Chapter 17: Reunited

"All of you should kill each other or else you are the one who will got killed. And let's give it a twist, you should atleast hide yourself and someone will seek to kill you at kapag hindi niyo iyon ginawa ay makakatanggap kayo ng isang malaking kaparusahan. Hawak na namin ang buhay niyo at ng pamilya niyo."

I FROZED when I heard those words from the headmistress. Nagkakagulo na rin ang iba at maingay na ang buong paligid. Panay ang reklamo ng iilan sa sinabi ng headmistress at ang iilan ay nagsimulang kabahan.

Crap! Alam kong planado nila ang larong ito at sigurado akong ginagawa nila ito para makorner ako at hindi matuloy ang aming misyon. Pero paano nila nalaman ang tungkol dito?

Isang bagay lang ang nasisiguro ko. Isa sa amin ang traydor at mukhang tama ang hinala ko na siya iyon.

"Ano? Anong klaseng laro iyan?"

"Bakit namin kayo susundin?"

"Aalis na kami dit-"

Naputol ang sasabihin ng lalaking nagsalita nang biglang mapugot ang ulo nito sa isang segundo lamang. Isinunod nito ang dalawa pang nagreklamo kanina. Hindi ko napansin ang ginawang pagkilos ni Jake para putulin ang ulo ng mga tatlong estudyante gamit ang kanyang katana.

Nagsigawan ang lahat ng nakasaksi sa nangyari. Kita ko ang takot sa kanilang mga mata matapos mapanood ang nakakahindik na tagpo. Naalerto ang mga Elites at kaagad nilang inilabas ang kanilang baril na hindi ko alam kung saan nila kinuha.

"Oppss. One wrong move and they will be killed." I heard Jake said while pointing the tip of his katana into the girl crying and asking for help. And all of Delacroix's men together with the council members surrounds us, while pointing their guns at us.

"Shit." I heard Xiumin cursed and all of them are put their guns down, admitting their lose.

I remained calm despite of the situation and asked Chanyeol without noticing us.

"Can you contact Kris and Junmyeon?"

Chanyeol shooked his head and I saw in his eyes his frustration. "The signal in my earpiece are disconnected. I'm sorry. I didn't know that they are tough and wise enough."

"So, we had no choice then.." And we are trapped with those dumbass coward people.

"Anong plano mo?" Hindi ko na sinagot ang tanong niya at naglakad papuntang harapan.

"Nakikita niyo ba ang ginawa namin sa tatlo? Kung gusto niyong humaba pa ang inyong buhay at mailigtas ang inyong mahal sa buhay ay kailangan niyong sumali sa larong ito." Mrs. Delacroix said while an evil grin sketched on her old face.

"Why don't you join us for playing this game?" Malakas na boses kong tanong sa kaniya.

Napalingon sa akin ang mga taong naroroon. Kalmado akong nagpatuloy sa paglalakad at hindi ko inalintana ang mga baril na nakatutok sa akin kung sakaling may gawin man akong masama.

The headmistress arched her eyebrow while staring at me. I saw Cedric lips curved when he saw me walking to the headmistress direction.

I heard the Elites and even Yuri shouted my names, telling me not to get closer to the enemy but it didn't flinch me and keep on going.

"Who told you that I will join you?" Mataray na pagkakatanong ng ginang.

I couldn't help but to smirk. "As far as I know you are part of this game. I knew that you are not the real headmistress. You are an impostor, am I right?"

Nakita ko ang pagkagulat sa mga mata nito. Napasinghap ang iilan dahil sa narinig at kita ko sa peripheral vision ko na napangisi si Cedric. I hissed. I know that this is one of his show. And good thing that I am a good observer and I realized that this is not his real mother.

How could I say that? I noticed something on her face. Nakita ko ang maliit na pilas sa gilid ng pisngi niya at hindi niya iyon napansin maging ng mga tao sa paligid ko. I bet that she was wearing a mask to look like the headmistress.

And based on her expressions, she was shocked at hindi niya ineexpect na malalaman ko na nagpapanggap lang siya bilang isang headmistress.

But she turned back into her calm self. "I don't know what are you talking about."

"Oh? Are you sure or do you want me to slice out your face in order for you to unmasked your real face?" I asked with a sweetest smile on my face.

The smirked on the fake headmistress faded. I noticed that her hands was shaking because of what I've said. I noticed the mascot team, err I mean the other members of student council started to panicked.

