Days already been passed. My pack was recovering from the attack. For days I don't feel safe. Dumarami na ang mga matang nakamasid sa akin. Ramdam na ramdam ko na malapit na silang umatake. I just don't know when. Plus, absent din si Ry nang ilang araw na.

'Yan ay isa sa ipinagtaka ko. I remembered he mentioned, hate niya ang um-absent. So, what now? Perhaps, may pinuntahan siya? I don't know. Imbyerna ako dahil hindi man lang siya nagpaalam. I was quick to scold myself because of the thought. Why would I be angry with him when in fact he's not even my boyfriend?

We just shared one bed that night. That was just a mistake! But no matter how many times I shoved that thought in my head, my mind won't agree with me. It tells me that Ry should be held responsible for what had happened to us that night.

But it was unnecessary to hold him responsible, because even so he asked permission. And I let him that easily. Ginusto ko rin naman ang nangyari sa aming dalawa. Up until now, my feelings for him is still ambiguous. Hindi ko alam kung ano ito. Kung sino ba talaga siya sa buhay ko.

"There are five total properties of algorithm . . ." our professor in programming was busy lecturing. Habang ako naman ay wala sa kaniya ang buong atensyon. All I could think of right now is Ry. "Finiteness, an algorithm must always terminate after a finite number of steps. It means after every step one reaches closer to the solution of the problem. And after a finite number of steps the algorithm reaches to an end point," he explained.

Sabi ng aming professor ay kailangan niyang ibalik ito dahil halos lahat sa amin ay nangangapa pa rin sa programming. I guess, dalawa o apat lang ang matalino sa major subject namin. Gusto niya raw ito ipa-intindi sa amin so we could finally program well.

Tumingin ako sa labas ng bintana.

"Definiteness, each step of an algorithm must be precisely defined. It is done by well thought actions to be performed at each step of the algorithm. Also the actions are defined unambiguously for each activity in the algorithm," pagpapatuloy pa nito.

Narinig namin siyang bumuntonghininga sa gitna ng pagdi-discuss. "Input, any operation you perform need some beginning value or quantities associated with different activities in the operation. So the value or quantities are given to the algorithm before it begins."

Nabaling ang aking atensyon nang marinig ko na naman ang pagbuntonghininga ng aking tabi.

"Kahit kailan talaga wala akong naiintindihan. Bobo ba ako?" bulong niya sa kaniyang sarili.

Iniling ko na lamang ang aking ulo dahil sa narinig mula sa kaniya. At ngumiti pagkatapos. Muli akong tumingin sa labas ng bintana. There I saw a peaceful sky. Halos walang mga ulap. Tanging nakikita ko lamang ay ang kulay ng kalangitan. But no matter how beautiful it is, the odd wind is still lingering.

A wind of danger. Tila ba'y ang nature na ang nagsabi na may paparating na hindi maganda. Ganito na ito pagkatapos ng gabing umatake ang Holials sa kinatitirikan ng aking pack.

"Output. One always expects output or results, expected value or quantities, in terms of output from an algorithm. The result may be obtained at different stages of algorithm. If some result from the intermediate stage of the operation then it is known as intermediate result and result obtained at the end of algorithm is known as end result. The output is expected value or quantities always have a specified relation to the inputs," rinig na rinig ko pa rin ang boses ng aming professor kahit na nasa labas ang buo kong atensyon.

Napaayos ako ng upo at tumingin sa harap nang marinig ko ang nagbabanta nitong tikhim.

"Lastly, effectiveness. Algorithms to be developed or written using basic operations. Actually, operations should be basic, so that even they can in principle be done exactly and in a finite amount of time by a person by using paper and pencil only."

Saktong nasa last properties na siya, his alarm bell na dala-dala niya ay biglang tumunog. Tumingin siya sa aming lahat habang nililigpit niya ang kaniyang gamit.

"Bukas na bukas magkakaroon tayo ng performances sa major subjects niyo." Narinig ko naman ang mga singhap ng aking kaklase. "Tignan natin kung sino talaga ang nakikinig sa dini-discuss ko rito," huli niyang sabi bago lumabas ng classroom.

