Chapter 11: Epilogue

Congratulations!

Justice is served.

Now that you unveiled the truth.

You may now claim the verdict.

After that announcement, Lady Mori, together with the coordinators appeared in front of us.

"Kampo Uno, are you now ready to face your verdict?" Lady Mori asked with arms crossed and an overwhelming smile.

My eyes wandered around the people she was with. Sa 'di ko inaasahang pagkakataon ay nagulat ako sa isang kasama ni Lady Mori, parang binagsakan ako ng langit ng kidlat nang malaman ko na ang taong nag-alaga sa akin at itinuturi kong ina ay narito at kaharap ko ngayon.

"S-sister—"

"Sister Anne!?" Naputol ang sasabihin ko nang marinig ko ang mga kasamahan ko na sabay- sabay siyang tinawag sa pangalan niya. Napatingin ako sa kanila na may halong pagtataka. Anong ibig sabihin nito? Nagtinginan kami sa isa't isa, ang mga mukha nila'y 'di maipinta.

"Y-you guys recognize h-her?" tanong ko habang nanginginig ang buong katawan sa 'di ko maipaliwanag na dahilan. "Don't tell me she was the nun all of you are pertaining?" Tumango silang lahat bilang tugon.

"Natutuwa akong makita kayong muli mga anak," sambit ni Sister kaya ang atensyon namin ay nabaling sa kaniya.

My tears started to drop again. "You are one of them? H-how? W-why? Are you really a nun?" Mga katagang tanong ko sa kaniya. Sobrang gulong-gulo ang utak ko sa nalaman ko ngayon.

"Ako ay isang totoong alagad ng simbahan, ngunit bago pa 'yon ay nagtrabaho muna ako sa sistemang ito. Nang makilala ko kayo, lingid sa kaalaman ko na ang mga inosenteng paslit na inalagaan ko ay may bahid ng dugo ang mga kamay," panimulang wika ni Sister. Napansin ko naman ang mga mata nito'y paluha na rin ngunit pilit niya itong pinipigilan. "Totoong minahal ko kayo bilang isang anak kahit na alam ko kung ano ang buong pagkatao at ang nakaraan ninyo..." Tumingin muna ito kay Lady Mori at tinignan din naman niya ito pabalik kaya patuloy na siyang nagsalita. "Nalaman ko ito nang muli akong makatanggap ng tawag sa Kampo. Alam ko na hindi ito maganda. Kaya nang nalaman ko ang krimen na ginawa ninyo at noong mga panahon na pinaghahanap na kayo ng Kampo ay ginawa ko ang lahat para ilayo kayo sa kanila, doon ako nagpasya na ipaampon kayo sa mga kinikilala niyong magulang ngayon. Sa murang edad niyo, hindi ko pa kaya na makita kayong nahihirapan sa ganitong paraan." Inilayo nito ang tingin sa amin. "Alam niyo naman siguro ang pamamahala sa bansa natin ngayon. The people now have the power to choose what kind of justice they want. It's either the legal one or the dark side of the system... and this is what they choose."

Tinuro niya ang mga kasamahan niya at si Lady Mori. "Humingi ako ng pabor sa kanila na manatili muna kayo sa pamamahala ko hanggang sa maalala niyo ang lahat ng ginawa niyo. Ngunit ang totoo niyan ay dahil 'yon sa pagmamahal ko sa inyo kaya gusto kong maintindihan kong bakit niyo nagawa 'yon sa murang edad. Gusto kong alamin ang inyong buong pagkatao. Pero ang lahat ay may oras. Now it has come. You need to face the crimes you committed in the past." Ngumiti kasabay ng pagpatak ng mga luha niya. "Ako ang nagsuplong sa inyo... kung nasaan kayo," wika pa nito.

"So, this the purpose of Kampo Morte? This is why you bring us here?" Tril asked.

