Chapter 10: X

The moment I step foot into the cabin it feels like my body froze for the meantime. It feels heavy inside. I heard the door bang, and it was suddenly locked.

Agad-agad akong napatingin sa pinto at parang tumigil ang mundo ko nang makita ko ang mga kaibigan ko sa labas. Sumigaw ako at lumapit sa pinto para buksan ito ngunit hindi ko na ito mabuksan. It was already sealed.

"Behind you!" I still try my best to get their attention, but I guess they can't hear me. Outside, they were all confused.

What's behind them are five people with an animal mask. They were the ones we saw and who were after us. I thought we already avoided the danger and threat they'll bring but now it's happening, at last, they won capturing us.

I saw Elyt look back as he notices I'm pointing at their back. But before he could resist, they were covered on their head.

I felt like my body dropped when I saw them in that situation. My mind is occupied with thoughts and it's now eating my consciousness —feels like I'm about to faint but I can't. The deafening silence echoed in my ears.

They're now handcuffed on the back with chains on their neck and what made me terrified the most is the possibility that they were going to hang them in the trees.

May naririnig ako na tunog. A distorted sound. Napansin din ng mga mata ko sa likod ang liwanag nito sa wall. Nagulat ako ng biglang may magsalita.

"This is your last chance to save your friends, Alakin. Do you want to save them or just let them die?" Pagkaharap ko nagulat ako sa nakita ko.

"You?" It was her... the girl that haunts me. Now her face is clear to me. But she's not real, she's computer generated, she appeared on the wall. "Who are you?" I asked her. She didn't answer me instead she just gave me a cryptic smile.

A moment of silence for a while.

"I have a letter for you," she said and suddenly vanished. The surroundings inside dimmed.

Letter? What does that mean? I am still wondering and still not in my state of mind. My eyes started to navigate the cabin.

Ang mga pawis ko ay tumatagaktak, at hindi ko na rin alintana ang kati ng katawan ko dahil sa mga kaganapan kani-kanina lang. At this point, I shouldn't be at the peak of my fears but I'm still anxious. I guess admitting fears is a sign of bravery; at least for me.

Hindi ko alam pero parang hinahabol ako ng oras. Maya't maya pa ay tumalon ang puso ko sa pagkagulat ng marinig ko ang nakakabinging tunog ng orasan sa wall. The clock hands were exactly pointed at 3. Nang gumalaw ito ay nagsimula na rin akong kinabahan kaya naramdaman na ng buong katawan ko ang tensyon.

"What should I do!?" I exclaimed as if I'm not alone here and expecting someone would answer me. Biglang sumagi sa isipan ko ang sinabi ng babae kanina. Letter... maybe I should find it.

Nagsimula akong maghanap sa paligid. Hindi makalat ang paligid at wala akong makita na kung anong papel para sa sinasabi niyang letter.

Sinubukan kong buksan ang mga cabinets ngunit wala rin itong laman. Sumunod na nagtungo ako sa mga higaan namin para halungkatin din ito ngunit wala rin akong bakas ng sinasabi niyang letter na nakita.

Napansin ko ang ibang gamit namin kaya sinubukan ko itong halungkatin lahat.

I know I don't have the right to do this because this is their personal thing and it is clearly invading their privacy, but I don't have a choice anymore, I know they'll understand.

Ilang minuto rin akong naghalungkat sa mga gamit nila ngunit wala naman akong nakita. Lahat nang naroon ay personal necessities nila. Tumayo ako sa gitna at hinawakan ang ulo ko dahil sa sobrang stress.

"I'm done!" I shouted and sat on the floor.

I tried to calm myself first by letting out a heavy breath, but the annoying sound of the clock tickles my ears.

I can't think of a way!

Tumayo ako ng padabog at sa kasamaang palad ay nagulat ako sa nakita ko. My friends... with hands and foot tied up and they have ropes on their neck and I'm certain that they'll hang them.