"How dare you to speak on Mrs. Delacroix in that way!" I heard the vice president said and threw the dagger that she was holding into me but in my reflexes, I catch it with my one hand before it hits me.

I heard the gasped of the people behind me but I ignored their shocked faces when I avoided the dagger thrown by Ayumi Miyamoto.

Ayumi frozed in her place and I bet she was wearing a shocked face beneath the mascot that she was wearing. Even her fellow members, frozed in their designated place too.

"How did you catch that easily?" Ayumi asked. "I am the sharpest shooter and how come you dodge it like it was nothing?"

"Maybe your eyes are too blind to see where I am." I replied nonchalantly. "Or puwede rin namang sabihin natin na mas magaling ako kaysa sayo."

"Ang yabang mo!" She yelled at me angrily and throws ten daggers at me.

"Jessica watched out!" I heard the viewers, I mean the trapped people shouted.

Nanatili akong nakatayo sa kinatatayuan ko. Kalmado at tinatantiya ang mga nagliliparang daggers na papunta sa aking direksiyon. I smirked and I dodge it. Sinipa ko ang mga iyon at tumama ang mga iyon sa lupa.

Ngunit hindi pa ako nakakaalis sa kinatatayuan ko nang biglang may espadang lumipad sa direksiyon ko at hindi sinasadyang matamaan ang laylayan ng aking suot na gown. Mamamatay na sana ako kung hindi ako nakailag.

"Impressive." A baritone voice coming from my behind spoke. Sa kanya nanggaling ang espadang iyon na sumira ng gown ko.

He was Ethan Mortimer, the treasurer. He was wearing a smirk while clapping his hands.

"Cedric never lied to me. You are not just an ordinary girl. And we will admit our defeat this time."

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko sa sinabi nito. "What do you mean?"

"We will stop our game, but in exchange you have to come and join us." He said making me to twitched my eyebrow.

"What? Are you crazy, Ethan?! Alam mo bang inakusahan akong impostora ng babaeng iyan?!" That was the voice from the headmistress.

"But she was more productive than you." Ethan replied at parang balewala lang sa kanya na masaktan ang babae.

Maang na napatingin sa kanya ang babae at umiling-iling. "Ayokong makasama ang babaeng iyan. Ako ang headmistress kaya sa akin kayo dapat sumunod!" Aniya pa.

"Shut up, Shayne!" I heard Cedric roared and made the headmistress to glance in him with wide eyes open.

"Stop pretending to be a headmistress and you will never be. Your role was finished right now and you don't have to be hardheaded because you are just an auditor and one of my dogs!" Bulyaw nito na siyang ikinailing ng babae na para bang nababaliw na ito.

Shayne, huh? So, tama nga ang hinala ko na nagpapanggap lang siya at pakana iyon ng lalaking ito.

"I can't believe na maririnig ko iyang mga salita galing sayo, Cedric. Lagi naman ganyan ang trato mo sa akin, diba? Isang alipin at sunod-sunuran mo lang. Ganyan kaming mga student council pagdating sayo." Humarap sa amin ang babae. "And I guess it's the time for all of you to know the truth.."

Tinanggal niya ang maskarang nakatakip sa mukha niya at ibinungad ang mala-anghel na hitsura ng isang babae. Malayo sa hitsura ng isang eleganteng headmistress kanina pero mapapansin sa kanyang mga mata ang kalungkutan at galit.

"What truth?"

"Ano ang dapat naming malaman?"

I heard those questions filled the whole place. I didn't flinched in my place and listened to what Shayne will going to say.

"The truth behind this university, the deepest secret of the Delacroix family, and the reason behind those killings happening in this campus. It happens because of C-"

Hindi na natapos ang sasabihin niya nang makita na lang namin na pugot na ang kanyang ulo. Dilat ang mga mata nito at humandusay ang katawan nito sa stage.

Napalingon ako sa may kagagawan ng pag-atakeng iyon. Isang lalaking nakatayo at hawak-hawak ang espadang may dugo ang bumungad sa amin pagkabagsak ng katawan ng babae.

"You're too noisy, my dear sister. I guess you should be rest first.."

Sister? Is this Tristan Montgomery? The student council's secretary?

Binalot ng katahimikan ang buong court. Walang nagtangkang magsalita. Lahat ay nakatingin sa bangkay ng babaeng kanina lang ay nakatayo sa harapan nila. Lahat sila ay gulat na gulat sa sobrang bilis ng pangyayari.

