MORRIE

I COULD see puppet strings attached to every person around me. I only needed to lift my fingers to make them dance.

This academy may be the breeding ground for detectives, but for me, it was nothing but a stage for my puppet show. Watching them dance to my own tune was entertaining. I could sit and sip my favorite chamomile tea while they do my bidding.

Take Aiden Alterra of House Adler, for instance. He wasn't the type to bend the knee to anyone but I managed to make him sit and bark like a dog. What kind of bone did I use to tame him? A secret of his that shall never be revealed.

One could see why I perfectly belong to House Moriarty. Letter "M" for Moriarty, letter "M" for manipulator. My brother is a Moriartian alumnus, and it came as no surprise to me when I was sorted to the same House. Apparently, being a raven, the sigil of our House, runs in the blood.

"Hoy, Moriartard!"

I was walking across the hallway when I heard a female voice behind me. There could only be one person who would call me by that name. But I chose to walk straight out of the hall. As a man who values my time, I could not spare a minute or two for such insult. There were other pressing matters that I needed to take care of.

"Hoy, tinawag kita, ah? Hindi mo ba ako narinig?"

Someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me a few steps back. Since it would be unbecoming of a gentleman to slap her hand, I let her drag me to where she was standing with our bespectacled classmate.

"I have to attend an urgent House affair," I told Harriet who was be pissed by my blatant ignorance. "If you wanna say something, do it quick. I have no time for nonsense."

"If you have time plotting for world domination, maybe you can spare a minute or two for this," she replied as she jerked her thumb toward Wilhelmina, who was looking anxious. "Frankly, kung ako ang tatanungin, ayaw ko nang hingin ang opinyon mo, pero dahil kasama ka kahapon sa nagligtas sa kanya, you are now part of the case."

I only gave Wilhelmina a cold stare before returning my gaze at Harriet. "So this is about what happened yesterday. Do you have any update? Can you recall the face of whoever abducted and brought you to the abandoned clock tower?

Our seemingly mute classmate quickly turned on her iPad and began scribbling on the screen. She showed me a series of dots and dashes which I quickly understood.

"So someone from your House texted you to wait in front of that dilapidated building?" My left eyebrow raised as I watched her nod.

"Galing daw 'yon sa isang Housemate niya na classmate natin," Harriet added. "Nang tanungin ko ang taong 'yon kanina, hindi raw niya tinext kahapon si Mina. At heto pa, nawawala pa magmula kahapon ang phone niya."

"That would mean someone stole that person's phone and used it to send message to Wilhelmna," I nodded, touching my chin. My mind began putting together the puzzle pieces and imagined how the whole affair went down. "And she, unaware that it wasn't her Housemate, went in front of the tower."

"At doon na tinakpan ang bibig niya ng panyong may pampatulog," Harriet answered. "Paggising ni Mina, nakita niyang nakatali ang mga kamay at paa niya tapos naka-tape ang kanyang bibig."

"Interesting..." I muttered, lifting my head and turning to the Watsonian. "Have you told your House leader about this incident?"

Wilhelmina nodded, frowning at the same time. There might not be any development as regards the identity of her abductor.

"Mahirap ma-establish ang kaso niya dahil wala pa tayong lead kung sino at bakit kinailangan siyang dukutin para dalhin sa tutok ng clock tower. I suggest that we launch an official investigation para malaman natin ang katotohanan sa insidenteng 'to."

"I admire your dedication, Holmesian, that's why I'm leaving this to your capable hands," I commented, tapping her relaxed shoulder. I turned around and took a few steps toward the exit.

"Wait, what?" Harriet grabbed me by the wrist again, her thin eyebrows knitted. "Hindi ka tutulong sa imbestigasyon?"

"I don't see why I should. I already did my part by saving our dear classmate," I answered, slowly shaking my head. "And what would I benefit from this investigation aside from the satisfaction of doing detective work? Are there any incentives waiting for me?"

"So you want something in return..." she sounded slightly disappointed. "Kung sabagay, kaya naming imbestigahan 'to kahit wala ka. To be honest, I wasn't actually expecting to work with someone like you."

"Just keep me informed of any developments. Who knows? I might change my mind." I lazily waved at them as I finally exited the Baker Building. The Holmesian did not bother to pull me back again. The best thing they could do for me was to keep me posted. They might share something useful.

I may never fully understand why someone would waste his time on helping others without receiving anything in return. But I had another reason why I should not take part in the investigation.

The Moriarty Manor stood out from afar due to its mansion-like appearance. Others might mistake it for a haunted house due to its seemingly old facade. Our seniors told us that the chief architect intentionally built it as a spooky place to match our House's reputation.

The moment anyone entered the manor, they would be greeted by the huge portrait of a middle-aged man wearing an academic robe. Professor James Moriarty, the Sherlock Holmes character from whom our House was named after, stared at me with his eyes that sparkled with brilliance.

