Chapter 5

Nisha's Point of View

Nagising ako dahil sa isang ingay. No— I heard people talking. I can feel they are two people. I don't know if how can I hear them. The feeling is different. They are whispering, I know that, but I can still hear them. I check the time, and it is still 12 A.M. I don't know what's with this feeling but they are dragging me to get up and go outside.

I sat on the bed as I rubbed my eyes. I stood up to get a jacket. I wear it immediately. I suddenly hugged myself because of the coldness. I can still hear them, but I can't hear what they are talking about. I opened the door slowly trying to not disturb Nathalie with her beauty rest. I turned my head to the main door and took a deep breath. I don't know what awaits for me there but curiosity was eating me earlier and here I am, digging my own grave but the hell I care.

When I was in the outside, the cold air greeted me. It was as if I was in a story waiting for my death. I can still hear their whispers like they were talking for something important. I just followed their voices and I don't know where it leads me. Patuloy lang akong naglalakad at hindi ininda ang lamig. The feeling that I have right now is so familiar. Huminto ako dahil sa paghinto ng kanilang mga boses pero naririnig ko ang kanilang mga hininga. What I discovered to myself creeps me out. What am I? Why can I hear their voices? I roamed my eyes around and only then did I realize that I was far from our room. I sighed and decided to continue what I've started.

Bumaling ako sa harap at humakbang pa ulit hanggang sa narating ko ang isang lumang bahay. Is it a house? But it is too old. There is a small light contained in it and I am not mistaken that the voices come from here. Mas lumapit pa ako ng maigi roon at huminto lang n'ong nasa tatlong metro ang layo ko sa lumang bahay. Napapansin ko ang sobrang kalumaan nito. It's an abandoned house. The surrounding is dirty. When I heard steps, I took a step to the direction where I can hide. I hid myself there but not that far where the door.

"This University is creepy," I heard the girl's voice. I immediately peeked in there at the door but I did not see anyone come out.

They're still inside. I'm just observing their presence behind the door and I heard the door cracked, sign that they open it widely.

"I don't know what's with this University but something telling me that it's not right. This abandoned place, there's a lot of scattered things and it's messy. About the bell that rang earlier, I heard one of my dorm mate discussed what that's all about," the guy answered. Agad ko silang nakita sa labas at doon ko lang napagtanto na isang babae at isang lalaki ito. But the guy's statement really caught my attention. I just listened to them sincerely and prepared myself.

"Care to tell me?" The girl responded.

"Sabi niya may bago na namang pumalpak sa eksperimento ng Fentanyl. Sabi pa niya na ngayon lang nangyari ang bell na iyon. Ibig sabihin n'on, naging halimaw ang isang taong sinalang nila sa eskperimento at nakatakas. The bell is a warning for those whose aware and there's a connection of Peur Organization— a warning that we are in danger," the guy answered. Natahimik ang paligid at maging ako ay hindi nakapag-isip ng maayos. But that Fentanyl also bothers me. What's Fentanyl?

"Let's go. Baka may makakita pa sa atin," napabaling ulit ako sa kanila at nakita kong naglakad na sila papalayo sa abandonang bahay. I was stunned for a moment by what I've heard. Nathalie lied about the bell. She's giving me a wrong information and I want to know why the hell she did that. And the guy says we are in danger because they failed with their experiment and the monster escape.

When they disappeared from my sight, I was about take a step when someone pulled me and covered my mouth so that I could not scream. Nagpumiglas ako sa hawak niya ngunit masyado siyang malakas. Kinalakadkad niya lang ako at nang wala na akong magawa ay nagpatianod na lang ako. Am I facing my death?

"You are not facing your death. Tss," narinig kong salita ng isang boses lalaki. His voice is familiar. He can read my mind? He turned his back on me as he continued to walked and dragged me out of nowhere. The built of his body is also familiar. May isang lalaking pumasok sa isipan ko.

