The Professor's DEATH

WILBERT

I woke up with a hangover the next morning. I get a medicine to cure my aching head. I felt dizzy but I still managed to got up from my bed. I did all my morning routine to better prepare myself for a long day that I will spent in school.

When everything was done, I went inside my car and drive my way to the school.

Minutes after, I arrived at my room and noticed that my classmates are already inside.

"You're late." I almost stop breathing when I heard that voice.

"Sorry." I said. 'Needless to say that, Sir. It's obvious.' I mentally argued with what he said.

"For the second time." Then a sudden flashback of my first day occupied my mind.

"Sorry for the second time." I casually said, unbothered of what he will say again to me.

"Now you're being sarcastic." Suddenly, an image of him kissing that almost naked woman flashed into my mind. I looked at him with the same intensity his stares are given to me. In the end, he was the one who break the eye contact.

"You may take your seat." I sigh in relief after he said those words.

The class went on for one and a half hour before he finally announced the words I've longing to hear.

"Class dismissed." All of us stood up from our respective seats and ready to leave the room.

"Ms. Wan, to the detention room." I mentally cursed him and rolled my eyes afterwards.

"It can wait. I still have a class to attend, Sir." With that, I turned my back at him and stormed outside the room.

He'll probably get mad at what I did, but it's totally fine for me. While on my way, I started thinking of possible things to do that will serve as my punishment. I shook my head at that thought.

Suddenly an unknown thrilling sound echoed in my head. I found myself bewitched with that foreign music that I am hearing. The music seems to come from afar. It's creeping me out but it sends a chilling effect on my whole-being. The nearer I get, the more the sound became inaudible. It then stops when I reached the exact location.

'Where the hell am I?' I asked myself when I found that I am currently standing in front of an unfamiliar part of the school. It looks like an abandoned building. It was quite old, probably built decades ago. It can easily be destroyed by an earthquake or even typhoon.

'How did I managed to get myself in here?' My mind was occupied with various thoughts earlier to the point that I wasn't able to notice that I am taking the wrong path leading me to this stranger place.

The door of a certain room was slightly open. I went near to it and took a clandestine glance of what's inside. There, I saw nothing but a messy room filled with dusts and insects. 'Should I sneak inside?' My mind battled at that thought but I gave up. I can't go inside, it's prohibited.

I roamed my eyes at the surrounding to see if there are other people aside from me but I see no one. 'I am alone here but why do I feel like I am with someone? Is it a ghost?' Ah, nevermind. I shook my head side by side before I finally decided to leave.

I've only had a few steps away from the building but I was taken aback when someone grab me from behind and cover my mouth with his hand to prevent me from screaming. I didn't expect this to happen. I learned martial arts for almost 10 years but I couldn't even use my defense mechanism strategies to this man who abducted me.

A stranger brought me inside a room. "It's me, don't shout." A familiar voice of a man filled my ears. I kicked his balls and he groaned in pain. "Serves you right." With that, I smirked at him.

He stood straight in front of me when the pain finally subside.

"You'll be the death of me, woman." He said nonchalantly "And I almost had a heart attack because of what you did, Calderon!" I yelled at him.

"Sshhh! Lower down your voice, will you?" He said and I just sighed and shrugged my shoulders off.

"What do you need?" I asked. He will not drag me here if he doesn't need my help. There may be an emergency because if there's none, I'll surely kick him on his balls twice so that he won't be able to impregnate a woman.

"Do I look like someone in need?" I had this urge to salvage this man in front of me.

He blew out a deep breath before he finally decided to tell me what's happening.

"Someone from the Professor went missing 3 days ago." Uh, another case for this month?

"That long? Did they already reported it to the police?" I asked.

That person should be reported to the police by his family members within twenty four hours that he went missing. That's the rule. They should've reported it to the authority, 24 hours after he went missing.

"No." His hard and finalized voice echoed in my head.

"What? What kind of family does he have?" I asked exasperatedly.

A moment of silence took over between our serious conversation. Dash blew out a deep sigh before he finally spoke.

"He has no family at all." Another wave of silence filled the room.

"You knew him?" I asked just to feed my curious mind.

"Apparently, Yes. He was my Professor back in college." Uh, that explains why. So, he was a transferee professor here at M.I.

"I see, He must be special to you." Worried face is what I can clearly see on him. He did not speak and his cold façade replaced his worried face that I've seen earlier.

"Have you heared the sound earlier?" He asked

How can I forgot about that sound? It's the one who brought me here. The music made me feel that it was meant for me, to complement my adventurous personality.

