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New Territory

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THE SIGNIFICANT sound of the morning paper hitting the roughness of the dormitory door was enough to get Elysia Rielle Arcedes out of bed.

Pinning her dark, wavy, shoulder-length hair up in a bun, the young girl shuffled her feet on the wooden floor. Napapahikab pa ito nang buksan niya ang pintuan para pulutin ang dyaryo na nakaupo sa doormat.

Every morning, Ylando City's newspaper boys would deliver the daily paper fresh from print — tossing it to everyone's doors. It wasn't their job to send newspapers to specific dormitories as well, but Elysia, who had just returned to Castillo High last night after a long summer vacation, had bribed a newspaper boy a week before the start of classes — just so she could still get her daily news.

With another yawn, her dark brown eyes skimmed over the headlines of Ylando Times as she shut the door using her left foot — a routine that seemed like clockwork for the young girl. With the Cortez-owned Ylando Bulletin closing down after the scandal that shook the community, Elysia turned to reading the Ylando Times instead, the second-best newspaper in the city.

As a campus journalist herself, Elysia had formed the habit of consuming the daily news.

For other students, especially her wealthy batchmates who were mostly heirs and next-in-line to numerous investments and businesses, reading the morning paper was the least of their worries.

But as Elysia would like to tell her best friend and roommate, reading the news was like eating one's vegetables. Though it was tasteless, it was essential to consume it.

"Morning, El!" sambit ng isang groggy na boses.

Just as Elysia was thinking of this particular mantra of hers, a girl with dyed dark blue hair entered the kitchen with a yawn. Ashley Jallorina, Elysia's best friend, was still in her pajamas, and had awoken as soon as she heard the door open.

"Aba, 'di ka late gumising ngayon?" Elysia teased Ashley as she poured hot water to her mug full of coffee, the other hand still holding the newspaper.

Outside, the early morning sun was shining softly on the old buildings of Castillo High — giving the whole campus a faint, hazy glow. Sunlight poured through the girls' dormitory room while few birds sat on their kitchen's window sill, chirping lively.

"Sobra ka naman! 'Di ako laging late noh!" Ashley pouted in defense as she walked towards the sink. "Also, it's our first day in senior high school. Nakakahiya naman kung first day palang late na 'ko," nguso nito habang naghihilamos ng mukha.

At the mention of senior high, Elysia let out a sigh and resorted to peeking outside the kitchen window of their dormitory room. Sa labas nito ay makikita ang iilang mga Castillians na dumadagsa sa campus grounds na punong-puno ng magagarbong dekorasyon tulad ng silk banners at floral designs.

It was the first day of classes for the academic year 2017 to 2018, and already, Elysia had mixed feelings about transitioning to a higher form of high school and entering a whole new chapter in her life.

"Yep," she muttered, finally taking her eyes off the window and returning her gaze back to the newspaper. "Senior high na tayo."

Hindi napansin ni Ashley ang kakaibang demeanor ng kaibigan at isinarado ang gripo. "Sabay tayo papuntang Gazette mamaya ha? Excited na 'ko sa reassigning ng panibagong news beats. Sana naman malipat na tayo from academics. Nakakasawa na rin kaya!" reklamo ni Elysia habang papasok sa banyo para maligo.

"D'on naman tayo sa mga exciting — 'yung tipong administration, o kaya sa lifestyle. 'Kaw ba El, sa'n mo gusto this year?" Ashley called out to her best friend, her voice echoing from the bathroom walls out to the kitchen.

Elysia, who was taking a sip from her coffee, paused for a moment.

For all four years of her junior high school life, she had been a feature writer for the Castillian Gazette, which was the official student publication of Castillo High. Dito niya naging ka-close si Ashley na isang photojournalist para sa Gazette.

Ano nga bang assignment ang gusto kong makuha this year? Elysia asked herself with a frown, thinking about her transition from being a writer from the junior high school department, to being a senior high writer.

This meant she had become a senior staffer of the Gazette, and would most likely be tasked to guide new writers that they'll accumulate this year and the next.

Napabuntong-hininga ang dalaga. Over the summer, she had thought of what news beat she wanted to be assigned to, but ultimately pushed the thoughts and decision-making aside. Both Elysia and Ashley had been assigned to the academic news beat for the time they've been in the Gazette, and wanted a new environment for once.