"Can you take to see them die in that way?" The voice of a woman spoke. It echoed inside the cabin.

"What are you going to do with them!?" I shouted while taking a journey at the surroundings trying to find where the voiceover came from.

"Are you going to let them die?"

"Release them!" Kahit anong sigaw ko alam kong wala lang din akong mapapala. "We are just students who came here to create memories to cherish our lives not to live in fear and die! What do you want from us!?" I questioned. I can't take this anymore.

"Why you're here is a mystery, but the answer lies in your hands," she said. A deafening silence cage the room.

"We're so done unveiling these stupid mystery cases and I will not allow you to make our lives a sacrificial lamb for all these crimes!" I said in anguish. Biglang nabaling ang atensyon ko sa bracelet ko ng may lumabas dito na announcement.

This is the last case for you to give justice to the dead.

Do or die.

The choice is yours.

Good luck!

Kasabay nang pagpatay ng bracelet ay nakarinig ako ng tunog galing sa labas, tinignan ko sila at doon ko napansin na unti-unti silang inaangat. Ang mga taong naka-maskara ay nakatayo lamang sa gilid na parang estatwa at pinagmamasdan lang sila. Hindi ko na maiwasang mapaluha sa aking nasasaksihan. Anytime soon, they'll probably be dead, so I really need to do something before it's too late. I know I just met this people, but they willingly spent their time to know who I am without judgement. They accepted me and considered me as their friend no matter how harsh I am sometimes. I found friendship inside this camp, and I won't let this camp take away what I only have.

"Please just give me time!" I shouted again. I close my eyes and start breathing until my mind feels at ease so I can focus and think straight. But the tick of the clock is annoying. I opened my eyes and stare at the clock. Its hands are still at 3 o'clock. Hindi ito gumagalaw. Parang may mali. Tumayo ako at lumapit sa wall kung saan naroon nakakabit ang orasan. Tinitigan ko ito ng mabuti habang nag-iisip.

Naalala ko ang mga clue kanina.

What you bury will bloom in time.

It's your time, Alakin Serverse.

If I'm going to analyze those clues, it always mentions the word time. I knew it! Time always reveals the truth.

Hindi na ako nagpaligoy-ligoy pa at kinuha ko ang orasan sa wall. Ilang sandali pa ay bigla na lang bumuhos ang mga white envelopes galing sa pinagkuhanan ko ng orasan. Sobrang dami nito at kumalat ito lahat sa sahig. It covered the floor.

Ano’ng gagawin ko rito? Lahat ba ito babasahin ko o kailangan ko lang hanapin ang isa? Ngunit hindi ko naman alam kung alin dito dahil sa sobrang dami.

Pinulot ko ang isang envelope. Tinignan ko ang likod nito kung mayroon bang nakasulat ngunit malinis ito. Walang kahit anong nakasulat. Nabalot ang aking isipan ng kuryosidad kaya hindi na ako nagdalawang isip na buksan ito.

Nang mabuksan ay bumungad sa akin ang walang laman na envelope. Sobrang naguguluhan na ako. Tumingin akong muli sa mga envelope na nakakalat at doon ko napansin ang envelope na may nakalagay na letter. Pinulot ko ito. It was letter 'k'. Hindi na ako nagpaligoy-ligoy pa, pinunit ko ito at sa inaasahan ay may nakalagay dito na strip of paper at nang aking makita ang letter ay medyo kinabahan ako.

"Sh*t!" I exclaimed.

The letters are scrambled, or I must say it is a code.

U xboufe vt up mjwf xjui op npsf ijejoh, tp J eje xibu jt J uijol uif cftu gps vt boe gps uif tblf pg zpvs Kjgf.

Is this a shifted code? I was still in doubt, but I should try it.