"That's a good question, Ms. Deguio." Nagpalakad-lakad si Lady Mori sa harap namin. "It's not us who bring you here, it's your own crimes that brought you here." Lady Mori smirked. "Kampo Morte's mission is to uphold the truth. A series of deaths have occurred throughout the world and most criminals still walk with freedom, as if they're innocents. Although some of them finally face their consequences, others choose to neglect their verdict, afraid to cast their liberty. Some choose to forget. Yet others have no remorse for their sins. But I wonder does the conscience free a vile from the sin?" She stopped and stare at me, she continued, "I guess not. Am I right, Alakin? How does it feel to be haunted by the ghost of your past?"

"H-how did you know?" I asked. Hindi ko alam kung paano niya nalaman 'yon.

"All of you are under surveillance." She pointed out our bracelets. Sabay-sabay kaming lima na napatingin sa aming bracelets. Now I understand why I saw a red light in here, it's a camera and I believe it also has a built-in speaker. I assure this bracelet has everything.

Nagpatuloy muli ito sa pagsasalita. "We always wondered why people commit such crimes?" Naglakad ito papunta sa amin. She faced Dem and said, "Maybe a result of a highly obsessive desire to gain trust." She stood next to Tril, "Or maybe because of their abusive upbringing." She took one step closer and stopped in front of Haliya and there she said, "Perhaps as a result of being victims of a judgmental and unfair society." After saying those words, she always let out an overwhelming cryptic smile. She continued with Elyt, "Or driven to commit a crime due to uncontrollable emotions and satisfy their selves with vengeance." My mates stare at her with tears in their eyes.

Before Lady Mori stand in front of me, our eyes first met, and she smiled at me.

"Of course, there's selfishness above all." Hindi na ito tumuloy sa harapan ko, tumalikod ito at bumalik sa puwesto niya at doon tinuloy ang pagsasalita. "But regardless of the circumstances, nobody can end a life. Killings will never be justified. There is never a reason to kill. The penalties that the sinners deserve must be met. Justice exists because of this, but justice isn't fair for everyone. That's why we build our own justice. Our own system."

We are speechless but at the same time astounded by everything we are hearing.

She gazed at Sister Anne and continued her statement, "Selective justice is somehow a blessing to those privileged but a curse to those marginalized. When people out there were lack of privilege to find justice, they decided to choose the hidden side of the system. That's when they choose us."

Huminto muna siya saglit at inayos ang pin na nakasabit sa uniform niya. It was a pin with the logo of Kampo Morte.

"We do our job to make the vile face their verdict," she continued and clapped her hands. Torches started to illuminate the surrounding. A huge logo of Kampo Morte suddenly appeared with the use of fire.

There's a Latin phrase written on it--Iudicium non est in atrio.

After I read that Lady Mori shouted, "Welcome to Kampo Morte where verdict isn't in court!"

Lahat kami ngayon ay hindi maipinta ang mga mukha sa aming nasasaksihan.

I gathered all my courage to speak up. "You can directly put us in jail and let the due process on the court. Why are you playing with us? Why is it to be here?" I asked.

"Did you hear what Anne said!?" She gazed at Sister Anne and raised her voice to me with authority. "With the new government. People now have the authority to choose what kind of justice they want. In your cases, the legal proceedings are due anymore because all of you here committed something but refused to be guilty." Her face turned serious again. "We wanted you to unveil the crimes you yourselves committed. You all have the free will to be responsible for your actions after you committed the crime. You have the choice to pay the consequences but refuse to. All of you are afraid to cast your freedoms. You guys were unaware that rejecting the verdict is a criminal in and of itself."

Lady Mori is right the suffering we are into right now is the price of rejecting our verdict. She continued, "And, why here? Because people love adventures. People love games, especially the young ones. Although people wish to expose injustice, sometimes they lack morality and values. This is not a game... rather, it is a moral and ethical litmus test for how people will respond to injustice. One of the best ways to test this is on the people who commit injustice itself."