"I don't know. The crime and safety news beat seems interesting now that we have the newly-put up Campus Sleuths," Elysia finally answered, flipping the pages of the newspaper to check out the other latest updates.

Ashley, who had started taking a bath, was saying something incomprehensible from inside the bathroom as a response, but Elysia had simply ignored her.

There was a certain headline on the newspaper that had caught her interest.

"Ash, pakinggan mo 'to!" Elysia yelled, increasing the volume of her voice so that her best friend could hear her amidst the running water.

"Cardinal Amarantia, also known as the King of the Black Market, strikes once again after successfully sabotaging another buy-bust operation from the Ylando Police District," she read, clearing her throat.

"This is the fifth time this year that Amarantia had escaped the authorities. He has been linked to numerous criminal offenses and cases throughout the years despite the lack of concrete evidence. Ylando Police Chief Felipe Germinio says all resources are currently being exhausted to find Amarantia and his base of operations," tuloy ng dalaga.

"As for now, the chief and mayor have decided to implement a 9:00 p.m. curfew for the entire safety of Ylando City. This curfew will strictly start tomorrow, April 15, 2017 (Tuesday), Chief Germinio said. Mayor Jerome Marquez will be officially addressing the city around noon today in a press conference," Elysia read out loud, flipping the newspaper as Ashley ran out of the bathroom in only a towel.

"CURFEW?!" Bulalas na sabi ng dalagang basang-basa pa ang buhok. "Eh si mama sa Parañaque pa nagta-trabaho! Dalawang oras rin kaya ang byahe nun pauwi. Dapat binigyan muna ni mayor ng oras 'yung mga tao para mag-prepare!"

"Well then," sambit ni Elysia at kinuha ang extra towel mula sa sabitan at binato ito sa kaniyang kaibigan.

"Better call tita now, baka 'di pa niya nakikita yung announcement," she grinned, and Ashley immediately scrambled to her room to call her mom, all while drying her hair with the towel that Elysia gave her.

Shaking her head in amusement, Elysia then gazed back down on the article before looking out once more through the window.

She couldn't help but shake the feeling that the days that were soon to come would be changing the trajectory of their lives forever.

"Brace yourself Ash," Elysia called out to her friend. "I feel like this year will be nothing we've ever seen before."

---

Though the anticipation of a whole new different school year pulsed through the students of Castillo High, Annaliese Gracielle Beltran Lobris on the other hand, knew that this year was already going to be tougher than ever.

She was after all, about to plunge herself into an academic field that she promised she won't ever take.

Ann was never one to be anxious, but right now, she couldn't bear to exude the phrase, "grace under pressure" - one who never backed down from doubt nor fear.

For the first time in her life, the young girl could feel the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she stared at the senior high building that stood grand, tall, and almost cold — intimidating her. May it be the difference in the environment, or the overwhelming festive ambience of the campus grounds, the Lobris heir was starting to feel the nausea kick in.

Huminga ito ng malalim.

The entirety of her summer vacation was dedicated to convincing herself that everything will be fine somehow. But as she stood there, Ann felt small and forlorn. This was the reality now.

With a hitch of her breath, she then finally moved from her spot, passing by the large sign that arched over the building's entrance.

Welcome home, freshies.
It's time to fly high, Senior High!

Sa paligid ng dalaga ay makikita ang mga estudyanteng nagsisidatingan. These students, who were clad in the latest jewelry, were dropped off from expensive vehicles. Masayang nakikipag-catch up ang mga ito sa kanilang mga kaibigan at kaklase, boasting about their vacations in different parts of the world: in Italy, in New York, in Switzerland, and all the other fancy places that were worth bragging for.

Katulad ni Ann, they were wearing the same junior high school Castillian uniform: the dark maroon red skirts for the girls, and pants for the boys. This was matched with white blouses and polos. To complete the uniform, all students wore the same shade of dark red ties that bore their school's official crest in the middle.

The only difference was that in senior high, there was the addition of the dark maroon red blazers that made the senior high school students look older and more mature.

Ann herself felt uncomfortable under her own blazer, but she tried to raise her chin confidently as she passed by. She was after all, still a Lobris heir. Everyone's eyes were still on her, especially after last year's scandalous events.

She had no choice but to purse her lips tighter.

Walking inside the senior high building's lobby felt so jarring and different — sobrang iba sa junior high building na kaniyang nakasanayan. Everything was alienating as she tried to familiarize herself into newfound territory, without making it seem like she was lost.

