Students walking in the hallway, friends talking at the side. The 'back to school' atmosphere is so jolly. The almost a month vacation already ended.

There are still prying eyes on me because of the case of the sorcerer but it was lessened. Actually, konting-konti nalang talaga.

I'm again wearing their white dress and golden ochre skirt and necktie. Medyo nakakasanay na rin.

But this day is such an awkward day. Everyone in the campus already knew about Ethan and I's so-called relationship.

Some even congratulated me as if being Ethan's girlfriend is an award. Sabagay, iyon naman talaga ang tingin ni Victoria. But heck, ang awkward kaya lalo na kapag kasama ko si Ash. It feels like I'm stabbing her.

"Hoy," tawag ko kay Ethan kaya napalingon siya sa akin. Ashley went in the comfort room kaya kaming dalawa lang ang magkasama.

"Yes, babe?" Agad ko siyang binatukan sa sinabi niya pero humalakhak lang siya sa reaksyon ko. Kanina niya pa ako inaasar.

Nakita ko namang napalingon sa amin yung mga nasa katabing table at parang kinilig. Geez, ang cringy kaya ng tawagin kang 'babe'. Ew

"Sabihin natin kay Ash," bulong ko, sinadya ko talagang hinaan para hindi marinig ng mga echosera sa katabing table.

"Ang alin?" tanong niya tsaka sumubo ng inorder niyang carbonara.

"Yung pagpapanggap."

"Wag na," napasimangot naman ako sa sagot niya. He likes Ashley, so, why not?

"She's my bestfriend. I don't want to hide anything from her."

"Sabagay," saad niya at napatango-tango.

Natapos na siyang kumain at dumating na rin si Ashley kaya umalis na kami sa cafeteria. Nauna naman si Ethan dahil may dadaanan pa siya.

Ashley's always cheerful whenever with us but today, she's silent. And I know why it is.

"Seriously? Legit?" That's her first reaction when I told her about what happened last week.

"That's absurd! Ikaw ang ipapalit nila kay Rina bilang asawa ni Primo?" Dagdag pa niya.

"Yeah, that's why Ethan did that. Kaloka di'ba?" I said while massaging my temple. Sabay namin kaming tumawa.

"I know that you like Ethan," sabi ko dahilan para tumigil siya sa pagtawa.

"Ano? Hindi kaya," saad niya at umiwas ng tingin sa akin. Natawa nalang ako.

"Masyado ka kayang obvious."

* * *

"Good morning class," bati ng professor nakakadating palang. They also greeted her but I didn't. I'm busy looking at the wonderful things placed in ever table in the laboratory.

Mayroon ditong mga kakaibang berdeng bulaklak. Mayroon ding kulay asul na mga dahon. Mayroon ding mga pixie dust na nakakapagpalutang sa mga patak ng tubig. Geez, I wish I can take a picture of these.

"Today, we will make a potion that can make a human live without breathing." Nagbulungan naman ang mga kaklase ko dahil sa sinabi ni prof. A potion that can be used underwater.

"Turn your books in page 47,"

I turned my book in it. 'Potion: Do not Breathe', that's the tittle of the chapter. Sa ibaba ay may mga ingridients at procedures.

"In the table lies the ingredients for the potion. You may now pick," saad ni prof kaya agad akong lumapit doon para kumuha.

Alchemy is my favorite subject. Back then, I turned a stone into a diamond. How I wish I can use that on the mortal world. But sadly, dito lang nakukuha sa Everland ang mga sangkap.

The first ingredient is something they called alus. I asked Ashley what it is and she pointed to those blue leaves. Oh,

I took five alus and looked at the next ingredient. Seven drops of water. Kumuha ako ng isang pouch at sinalok ang tubig sa taas. Weird, right?

Next ingredient, lumins flower. That must be the green flower.

"Choose high quality lumins because it's both powerful and dangerous at the same time. Kapag namali kayo ng kuha, babaliktad ang epekto ng potion," professor warned.

