Nethania

Chapter 29: Whose Fault?

JAMSEN'S POV

SINCE I first arrived here, I assumed that this school would remain plain and boring. Too calm, peaceful, and it seemed like no fight would ever happen within the school premises. I was studying here because my parents chose this school for me, and especially because they were one of the large shareholders of this school. Another reason was that my family is a close friend of Avia's family, and since they were friends, I met Avia, Hilary, Vino, and Hannah, who came from first-class families too.

The peaceful school, though I viewed this one as a boring place to study, was changed when this notorious Nethania appeared from nowhere and began wrecking the peace and calmness of the premise. I was... thrilled somehow that my boring stay here was a little bit alleviated to the peak of thrill when she started to kill people.

All I want is to end my boring studying here and proceed to a much more exciting educational adventure, the college life. I was tired of being a senior high schooler and eager to step up to the next level.

Well, darn, I was a bit terrified when we talked about the connection between Nethania and the story. My boring life was changed with a bang when I heard from Austin about the victims who had died and the authorities had found the story on their phones.

Am I going to die this early? I didn't think that the rumors about the app that kills people were true. I was one of the people who had read the story. I was bored at the time Hannah informed the app and considered reading something to brighten my mood.So I downloaded the app that night and darn, I read it. So I downloaded the app that night and darn, I read it. But I didn't finish it because reading bored me. It was all about her life, I may say, but there's nothing interesting in it, so I stopped reading halfway.

So I will be considered as one of the targets of Nethania? And also Hilary didn't finish it and hadn't read it too. Is this the time that I will say farewell to Vino and Nico? They finished reading it. I laughed at my own thought. Like Vino said, who the s**t would die just by reading it? Yeah, I kinda believe it, but I may also consider the possibility that it might be true as well.

Hannah was unfair to us. She was the one who told us about the app, yet she was the one who didn't even read the first paragraph. How unfair was that? But it wasn't her fault, it was our choice to read the story and she only told us about it.

I used to date any girl who I liked to lessen my boredom, but what just happened? A girl started to ruin our lives here.

It's seven in the evening and we haven't any assignments to do because we all did it earlier before our dinner. I was sitting on the couch and playing an online game since this was only the thing that could cure my boredom.

I felt the couch moved, and I saw in my peripheral vision that Vino was sitting beside me.

"Hey, Jamsen, aren't you planning to finish the story you have started?" He asked, facing me.

I got defeated in my game, so I decided to stop playing and talk to Vino instead. I turned off my phone and placed it on the coffee table.

I faced him. He was in front of me, sitting with his legs folded across his hips. "Why would I? It already bores me, so why would I continue it?" I replied, raising my eyebrow.

"Because it's interesting! Just finish it."

I sighed. "I don't want to die with you, Vino, be with Nico instead."

"Don't you want to be with me?" He jerked his thumb to his chest. "Okay, I'll drag you along with me whether you like it or not."

"Try to drag me. I'll push you away."

"By the way, are you believing what Austin said to us?"

I shrugged. "Kinda, but he doesn't have any solid evidence to prove his presumption."

He smirked and looked away. "Just don't believe it. It's absurd and far from reality. No app can kill a person, only a person can kill himself and his fellow men."

"Yeah, but what if the person was killed because of using that app? You know, the app won't kill you if you don't use it."

"Nah," he waved his hand sideways, obviously opposing my explanation. "What a shitty what if. I've read it, so did I die? I'm still alive and kicking. Look!" He exclaimed and kicked his foot energetically at his side.

I chuckled. "Okay, you're still alive, for now."

His face went serious and looked at me in my eyes. "Hey! Are you saying I'd die soon? Come on, Jamsen, are you really believing the rumor? Are you even thinking?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes, maybe you don't know the word precaution? Even though we have no firm validation of the rumor of the app's connectivity to the murders, we have to take precaution in order to prevent harm that may happen in the future. I didn't finish the story not because I was afraid Nethania might kill me. I stopped reading it because it was boring, okay. You know me, I don't like boring stuff."

"Yeah, you sounded like Austin, Jamsen." He sighed and touched his chin. "You know what, I don't like him. He was so serious and what I disliked about him was the way he thought about the situation. It was close to an exaggeration. He told us about the lethal ability of the app, which is not true at all. It was all coincidental. Victims were reading the app and, unfortunately, they died."

He has a point too. Coincidence is one thing to consider. It is possible that the victims died and they already had the app on their phones, specifically the story.

"Okay, I got your point, Vino. But you don't have to dislike him, he was just explaining his side and also to impart information from the authorities to us. I see nothing wrong with what he's doing," I said, combing my hair with my fingers backwards.

"So wanna know my side?" he asked, leaning closer to me.

"Go ahead."

"First of all. I didn't believe this kind of s**t. Nethania is a mere killer and she killed people, that's all. No app connectivity to the murder cases and no other exaggerated ideas. I only believe she's the killer and that's all. I rest my case." He slapped his lap after he spoke.

I nodded. "In short, you believe in your own point of view and nothing can take it down."

"Yes, you got it," he agreed, nodding his head.

"I'll just get water in the kitchen," I said and stood and walked toward the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and took out a pitcher and poured water into the glass. I held it and went back to the living room.

I drank my water and placed the glass on the coffee table. I wandered my eyes to search for Vino. He was here, sitting before I left. Where is he?

