Despite the warm sun rays and honey-like ambiance of the clubroom, the huge question of who killed Odette polluted the entire place.

"It was really her, the Maledictus Eris! Hinabol niya kami kahit may mga putol na kadena pa sa sugatan niyang paa!" humikbi si Tori. 

"T-tapos imbis na kainin o gutaytayin ang katawan, pinili niya lang na itulak si Odette mula sa 3rd floor!" dagdag niya pang bulalas at napapasabunot na sa buhok. 

Napasinghal si Val. "And why would Silverstein do that?" 

Sa isang iglap ay natahimik ang kakaunting tao na nasa silid. Nagpatuloy sa paghikbi si Tori kaya inalo nalang ng katabi niyang si Luna. 

Tinapik tapik naman ni Chin sa balikat si Val dahil doon. "Chill lang ate Val, hindi pa naman sigurado kung si ate Silver nga ang tumulak. Remember, Silverstein is a Spade Member and she's our friend." 

Madamdamin akong napatango tango at tahimik lang na naupo sa meeting table ng clubroom kasama sila. Napaka eskandalosa din naman kasi nitong si Valentine kahit kailan. 

"But Silver is the one wearing costume, and if it wasn't her, then why can't we find her anywhere? Bakit hindi siya nagpakita sa meeting na 'to ngayon?" seryosong saad pa nito at konti nalang talaga ay hahatakin ko na siya papunta sa loob ng cabinet. 

"But ate Silver isn't the only person who didn't attend our emergency meeting. My roommate Kendall isn't here either, and so as ate Iris. Even Vice President Sage! So what's your point Val? Magturuan at magbintangan nalang tayong lahat?" 'di nakapagpigil na supalpal ni Aces at sinamaan ng tingin si Val.

And with all honesty, gusto ko nalang lamunin ng lupa. It's so absurb that we're now trying to pin point who could be the murderer when our whole club gave our everything to plan our harmless stage play like a month ago. 

Hindi dapat nangyayari 'to. Hindi dapat kami nagpapaapekto basta basta at nagpapadala sa emosyon. Dapat— 

"Okay, everyone listen." 

Naagaw ng boses na iyon hindi lang ang atensyon ko, kundi pati ng lahat ng nasa Spade Clubroom. Agad kaming napatingin sa nakatayo na ngayong si Chris at seryosong ipinwesto ang magkabilang kamay sa mesa. 

"Spade Club, we're family. We shouldn't distrust and talk to each other like that. But at the same time, be vigilant and keep being observant." Isa isa niya kaming pinasadagan ng tingin. 

"Either there's a traitor among us, or an outsider who's trying to destroy our bond and frame us, I will do whatever it takes to find and crush you," kalmado niyang saad, ngunit ramdam yung pagbabanta. Malayong malayo sa palabiro at pilya niyang awra sa mga normal na araw. 

Patapos na sana ito sa sinasabi niya nang biglang iluwa ng pintuan ang isang babaeng naka salamin at mayroong greyish at hanggang balikat na buhok. Si Sage. 

"Guys, I have a good news and bad news!" nakanguso nitong saad. Doon lang namin napasing mayroon pala itong kasama. At kung hindi niyo mamasamain, talagang ang Secretary pa ng Main Office na si Buttercup.

Bago pa nga man makapagpatuloy si Sage o maski si Chris ay tahasan ng pumasok sa loob ng clubroom namin ang bruha at dinedma sila. 

'Di nalang siya nakuntento sa Power Puff Girls eh. 

"I, the secretary from the Main Officers, and the President of 3rd Year Department was given the power to cast a Yellow Card towards the Spade Club for playing pranks in the premises of Schlemiel Academy." 

"Siraulo kaba, may totoong namatay, at totoong murderer pero mas uunahin niyo kaming parusahan?" bulalas ni Aces, pero hi-nead to toe lang ito ng huli at napatuloy.

"Earlier this evening, mga 6:35, we secretly followed Aces and found out that she's been sneaking around some food on the prohibited area of the dorm's building. Talagang may secret staircase pa kayong ginawa doon sa right wing, room 99. And guess what we found there at 6:55 when we decided to raid the 3rd floor? It was the living Roxy and Liv. And Silver who's still struggling to put on her Maledictus Eris costume. We also found prosthetics, props and other bullshits that you'd definitely pay for..."

Marami pang sinabi si Buttercup ngunit napakurap kurap lang ako nang may matantong isang bagay. 

"T-tori, mga anong oras niyo nakita yung Maledictus Eris na humabol sa inyo?"

Agad silang natigilan dahil sa tanong kong iyon at nabuntong sa kaibigan ng biktima ang atensyon ng lahat. Wala namang ibang nagawa si Tori kundi ang sumagot. 

"M-mga pasado 6 din po kasi nagpe-prepare na kami ng mga props at fake blood na gagamitin sana mamaya. Nakaupo lang kami doon sa may malaking bintana malapit sa nakasarang hagdan sa center at hinihintay si ate Silver, pero bigla kaming nakaranig ng kalansing mula sa left wing." Agad nanamang nanubig ang mga mata ni Tori sa sa mga alaala. 

"Kaya nagtaka kami ni Odette kasi wala naman dapat tao doon, kasi nga nasa right wing naman yung secret staircase saka hideout natin. Tapos maya maya pa nakaring kami ng mga hakbang. Hanggang sa nakita na namin yung Maledictus Eris, sabi ko kay Odette may kakaiba. Maliban sa hindi naman makakarating doon si ate Silver nang hindi namin nakikita, may kung ano sa aura ng Maledictus Eris na yun na parang humihigop ng lakas ko." 