Agad-agad kong kinuha ang ballpen sa bag ko pagkatapos ay sinulat ko ang letters from A-Z sa envelope to serve as my guide.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Pagkatapos kong isulat ay huminto muna ako at huminga ng malalim para magkaroon ako ng pokus. Nararamdaman ko na rin ang tensyon dahil iniisip ko rin ang kalagayan ng mga kaibigan ko sa labas.

"You can do it, Alakin!" I shouted to release the tension.

Nagsimula na akong mag-decode. Shifted code is one of the easiest codes you'll encounter, it is just one letter forward from the real letter.

So, this U is equivalent to the letter T and this x is the letter w, and so on until you decode the message.

I started to write the decoded letters on the same exact envelope. After minutes of decoding, I come up with this message.

T wanted us to live with no more hiding, so I did what is I think the best for us and for the sake of your life.

What is this? The first word feels wrong. I guess it is incomplete. I need to find the others to complete the message of the letter.

Naghanap muli ako ng envelope sa sahig at sa ilang segundong paghahanap ay namataan agad ng mata ko ang letrang 'l' kaya kinuha ko ito at pinunit habang pabalik sa higaan ko. Sinulat kong muli ang code.

Zpv'sf b nbo xjui qbhft pg vofoejoh tupsz up ufmm. J xboufe up sfbe zpv boe xifo J eje, J gfmm jo mpwf xjui fwfsz xpset pg zpvs tupsz. Cvu fwfsz nztufsz jt Loqsfejdubcmf boe tp bsf zpv.

You're a man with pages of unending story to tell. I wanted to read you and when I did, I fell in love with every words of your story. But every mystery is Knpredictable and so are you.

It's right. Other letters are wrong. I know there's something with those letters and I need to complete decoding the message first before decoding the wrong letters. This is time-consuming!

Nagsimula ulit akong maghalungkat sa mga envelope sa sahig.

Napansin ng mata ko ang letter 'A' kaya kinuha ko ito. Akmang tatayo na ako ng biglang sumagi sa isipan ko ang ginagawa ko.

The letters k, l, A. Hindi kaya? Bago ko pa man ma-realize ay naalala ko ang sinabi ng babae kanina.

"I have a letter for you." For you. That means it is for me. The letter I got is k, l, A... that means the letters are my name.

"F*ck your brain, Alakin!" I shouted at myself.

Nagsimula na akong hanapin ang natitirang letters. The remaining are i, n and a small letter a.

Naririnig ko ang bawat kabog ng dibdib ko, at hinahabol na rin ako ng hininga ko habang patuloy na tumatagaktak ang mga pawis ko.

Ilang minuto rin ang aking ginugol hanggang sa makita ko ang natitirang letters.

I now have A, i, n, a.

I started to open the envelope with the capital letter A.

Ep Jpv sfnfncfs ipx xe nfu? Cfdbvtf J ep. J tujmm sfnfncfs uif gjstu ujnf J mbje njof poup zpvs uboubmjajoh csHxo fzft. J bmsfbez wjtjpo zpv'sf b nztufsz boe uibu nblft nf xboefs.

Do Iou remember how we met? Because I do. I still remember the first time I laid mine onto your tantalizing brGwn eyes. I already vision you're a mystery and that makes me wander.

After that I proceed to the next letter "i". Hindi ko muna pinansin ang mga wrong letters.

J upme ijn uibu xf efdjefe up Ljwf jo qfbdf jo fydibohf pg ufmPjoh uif usvui uibu zpv'sf tujmm bmjwf boe up hjwf vt bopuifs dibodC up dpssfdu uif njtublft xf ejD. J mfbwf ijE cGijoe gps zpv cfdbvtf J mpwf zpv Ypsf uibo ijn.

I told him that we decided to Kive in peace in exchange of telQing the truth that you're still alive and to give us another chancB to correct the mistakes we diC. I leave hiD bFhind for you because I love you Xore than him.

Sinunod ko na rin ang small letter 'a'. Hindi na ako nagsayang pa ng oras.

