-Logan Ellis-

November 24, 2026
12:30 pm
Emett District Subdivision, Ireal City

At last! After that long frustrating traffic that took my time. I exhaustedly hopped out of the car and even slammed it when I closed it. I didn't waste any time from entering our house. Kahit si Emery ang makikita ng sino man, wala na akong problema roon.

Pagkapasok na pagkapasok ko sa loob ng gate ay ang matulala na lang ang naging reaksyon ko. No way, it's no true.

The Repair Shop's just beside our house but where the hell was David's truck?!

Sa totoong panahon, 12:25 pm umalis si David kasama ang truck niya pero bakit wala na rito?

I brushed Emery's hair upward before picking up her phone on my pocket and I almost wanted to throw it away when it's past 12:25 pm already. Without any hesitation, I ignored that Eric dude who saw me from entering the house. He recognized me as Emery anyway. And I wanted him to see me accusing him about this crime he'd done.

Pagkapasok ko ay ang katawan ko ang nakita ko. Woah, dude! That's really me! I'm now looking at my cool, charming face, sitting on the living room's couch with my eyebrows knitting and I really looked like a serious boss dude!

Come on, do I have time for this?

The Logan I was staring at with such amazament shifted his eyes on me so I coughed and walked towards Emma.

"Bakit ang tagal mo?!" reklamo ni Emma sa akin pero hindi ko siya magawang sumbatan ngayon. What?! I just could not, because I could not look angrily into my charming looking, face right now!

Forget it.

"Not my fault! Ang haba ng traffic sa daan. Nasaan na si David? 'Yong truck? Si Sophia?!"

Napatampal na lang ako ng noo nang sumimangot ang kausap kong, ako.

"W-Wala na sila. Nabigo kami ni Sophia! Logan, nahuli na kami!"

I pulled my hair out of frustrations because of what she'd said. Sana nakaabot pa ako para matulungan ko sila at napigilan ko man lang si Eric.

"What?! What about Eric? He successfully did something on the truck?!"

"I-I'm afraid yes! Hindi ko naman magawang i-check 'yong truck kung may mali ba kasi si Emma naman ako!" Itinuro niya pa ang sarili niya. "I'm not you. Kung nandito ka sana kanina, naayos mo sana 'yong truck."

"Hindi ba't nais mong iparating sa amin kanina na may gagawing masama si Eric sa truck?" tanong pa niya sa akin at nagsimula na tuloy akong maglakad nang pabalik-balik.

Yes, it's because of my unfortunate arrival here! Thanks to this long driveway and that irritating traffic! Sana nagawa ko pang pigilan si Eric at naayos ko 'yong sinira niya.

"Then, Sophia?" I asked Emma.

"Ayon, pinilit ni David na isama 'yong si Cedric. Halos kaladkarin niya pa si Sophia kanina para isama at tinulungan pa ni Eric si David doon!" She cupped my face and I did the same thing to Emery's. Now what?

"Saan na ba sila didiretso noong umalis sila rito?" tanong ni Emma sa akin pero ang tangi kong ginawa ay ang maglakad palabas ng bahay.

"Hey! May time ka pa bang mang-snob? Logan?!"  she complained, with my voice!

"No! Just follow me! Susundan natin sila." We both hopped into Evan's car. "Didiretso na sila sa Kiran Street pero mukhang tatagalin ang pagpunta nila."

I revved the engine before my face gave me a reaction that Emma had shown.

"Traffic. And we'll also face the same annoying waste of time that's why we need to hurry to stop them."

Tumango siya sa akin bago ko pinabilis ang pagtakbo ng sasakyan. Ilang beses na rin akong nakatanggap ng missed calls a kapatid ni Emery pero hindi na ako nagsayang ng panahon para asikasuhin ito. I was certain that he's left curious about my sudden walk out since I took their car with me.

And I'm sure, Emery's safe.

"Regarding Emery? How about her chase to that Anthony dude?" I asked Emma who was staying silent beside me. I could clearly determine what she's feeling at this moment because she's showing weird gestures with my face.

I gulped when Emma picked my phone inside her pocket in order to call Emery. Bago niya pa man tawagan ang numero niya, nakita niya ang ilang recent calls namin ni Emery kaya umiwas ako ng tingin at nag-init ang mukha ko.

See? Look how meddlesome this dude was!

"Forget about the recent calls! We're just talking about stuffs!"

She smirked using my face! This dude! She's pushing me to slap my own face!

"Stuffs, eh?"

"Ts."

Napag-ring niya rin sa wakas ang numero niya at halos mapahinto ako sa pagmaneho nang sinagot na ito ni Emery.

We stopped the car when we're already stucked in the middle of this long traffic and there's no way for us to just leave the car and run.

"H-Hello. I'm almost there..."

"Sa Kiran S-Street!" rinig naming sabi ng boses ni Emma sa kabilang linya. What's worse was that she's panting.

---

-Emery Sullivan-

November 24, 2026
1:00 pm
Kiran Street, Ireal City

Ibinalik ko na ang cellphone sa loob ng bulsa ko at mas binilisan ko na ang pagtakbo para mahabulan ang pamilyar na lalaking naaabot na ng paningin ko.

I've been running so fast. Nakasakay rin naman ako ng cab kanina pero mas tatagalin pa kapag hahayaan ko na lang na maghintay ako sa pag-usad ng trapiko kaya wala akong nagawa kung hindi ang umalis at ipagpatuloy ang pagtakbo.