Maging ako ay hindi makapaniwala sa sinabi niya. Napasabunot na lamang ako ng aking buhok dahil animated advertisement pa naman ang itinuro niya noong nakaraang araw. Sa programming naman ay tungkol naman sa array.

Array na hindi ko mahanap-hanap kahit ilang ulit ko pang gawin. Sa programming, isang simpleng mali mo lang, error lahat.

Ewan ko ba kung tama ba ang nakuha kong kurso.

Nawala sa isipan ko ang mga reklamo ko nang bumagsak ang ballpen ni Hecate sa sahig. At mukhang hindi niya ito napansin. Therefore, I insisted. Kaagad ko itong inabot sa kaniya't kaagad din naman niyang tinanggap.

Napatigil siya't napatulala. Then fear quickly plastered upon her face. Napatingin ako sa kaniyang nang nakakunot ang noo. Ganito rin ang nangyari sa kaniya nang mahawakan ang kamay ko noong nakaraan. Habol-habol niya ang kaniyang hiningang bumalik sa reyalidad.

"What is it, Hecate?" I asked, whispering.

Tila narinig ako ni Lupus nang tignan niya kaming dalawa. I saw her gulped. Her hands were trembling. Even her lips. She looked at me in the eyes, and hold my hands in worries.

"Promise me, hindi ka pupunta sa mansion ng mga Del Grosso, Kai," takot na takot niyang pakiusap sa akin. "Promise me," this time, nangilid ang mga luha sa kaniyang mata.

It seems like any minute now, she will burst out in tears. I do really have the plan to go to that mansion so I could check Ry. So I could know where he is. He didn't even bother to text me or call me. Nag-aalala lang ako sa kaniya. Ry is someone who dislikes skipping school so he could watch me and protect me just like what he promised to my parents.

"Hecate, what did you see?" This time, si Lupus na ang nagtanong.

Hanggang ngayon nanginginig pa rin ang mga kamay at labi niya. "I saw―" Lumunok muna siya bago ipagpapatuloy ang gustong sasabihin. "I saw full moon," she said.

"Right, tonight's July full moon," Lupus confirmed.

"I saw a blood full moon. And then I saw Kai knocking on the door," natatakot niyang sabi. "The next thing I saw, sumisigaw na si Kai sa sahig. Crying and pleading to stop the pain." Lupus and Hecate's eyes were on me. Me, on the other hand, gulped in fear. "After that, there are people in a circle, muttering arcane words, holding each other's hand. There is a bonfire at the center and the ground was covered with blood," Hecate concluded her vision.

Namayani kaagad ang katahimikan sa aming tatlo. This must be what nature's trying to tell me. That there's something bad going to happen. The wind was almost toxic. Tila ba'y may sugat ang kalikasan.

It seemed like she's against what's to come.

✢

Nakahiga ako ngayon sa kama ko. I used my both arms as a pillow. Nakatitig lamang ako sa kisameng gawa sa kawayan. Wala kaming activities na ibinigay sa amin na ipinagpasalamat ko. I am teetered either to follow Hecate's warning or to check on Ry. I don't know. I just had the feeling that there's something happened to him.

Kaagad akong bumangon sa pagkakahiga't nagsuot ng jacket. Kinuha ko ang aking bisikleta na nasa likuran ng bahay. Wala si Lola rito dahil nandoon siya sa pack namin. I have to check Ry para mapanatag ang loob ko.

Tahimik na ang mga daan. Pero nandito pa rin ang kakaibang ihip ng hangin. This time, mas mabigat ito kaysa sa nagdaang araw. Nang makarating ako sa bahay ni Ry, biglang umihip nang malakas ang hangin. Tila ba'y tinutulak ako nito palayo.

Dahan-dahan kong tinulak ang stand ng bisikleta ko gamit ang aking talampakan. Cold breeze instantaneously brushed against my skin. Chills runs down to my spine when I heard the trees creepily rustling. Sa hindi kalayuan, rinig na rinig ko ang tunog ng iba't ibang klaseng insekto.