J epo'u voefstuboe xiz xf foe vq mjlf uijt? Xf mjwf pvs foujsf mjwft ijejoh jo uif tibepxt, tibepxt pg voPopxo jefoujuz.

I don't understand why we end up like this? We live our entire lives hiding in the shadows, shadows of unOnown identity.

I let out a deep sigh then I proceed to last letter "n".

J lopx Mpv'mm hpjoh up ljmI nf cvu jg uijt jt uif qsjdf Ng mpOjoh zpv uiQo J'mm qbz gps ju.

Do it, Ai. Take my life.

Love,

Harika.

Napahinto ako nang mabasa ko ang huling mga salita. What does this mean?

Habang dine-decode ko ito ay nakaramdam ako ng panghihina. Nanginginig ang mga kamay ko habang sinusulat ang huling mga letra, para akong biglang nawalan ng lakas. I dropped my pen after I decode it.

I know Lou'll going to kilH me but if this is the price Mf loNing you thPn I'll pay for it.

Do it, Ai. Take my life.

Love,

Harika.

Despite the heavy feeling I felt, I still manage to continue what I'm doing. Sinimulan ko nang buohin ang letter.

I think the order of the letter is my name.

Of course, it starts with letter the capital letter A, kaya kinuha ko na ang envelope at inilapag by order.

Do Iou remember how we met? Because I do. I still remember the first time I laid mine onto your tantalizing brGwn eyes. I already vision you're a mystery and that makes me wander. You're a man with pages of unending story to tell. I wanted to read you and when I did, I fell in love with every words of your story. But every mystery is Knpredictable and so are you. I don't understand why we end up like this? We live our entire lives hiding in the shadows, shadows of unOnown identity. T wanted us to live with no more hiding, so I did what is I think the best for us and for the sake of your life. I told him that we decided to Kive in peace in exchange of telQing the truth that you're still alive and to give us another chancB to correct the mistakes we diC. I leave hiD bFhind for you because I love you Xore than him.

I know Lou'll going to kilH me but if this is the price Mf loNing you thPn I'll pay for it.

Do it, Ai. Take my life.

Love,

Harika

Nang maayos ko 'yon ay doon ko na naramdaman ang namumuong luha sa mata ko.

I read it loudly, correcting the wrong letters.

"Do You remember how we met? Because I do. I still remember the first time I laid mine onto your tantalizing brOwn eyes. I already vision you're a mystery and that makes me wander. You're a man with pages of unending story to tell. I wanted to read you and when I did, I fell in love with every words of your story. But every mystery is Unpredictable and so are you. I don't understand why we end up like this? We live our entire lives hiding in the shadows, shadows of unKnown identity. I wanted us to live with no more hiding, so I did what is I think the best for us and for the sake of your life. I told him that we decided to Live in peace in exchange of telLing the truth that you're still alive and to give us another chancE to correct the mistakes we diD. I leave hiM bEhind for you because I love you More than him. I know You'll going to kilL me but if this is the price Of loVing you thEn I'll pay for it..." I didn't finish reading the last line. I already vision the wrong letters it was a hidden message that was written... YOU KILLED ME, MY LOVE.

"HARIKA!!!" I shouted in remorse, and I became hysterical to the point, I scattered and throw every things I saw. I knelt and burst into tears the moment I realized everything and at the same time flashes of memories came back to me. I remember everything, and why did I end up losing my memory.

I saw her lifeless body hanging.

Before, I could exit the door. I heard a loud bang on the floor. The moment I gazed into it; I was hit by a heavy object in my head. The shattered glass of a vase and a petal of roses on the ground is what my eyes first saw. A drop of liquid flow into my cheeks. My right eye was smeared with red. I diverted my gaze at her. She's still alive.

"After what I've sacrificed for you! You're going with me!" Harika shouted and is about to hit me again with a chair but I managed to bow my head so she couldn't hit me. I grabbed her from behind and strangle her neck with my arms.