I was heavily catching my breaths and my legs were almost shaking due to the long run I've had. Para lang maabutan si Anthony o si Luciana man lang. O kaya naman, para mapigilan sa pagtawid si Austin at Sophia.

Logan and Emma recently  called me and they talked about what happened to Sophia and David earlier, in the end. Kaya ako na lang din at si Sophia ang natitira nilang pag-asa ngayon. Kaya dapat akong magtagumpay.

I did try calling the real Sophia or Sophia's body but she's not responding. Hindi ko alam kung bakit. Tila sinasadya niyang hindi kausapin ang sino man.

Palapit na nang palapit ang pigura ng lalaking nakasout ng Ivy cap sa paningin ko kaya medyo binagalan ko na rin ang aking paglalakad.

I sighed and it felt like there's a big thorn that was pulled out from my exhaustion when my hand reached the shoulder of the guy. Malapit na kami sa Café kung saan ang main meeting spot ni Anthony, Austin at ang tunay na katawan ni Sophia, kay Luciana.

"E-Emma?!" gulat na tanong ni Anthony nang lingunin niya ako. Hingal na hingal akong napasandal sa tuhod at tirik na tirik din ang araw kaya halos wala na akong naiiwang lakas para sagutin si Anthony.

"B-Bakit?" tanong nito sa nag-aalalang tono. Nagulat ako nang isinuot niya sa akin ang Ivy cap niya at inilahad pa nito ang hindi pa nakukulangang bote ng tubig.

Mabilis ko 'yong tinanggap pero hindi ko na nagawang inumin.

"May nangyari ba? Emma?" he asked and I then held his shoulders as the flowers he's holding were between us.

"Puntahan mo si Luciana ngayon din!" I said. "Bilisan mo! Ilayo mo siya rito sa Kiran Street! Sabihin mong may dapat kayong puntahan at sobrang importante niyon kaya dapat, wala na kayong puwedeng asikasuhin sa araw na ito maliban doon!"

"P-Pero. Anong gagawin namin?"

"Basta! Kahit ano na! Ilayo mo siya rito! Mag-date kayo kahit saan. Basta 'yon lang ang lakad niyo!"

Hindi siya nagbigay ng reply sa mga sinabi ko kahit sobrang seryoso ko na. Kahit sobrang nagbabanta na pa ako. Gusto ko lang siyang umayon, sumunod!

Dahan-dahan niya akong nginitihan at awang ang labi nito.

"Anthony! Naiintindihan mo ba?! Please!" I pleased him but he just smiled and turned around, facing the near Clock shop across the street.

Dahil matagal siyang nanahimik. Napapikit akong bumuga ng hininga at akmang aabutin ko sana ulit ang balikat ni Anthony nang, wala na siya sa harapan ko.

Nawala siya?!

"A-Anthony?"

Umalis na ba siya? Ang bilis naman. Nasaan na siya?

"Anthony!"

"Anthony!"

I kept calling his name that even some passersby began to shift their gazes on me. They were looking at me like I am some kind of weird person who's calling for an... unfamiliar name.

Medyo napangisi ako nang saglit kasi baka tumakbo na siya papasok sa Café upang magmadali.

Pero ganoon na lang ba siya kabilis? Literal na isang kurap ng mata?!

Napansin kong wala na ang hawak kong bote ng tubig na ibinigay niya at mas lalo akong kinabahan kung bakit wala na rin ang suot kong sumbrero na isinuot niya sa akin kanina.

Anong nangyayari?!

I dashed to enter the Café and searched for Luciana or Anthony. Wala akong napapamilyarang tao sa loob. Wala sila sa loob. I asked some staffs if they ever saw a man with his bouquet of chrysanthemum flowers or a woman with a clock design on her dress. Luciana wore a dress with clock designs on it when we saw her in November 24, back then.

But sadly, wala raw sa kanila ang nakakita ng mga taong binanggit ko.

I searched and searched for the both of them. I asked people nearby if they every saw Anthony and Luciana until I found no one.

Nakatitig ako sa display screen ng phone. Wal ring cellphone number si Anthony. Baka umalis na sila.

Baka nagmadali na sila.

Did I successfully cancel Austin's errand?

Mahigit thirty-five minutes na akong naghanap at ilang minuto na lang ay mangyayari na ang trahedya.

Nag-text na si Emma at Logan na malapit na sila kaya sinabi kong successful din ang pag-alis ni Anthony at Luciana.

"Hindi ako sigurado. Naglaho na lang si Anthony," usal ko sa tawag. "Baka nakalayo na sila ni Luciana."

"Sana naman, si Sophia na lang na nasa katawan ni Cedric ang kailangan nating iligtas," ani Emma. "Sigurado kayang naikansela na rin ni Luciana ang lakad nila nina Austin?"

I was about to smile and answer 'yes' when I saw two figures of familiar people from the Clock shop.

No.

They're still here.

Sophia and Austin.

"G-Guys. Silang dalawa."

I was left dumbfounded. I couldn't speak.

Why are they here?

Austin and Sophia?

"Emery?! Emery?! Hello! Bakit?! Malapit na kami! Nasusundan na rin namin ang truck kung nasaan si David at Sophia!" Emma shouted on the call but I was left shocked.

"Hindi nakansela, nandito si Austin at Sophia!" saad ko sa tawag bago sinubukang takbuhin ang daanan palapit sa banda nila.

What's worse, ang layo ko.