I was about to pick a fresh and beautiful lumins when someone grabbed it first. Liningon ko siya at tinaasan ng kilay. Inirapan lang ako ni Angeline at tsaka umalis. Aba, maattitude.

Hindi ko nalang siya pinansin at namili nalang ng iba. Kung si Victoria lang ako, pinatulan ko talaga ang buraha na'yon.

I was about to pick another when my head hurt. And the next thing happened is a vission came.

The same scene, inunahan ni Angeline si Victoria sa isang lumins flower ngunit hindi niya hinayaang makuha ito ni Angeline.

She crushed it in her hand before Angeline can take it away. She has this mindset that if she can't have it, she'll destroy it. So, to avoid further attention and bad impression, Angeline chose to walk away.

Victoria picked another, the one I was about to pick. She didn't picked it because it's the best, she picked it for it's the worst.

"I wonder what the professor meant about the reverse effect of the potion," she whispered.

The experiment continued until their potions are finished. Victoria likes potions amd she's full of curiousity in everything.

But the saying, 'curiosity kills rhe cat' can't be applied to her. For she always bring the danger to other people just to save herself.

Like what she did that day.

A girl from the lower section wnter the laboratory to bring some documents to the professor. But what she didn't know is that it'll be her last day.

Victoria secretly spilled the potion in the floor. It created enormous smokes that made everyone panicked. Because they are all busy trying to go outside, they didn't notice how Victoria pushed the girl towards the smoke.

She watched how the potion worked. Of how the girl was left breathless. Of how the girl died.

Tulala lang ako habang nakatitig sa lumins flower na iyon nang may biglang kumuha rito.

"Huwag!" sigaw ko at agad hinablot sa kanya ang bulaklak. Nagtataka naman akong tiningnan ng lalaki. I don't know his name but he's a prince.

"This is a low wuality flower. It might give you low grades. Bahala ka." Tinitigan niya ang bulaklak sa kamay ko at napatango-tango. He jist took another flower.

Nakahinga ako nang maluwag. No one must use this one. Itinapon ko ito sa trashcan para wala nang makakuha. Then, I picked another one.

Moments passed and all of us finished the potion we are making. Upang malaman kung tagumpay ba ay kailangan naming ilagay ito sa isang daga pagkatapos ay ilulublob sa tubig. Tatlumpung minuto pagkatapos, iaahon ulit ito. Kapag hindi namatay ay tagumpay ang paggawa.

We are about to leave the classroom and go to the pond when someone entered the room. The girl Victoria killed.

Pinagmasdan ko siya habang lumalapit sa professor. She looks like two years younger than me. She has shoulder-length black slightly curled hair and she wears a polite smile. She don't deserve to die.

Abala ang professor sa pagtingin sa mga dokumentong dala ng babae nang biglang may isang glass ang nabasag at naglabas ng kulay berdeng usok. The same smoke I saw in the vision.

"Students, leave the room immediately!" Sigaw ni prof kaya nagpa-panick na nagsiksikan ang mga estudyante.

Liningon ko ang basurahan kung saan ko itinapon ang lumins pero wala na ito dito. Who the heck took that?

Liningon ko ang babae sa pangitain. Marami ang nakaharang sa pinto at nagsisiksikan kaya hindi niya alam ang gagawin. Linapitan ko siya para makasigurong hindi na siya makakapitan ng potion.

"This way. Bilis!" Hinila ko siya at isiniksik palayo sa usok.

Nagulat ako nang may biglang tumulak sa akin. Hinanap ko ito pero hindi ko namukhaan.

I felt something cold touching my skin. Sh* t. I'm standing in the green smoke. Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko nang maramdaman ang kawalan ng hininga.

Inhale. But instead of getting oxygen, I felt losing it. Exhale. Inhale. Sa bawat paghinga ko ay kabaligtaran ang nangyayari. Patuloy akong nauubusan ng hininga.