I turned my head sideways and I saw him looking at the window intently. He was standing a few meters away from it and he wasn't moving, only staring so still at it.

I stood and strode my way to him and stopped beside him. I glanced at where he was looking and stared at him. He could barely blink. Darn, what did he see outside?

"You see it?" he asked.

"What?"

"There's someone outside," he whispered, gradually lifting his finger and pointed at the window.

I sighed. "Don't tell me it's Jeromy, he already died."

"No, of course he was out of the scene. But I really saw someone outside, peeking at the window pane," he said, finally looking at me.

My heart began to race. What does he mean? That someone else outside was pulling off a prank on us? Darn, this isn't the right time to pull off a prank.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Really? Don't play around, Vino. It's getting late."

"I'm not playing around! I really saw her!" he exclaimed, widening his eyes.

"Her? What do you mean?"

"Of course it's a girl, shit."

"It's eight and no one was expected to roam around the area, especially a girl because this dorm is for male students only."

"The curfew is nine p.m., Jamsen."

"Don't worry, maybe it's Avia."

He stared at my eyes seriously. "You sure?"

"Y-Yes," I stammered.

I wasn't really sure if Avia would come here at this time around.

I sighed. "Okay, since you're too afraid to open the door. I'll open it for you," I said, leaving him behind.

I was in front of the door and only stared at the doorknob. We didn't know who the person outside was, and I had to open this door to find out the truth behind it. I held the cold doorknob and slowly turned it over. When the latch clicked, I pulled the door and peeked my head outside. My forehead creased, and looked side by side. No one was here. Only the empty hallway and lights were there.

I pulled back the door toward me when I accidentally looked below. I saw something on the doorstep. I bent my body forward to see the thing closely. I picked it up and brought it inside. I locked the door and Vino approached me.

"There's no one outside but I found this," I said while looking at the red envelope.

"What's that?"

"A letter?" I replied, looking at him.

"Open it."

"Okay."

I sighed and tore the envelop's lid and took out a bloody card inside it. "Ready yourselves, people who have read my narrative, for your reaper is ready to kill you."

I eyed Vino. "Darn, what's this?"

"s**t, should I panic now?"

VINO'S POV

SHIT. That's what I view the situation now. Nethania has nothing to do but bring us bloody s**t. She even tried to make us believe that the app thingy could kill us. I didn't believe it at all. I also dislike Austin about it, and the more Austin tells us about it, the more I Ioathe him. When I saw Austin, I already disliked him, but I don't know, maybe it is in our nature to dislike someone who hasn't even done anything wrong to you.

But what happened last night changed my overall point of view. Though I still didn't fully believe that the app could kill us, the letter that came to us made me think of the possibility that it might be real.

We were in the classroom and since it's so early, we talked about the fresh news we got last night.

They passed the card next to each other, the one that Jamsen found right in front of the doorstep.

"Is this real?" Avia asked.

I nodded. "Yes. It's hand written."

"Maybe it's a prank," Hilary butted in. "Austin told us the day when our room was in chaos that it was only a prank."

"I only said it because I didn't want to make everyone worry about it. I knew it wasn't a prank, Hilary. Someone did it," Austin defended himself, looking at Hilary.

"Okay, I understand now. Now back to their problem," Hilary nodded and pointed at us.

"I don't think this is a problem," Hannah commented, placing the card in the middle of her arm chair.

Avia eyed her. "That's a huge problem. It's a threat. Let me read it." She grabbed the card and stared at it. "Ready yourselves, people who have read my narrative, for your reaper is ready to kill you." She looked at us. "This is a warning to all who have read the story."

What should I do now? What should we do? I eyed Nico and Jamsen. They stared back at me. Hilary, I think, is exempted because she didn't read the story but only checked it out.

"I'm glad I haven't read the story," Hannah giggled. All our eyes were nailed to her. I glared at her with squinted eyes. "What? Am I wrong?" she asked like she was convicted of something she didn't do.

"So you wanted me dead, babe?" Nico made his eyes like a puppy and pouted his lips while looking at Hannah.

Hannah nodded. "No, of course. But was it my fault that you read the story?"

Shit. Why did I check out the story she told us about? If she didn't share the story with us, we had not read it. Maybe we were innocent about it.

I clenched my fist. "Because of you, we became curious about it," I said, eyeing her with anger.

She rolled her eyes. "Blame your curiosity, not me."

"Hannah, I'm warning you."

"Chill, dude," Nico interjected. "Don't touch Hannah if you don't want me to punch you."

I eyed Nico as I gritted my teeth. I was so done with this mess and she added it up.

"Hey stop. No one is going to blame. We are all victims in this situation," Avia restrained us.

We are all victims. And there is someone who made us fall for Nethania's trap.

I smirked. "Sometimes, I'm thinking that Hannah is the one who made the app popular for Nethania."

I saw their eyes widen and they looked at me with extreme puzzlement.

"What are you saying?" Hannah boomed.

I sat up straight. "Nethania was using the app and you made it popular for her to kill more people," I said.

"Hey!" She stood, eyeing me. She placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. What she did caught the attention of our classmates. "I was just a victim. Why are you saying that you are blaming me?"

Jamsen touched my shoulder. "Vino, you don't have the right to blame Hannah just because of what she did."

"No, Jamsen." I shook my head, shrugging off his hand. "Because of her, we became aware of the app and the story; and unfortunately, we read it. It's her fault!"

"No!" She yelled.