Ayashi's POV
The days passed by so fast, it's already Friday. Fiona got discharged from the hospital, she went back to normal by then. Umabsent ako ngayong araw sa kadahilanang hindi ako mapakali sa isipang hindi ko agad mareresolba ang misteryong nakapaloob sa dormitoryong yun.
And Linette's ghost started bothering me again and I took that as a sign that she's getting impatient about the progress I'm making.
"You kept on looking on the waffles in your plate, hindi mo pa kinakain yan." Sabi ni Tita Ysabel na kakalabas lang mula sa kusina, nilagay niya sa mesa ang bagong timpla niyang kape bago siya nag-umpisang magbasa ng diyaryo.
Gusto ko sanang tumingin kay Tita kaso hindi ko kaya dahil si Linette lang din naman ang nakikita ko at wala ng iba. It’s not like I am scared of her, it’s just that I am so sick looking at her from time to time.
Nakakainis na.
"I'm not feeling well today, I'm gonna skip school." I said, she didn't seemed bothered about it.
"Pwede ka namang umabsent kung masama ang pakiramdam mo," she flipped the pages of the newspaper, "alam ko namang hindi mo papabayaan ang pag-aaral mo."
I started eating the waffle on my plate, my stomach don't want to digest food today but I don’t want Tita to worry about me.
I'm still bothered about the bride's mysterious case, idagdag mo pa na wala pang balitang binibigay sa akin si Cooper. I told him to give me the information I needed right away, if hindi naman niya kayang gawin ang pinagagawa ko ay sana tinawagan niya na lang ako para hindi na ako maghintay sa wala.
Narinig ko naman ang paglapag ni Tita sa newspaper na binabasa niya kanina.
"Para yatang may inaalala ka, may problema ba?" She asked.
"It's nothing."
"But it looks like it's not just nothing, the reaction in your face is saying the latter. Is there a problem in your school?"
"No."
"Is it a boy?"
"Heck, no."
"Then what is it? You can tell me anything Ayashi, what's bothering you?" I finally have the guts to look at Tita Ysabel's face although I can clearly see Linette's ghost behind her.
Can this ghost leave me alone even just for a moment? Parang ayaw niya akong tantanan.
"It's a very weird question Tita but I still wanna ask you about it."
"Go on sweetheart, what is it?"
I looked at her.
"Don't freak out okay? I've been seeing beings that cannot be seen by other people." Usal ko, "I can see ghosts."
Nagtaka ako dahil parang hindi siya nagulat sa narinig niya muli sa akin, I expect her to ask questions like, can I see any ghost behind her or when did I ever found out that I can see ghost. Things like that.
She sipped a cup of her coffee before speaking.
"Vixen, dear, your father told me once that he can see ghosts too. May third eye siya kaya siguro minsan ay madali niyang nareresolba ang kaso dahil may tumutulong sa kanyang mga kaluluwa." My brows arched, "Your grandfather also have a third eye, your great great grandfather and the rest of our ancestors. Naipapasa ang ganyang kakayahan sa bawat henerasyon."
That explains everything, nakapangiwi ako nang napansin kong kinukulit na naman ako ni Linette.
"The thing is, I don't actually see normal ghost. Yung nakikita ko lang na mga kaluluwa ay yung naging biktima o mga kaluluwang konektado sa mga kasong pinagkaka-abalahan ko." I crossed my arms while trying my best not to turn my gaze into Linette's direction.
"That is weird." Tita Ysabel raised her eyebrow before sighing deeply, "Tell me honestly Ayashi, are you working on with another case again?"
I continue eating without uttering a single word, Tita Ysabel seemed to notice that I don't want to talk.
"Ayashi, you need to focus on your studies—"
"I can focus on my studies while finding some recruitments for the S-unit and while working on with a case." I looked at Tita Ysabel's eyes, "I know that the organization want me out of business if I didn't find any new recruitment for my unit."
"Where did you even hear such nonsense?"
"When I was still in the headquarters in Osaka, hindi ko sinasadyang marinig ang pag-uusap ninyo ng head ng SSI." I rolled my eyes, "I already have three recruiters, I only need one. So tell Mr. Big Boss to just hold his horses for awhile because the S-unit will be complete soon enough."
Napasapo si Tita sa noo niya bago siya sunod-sunod na umiling.
"I told you not to worry about that thing, kakausapin ko na lang si boss tungkol—"
"Tita, let me do it on my own."
"You even told me that you will not entertain any cases as long as you're here in the Philippines."
"Well, being stubborn runs in our veins." Nakangiti kong usal dahilan upang mapailing siyang muli, ininom niyang muli ang kape hanggang sa wala ng laman ang cup niya.