Sumenyas ito sa mga kasamahan niya at pagkatapos ay lumapit ang lima sa kanila na may hawak na naka-fold na papel. Ngayon ay nakatayo na ito sa mismong harapan namin. Ano’ng nais nilang gawin sa amin?

Maya't maya pa ay binuksan nila ang hawak na papel. It was an image of our victims.

"So, did you learn something from your crimes?" Lady Mori asked and faced Dem. "Mr. Naveda, can I hear something from you?"

Napatingin kaming lahat kay Demyr at saka naman siya nagsimulang magsalita.

"Yrina is my girlfriend, we were together for a long time, I'm so in love with her... until Cassidy came, our teacher. I fell in love with Cassidy, and that love turns into obsession. I wanted to gain Cassidy's trust and love but in order to do that, I should end what Yrina and I have. I wanted to end my relationship with Yrina to start a new one with Cassidy, but she doesn't want it. When Yrina found out the truth between us, that's when I realized I wanted to get rid of her. Since she won't let go of me, I decided to end her life." He stopped for a while and look at us. He continued, "Trust, I felt so superior thinking that I could win everyone's trust with ease. However, when I got here, I understood that winning everyone's trust is not as simple as it may seem." She looked at Tril seriously.

"Seems you like Ms. Deguio." Lady Mori chuckled after she said that. "Can I hear something from you?" tanong ni Lady Mori kay Tril.

"I shouldn't let myself be caged by the trauma my family has given birth to, I should have learned to escape. I wasn't brave enough to escape my own cage and because of that, I let myself be imprisoned in a home where I don't belong. I realized that family does not only revolve around blood because you can find a home in a stranger's love. I wish my younger self knew that. Maybe she'd grown up without longing for a mother's love... a family's love. Because the pain doesn't end the moment I killed them, what's worse, it lives in me. It became part of who I am." Tril burst into tears and hugged herself. Now, it made sense why she has so many tattoos on her body because she wanted to cover the scars of her past. I understand her more.

Lady Mori's attention was now on Haliya. "How about you, Ms. Urdeva?"

"I c-came to the conclusion that I was merely lost in the wrong circle and that real friends can be found. It has no conditions, by trying to fit in their conditions, I lost myself. It changed me into someone I am not." Haliya cried in remorse. "I wish I shouldn't listen to every word they said. I wish I listened to my own thoughts and looked back at my father's advice." She looked up to the sky and added, "I'm so sorry, Papa. I failed us."

You can't hear anything right now but cries of remorse.

"Mr. Ortega? Your turn."

Elyt didn't say a word for seconds, he was just staring at the ground, and I also observe he was now holding his necklace.

"Mr. Ortega? Do you hear me?" Lady Mori asked again.

"O-out there I am on top, no one comes close to me, I don't accept failures in life because it triggers my emotions... it made me question who I am." I can feel Elyther right now, I believe I was once in his position. "I dread the thought of being nothing... of being useless because if I failed my existence will fade." Mas lalo kong nakita ang pagkatao niya. He was really afraid of being outsmarted because he believes that he was only good at it. He continued, "I learned that no matter how I drowned myself into thinking that I'm better than everyone, I can't outsmart everyone... that there's always someone out there who's better than me, no matter how much I pour so much effort. I should have embraced my failures than letting it kill who I am. Now it's too late. I killed my brother because of anger and jealousy." Lady Mori let out a deep sigh and diverted her attention to me.

"Lastly, Mr. Serverse?"

"There's someone out there who'll make you feel that you're not alone, who'll love you and sacrifice everything for you even their lives just to prove to them that love does exist in this temporal life and chaotic world. But sometimes we are the ones who kill that love. I killed the woman I love because of selfishness," I said.

"Finally!" Lady Mori overwhelmingly said, "Actus rea and Mens rea!" she added.

What does she say?

"A guilty act and a guilty state of mind!" She spoke. I think it was what she meant.

Tumalikod ito at hinarap ang mga kasamahan niya.

