Down System

Chapter 17

My heart was scourged by invisible lashes, but the pain it brought to me was terribly poignant. I wanted to run, but I couldn't run. A big rock seemed to cover my whole body that I couldn't move.

"Ferno..." I whispered to myself.

As soon as I heard cries arousing to the building, I pulled Ferelith and steered her to the creek where the incident occurred.

The crowd there was big that it had been hard for me to see the victim. There were murmurs, wails, and different emotions of the people. All of them were covering their noses, so was I, because the stench of the blood had already tickled mine.

Still holding Ferelith's hands, I pushed my way through the throng. Unfortunately, I let go of my best friend's hands; however, I still went on until I finally saw who was hooking the attention of the people.

I covered my mouth in great astonishment, seeing a boy got stabbed in an open trunk like roasted flesh; the blood was dripping horribly from his body to the ground. My eyes were shaking, and I couldn't get my sight away from him, especially that I had already recognized who this boy was.

Tears began to fall through my cheeks. I knelt and yelled, never minding what people could think of me. Even though I wanted to hug the boy, I wasn't able to do it because of the persons who blocked the way through him.

"Ferno!" I shouted in my place.

It was really him. I knew that kid's skin color, hair type, everything about him. With just one look, I was certain it was no other than but him.

The boy was already gone. Ferno wasn't breathing anymore. He was dead, with us not knowing the reason. Was it intentional or not? How would he be killed by a trunk? What did he do? What had happened?

I didn't stop wailing. I couldn't believe the only boy I treated as my friend had ended up with this grisly crime. I didn't believe it was all coincidental; somebody had worked on this.

No one dared to touch Ferno. For almost ten minutes, he had been a mini-show on that criminal trunk. Perhaps they were afraid to do a wrong move, so they just waited for the polices and rescuers to do the thing.

Meanwhile, students were commanded to go back to their respective classrooms. They had left one by one, except for me.

"Aleera, let's go back to the room," Ferelith said, hugging my shoulders.

I barely looked at her and ran away. With my eyes full of tears, I headed to the comfort room. I was all alone there, so I had taken the time to release all the pain. I thought no one could hear me, but there was Ferelith again.

"Why did you go away?" she asked, looking at me in the mirror. "I'm so worried about you."

"Ferelith," I gasped, "Ferno's gone."

"I know, but we can't do anything about it. We can't bring him back to life. Just accept the truth that he's now dead."

"I can't! He's my friend, and I regretted the times I hurt him. Memories are coming back in my mind, and they are killing me."

Ferelith walked towards me and hugged me. "Aleera, you don't have to say that. Sure, there are things in life that we regret having, but life isn't ending with that. You don't have to blame yourself for his death. You have nothing to do with this."

"I don't know what to do," I cried. "When the time I needed someone to protect me, he was there. But when he needed someone, I wasn't there for him. What did I do to deserve him?"

"Because you're kind," Ferelith said, still hugging me. "I'm sure he's also proud of you. Maybe he just didn't know how to tell things to you. Stop crying, my Aleera. It's hurting me also."

I let go of her warm hug and looked at Ferelith in the eye. "Do you think someone made this to him?" I asked.

She bowed her head a bit. "I don't think so," she said in a very low tone before lifting her stare again at me. "But I think, it's impossible that he was placed in that trunk. Do you think he jumped there?"

"You think he climbed the tree and jumped over the trunk to kill himself?"

"Possible..."

"So it might be a suicide and not a crime?"

Ferelith nodded worriedly.

When the night came, I ran away from the house and walked more than two thousand meters to reach Namika's house. I lost my way to Mount Marrior, but fortunately, I was able to get the right path back again because of the map I brought with me.

Only the stars and the moon served as my light, as well as the mini portable light I found in the kitchen. I had a hard time surpassing the road and almost got caught by a drunk man living in the mountain.

I entered Namika's house in haste and called out for her name many times, but she wasn't answering. My high and thin voice echoed in the whole quiet mansion, and it would be impossible for her not to hear me, no matter how big the place was.

"Namika!" I shouted once more. "Please, get out! Namika! Namika! NAMIKA!"

"Shut it," a familiar voice shook my spine. "I can hear you."

I lift my head to the fourth deck, where the old woman was standing. "Too late! My esophagus has cracked!"

"Gonna tell me about Ferno?" Namika asked, serving me milk.

I was already in her room, lying on her bed because of exhaustion. When I handed the glass, I immediately drink. "Thanks for this and for letting me enter your room," I smiled.

The old woman's room was like a house. Everything was complete. There was a kitchen area, dining room, washroom, and even a living room. In fact, her bedroom was located in another room inside her room.

"By the way, yes, I came here to tell you about Fer-"

"I already know the news," Namika cut me off.

I gaped at her as I got up on the bed. "Really?"

The old woman's deep sigh rang in my ears. She went to the balcony that made me follow her, and there she said, "The promise is yet to fulfill."