Gripping her handbag, agad na inikot ng dalaga ang kaniyang mata, pilit na hinahanap ang pinakamalapit na comfort room. She couldn't stop the sickening feeling in her stomach anymore. Her head was spinning, and being the center of attention was not helping at all.

Pero bago pa ito makalakad ng isa pang hakbang, another young girl had grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around.

Soon enough, she came face to face with Seraphim Louise Madrigal, who seemed to have been looking everywhere for her.

"ANN!" Sera exclaimed, a mix of relief and sternness in her voice. "Andito ka na pala! Anong ginagawa mo dito? Akala ko ba napag-usapan natin na sa office magkikita-kita??"

Ann realized she had been holding her breath this whole time, and finally let out a heavy exhale at the sight of a familiar face. Sera, who was still as beautiful as ever with her long, wavy, brown hair, looked at her like she was crazy.

Despite this, Ann merely smiled apologetically before giving her friend a hug.

"Sorry, gusto ko lang sana makita itong bagong building natin bago magsimula ang assembly. Familiarize myself with the grounds and everything," paliwanag ng dalaga sa kaibigan as they separated from the hug. Sera merely raised an eyebrow.

"Ann you've been in this school for the entirety of your teenage life. Lagi mong nadadaanan at nakikita 'tong senior high building for four years. What makes it so different now?" Sera pointed out before shaking her head. "Okay, I know what it is. Your overthinking, perfectionist ass is nervous because it's the first day of senior high. Tama ba?"

Ann bit her lip and squinted her eyes into a forced smile. "Sera, for the first time in my life, I think I'm terrified," the young girl whispered faintly. "You know I don't want to take up this strand. I don't want to be forced in a field full of boring digits and end up in a stale, grey office computing other people's taxes. Sera, I don't want to end up like my mother."

Ann's voice slightly trembled, halos ibulong na lang ang huling mga salita.

Sera let out a sigh.

For the entirety of her summer, Ann had been stowed away by her father in their mansion, making her take up online crash courses on accountancy and bookkeeping to prepare her for what her parents would call, a "smashing career" as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) lawyer.

Akala ng dalaga ay makukumbinsi pa niya ang kaniyang mga magulang na magbago ng isip at bigyan siya ng kalayaan na pumili ng senior high strand na talagang gusto niya. But after her mutiny last year of choosing to be part of the Campus Sleuths despite her parents' wishes, the Lobris couple was more than decided to take away the thing that Ann valued the most: her freedom.

Dahil dito ay hindi madalas na nakasama ng dalaga ang kaniyang mga bagong kaibigan noong bakasyon. And now that she was finally facing the reality that she was taking up the Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) strand to pursue accountancy in the future, Ann seemed to have forgotten all other aspects in her life.

She wished she was as free as her cousin, Calista Beltran, who was now enjoying college life as a communication arts student in Manila.

Napabuntong-hininga ulit ang dalaga, with Sera looking at her empathetically.

"Come here," Sera muttered, giving her friend another tight hug.

"I mean, we can still tamper with your enrollment form and register you into HUMSS," she whispered to Ann's ear, with the latter swatting her away in disbelief. Agad namang natawa si Sera at humiwalay muli ang dalawa.

Humanities and Social Sciences, or HUMSS, was Ann's dream strand for senior high — far from the numeric field of ABM that her parents had forced her to take.

"Kidding! I mean, you've done more rebellious things last year, goody-two shoes. What makes you think you're a different person now?" Sera chuckled once more as Ann scowled.

"This rebellious state was what took away my freedom in the first place and so I am never doing that shit again," Ann grumbled, massaging the temples of her forehead as Sera looped an arm around hers.

"Well madame president, apart from your life, the Campus Sleuths' office is also falling apart without you. So we better go now before our three boys end up destroying it more than we should," Sera told her, finally pulling Ann out of the senior high lobby and towards the main building where their newly-put up office was situated.

It was times like these that Ann was grateful for the events that had transpired last school year, or she wouldn't find any genuine friends like Sera in this wretched academe.

Castillo High after all was more akin to a battlefield than any regular high school; with its students clawing over one another like crabs, all in the hopes of reaching the top.

---

"Oh my God, the wallpaper is a disaster! Wala ba kayong ka-design-design sa mga buto ninyo??" A familiar voice screeched from inside room 414.