She stood up before getting her purse on the top of the center table, she left my motorcycle keys on the same center table before she looked at me again once more.
"I'll be going to the headquarters, I'll left your keys since being sick is your excuse to solve this case you're working on." She heaved a sigh, "I'm hoping that you'll solve that case today."
"By the way Tita, can you transfer the case of Linette Lily to the S-unit?" Tita was confused but she didn't ask anymore questions.
"I'll see what I can do about it, I'll get going."
"Sure, bye. Take care on your way."
Tita left and I continue eating my waffles in no peace, the way Linette looks at me is kind of disturbing and creeping the hell out of me. Hindi niya talaga ako nilalagay sa tahimik hanggang hindi niya nakukuha ang gusto niya.
"Linette, I'm actually trying to be nice. Kanina ko pa sinusubukang huwag kang tignan pero kanina mo pa ako kinukulit." Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin, "And please, can you transform? I mean, yung itsura mo ngayon ang mismong magiging dahilan kung bakit aatakihin ako sa puso at baka hindi kita mabigyan ng hustisya."
The image of Linette that I'm seeing now is scary, her eyes are pure black, her hair is messy, she's so pale, and she's drooling not with saliva but with blood. May mga itim pa na ugat na nakakonekta papunta sa mata niya, binubuka niya pa ang bibig niya na para bang stretchable yung bungo niya.
She quickly changed herself into the same Linette who is still alive, pero hindi pa rin maitatanggi na sobrang putla na niya. She sat down on the nearby chair, I heard her sighing deeply.
"Is this okay?" Sinandal niya ang likod niya sa upuan, "I'm actually pretty entertained if I look like a scary monster or ghost, minsan ay nagpapakita ako sa ibang mga estudyante whenever they started gossiping about me."
I shook my head before I continue eating. Tumingin siya sa tv kung saan kasalukuyang pinapalabas ang Tom and Jerry, I sometimes hate that show.
"Jerry is so cute."
"Hindi minsan naging cute ang daga."
"But still.."
Pagkatapos kong kumain ay agad kong hinugasan ang pinagkainan ko, I took my keys before I headed out while Linette continue following me towards the garage where my motorcycle was parked. I started the engine of my motorcycle, sumakay si Linette sa likod ng motorsiklo.
"So, bakit pati ang bride na yun ay ginugulo ako?" I asked while driving, "Why can't you just tell me directly who is that fucking bride, why is she pestering the dormitory, what does she want and when will she stop pestering other people? It's starting to piss me off. Hannah and Shannah? Ridiculous."
"Kahit na gusto kitang tulungan Ayashi ay hindi pwede, I'm a ghost right?"
I stopped when the light turned red.
"You're not completely a ghost, you're still alive." Napatungo siya sa sinabi ko, does she really think that I won't be able to know her secret?
You can't hide anything from me.
Ayashi's POVNakarating na ako sa destinasyon kung saan ako patungo, I parked my motorcycle a few meters away from the dormitory. Luminga-linga ako sa paligid upang masiguro na kung may tao ba o wala, it seems like the street isn't that busy today.Nilagay ko ang earpiece sa tenga ko bago ko tinignan ang screen ng phone ko, I was immediately connected to the school publication's office. Nakita ko naman agad si Fiona at Phoebe na nakaharap sa screen, si Phoebe ay abala sa pagtitipa ng kung ano sa keyboard."Calvin and the others doesn't know what we're going to do, we will get screwed up for sure." Naiiling na usal ni Phoebe, Fiona smiled brightly—she's spreading too much enthusiasm."Well, it'll make things more fun you know." Fiona's expression became serious, "All CCTV cameras are already off, I reviewed the blueprint of the dormitory and I figured out that there is a veranda in one of the rooms, pwede ka doon pumasok. It's a vacant room."