"Yeah." I replied shortly.

"I have a hunch that there's someone in here aside from us." I don't actually believe in ghost, so I would think that it's a human. But who could it be?

"And we'll gonna work together to figure it out." That sounds fun to me.

"Okay." I'm still clueless about this case to the point that I can't even think of an idea on where to start. But I have lots of questions in mind and I demand an answer.

"So shall we start?" I nodded as a response.

"The Professor was last seen by the janitor walking through the prohibited part of the school, which is here on the abandoned building. Mr. Cuevas thought that there maybe some important matter that the professor needs to do, so he just made his way back to the area where he was cleaning. He wasn't sure if the professor really went inside this abandoned building or not. But I think he did." What could be his reason for taking this risky path? There will always be a reason behind that.

" Who is that Professor you are talking about, by the way?" It's hard to find a missing person without any knowledge about who he is or what he looks like.

"He is Mr. Wilbert Guevarra." That name seems familiar to me. Does it also ring a bell to you? How can I forgot about him? He's our guest speaker during our graduation in college. From then on, I started admiring him for having that awesome looks. He's a bachelor for Christ's sake!

"You know him?" 'Yes of course. I know him from head to toe.' I wanted to voice that out but I refrain myself. I giggled like a teenager at my own thought. Who wouldn't be?

He's the first man who caught my attention. He melted the ice wall I've built to protect myself. The younger version of me falls for him unexpectedly. But I know, it's only a puppy love. I wonder how he looks like after years of not seeing him. I must see him dead or alive.

Dash look surprised when he saw me putting out my disguise, bringing Kaorie back. He eyed me suspiciously and gave me a what-are-you-doing look. Does he think I'm weird? Well, let him be.

"What?" I asked. He's starting to irritate me with his stares.

"Why did you–ah, nevermind." He said then looked away.

"He's a Professor. He shouldn't find out about me." Right, he should see me as Kaorie, not Zero. Just to avoid conflicts. Afterall, he's a Professor in this institution which is totally assigned for me as my special mission.

"Put that back." What the hell? Is he out of his mind?

"I thought we're going to inspect on this place?" That's what I think, adding the task of finding the missing professor.

"Yes, but not now. We can do it later—" I cut what he is supposed to be saying. "No" When I said no, my decision will always be final.

We exchanged death glares from each other. In the end, he lose. He raised both of his hands aligned on his head, as a sign of defeat. Just like a suspect being arrested by the police.

"We cannot do it now, especially when everyone was around. You see, classes are still on-going. It will create a big fuss if they found out about this one." Dash explained

"We cannot waste a single time knowing that a person's life is in danger. We don't even have any idea if the person we are looking for is still alive. Oh c'mon Dash! We shouldn't let those innocent people out there to be blinded by what is truly happening inside the school they are studying at." He was stunned by my sudden outburst.

"So we will choose to protect the people over this one and only affordable university in town?" Life matters the most for me and no one can change my perception. Not even Dash.

"And what? We will let those innocent people be killed just like the recent crimes including that of Ms. Naomi Pertiz and let the police close the case for the sake of the school's image and good reputation? I can't believe you Dash." I thought of saving both the school and the people but I had to choose one.

"What now? Are we going to argue on this matter again and again?" I tried seeking for his answer by looking straight into his eyes but I see nothing on his cold expressionless eyes.

He inhaled deeply and began to walk out of the room. I followed his footsteps and we stopped on the room which I think the exact location. It is where the music stops earlier.

"Is anybody there?" Dash asked and we both went near the already ruined door to hear if there's someone inside. I can hear nothing but only a loud erratic beating of my heart.

"I think no one's inside." I said

"Yeah I think so too." We are about to leave when we heard a sound.

~SHEESH TOK SHEESH SHEESH~

Followed by another sound.

~TOK~

Five seconds after, another sound can be heard.

~TOK TOK TOK~

One thing is running on my mind right now,

"Morse Code!" We said in unison. From that moment, I inhale deeply knowing that a person inside is alive.

SHEESH will be the Dash and TOK will be Dot.

"So, he answered YES?" Without wasting a single time, Dash opened the door and on one of the corner of the room was a man in his professor's suit. Hands and feet are both tied up while his mouth was covered with a handkerchief and eyes with a blindfold. It makes him unable to move, see and speak. Thanks God, he's not deaf.

We hurriedly went to his direction and set him free. By the looks of him, we can see how traumatized he is. He's not moving nor speaking. He's just staring at us without blinking his eyes.