"I am not going with you!" I yelled at her and now we're down on the floor. She tried to resist but I strangled her tighter until she was hardly gasping for breath.

"ALAKIN!" she screamed but no one will help her. "You're selfish!" She continues screaming while I was trying to grab the broken glass and when I have it in hand, I said my last words to her. "We'll just continue our love story in hell. Wait for me there, my love." I pierced it through her neck. I didn't loosen it until I was sure she was no longer breathing. When I can no longer feel her, I kissed her on the head and finally let go of her.

I kept the glass I used in my pocket, and I get a cloth and grabbed another one with blood and put it in her hands to make everyone believe it was a suicide case.

Before I could leave her lifeless body, I looked at her for the last time. I opened the door and I saw a man standing in front of me. He was wearing a jacket with a hood. Before I could vision his face, I already feel a hard object hit my head again, and I lost consciousness.

The next thing I knew I am at the hospital with no memory to tell.

I cried when my consciousness was back to reality.

Biglang sumagi sa isipan ko ang naalala ko kani-kanina lamang na nasa ospital ako. Ngayon ay may kabuluhan na ang lahat ng naaalala ko. Ang lalaking nakita ko ay ang taong nakaharap ko bago ako mawalan ng malay at siya rin ang namumukhaan kong nagdala sa akin sa ospital noong mga oras na nag-a-agaw buhay ako.

But I don't know who he is. Maybe he was the rival I always talk about in my memories.

Ngayon ay iyak lang ako nang iyak dahil sa aking nalaman.

While in tears I remember the news headline I read on the bus. -Woman found dead leaving a love letter to the killer-

The woman was her. The crime that happened last year... it was mine.

"What have I done!?" I yelled in my anguish of myself.

"At last, you felt guilty," someone spoke again. Harika, I vision her beautiful face, a look of innocence. The woman I always saw in my mind is her, the same woman who haunts me. It was her the woman I love, my first love.

"Now everything is in your hands, Alakin," she added and looked in a certain direction. I followed her look.

She was looking under my bed. I immediately go and kneeled to see what was under it. There I saw a black box; I grab it and she suddenly disappeared. I open the box.

I saw papers, a record—where the five of us can be seen on the profiles.

Pagkatapos kong malula sa lahat ng aking nalaman ay agad-agad akong tumayo at dinala ang mga papel kung saan naglalaman ng identity records naming lahat.

Patuloy lang na dumadaloy ang luha sa mga mata ko habang ang mukha ko'y seryoso ngunit lahat ng sakit ay nararamdaman ko.

Today, at this moment, I feel like I died.

Nang bumukas ang pinto ay agad-agad bumungad sa akin ang mga kasamahan ko. They were on the grounds sitting and coughing because they were just freed from hanging.

Nang mapansin nila ako ay nagsimula na rin akong maglakad papunta sa kanila.

Habang papalakad ay lukot na rin ang papel sa kamay ko dahil sa pagkakahawak ko rito. Nanginginig ang buong katawan at kalamnan ko sa katotohanang aking natuklasan.

"Y-you m-made it, A-alaki—" Hindi ko na pinatapos pa sa pagsasalita si Haliya.

"We're not here because we have trust issues, neither an orphan nor a victim of a judgmental society and lastly we're not here because of our emotional brittleness..." I stopped for seconds.

"Alakin, what happened?" Tril asked in deep confusion.

I continued with the intriguing question, "Why are we here?" Lahat sila'y nagtitigan sa isa't isa na may halong pagtataka. Pagkatapos ay itinuon nila ang atensyon sa akin.

"We are all killers, aren't we?" I said and dropped the paper from my hands. It flew in the air until it reached the ground.

They all look at the paper on the ground. They saw their names with their pictures, a record of our identity. A criminal record.

A moment of silence that made us realize, yes, we are.