"At saka anong klaseng ayos 'yan? Mukha tayong lobby ng foot salon! Teka, diba sabi namin, kulay white na kurtina... WHITE. Bakit naman pula yung kinuwha niyo?! Ano 'to, bahay ni Dracula—"

Queenie Rose Gintuan's distressed voice was what greeted Ann and Sera as soon as they had stepped foot inside the Campus Sleuths' office, or what they have decided to call as the CSO — the very room that will soon host all their future meetings and base of operations as the newly-appointed Campus Sleuths of Castillo High.

At the western part of the room, Queenie could be found with her fists on her hips and an aghast expression. Reagan Iñigo Maccio and Jarrell Blake Marquez on the other hand, who were the vice president and public relations officer respectively, had propped themselves up on the couch, seemingly changing the curtains.

Meanwhile, Qinston Rhys Gintuan, Queenie's brother and the organization's treasurer, was scraping off wallpaper that seemed to be plastered rather recklessly.

"Uhhh... Hi?" Jarrell said meekly as Ann and Sera blinked at the group in disbelief, mouths hanging open.

"I told you they were losing it here," Sera grumbled. But Ann merely let out a laugh as everyone came down from their positions and ran to the organization's president.

"ANN!" Queenie cried out as she wrapped her arms around her friend.

"Buti naman pinalabas ka na ng tatay mo sa mansyon niyo. Akala namin 'di ka na masisikatan ng araw," Quinn grinned as he too hugged Ann after his sister.

"Oo nga, miss na miss ka na nga daw ni-ARAY!" Agad na napasigaw si Jarrell nang bigla siyang sinapak ni Rein sa likod.

"Gagalit eh totoo naman," nguso ni Jarrell dahilan para matawa ang dalaga at yakapin rin ito.

By the time she and Rein had faced one another, Ann seemed to have found the inability to move.

"Lobris," Rein greeted her with a curt nod, rubbing a hand on his nape.

"Maccio," tango ng dalaga pabalik, raising her eyebrows as she stared at her rival. Pilit niyang itinatago ang kaniyang ngiti.

Rein seemed to have not changed. His lips were still curved into a slight smirk, as if he was scheming something no one ever knew, and his dark hair was still slightly wavy and messy. Ann also noted that he still wore his trusty wrist watch on his right arm.

"Meowww!"

Napatingin naman sa baba ang dalaga, beaming when she saw the organization's official feline snuggling up onto Ann's ankle.

"Aww, hello to you too Detective Ronan!" Ann laughed, picking the white, ragdoll cat up and nuzzling its nose. Ronan stared at the young girl with its purple eyes, giving the Lobris girl a few kitten licks.

"Glad to see nothing's changed," Ann grinned as she looked around while stroking Ronan in her arms, basking in the presence of her friends for the first time in three months.

"Oh I beg to differ," Quinn muttered as Queenie, who already knew what he was about to discuss, let out a laugh.

"Alam mo bang may mga manliligaw na 'yang si Queenie?!" reklamo ni Quinn, dahilan para matawa rin ang iba. "Kailangan ko na yatang lakasan ang tough kuya exterior ko!"

"Late ka na sa balita Quinn," Ann teased as she finally placed Ronan down and wrapped an arm around Queenie's waist. "Baka mamaya maunahan ka pa ni Q magka-jowa."

"Hoy, hoy! Dadaan muna sila sakin!" Quinn grumbled to himself.

"At saka, tumangkad kaya ako!" Jarrell argued, standing up tall to show his newfound height. "Nagka-abs na rin, gusto niyo ba makita?"

"Alam mo Marquez isa nalang i-ki-kickout na kita sa office," iritadong sambit naman ni Sera, dahilan para matawa muli ang lahat.

Ann smiled, watching the five of them bicker. She was right, little had changed indeed.

Eerything seemed the way that it should be, and for a moment, the young Lobris girl forgot all her first day fears, forgot that every one of them had grown up in the time that has passed — all forced and thrusted into newfound territory, pieces carefully crafted into their respective places.

Sooner or later, even they would have to follow the rules and move according to the status quo.

It all comes down to whether or not they'll be able to unearth Castillo High's darkest secrets.

---

NOTE: Heya readers, welcome to the new chapter in the life of the Campus Sleuths! Be prepared to meet an interesting addition to the ensemble of detectives and just enjoy the ride!

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