"I guess this case is dispo—" Before she continues, I interrupted her with a sudden curiosity that pops up in my mind.

Napaharap ito sa akin. Lahat ng atensyon nila ngayon ay nasa akin.

"This is no connection to our sins, I just want to clarify things, if you build Kampo Morte to fight injustices then why are the campers running for their lives?" A sudden realization hits me when I remembered that guy running for his life. "We talked to one of them and we witnessed how frightened he was running for his life, he said 'They're killing us!', does that mean you also kill people? What made that less evil?"

Lady Mori smiled at me. "Do u have any idea what retributive justice is?" she responds with a question.

Retributive justice? As far as I know, the severity of the punishment is equivalent to the crime. Does that mean?

Parang tumigil ang mundo ko sa segundong 'yon.

"You're gonna k-kill us?" I asked while trembling. Sabay naman na napatingin sa akin sina Haliya, Tril, Elyt at Dem.

Nagkibit balikat ito.

"Out there justice was known for equality, in Kampo Morte equity is been served, what they deserve, they will earn. That's what we practice but... in a nice way. So don't worry campers," wika nito sa aming lahat. She gazes back at me, "Mr. Serverse, our job was to only unveil and make the vile face their verdict." She smiled at us and continued, "The verdict doesn't lie in us."

The scintilla of doubt devoured my mind.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Mr. Serverse, when you are at court who gives the verdict?"

"J-judge?" Elyt muttered. Lady Mori looked at him and the smile on her face doesn't fade.

"Right. And who do you think is the judge in Kampo Morte?" All of us exchanged looks. "Not us. It's the supreme. The people."

It leaves us all in shock. That means they are the ones who decide our verdict.

"What's our verdict?" Elyt asked.

"Since you all refuse the verdict because of fear, now you'll face it in fear. You'll suffer the fears the same way they did. Physical, emotional, and mental torture. That's what the majority of the people decide. You guys should be thankful they didn't request execution. I guess there's still hope for humanity."

Now everything made sense. We wouldn't resist anymore. It was us who made our fate.

"Where are the other Campers?" I curiously asked.

A man came and approached Lady Mori. "Kampo Dos will now face their verdict," he said, almost in a whisper. I am terribly in deep confusion.

A smirk formed on Lady Mori's face. A sign of overwhelmed I must guess, maybe because another sin has been unveiled and another verdict will be served.

Guards came to us. At that certain moment, I know that our verdict doesn't end here. The guards started to get the bracelet in our hands. We are now free from the bracelets but in exchange cuffed by a manacle. Probably, they are now putting us to where we should be. Jail may be.

Before we will leave this place, she mouthed, "Mr. Serverse, you now have the answer." It leaves me speechless. I wonder what sin they commit? Did they kill people just like us? Or it's another unearthed sin?

Bago pa man kami dalhin sa aming nararapat na kinaroroonan ay lumapit si Haliya sa akin.

"Please, I need a minute," sabi nito sa nakahawak na guard sa kaniya. Pinagbigyan naman nito si Haliya at lumayo naman ito kaunti.

I don't have any idea what she's into.

She shows her handcuffed arms. I am a little bit surprised and confused.

"Get my watch," she said, and I look at her wrist. "It's a smartwatch," she said, but I'm still in question. She looked at the surroundings first before continuing, "The blog..." My eyes widened when I heard her say that. Now I get what Haliya is pertaining to. "They're waiting. They need a story," sabi nito.

Haliya is right, I need to tell them the truth. Kinuha ko ang watch niya at binilisan ang paggamit nito. Luckily, there's a signal. I log in to my blog. I didn't waste a single second; I type what I wanted to say. Before I could press the button to post it, Haliya offered me her hand.

"What are you doing?"

"I am Haliya Urdeva or I must say, Kara, the celebrant killer." She smiled with a drop of tears. My tears started to fall again. I grabbed it and shook it.