"Shawn Caylus Dywne," I mumbled. He didn't say anything but I didn't ask him, it's a statement. Hanggang sa narating kami sa isang maliit na silid sa gitna ng gubat. Nang tuluyan na siyang humarap sa akin ay tumambad sa akin ang seryosong mukha ni Shawn. I'm right. The one who's dragging me is Shawn Caylus Dwyne, cousin's of Nathalie Cleigh Moore.

"What you did is a fucking dangerous," he said. I just stared at him boredly and let him speak. I won't still listen anyways. It's better to not talk back. Sayang lang ng laway. "What are you doing there?" He asked using his neutral tone of voice.

"Gossiping," I coldly responded.

He just stared at me and took a deep breath. He turned around and went to a small table and poured some water. He drank it straightly while looking at me. I felt awkward so I looked away. I roamed my eyes around and I saw a lot of guns, samurais, shurikens, knives, ropes and chains. This is a training room based on my observation. There's a red punching bag in the center.

"This is my training room," narinig kong pagsasalita niya pero hindi ako tumingin sa kaniya at patuloy na nag-oobserba sa paligid. The room is plain black. Walang kabuhay-buhay. Tanging mga sandata lang ang nakapaloob dito. This room is not bad afterall but this is his property so I am not allowed to train here.

"You can," I looked at him as he spoke again.

Is he some kind of attention-seeker? "Tss. You can train here," he added. My forehead furrowed. He can read minds? "It's all for you to find it out. But for now, you need to go back to your dorm because if Nathalie sense that you are not in your room, you are doom. You are not allowed anymore to go in any places if that happens," mahaba niyang sabi. Akala ko pa naman hindi ito mahilig magsalita. He didn't talked during introduction except that No when he denied his relationship towards Rebecca and when he bid goodbye.

"This place is weird," I only answered.

"I cannot blame you. I agree on that anyway. This training room of mine is a secret. Only me and my Dad knows about this and now, I have no choice to drag you here because of the situation that you entered. Even Nathalie didn't know about this. I don't have dorm mate, so, I am safe if I go out anytime. But you, you need to be careful. There are a lot of eyes everywhere especially to those transferees like you. You can go here secretly. And always remember, if you are planning for something, don't let someone catch you." He explained. Apat na salita lang yung sinabi ko, pero napakahaba na ng paliwanag niya. Ibang klase.

"I will take you back to your dorm. Don't forget to keep this place as our secret. I'm counting on you. I am not your enemy and you are not my rival. Let's go," I was left with no choice when he grabbed my wrist and dragged me— again. Feeling close tss.

Tahimik lang kaming naglalakad at wala akong balak magtanong sa kaniya. There are a lot of questions that are trapped in my mind and I don't have any strength to ask those for another revelations. Maybe, I need some rest.

I stared at Shawn's back and asked myself a question.

'Is he a trustworthy person? He said that he's not my enemy and I am not his rival. So, what are we?'

-

It's almost one hour yet I cannot sleep. Matapos akong ihatid ni Shawn ay wala na kaming pinag-usapan pa ulit. Maybe, he sensed that I am tired talking about it, so, he respect my silence. Naihatid niya ako sa dorm na walang nakakita. Isa pa iyan ang pinoproblema ko. He's right. I need to be careful. Hindi pa ako bihasa sa pakikipaglaban kung sakaling may mangyari man. I need to train myself and I need Shawn's help. Shawn's presence is some kind of familiar. He holds my hand and I feel comfortable with him. The feeling is unexplainable but I know that it's harmless. It was as if I had been with him before. I don't know. This is frustrating.

I closed my eyes and remembered what had happened earlier. That's another thing that was bothered me a lot. Mga imaheng madugong labanan. Mga sigaw ng nga katauhan na naghihinagpis at labis na nasasaktan.

Nakalimutan ko iyon dahil nga sa nakatulog na ako. What happened to me?

I remember what I heard earlier in the conversation between the woman and the man. I think they are also a transferee. I realized that there are a lot of innocent students here who's seeking for answers because of their curiosity. They're just like me. But the different is, I feel mad without specific reasons. I sighed when I realized something.

This University is connected to Peur Organization..