Philippines. Kalison City.
March 13, 2037. Friday.
7:20 am.
Kalison State University.
00:09:59 left
Jayce finds his earlier than 7:59 am schedule inhumane. Not only the pressure of waking up burdens him but also his inability to understand the lessons during those hours. It was also unfortunate for him that his first class is the five unit Experimental Psychology.
He walked leisurely with his fellow sufferers whose steps doubled when they saw the time on the big circular clock hanging on the College of Engineering building. Nine minutes 'til time and Jayce doesn't care. He even walked slower ready to browse his feed when a call went through.
Seeing the word dad on the screen, he hurriedly answered it.
"Yes, dad." He halted his steps. His eyes brimmed with small tears as he yawned. "I didn't. I already asked your secretary to buy a gift. Yes. I'll go later. Bye."
"Have you called their adviser? How about the subject teacher? Miranda! We need someone to manage their class! Hindi pwedeng kumalat agad ang balita!"
Jayce stopped his track. There was a fading figure of a middle aged man heading towards Gate 2. He frowned. The anxious tone of the man gave him an indescribable feeling. There seemed to be a scandal brewing in their college.
But Miranda's name is a bit familiar.
Isn't she their college's Secretary?
His heartbeat sped faster. Even faster than his feet which started running out of instinct. If he's not mistaken, that was their dean and on the other line is the secretary. The things that would make them worried were of course related to their college.
Bilang lang sa daliri ang may ganitong oras na klase at kasama ang sa kanila. Marahas na umiling habang bumubulong sa sarili si Jayce. Pilit niyang pinapakalma ang sarili at winawaglit sa isipan ang masamang kutob.
He reached their door, panting. As he stepped inside their room, he was greeted by the unusual silence and pale faces of his classmates. His forehead ceased.
What shocking news did they receive to have this kind of reaction?
"What's with the long faces?" Hindi na niya napigilan ang sariling magtanong. He slid his bag on his chair and owned the stage. Abegail's nowhere of sight—even Shiela and Jessalyn.
"CM, s-si Abby..." garalgal na panimula ng isa sa mga kaklase niyang babae sa likod.
Hindi nito natuloy ang nais sabihin sapagkat nauna nang tumulo ang kanyang luha at humagulgol. Ang mga kaibigan naman nitong katabi niya ay inaalo siya ngunit kitang-kita ni Jayce kung paano rin manginig ang mga kamay nila. Tila wala pa nga sila sa wisyo habang hinihimas-himas ang likod ng kaibigang umiiyak.
Jayce bit his lower lip and whispered damn.
Nilibot niya ang paningin sa mga kaklase. May mga nagsisimula na ring humikbi at alam na alam ni Jayce na hindi iyon dahil sa pangungulila o kalungkutan. May mga nakatulala rin at ang iba ay nakayakap sa kanilang mga bag habang nakapilipit sa kanilang mga upuan.
Something happened. Something so eerie and traumatic.
These Psychology students can argue with the most unreasonable person without exhausting their last ounce of patience yet they can't answer the questions, what happened and where are the other officers.
Muling bumukas ang pintuan ng classroom. Pumasok si Hazel na may nginunguyang tsokalate. Punung-puno rin ang bulsa ng kanyang blusa ng pagkain lalo na ng mga matatamis.
"What happened here, Hazel?"
"May nangyari?" Hazel teared off another chocolate candy using her teeth. On her right hand was her phone in the Messenger app. "CM, pa-hotspot nga."
Jayce sighed heavily, seemingly losing his patience. He brushed his fingers on his raven hair then messed it up.
Kinuha niya ang cellphone mula sa bulsa ng kanyang polo at binuksan ang hotspot bago muling binalingan ang mga kaklase niyang hanggang ngayon parang tuod pa rin.
They were shaking out of fear.
"Nasaan. sila. Abegail?"
"Sila Mayora?" Hazel unwrapped another chocolate. She trailed her eyes around the room and found nothing. "Nasaan na sila?"
"Sinong madaling kausap ang magkukwento kung anong nangyari?" Jayce run out of patience. May kalakasan na ang pagkakatanong niya at isa-isa nang tinitigan ang mga kaklase ngunit wala ni isa ang nais sumagot.
"Walang—" His mouth left ajar when the nonstop ting ting ting of someone's messenger was heard.
Nilingon niya si Hazel na nakasandal sa pintuan. Napansin naman kaagad ito ng babae kaya dali-dali niyang hininaan ang volume ng cellphone.
"Sorry." She showed her phone to him. Sunud-sunod na chat ang nakita ni Jayce at may typing pa. "Nagpaalam lang ako kay mama."
Jayce shook his head. He sighed deeply. Who told them to vote him as the class monitor? Sa kanya tuloy responsibilidad na alamin ang nangyayari sa klase.
Who told Jayce to be unable to get out of responsibilities—especially those who aren't his anyway.
"I heard our dean talking about the possibility of an issue arising from our college." Itinukod niya ang dalawang kamay sa teacher's table saka nagpatuloy. "Sa lahat ng course at section na sakop ng CSS ay kayo lang ang kakaiba ang kinikilos. BSP 2A, ano ba?"
"Patay na sila."
Umurong ang dila ni Jayce sa narinig. His gaze trailed towards the one who spoke. He already thought of a lot of possibilities yet this never occurred to him.
"A-anong sabi mo?"
Inalis ng babae ang tingin sa bintanang nakakaaninag ng corridor. Tears fell from her eyelids as she narrated the scene these students badly wanted to forget.