"You are such a pathetic dog, my twin." Pagkatapos ay sinipa niya ang bangkay pababa ng stage.

I clenched my fist on what I saw. Rage was filling my thoughts and I couldn't help but to lost my temper.

"You shouldn't treat your sister like that, Tristan." Nakatungo ako at dahan-dahang naglakad patungo sa kinaroroonan nila- ng  mga student council.

Napaalaerto ang mga tauhan ng mga Delacroix sa ginawa kong paghakbang ngunit binalewala ko sila.

"All of you have already proven that you are not suitable in your positions. And you haven't had the rights to kill someone like it was your hobby.." Dahan-dahan kong kinuha ang baril sa binti ko at pansin ko na balewala lang silang nakatingin sa akin liban kay Ayumi na nanlilisik ang mga mata.

"So this time, I'll give you my answer to your offer to me earlier and it is a NO."

Inilabas ko ang baril ko at akma ko sana silang babarilin ngunit biglang may pagsabog na naganap at isa-isang pinaputukan ang mga tauhan ni Cedric. Nagsitilian ang iilan at nagkagulo na ang lahat.

May natapon na isang bagay at may usok na lumabas mula doon. It was a fuckin smoke bomb kaya wala akong makita sa buong paligid ko.

What now?

"Jessica, hurry up!" Napalingon ako sa may kinaroroonan ng boses na iyon at nakita ko ang mga Elites kasama sina Taeyeon at Yuri na mukhang kanina pa nakatakas sa mga tauhan ni Cedric. May hawak silang mga baril at mukhang sa kanila nanggaling ang atakeng iyon.

Hindi lang sina Yuri at Taeyeon ang kasama nila kundi sina Kris, Junmyeon at higit sa lahat ang taong gusto kong makita.

"What are you waiting for? Sumama ka na sa amin." Her voice raised up and it made me to turned back into my senses.

Nanggilid na ang mga luha sa aking mga mata pagkarinig ko palang sa nag-aalala niyang boses.

Dali-dali akong tumakbo patungo sa direksiyon niya at kaagad ko siyang pinugpog ng isang mahigpit na yakap.

"Let's get out of here hangga't may oras pa." I heard Kris ordered but I didn't bother to listen at him. All of my attention was on the person that I was hugging right now.

"Tiffany is this really you? I miss you so much.."

She smiled. "Yeah. It is me. My flesh and my blood. I'm sorry if I keep this from you."

"No. It's okay. I understand but how did you get there? Is it dangerous for you to go in this place?" I asked.

"Cedric already knew about our whole plan, Jessica." Kris butted in kaya sa kanya nabaling ang atensiyon ko. "And hiding was not making any sense dahil alam nilang buhay talaga si Tiffany."

Because there was a traitor in our group. Dugtong ko sa isip ko.

"It's a good thing that Chanyeol told us about what's really happening right now.." Xiumin said and glared at me. "I said that you should trust me, Jessica but you never did."

"I'm sorry." I said guilty. "It's for our safety first." I continue.

"You don't have to feel guilty about that." He replied. "We're always understand what our boss wants."

"Yeah. And it's an honour to hear it from the ice guy. Hahaha." Kai said making the others laughed. I guess naiintindihan nila ang rason namin kung bakit namin itinago ang totoo sa kanila.

"But now let's escaped from here and go to the safest place. I bet Cedric will going to continued his plan." Junmyeon butted in making us to glance at him.

"Yes. And based on my calculations, he was going to kill all of the students in this campus in order to added it to their specimen." Chanyeol said in a serious tone.

Si Taeyeon na ang nagpatuloy sa sinabi ni Chanyeol na mukhang kanina pa niya iyon pinag-isipan. "That's explains why he held a party in this court para mapabilis ang kanilang plano. Do you still remember what the fake bitch headmistress said? They want us to play their games in order to expand their research."

"The more the cold bodies, the more they'll win." Yuri added and it makes the atmosphere to turned in a serious air.

So, we are all have the same thoughts, huh?

"But we should escaped first and then fight it." Tumingin sa akin si Kris. "We will fight them together, Jessica."

They are all smiled at me and offer their hands to me.

"Let's fight them together, Jessica."

And a smirk escaped from my lips.

"We will."

After I said those words our real fight begins. Tonight, we will end this immorality. We will end this reckless things. And we will reach the justice that we wants.

I am fighting with Tiffany and the rest of my friends.

I am fighting now not as Jessica Jung but as a Jessica Smith.

I, Jessica Smith, and trouble is my middle name.