na nga yata niyang ibato ang kaniyang phone kay Loki. "You! You probably tampered with these files! Is that why you asked for copies yesterday?"

"I asked for copies because I needed to use them as reference in our official statement," depensa ng kasama namin. "I never touched your phone, so how could I tamper with your files? Is this another baseless accusation from you?"

"GO, LOKI DEAR!" Tumayo si Jamie sabay taas ng kanang kamao para i-cheer ang club president namin. Nagising tuloy si Freya sa pagkakahimbing niya.

"Whether you intentionally or unintentionally twisted the words of your interviewees to ruin our club's image, I believe it's clear to everyone listening to this broadcast that the article is erroneous." Kahit panalo na siya, nanatili pa ring kalmado si Loki. "We appeal to the editorial board of the Clarion, especially to editor-in-chief Augustus Moran, to make necessary corrections and—"

"HA-HA-HA-HA!"

Napalingon kami kay Zoey na biglang humalakhak na parang nababaliw. Was she losing her mind because of the humiliation?

"Brilliant! I gotta hand it to you." Lumawak ang ngiti sa mga labi niya. "I don't know how you did it, but you managed to turn this story around."

"Are you gonna admit your mistake as a campus journalist who swore to deliver nothing but the truth?" tanong ni Loki. "Now's the perfect chance. The student body will forgive you if—"

"No." Naging seryoso ang timpla ng mukha niya. "I stand by my report that the QED Club tried to deceive everyone by presenting themselves as the good guys. But the truth is, they're rotten to the core."

"Your so-called proof no longer corroborates your report."

"But I've got a solid proof that your club is involved in illegal activities. Like blackmail."

Napalunok ako ng laway. Hindi maganda ang kutob ko sa pahayag ni Zoey. Mukhang hindi siya basta-basta papatalo.

"I'm supposed to tell anyone about this info because it's currently undergoing verification, but you've forced my hand," dugtong niya. "Kahapon, nakatanggap ako ng package mula sa isang anonymous tipster na naniniwalang hindi malinis ang QED Club."

Package?! Come to think of it, may dala-dala siyang manipis na kahon nang kausapin namin siya kahapon.

"When I opened the package, I found a silver laptop inside. There's a piece of paper kung saan nakasulat ang password nito. Out of curiosity, I logged in and found some intriguing stuff."

Silver laptop? Could that be . . .

"Ano'ng nakita mo sa laptop?" tanong ng radio jockey. Kanina pa siya walang imik dahil sa intense na palitan ng dalawang guest niya.

"Merong isang folder doon na naglalaman ng photos at videos ng ilan sa mga estudyante natin," sagot ni Zoey. "Let's say na puwedeng gamitin ang mga nilalaman n'on para mam-blackmail."

"So paano 'yon naging konektado sa QED Club? Ano'ng kinalaman nila ro'n?"

"Upon checking the settings, I found out that the laptop belongs to Loki Mendez. And he chose the most appropriate name for that particular folder. Once it's opened and its contents get leaked, there will be troubles and problems everywhere on campus."

"At ano'ng pangalan ng folder?"

Biglang lumakas at bumilis ang tibok na puso. Sana'y mali ako, pero may idea ako kung ano ang tinutukoy niya.

"Why don't we ask the laptop's owner?" Lalo pang lumawak ang ngiti ni Zoey, abot-tainga na ngayon. "His name is obviously inspired by the Norse trickster god, but I'm sure he's also well versed with Greek mythology."

q.e.d.