Nagsalita akong muli, "I remember the symbol of the knife the killer used to kill Yrina De Tiero... I just realized it has the same symbol in the dagger of yours, Dem. You are Yrina's boyfriend and Cassidy's lover. You murdered your girlfriend for Cassidy."

I looked at Tril, "Beneath this floor there's a cellar it hides a secret she knows. That SHE, it was you, am I right? That's why you easily found an escape down there because you visualize it was once your home. Now, I understand why you have anxiety with dolls, it was them who gave you the trauma. And the runes, I already know what it means I found no love in home (ᛁ ᚠᚩᚢᚾᛞ ᚾᚩ ᛚᚩvᛖ ᛁᚾ ᚻᚩᛗᛖ). You burned your family to death, Tril."

Kinuha ko ang picture ni Haliya sa papel na nakakalat, pagkatapos ay ginuhitan ko ang mukha nito gamit ang lipstick na nakuha ko sa bag niya. Pagkatapos kong guhitan ay binigay ko ito sa kaniya.

"Haliya, do you have friends when you grew up? I guess you don't have because you poisoned all of them. Did you celebrate your birthday well? Did you enjoy your last meal with them? Cause your wish was granted. It was you, the celebrant killer. You massacred your so-called friends, Haliya," sabi ko habang tinitignan ang picture na ginuhitan ko na kamukhang-kamukha ng picture ng celebrant killer. "Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi kita namukhaan. In fact, your looks really haven't changed."

Sunod kong hinarap si Elyt. The moment I stared at him; he already has an idea of what I'm going to say.

"You know fingerprints can wash by water. Your dad was a forensic pathologist, you know he will find out that it was your own that's why you choose the best way to kill him and that is to drown him. And the necklace, you said it was from your brother, the brother you killed, Elyt."

Napaluhod ako at humagolgol muli.

"All this time, we are finding justice we ourselves taken away from them."

"I'm so sorry for not telling you, Alakin," Tril said in tears. Am I hearing it right? She already knew the crime she committed?

Tinignan ko siya, "You mean..." Tumango ito bilang tugon. Tinignan ko silang lahat. "Who among you remembers the crime you yourself committed?" Mas lalo akong nanlumo nang lahat sila ay nagsitaas ng kamay. After all this time? After all what we've been through? I am the only one who doesn't have any idea why we are here.

"Alam ko na simula pa lang ng unang kaso na nadiskubre natin," Dem stated. "Naalala ko lahat ng ginawa ko sa babaeng... una kong minahal," dagdag pa nito at nagsimula nang pumatak ang mga luha nito.

"You mean you have forgotten your crime?" Tril asked while tears also flowed from her eyes. All of us shed tears.

"Yes, hindi ko alam ang buong pangyayari ngunit nagising na lamang ako nasa orphanage na ako at kinupkop ako ng isang madre," paliwanag nito.

"Me too, but I remember after I murdered my family I was hit by a car, and then I just woke up in the orphanage and I was taken care of by a nun," sabi rin ni Tril.

"Haliya and Elyt? Did you suffer from memory loss too?" tanong ko at nakasisiguro ako na alam ko na ang sagot nila.

"Yes," they answered.

"We all have the same situations." Laughter came out of me, while I was crying.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did all of you allowed them to play with us and let ourselves suffer in their stupid games?" tanong ko sa kanila habang patuloy na bumubuhos ang mga luha ko.

"To at least lessen our guilt and because this is what we deserve," wika ni Tril.

"After what we did to them, I think we deserve to feel what fear they've been through, the pains they endowed until they gasp for their last breath. We deserve the physical, emotional, and mental torture, we deserve to suffer," Elyt said.

“And also, the curiosity on why we commit the crimes,” dagdag pa ni Haliya.

Marahil ay tama sila. Lahat ng ito ay nararapat naming maranasan. Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang ginawa namin sa kanila.

Congratulations!

Justice is served.

Now that you unveiled the truth

You may now claim the verdict.