Lumapit naman ang tatlo sa amin.

"This is too shameful, but I am Tril Deguio, the f*cking Thriah, the Lady Massacre."

"Guys, I am Demyr Naveda, the obsessive lover boy killer." He chuckled after he say that. "Ma-mi-miss kita, bro. Ang dami kong natutunan sayo, salamat." Dem hugged me.

Elyt interrupted, "The first time I saw you, I know you're a great rival. And my instinct doesn't disappoint me. I still want to know what capabilities you hide, so in the future, if by any means we'll meet again, you're finally outsmarted by me." I nodded my head in disbelief, sometimes I don't like Elyther's humor, but I guess I have to take that into consideration. "I am Elyther Ortega, the child prodigy wr—I mean killer," he introduced.

"I'm still a fan of your works, Elyt," Haliya interrupted, Elyt smiled at her.

Before, we introduce ourselves to one another without any idea of each other's identity. Now that we know each other, we are now introducing our real selves.

"Time has come." Lumapit na ang mga guards sa amin. Saktong narinig kong nagvibrate ang relo ni Haliya.

A sign that the message in the blog was posted.

I diverted my attention to Elyther, Haliya, Tril, and Demyr.

I met these people at unexpected moments in our life. I didn't expect that behind these morally good samaritans there's a mask that hides their true identity. Our pains made us all evil. I met unexpected friends that I've been deprived of for a long time. I learned lessons inside their own perspective view. I learned so much from these sinners, it made me value the true definition of freedom, and that is to let go of it. I guess a vile can be less evil if they have true people with them, well, for me.

It turns out that justice is not only for the freedom of buried souls but also a liberation for us, blackened souls. A freedom for us to let go of what haunts us. A liberation to forgive our transgressions and create transformation.

I gazed at Haliya's watch and look at the message I posted on the blog.

I hope this message will find you.

If you commit and are guilty of something, tainted freedom will never satisfy your life, because you are a captive of your own vices, a victim of your own intolerance, and a prisoner of your own sin.

Despite how deeply we bury the truth in our past, it will always surface because the truth always comes out. Your disposition toward guilt will always haunt you. Remember that refusing our verdict will never make us less evil.

Justice will never be dead as long as there are people who have empathy that serves as a voice for the oppressed and offer their lives to achieve it, it will always stay alive. Justice is always served on equal footing, if not it is not justice at all. The rule of law will always be upheld for no one is above the law... of Kampo Morte and its Supreme— the People.

And, if not divine justice will give our souls the verdict.

Justice was dead for too long, now is the time to be awakened about the truth that has long been forgotten.

We arrived here believing we were innocent, and we will leave here with the truth that we are criminals.

I am ALAKIN SERVERSE, the love letter killer, guilty of murder.

—END—

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This story won BEST in MYSTERY/THRILLER & HORROR in TWA 2022 (THE WRITER’S PHILIPPINES AWARDS.)

Hello, campers!

Our first journey has finally come to an end. After the trials, we've witnessed a bittersweet ending. Thank you for investing your time in joining our campers on their journey of unveiling the truth.

I would like to give my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who reads, commented, and watched adds to support this story. I am forever grateful for the support you've given this story.

If by any means I failed to meet your expectations for this story, I apologize, but I am still grateful for your patience in waiting for the ending.

It really showcase that I did something to keep you invested in this story. I'll try my best to do better for my future stories.

Before I end this page, I would like to leave this to you.

Remember that this is not based on real life scenarios, but we all know that we live in a society where justice system is flawed. I hope this story will leave a footprint on you. If you have the ability to make a voice and speak for those who can't, let yourself be your and their voice, but always make sure to do it right because your voice is the voice of the people.

Until the next adventure! 🖤

Second Installment of the KAMPO MORTE series is coming soon. Stay tuned!

*This story will be published as a book in the future. Expect special chapters included!

Special Chapter includes:

    • Kampo Morte's hidden story preview

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