It took him a minute before he finally talk. "I thought I'll be dead. Thank you, Dash and—" he then looked at me. "Kaorie. You're welcome. We are glad you're safe." I said. And I'm glad I did not stammered in front of this man. Oh God! It's been what? Five years?

"Yeah, thank you for saving me. I owe you my life." He then smiled. After all he went through, he still managed to smile in front of us.

We talk for an hour before he decided to leave. "Wait!" Dash said.

"Can you still remember what happened?" He then asked the Professor. "I mean, if you don't mind Sir. Can you tell us what really happened 3 days ago?" He asked politely.

"It has been two weeks since I'm receiving a text from an unknown number. And that time, I receive a text saying that if I want to know who he/she was, I must go in here. Because of my curiousity, I went here with this wrist watch of mine. Have you heard the sound earlier?" He then asked and we both answered "Yes."

"It was an alarm song." Ah, that explains why. "Good thing is that, I bring it here with me and not leave this on my bathroom 3 days ago." He continued on saying things. "After I got here, someone hit my head from behind with some sort of hard thing then I passed out. Three days after, now to be exact, I got awakened by the sound of my alarm song. Then, I thought I got blind, paralized, and mute when I woke up, but this shitty things clearly explains why." One thing about what he said caught my attention.

"You said someone's texting you, right?" I asked "Yes." He replied

"Can we see your phone." He then starts searching his phone on his pocket until he murmured "I put my cellphone here on my pocket. Where the hell is it now?" It seems like the culprit already taken it away. He surely has a bright mind, huh?

"That would be for now. Please do wait for the police to come and rescue you here. And don't tell them about us, okay?" We leave the room when we already made sure that he is already safe.

"Are you a criminal or something? I heard him asked that. "We are detectives, Sir." I then smiled sweetly at him. I ain't flirting with him though.

"Okay, Go. Make sure to find whoever the culprit might be. I'll skin him alive if I found out who he was.

We leave the room when we already saw him together with the police. I put back my disguise as a student. We bring the blindfold and handkerchief and put it inside the plastic as an evidence.

We headed towards his private office inside Morim Institute and took the evidences out of the plastic. Both the blindfold and handkerchief contains a familiar symbol. It made my heart beat in an abnormal pace.

A hexagon with a dot!

What made us surprised the most is the written question on the handkerchief.

"Do you like my surprise –?" I mumbled but this time, I knew this question was for Dash. Again.

"s**t!" He cursed under his breathe as he almost crumpled both pieces of evidence.

"Let's not talk about this here. Go back to your class. Let's just see each other on my office." I nodded my head then went outside.

I went straight to the detention room. I don't have a time to sit inside the room and hear the teacher's lecture. So, I went here to rest my mind for a moment.

"Where have you been?" A voice from behind is what I've heard when I'm about to lock the door from inside the detention room. As I turned around, I found Mr. Arithmeticùs sitting comfortably on the swivel chair.

"It's none of your business." I mumbled, but wait—did I say it out loud?

"You are my business. So now write on this papers your reasons for being absent yesterday and why did you cut your class on your next subject." He handed me five papers and a pen. 'What the heck?' My brows furrowed by the sight of this two things in my hands. I'm not actually in the mood right now. So, I handed it back to him saying, "You see, papers are as white as your uniform, Sir. I cannot forgive myself if I put a dirt on it." I said politely but he just looked at me.

"It's either you will write on that papers or I will let you clean my office for one week as my punishment for not obeying me." Can I just rest for awhile? I'm really too tired thinking of what had happened.

"I'll choose the latter. Now can you leave me alone? I need to rest." And so he did leave the room.

I overslept inside this room's couch. Hours later, I found myself inside Dash's office.

"You see, Naomi Pertiz was the first victim and she was killed instantly. Second victim was Wilbert Guevarra who is also a professor but he wasn't killed. The culprit revealed an unfamiliar symbol that no one else knows. We have the same suspect for this two cases." Yeah I know.

"But the suspect was doing this because he knows you. Maybe he did a background check on you, like some sort of investigations or maybe he knows who you really are." That someone may be too powerful. Does he also have men in black who will accomplish everything he asks them to do? There's always a possibility on what we are saying right now.

It's hard to fight against an enemy who is lurking in the dark, hiding on a shadow.

"If that's the case, you should be more careful Dash. Protect yourself as much as possible." I said

"Yeah, I will. Please do the same, Kaorie." What he said always replay on my mind.

"I will, Dash."