"Tumalon si Abby sa building kanina lang." She gulped trying to suppress the sound of cries escaping from her. "Si VM Shiela naman biglang sinaksak ng ballpen ang mga mata ni Sec Jessa saka niya sinaksak ang sariling lalamunan."
Sa huli ay hindi pa rin niya napigilan ang pagkawala ng mga luha sa kanyang mga mata. Pinadausdos niya sa mahabang buhok ang mga daliri. Namumula na rin ang kanyang labi kakakagat.
"Of all people, alam nating tayo ang makakaintindi ng mga ikinilos nila but that wasn't normal anymore." She wiped her tears and sniffed. "Jayce... There's something wrong at natatakot ako. Kami."
Muling pinagtuunan ng pansin ni Jayce ang kanyang mga kaklase. Lahat sila ay nasa kanya ang tingin, naghihintay, ngunit alam niyang pati siya ay walang masabi.
He felt it too. Something's off.
Bakit bigla-biglang tatalon sa building si Abegail? Bakit mananaksak ng ballpen si Shiela? Those just do not add up to the word normal.
"Bakit ka matatakot?" Hazel walked towards her and hugged her neck. She unwrapped another candy and gave it to the person next to hef. "If you're scared and uncertain, hindi ba dapat ginagawa mo na o sinasabi ang mga hindi mo pa nasasabi at nagagawa?"
"Stop it. Tunog namamaalam ka."
"I was." Hazel laughed and Jayce doesn't know how to describe that laugh. "Alam niyo bang napanaginipan ko kagabing mamamatay ako ngayon. Topic lang natin 'yong REM last week pero ito ako, naniniwala sa pamahiin ng panaginip."
Kumalas si Hazel sa pagkakayakap. Dahan-dahan siyang naupo sa katabing bakanteng upuan. Itinakip niya ang parehong kamay sa bibig. Walang pasabing nag-unahang tumulo ang mga luha ni Hazel.
"I'm sorry. Kasalanan ko ito! Kung hindi dahil sa'kin, w-walang mangyayaring g-ganito."
"Ha-hazel, ayos ka lang—"
"AAAAAHHH!"
Natatarantang napatayo ang mga kaklase niya ng biglang sumigaw ulit si Hazel. Lahat sila ay nagkumpulan sa likod at tanging naiwan lamang sa harapan ay si Jayce at Hazel.
"It's happening again! Ano ba 'to?" someone shouted at kasabay nito ay ang matinis na tili ni Hazel.
"Oh my ghash! nag-react sa MyDay ko si Eric! Sabi ko na, crush niya rin ako." Hazel laughed madly.
Jayce expected her to type something on her phone but she didn't. Instead, she smashed her phone on the ground and pressed it using her foot.
"Stop with your jokes, Hazel," utos ni Jayce. Lalapit pa sana siya ngunit bigla itong naging mas maligalig.
"Ubos na chocolates ko?" malakas na sigaw niya habang kinakapa ang kanyang mga bulsa. Naglakad siya papunta sa pintuan. Pipigilan na sana siya ni Jayce dahil baka kung ano pa ang gawin nito sa labas ngunit muli na namang tumili si Hazel.
"AHHH!" Tinakpan pa niya ang dalawang tainga habang iniiwas ang tingin sa may pintuan.
"Abby?" iiling-iling na sambit niya sa pangalan ng pumanaw nilang kaklase. "H-huwag kang lalapit. P-patay ka na, hindi ba?"
Unti-unti siyang humahakbang patalikod. Ngunit nakakatatlong hakbang pa lamang siya ay muli na naman siyang tumili at tumakbo sa likod. Dali-daling naghiwalay ang mga kaklase nila. Takot malapit kay Hazel. Nang marating niya ang dulo, ilang segundo rin siyang tumitig sa pader.
"Hazel, umayos ka! Wake up!" Jayce tried shouting at her but it failed.
Hazel laughed maniacally, turned her head towards her classmates before banging her head on the wall. Inulit-ulit pa niya ito hanggang sa magkandabasag-basag ang kanyang mukha at matakpan ng dugo ang buong pagmumukha niya.
Red color spread throughout her clean and white uniform but as if she was relieved, she smiled and let herself fall on the ground.
Walang nakakibo sa kanila. May ilang tuluyang bumigay ang mga binti at napaupo. May isa pang nawalan ng malay na mabuti na lang ay nasalo ng kaibigan.
Jayce, as usual, is on his cool. Hindi pa yata sapat sa kanya ang brutal na pagpatay ni Hazel sa sarili upang mawala siya sa composure.
Alam na niya ang nangyayari...
Any moment from now, chaos will start. Wala man sa kanila ang magsalita, buong klase ang nakakaintindi nito.
Nagawi ang tingin ni Jayce sa puting kurtina ng kanilang room. Kukuhanin na niya sana iyon upang ipangtakip sa bangkay ni Hazel nang may isang mechanical voice ang biglang nagsalita.
Lumitaw ang isang parang hologram sa gitna ng klase at doon nakapaskil ang isang 10-second countdown.
"10...9...8...7."
"A-anong nangyayari?"
Everyone panicked. Napakapit na lang sila sa isa't-isa habang gulung-gulo sa mga nangyayari.
"Hindi na 'to nakakatuwa."
"4...3...2..."
"1."
"Project Revise is now commencing."
Nag-flash sa hologram ang mapa ng Pilipinas.
"First Target: Philippines."
"Population:209,367,558."
Mga numero naman ang pinapakita sa screen at sa bawat segundong lumilipas ay nababawasan ito.
"Location: Kalison City, Philippines. Coordinates are being sent. Connecting to the server."
"Blocking all signals. Completed."
"Philippines is now under revision."