Naglakad ako papalapit sa gate. To my surprise, hindi ito nakasarado. Nang makapasok ako ay dire-diretso ang paglalakad ko patungo sa pintuan. Nagsitayuan na naman ang mga balahibo ko sa braso nang umihip na naman ang malamig na hangin.

My forehead quickly furrowed when I reached my destination. Ang tahimik ng bahay. Nakasarado naman ang mga ilaw. I tried to knock the door thrice, but to no avail. Mas lalong kumunot ang aking noo nang bahagyang bumukas ito sa pangatlo kong katok.

I gritted my teeth. And balled my palm. I activated my abilities to at least hear the weakest sound inside the house. Pero talagang plain silence lang ang sumasalubong sa tenga ko.

"Ry?" I called him by his name.

Pero walang sumagot. Dire-diretso ang paglalakad papunta sa living room. Talagang walang tao. I'll check him on his room, and then I'll leave. Pumanhik ako ng hagdan. Tanging mga footsteps ko lang ang umalingawngaw dito sa loob ng bahay.

I gasped when I heard an average thud in the living room. Sa halip na tignan kung ano 'yon, isinawalang bahala ko na lamang ito. Nang makarating ako sa ikalawang palapag, sumalubong sa akin ang napakahabang hallway.

I went to the third door. Pintuan ni Rory. Kaagad kong kinatok ito. Ilang katok, walang sumasagot. I was about to leave when I heard someone inside whispered, asking for help. Natataranta ako't pinipilit na buksan ang pintuan.

"Ry! Ayos ka lang?" sigaw ko. Sunod-sunod ang mahihinang daing nito. Tila ba'y tinakpan ang bibig nito. "Ry, I am here! Umatras ka muna't sisirain ko ang pintuan mo!"

I gathered my force under my feet before kicking the door. It effortlessly fell upon the floor. But I shuddered when I saw no one inside. Binuksan ko ang ilaw. Bumagsak kaagad sa sahig ang aking bibig nang makitang walang tao.

Fear was quick to took over my system. Napaatras ako't dali-daling bumaba ng hagdan. I am pretty sure someone groaning inside Ry's room. The sound of restraining. My eyes grew wider when I felt someone pushed me from behind.

Napagulong ako sa hagdan. I groaned in pain when I reach at the edge. Napahawak ako sa aking noo nang maramdaman ko ang mainit na likido. Nakatamo ako ng ilang pasa at sugat. But it was also quick to heal. Mabilis akong bumangon.

In a matter of seconds, nandito na ako sa harap ng pintuan. Hinawakan ko ang door knob para buksan ito. But I was surprised when I can't opened the door. Napamura pa ako sa isipan nang maramdaman ko ang init ng seraduhan.

I gulped twice when I felt four presence behind my back. Witches! Bulalas ko sa aking isipan nang marinig ko silang bumubulong ng mga salitang hindi ko naiintindihan. I was about to face them, but they didn't give me the chance when I fell my knees upon the ground unwillingly.

Napasigaw ako nang malakas nang biglang sumakit ang aking ulo. The pain was as if trying to pulverize my brain into pieces. I restrained no matter how much pain it cost me. A smile plastered upon my lips when I heard the four of them struggling.

"Stop restraining yourself, you disgusting hybrid!" one of them shouted at me in anger.

The other one laughed creepily. "Your sacrifice is worth more than―" I interrupted her in the middle of her words by scoffing in disgust.

"Yeah? Well, screw that!" I angrily yelled on the top of my lungs.

Umasim kaagad ang mukha nila nang marinig ang sinabi ko. Tears instantaneously fell upon my eyes when the pain doubled. Regretful cussed escaped from my lips. I should've listen to Hecate. Napabagsak na naman ako sa sahig, hawak-hawak ang aking ulo. Napaubo ako ng dugo't bumigat ang talukap ng aking mata.

The pain stopped when everything went black.