"Sabi ko kay Odette wag siyang lumapit kasi hindi naman ganyan yung aura kapag si Ate Sil ang nasa likod ng costume. Hindi naman ganyan ang mga mata ni Ate Sil, hindi naman ganyan yung mga kamay niya. Sabi ko kay Odette bumalik siya sa pwesto niya kaso hindi niya ako pinapansin at patuloy lang sa paglapit sa Meledictus Eris na 'yon. Papunta sa bahagi ng left wing na wala ng ilaw, papunta sa madilim na lugar na 'yon na tanging kalansing nalang ng mga kadena sa paa ng halimaw ang maririnig." 

"S-sinubukan kong habulin si Odette at hilahin bago pa siya kunin ng kadiliman! Tapos doon, doon lumingon sa amin yung Maledictus Eris na nanlilisik ang mga mata! Sumigaw ako at hinila si Odette. Doon pa siya parang natauhan kaya kumaripas na kami ng takbo!" 

Muling humagulgol si Tori at napayakap nalang sa sarili. 

"Yes I heard that screaming. Nasa 3rd floor na kami niyan at inaaresto si Silver at sina Roxy. My subordinate Nova came to aid right?" 

"As if she could do anything! Nova is also a 2nd year like me!" giit ni Tori na humahangos na. 

"Yeah right, and why the hell would you go, 'Oh I hear some screaming, it must be dangerous, let's go send the younger ones to see what happen there," gatong ni Sage kaya agad na siyang siniko ni Chris. 

The discussion ended where Tori and Odette tried to escape, use the closed staircase and abandon the mission, but Odette got caught and got strangled to death before being thrown from the 3rd floor. 

When Nova arrived, she said she didn't saw any glimpse of Meledictus Eris. Just the corpse of Odette, and the panicking Tori on the staircase. So she aided her and guide her to the mini clinic on the first floor. 

Buttercup also said rest in peace and continue to inform us about Silver, Roxy and Liv being on the detention room. She also said that the rest of the Spade Club will have a meeting with the Main Officer's President tomorrow, and would receive our corresponding penalty while they are still investigating what happen. 

And with all freaking information I just received, I couldn't even make myself walk without my legs trembling that night. The next day doesn't make any difference either because I think I'm going to trip anytime.

"So who do you think killed Odette?" pangungulit ni Aces matapos ko siyang hindi sagutin buong magdamag. Katatapos lang binitawan ang buong Spade Club matapos ang meeting sa penalty namin e, tapos gaganyan pa siya. 

"You know what, I need a moment to breath—" 

"I think, One, there's an outsider, two, Buttercup and Nova were teaming up and Nova was lying when she said she didn't saw Maledictus Eris. Three, Tori has psychological issues and was the one who pushed Odette." 

Kapwa kami napalingon ni Aces dahil sa naging sagot ni Val. Ni hindi nga namin namalayang kasabay na pala namin siya sa paglalakad pabalik sa room.

Saan ba nanggaling ang isang 'to? Parang si Luna pa nga ata kasabay niya kanina 'e.

"You are so right. Especially on the number three. I mean, I am not judging Tori, but she was the only one who saw it. Nova didn't. And no evidence to prove Tori's statement either. So what if, she was the Maledictus Eris?" bulong din ni Aces at talagang nagchikahan na sila diyan na akala mo ay hindi nagkabangayan kahapon sa clubroom. 

"Wait, why am I having a casual conversation with ya'll?" agad na bulalas ni Val nang may matanto. 

"What do you mean?" ani Aces. 

"I should only be hanging out with the prettiest. The top ten visuals from the whole Academy and Clubs. Loony wait for me!" bulalas na nito at nagtatakbo na pahabol kay Luna. 

Na oo nga pala ay ang 2nd place sa Visual Ranking ng Spade, at ika 6th naman sa overall. Hindi na namin 'yon masysdong natatanto kasi mabait naman siya at humble, hindi katulad ng ibang taong nagngagalang Valentine d'yan na talagang ipinangangalandakan pa sa lahat ang ranggo niya.

But seriously tho, even Luna who was kind and sweet didn't manage to get spared from the judgemental eyes that's been haunting us, ever since the Main Officers announced our Yellow Card and detention. 

Now I feel like everyone thinks we're the killers, almost everyone outside our club maybe thinks that it's just one of our schemes, when all this time, we were just doing those tricks to be heard. It wasn't just for us, it was for everyone who doesn't want to live like what norms of how a woman should live her life. Saka wala naman sana talagang mapapahamak if it wasn't for that intruder or traitor. 

Dahil sa inis, pinauna ko na si Aces sa classroom at nagpaalam na magsi-cr muna. Nang makarating ay agad na akong naghilamos at nagtirintas ng buhok. I usually don't do this because I'm not one of those lucky girls who looks so attractive upon doing so. I look more like mickey mouse but I'm too stressed and drained to even care. 

I opened the cubicle near me to take some shits, but in an instance, my whole world stopped spinning when I saw a severed hand right inside the toilet bowl!

The skin was filled with scars and specific carved words. My mouth produce a silent scream as a piece of paper fell into the bloody floor, along with my heart upon reading what was written there.

"Valentine killed me."