Who would have thought that someone who has reputation is actually a villain in disguise, running an organization of crooks? Despite the villanous intentions, members of House Moriarty do not necessarily reflect the professor's depravity. We are just... a bit unorthodox in our ways.

Two staircases lead to the western and eastern wing of the manor. I climbed on the right flight of stairs and proceeded to walk across the hallway illuminated by lamps. Upon reaching the last door on the corridor, I knocked three times and waited for it to be opened.

"Morrie, nandito ka na pala!" Andre, who went ahead after our first class, greeted me at the doorstep. He then handed over a folded letter with the seal from our House leader Yohan de Guzman. On his behalf, he gave me authority to carry out "necessary means" to punish someone.

"Sorry, I was delayed unnecessarily by someone along the way," I said, folding the letter again. "Is he here?"

Andre nodded as he ushered me inside. We called this special space the "Red Room" where some things should never leave its four walls. I could tell anyone what took place here before, but then I would have to drag them and chain them here. Forever.

"Morrie! Please, patawarin n'yo na ako! Hindi na ako uulit!" cried a young man whose hands were tied to a chair. He tried to free himself but his efforts were in vain.

I sat on another chair across him, with a table between the two of us. I rested my elbows on the surface and put my fingers together.

"You were too sloppy, Berto." My cold eyes gazed at him, silencing his groans for a while. He stopped resisting from being restrained and looked at me with his pitiful face. "You almost endangered the name of our House by being too careless."

"Malinis naman ang trabaho ko! Hindi naman niya nakita ang mukha ko! E 'di sana pinatawag na ang House leader natin kung may clue na sila?"

"For now, we are safe. But once this issue is raised to the student regent, everything might be revealed. You may not have left footprints but you might have dropped some breadcrumbs that will lead to us."

"Magtiwala ka sa akin, Morrie! Hindi tayo mabubuking sa kapalpakan ko! Kaya pakawalan n'yo na ako."

"The way you executed the abduction is a matter of concern," I silenced him with another sharp look. His shrill voice was annoying me and my ears couldn't take hearing him utter a word again. "Did you check your target's belongings before tying her to the chair? If yes, how come she had a penlight that was used to send an SOS signal?"

"Hi-Hindi ko in-expect na magagamit niya 'yon kaya pinabayaan ko na lang sa bulsa niya."

Sighing, I clicked my tongue thrice as I shook my head. "Therein lies your stupidity. Disregarding some possibilities almost exposed what we have been doing."

"Pangako, hindi na mauulit! Kaya tanggalin n'yo na ang pagkakatali ko rito!"

"You might have forgotten some House rules, Berto." I stood and placed my hands behind my back. "We never take failures lightly. Every failure shall be punished accordingly. That is Moriarty's Law. In the name of Yohan de Guzman, leader of House Moriarty and his council, I hereby subject you to first-degree punishment."

"Pero—"

My head turned to Andre and told him, "Do it. Make sure that he would never forget the day he committed a failure."

"Ako nang bahala, Morrie."

"No, please! Huwag!"

Before my eardrums could get blasted by his screams, I exited the room and climbed down the stairs. Thanks to the acoustic walls of the "Red Room," no would hear the slightest noise.

What happened to him? There's nothing to be worried about. Berto would still be alive once he got out of that room, but his knees would be in extreme pain. We asked him to kneel on a platter of monggo and salt. What an old way to punish someone, but some of our methods are old school here.

Berto the buffoon was the mastermind behind Wilhelmina's failed abduction. Secretly, members of House Moriarty are required to perform at least one mischievous task to prove whether they are wolves who can join the pack or sheep who need to be shooed away.

I stopped in front of Professor Moriarty's portrait and gazed at his cold eyes similar to mine. If he was the head of this House, he would have Berto killed for his failure. Oh, am I the House leader? No, I'm merely a consultant enjoying some privileges that ordinary Moriartians won't. The House leadership is too much for me though I enjoy punishing the likes of Berto.

By nine o 'clock, I have already returned to Baker Building and entered a room on the third floor. There were no rows of chairs, no teacher's desk in front and no whiteboard nailed on the wall. The interior arrangement looked like a props and costume room of a theater production. Racks of clothes surrounded the wide space at the center and wooden cabinets were placed in every corner of the room.

Our second subject for today is Special Arts. Aside from deductive reasoning, a detective should also learn a particular set of skills that can be used in various situations. For instance, we need to rescue someone inside a locked room. Instead of waiting for the key holder to arrive, we could pick the lock and let ourselves in.

Students from other Houses arrived and sat on the floor. Judging by the absence of dust, someone's regularly cleaning this room.

"Antagal naman ni sir!" Andre complained after more than fifteen minutes of waiting. Our instructors do not usually arrive late in our classes unless there's a meeting or an emergency situation. "Nasa'n na ba si sir? Baka nakalimutan niyang may klase siya sa atin?"

"You see, but you do not observe." I sighed, shooting a sideward glance at him. "You know how he loves pulling a prank on us. He's been here since we got in."