Is this the effect of the reverse potion? Instead of living breathless, it's dying breathing?

Everyone's rushing toward outside except me.

"H-Help," I uttered but they are all busy saving themselves.

Napaupo ako dahil sa panghihina ng tuhod. Inhale. I tried again but there's no difference. Pati ang mga talukap ko ay bumibigat na.

I looked at my right pulse before I lost my consciousness. Nagbago na ang numero rito. 3 I succeeded. But will I also succeed in surviving?

* * *

I was welcomed by everything white as I opened my eyes. Am I already in heaven?

"Gising ka na," gulat na napatayo ang lalaking nakaupo sa upuan sa tabi ko.

"Nickolas?"

"I'll call the doctor," saad niya at umalis.

Pinagmasdan ko ang paligid. White curtains, white walls, white ceilings. I think I'm in a private room in the infirmary.

"Thank God! You're safe," turan ni Ashley at niyakap ako.

"What happened?"

"You almost died, Victoria! Buti nalang at napadaan si Nickolas sa lab. No one dared to save you because of fear. But he did." I looked at where Nickolas exited. Why does he always save me?

"Patawad kung wala man lang kaming nagawa ni Ethan. He wants to save you but his wind magic will just make everything worst."

Maya-maya pa ay dumating si Nickolas kasama ang doktor. He checked up on me. Asked if I'm already breathing normally and such. After that, the doctor left. Nagpaalam na rin si Ashley dahil may klase pa. But Nickolas stayed with me.

"Ipinahamak mo na naman ang sarili mo," asik niya sa'kin kaya bahagya akong natawa.

"That girl I saved was killed because of that potion back then and it was all Victoria's fault. The girl was my seventh mission," saad ko habang pinagmamasdan ang numero sa pulso ko.

"If it's all Victoria's fault, then, why it's you who have to suffer all the pain?"

Napalingon ako sa kanya. Sa simula pa lang, tanong ko na rin 'yon sa sarili ko. Why does it have to be me?

* * *

Nang mag-uwian ay hindi na muna ako pumunta sa library gaya ng nakagawian. Sumabay na ako kina Ash at Ethan. Kasama ko rin si Nickolas.

I went to Victoria's locker to put some books in it when I saw a paper inside. Para bang inilusot lang sa gilid.

It's a golden paper with silver ink. Odd, right?

I opened it and read it.

Hello, your highness! I'm sorry for the casualty last alchemy class. I just did what you must do. The potion is supposed to be for the girl but you're so silly to save her.

Pero hindi ako nagsisising ikaw ang itinulak ko. Siguro ay ganti nalang iyon sa pangingialam mo at ng mga kasama mo sa dark kingdom.

1

"Anong nakalagay?" tanong ni Ashley nang inis kong nilukot ang gintong papel.

"Kilala na nila tayo," saad ko dahilan para magtinginan sila sa isa't-isa.

"So, we need to also know them for this game to be fair."

* * *

Hinalungkat ko ang bawat sulok ng kwarto ni Victoria. She's one of the members of the dark organization back then. She must have a list or what.

Nagulo ko na halos lahat ng gamit pero wala pa rin akong makita. Geez, ang sinop ni Victoria sa ebidensya.

I was losing hope not until I found something placed under her bed. Its a wooden box with golden flowers in it. I'm so happy not until I realized that it was locked.

May isang butas dito na hugis puso. I figured out that it's the same as the size of the pendant of Victoria's necklace.

Geez, kaya ba nakapatay siya dahil sa kwintas ay dahil mahalaga ang laman ng kahon na ito?

Nang mabuksan ko ang kahon ay isang lumang kwaderno lang ang bumungad sa akin. Nakapagtataka lang dahil wala itong kahit anong bahid ng ginto o mamahaling palamuti.

Binuklat ko sa unang pahina.

Dear diary,

~ ~ ~

A/N: the next update will be the back story of our evil princess. So, keep on reading! Mwah