Ayashi's POV"They are the ones who is digging near the garden," Shannah said, "I don't know what they want but I do know that their intentions isn't good."I bit my lower lip before I put my phone back to my pocket."Fiona and Phoebe, I need to stay here until three in the morning. I'll be needing the both of you by then." Humiga ako sa malambot na kama, "But for now, you can go back to your classes and please inform Tita Ysabel that I won't be home.""Are you insane? You'll stay there until tomorrow?""No one will know, trust me and besides, this is the only way to catch the culprit.""Fine, I understand. We'll see you tonight."Third Person's POVDumaan ang ilang mga oras ay panay cellphone lang si Ayashi, minsan naman ay nakikipag-usap siya kina Shannah at Linette.Hindi pa rin siya sa makapaniwala sa nadiskubre tungkol kay Shannah, her story is mind blowing. Lahat ng mga ilaw sa loob ng dormitoryo
Ayashi's POVAs I finally arrived at the SSI headquarters, some of the other agents greeted me and the others are busy on picking a mission on the mission board. There are four classifications in the SSI.The Z, Y, A, and S class. Yung mga nasa Z class ay yung mga bago pa lang na mga miyembro sa organization, they are still under observation, wala pa silang SSI identification card but they can pick any mission and the organization will monitor them if they are deserving to reach the A class. The Y class are those agents who don't belong to any unit, just like Cooper, their access to the archive and even to the research facilities inside the headquarters are being monitored and limited since they don't belong to any unit, they will question by the head of the SSI kung lalagpas sila sa limit nila. The A class are the ones who belonged to a unit, Tigress and Starfire may belong to my unit but they aren’t classified as A class.Then here comes the S class, ito
Ayashi's POVPagkarating namin sa loob ng headquarters ng S-unit ay agad kong kinunotan ng noo si Cooper habang nakakrus pa rin ang dalawa kong braso.Umupo ako sa swivel chair bago ako nagsalita. "What did you just put yourself into?"He scoffed."No Ayashi, what did YOU just put me through?" He sighed, "Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa mga nalaman ko."Third Person's POVAyashi crossed her arms as she gazed at Cooper who seems to be a little surprised about what he just found out, pinaikot-ikot ni Ayashi ang upuan na inuupuan niya na para bang isa siyang batang naglalaro."Then spill the beans, you know how much I hate being in suspense.""Right," Cooper rolled his eyes, "those substance you gave me is just as the same as the substance that was on the politician's body that your father investigated.""I already know that, what now? Is that it?""No. The substance might be the same but it's still a little differe
Ayashi's POVThe girl named Karma just smiled.“That’s just me.” She looks oddly familiar.Pumunta siya direksyon ng nakahigang si Atashia, sinuri niya kung may problema ba ang robot na yun o wala.“What happened?” She asked curiously, “Para yatang nagkaproblema kayo kay Atashia. I thought the boss already secure the software features of this robot?”“Her system has been hacked by someone, he must’ve hired that same hacker from last night…” binulong lang niya ang huling sinabi niya pero sapat na yun para marinig ko.Fiona never told me anything about some sort of hacker from yesterday.Karma's eyes darted on me, those eyes…Gotcha, she must be Cooper's twin sister. That’s why her face seems so familiar.Karma looked at me and smiled, a not so friendly smile.“You must be Ayashi, I’ve been hearing a lot of things about you.&
Fiona's POV“Do you think they’ll be able to wake up soon?” Alalang tanong ko kay Phoebe na maligayang nililinis ang sniper niya na para bang mas mahalaga pa yun kaysa sa mga kaibigan niya.“Gigising rin sila, Starfire. It’s that Cooper is an idiot and he nervously used a very strong medicine to make them unconscious. He said the effect will last for atleast an hour or so and if they never wake up, we can just burn their bodies without evidence.” When she’s acting like Tigress, she never give a damn about anything but to protect Vixen and take care of her sniper. Why did I even bother asking this psycho?“I have no idea what she’s up to…” mahina kong usal habang nakatingin sa tatlong taong wala pa ring malay na nakahiga sa malawak na higaan sa loob ng sarili naming headquarters.Vixen impulsively ordered us to take them, I don’t know what’s going on in her mind since she’
Ayashi's POVThey looked at me with a hint of surprise in their eyes, they didn’t expect that I will gonna blurt out something like that. It’s no use keeping them in the dark, even tho there are still so many things that they are yet to find out and I hate myself for hiding it from them but I know that it’s still not yet the right time to pop up all the details.“Anong sabi mo? Buhay pa si Linette?” Gulat na tanong sa akin ni Calvin.“We saw her dead body, there is no way that she can still be alive.” Protesta sa akin ni Giovanni, “I looked on her dead body well and I have an evidence that can prove that she’s already dead.”I looked at the ghost of Linette who is listening in our conversation, someone told me once that those people who are in coma leaves their body for awhile until it finally found its purpose in why they chose to be just a soul. I can say that Linette is a proof to that.
Ayashi's POVI went inside my office inside the HQ, it’s a sound proof office so no one will be able to hear me. My headquarters is larger than you think, it’s like a huge house where 50 people can live. There is a security code and retina scan before someone can even enter my office. I looked at the screen of my phone and my brows arched as I saw who the caller is. It’s Giovanni. Didn’t see that one coming in a mile away. I became alert immediately when I heard someone’s footsteps, I was about to take my gun out when the light inside my office showed me the intruder.I eased up when I saw him.“There are so many decent ways to talk to a girl, Giovanni.” I feel my body calming down, “What’s with all this? If you have something to say then you can easily tell me when we are still there, we can discuss it with everyone.”He looked at me with his usual cold eyes, namulsa siya bago siya nagsalita.