"Talaga? Saan?" Andre gaped as his eyes began roaming around the room, trying to spot where our instructor might be. He even looked up at the ceiling. Our instructor is not Spiderman so it is downright impossible for him to crawl up there and defy gravity.

"Tumingin ka kaya sa harapan mo, doon sa mga cabinet," our female Housemate said lazily. Her jetblack hair was a few inches past her shoulders. "Kanina pa kaya siya nakatayo roon."

"Sorry naman, Jacquelyn." Andre squinted his eyes as he looked at the cabinet on the left. Unless he stares keenly at that part of the room, he wouldn't notice that something's off.

"Can we start the class now, sir?" Harriet raised her voice as our classmates started buzzing like bees. "Kanina pa namin alam na nasa tabi-tabi lang kayo."

Oh, what a kill joy.

A part of the cabinet began moving and stood before the twelve students in the room. It opened its eyes, staring at us, before pulling a cloth-like thing from its body. A smiling face of a man in his late twenties greeted us. Some strands of his bangs dangled on his forehead.

Meet Professor Mordred "Dred" Tyler, our instructor for the Special Arts class. No one appeared to be amazed by what he did. After all, he has been doing this prank for quite some time since he became our professor.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist a touch of drama before we start our session." His ear-to-ear smile was not fading despite the lack of appreciation on his camouflage trick. "Bakit ang seseryoso ng mga mukha n'yo? Akala ko masosorpresa ko pa kayo."

"Ilang beses n'yo nang ginawa 'yan, sir, kaya hindi na kami nagugulat," Harriet answered in her unusually bored tone. Others nodded, sharing the same sentiment with her. He already did the camouflage trick three times already.

"Tama nga ang sinabi nila. Never use the same trick more than once." Professor Dred scratched his head, looking silly. "I thought that would be a good ice breaker. Kailangang mag-isip na ako ng bagong trick."

"Sir, hindi n'yo pa ba ituturo sa amin ang camouflage technique n'yo?" Aiden asked as he raised his hand. "Puro lockpicking exercises ang pinapagawa n'yo sa amin. Oras na para sa mas hardcore na special skill."

"In due time!" our professor answered, rubbing his palms as he walked back and forth in the room. "Sa ngayon, kailangan n'yo munang matutunan ang concept ng camouflage bago ko kayo turuan ng application nito. Medyo time consuming kasi 'yon at nangangailangan ng concentration."

Eveyone in the class nodded. They seemed to be interested in that skill. Unlike them, I wasn't looking forward to any talent that our professor could teach us. Seeing myself pretending to be a lamp post or a tree trunk was embarrassing, and I couldn't bring myself to commit any form of humiliation.

"The point of camouflage is to hide yourself in plain sight." His hand did some gestures as if he was delivering a declamation piece. "You are there but at the same time, you are not. Gets n'yo ba?"

Our class nodded. That was already an obvious fact, he did not need to point it out.

"For today's class, gusto kong maglaro muna tayo." Our professor stopped walking around and rubbed his palms together. "Let us test how good your observation skills are. You will group yourselves based on your Houses."

Out of the blue, Andre held me by the shoulder and proudly declared, "Paano ba 'yan? Nasa amin si Morrie kaya panalo na kami."

As much as I'd like to be flattered by his kind words, what he just said was reeking of overconfidence. There's no question that we could beat the three other teams, but one must not declare victory until victory is at hand. Andre might jinx our team.

"Yeah... in your dreams!" Harriet retorted, baring her teeth. I could sense contempt in her voice. She might be upset by the idea that our House would beat them in this activity. We did it last semester. We could do it again.

Professor Dred raised both of his hands, trying ease the tension. "Kalma lang! Hindi pa nga nagsisimula ang game, nagkakainitan na dito."

"Ano bang gagawin namin, sir?" our classmates asked.

"I will give you an hour and a half to find me in the Hudson's Hub. Of course, I will disguise myself into someone you wouldn't immediately recognize. Ang unang team na makahanap sa akin ay mae-exempt sa unang quiz para sa semester na 'to. Game?"

"Game!" The class became lively again. When it comes to games, everyone definitely pays attention. I had no qualms about it. But going to the Hudson's Hub, which was meters away from the Baker Building, was my concern. We could have held the class activity in this building, but as Professor Dred said, we had to cross the road and walk for a few minutes just to reach the destination. Exerting unnecessary effort was not my strong suit.

"Bibigyan ko kayo ng listahan ng habits at quirks ko na pwede n'yong gawing basis para hanapin ako. But it is up to you kung paano n'yo gagamitin ang mga nakasulat doon."

"Lampasuhin natin sila, Morrie!" Andre exclaimed, patting me again on the shoulder while Jacquelyn remained silent beside me.

Now everyone's on fire—not literally, of course. People have an insatiable desire for competition. I cannot blame them. Any form of contest gives spice to the bland recipe of their so-called lives. Imagine if there is no competition among Houses in this university. Studying here would be plain and boring.

As Holmes once said, the game is afoot.

-30-