Anakdatu - Chapter 14：Shocking News, literally.

The best kind of morning, oh well, starting it waking up from a very weird and nonsense dreams. What kind of dream is that anyway? Scrawny Santa Claus? 4 guys? And what did he say? Wait for the right time something? Minutes after waking up, the dream is very very fuzzy, I can’t even remember now where was the place? Oh well, at least I forgot a very disturbing piece of information in my brain.

I stood up and started my day, I put on Eve and saw that the time is 4 am. I’m going to start this day early. I did my workout routine, trained and trained for the worst may come and I should never fail, I should protect Ms. Vertucio with all my life because this is the life I swore, the life I was meant to, and with all my life, I will do my best.

As I trained and punch the bag with immense strength, all that runs on my mind that these villains are not like the ones in the simulation room. I punched the bag again and again, putting on my mind that I need to get stronger and stronger, and I cannot accept failure. I need to protect the lady and also my new friend John. I can’t afford to fail. I can’t.

And with those thoughts, I punched and punched until I landed a very strong straight and I destroyed the punching bag and also destroyed the hook mounted on the ceiling where the bag hangs and it flew away 10 meters away from me.

My staff had approached me “Sir, is everything alright?” he asked, how thoughtful.

“Oops,” I did a peace sign, “Yes, sorry, I punched too strong.” And I beamed.

As I was walking, Eve the glasses vibrated.

“Sir, a mail from Macabulos, should I read it for you?” She asked.

“Okay, go on.” I told her as I walked towards the University.

“Datu Puti, I have received your mission log yesterday, I saw also the analysis of your smart glasses to your assailants and they are indeed different from all the enemies that Anakdatu ever had in its history. I suggest you to find Emanuelle Elise Vertucio as soon as you can for this might put her life in a very huge risk and also danger. Be alert and be safe Datu Puti, and also, your parents sends their regards. Protect the lady at all costs, and if possible, the whole school and then the whole world. – Datu Macabulos. That is the content of the mail sir.” Eve said.

“Oh, thank you.” I told Eve.

Yep, I’ve got to do those things now in double tempo. And so I walked briskly to the campus.

I went in the gates, and found John in one of the benches in the hallway and I approached him.

“Good morning John of the world,” I just translated his surname and I sat with him, “What’s up? We’ve got 15 minutes before our first subject, oh my, this is the last 15 minutes of our lives that we are going taste this freedom.” I said exasperatedly.

“Oh hey there Ramil! Good thing you’ve got your energetic and fun side today. Indeed, the last time we’re going to breathe in this fresh air, so I’m staying here and inhaling tons of it for awhile.” He told me sarcastically

We both laughed and waited for the time to pass by. I rarely got good company so I am very happy to be in John’s company too.

The bell rung and we headed now to our classroom. Went inside and sat in our armchairs (remind you, these chairs can recline!), introduced ourselves, and had our first subject, then second subject, then third and so on. As time passes by, I did my best, with the help of Eve to find Ms Vertucio but it cannot seem to scan any even energetic fields. I feel kind of worried and desperate. So many what-if’s have passed on my mind on those times. What if she was already killed while I was in this class facing boredom and doing nothing? What if she was already kidnapped or something happened to her already without me knowing.

“Mr. Liwayway, is everything okay?” Our teacher asked me, “You have this funny angry worried look in your face, are you sure you are okay? Or is the lesson bothering you of such?”

I stood up, “I’m sorry ma’am. May I go out?”

Our teacher accepted my permission and so I headed out of the classroom and sat once again in the benches outside and took a break. I breathed for awhile.

“Where are you?” I whispered as I looked in the blue sky.

After some minutes, I went back to my room and sat once again to my chair. And continued this hell of a boring class in which I’m starting to hate.

After awhile, I finished the first three subjects. Last two subjects before recess, come on!

I just listened to the lecture, jotted down notes, the usual things a student does in his student life. I helped John in some maths, helped him memorize because it is also part of the Anakdatu regimen to practice the power of the mind palace in memorizing, so I taught him that which made him happy. I hope it does not make him too much happy and start memorizing everything he gets his hands on.

Finally, thank God, after the last subjects, my favorite time in the whole schedule, recess comes along.

John and I walked towards the cafeteria, and as we walked, it seems like yesterday, hell so much people are falling in line towards the canteen and line gets so long and long. This school should have proper traffic management because this is going to get very messy.

After sometime, we got to get our food, I got mine an Adobo on rice and orange juice while John got pancakes for lunch (he is awesome that way, getting breakfast for lunch) and coffee and then we ate.

John started the conversation “Hey, is everything okay? Honestly, you look like you have seen a ghost or some kind of terrorist, oh no,” he covered his mouth “don’t tell me the guys who wants to kidnap you are those burly guys behind you?!”

“What?” I looked behind me and just saw the epitome of cafeterias, endless flowing people of such and I looked back at John as he laughed out loud.

“Got ‘ya.” He pointed his pancake embedded fork at me “You know, ease a bit, tell me what is wrong.”

“Nothing, just school stress and pressure I think. You? What’s up? You understand the power of memory and maths now?” I asked him.

“Oh heck yeah, thanks to you by the way, where did you learn that memory technique?” He asked as he gobbled his pancakes.

“Uh, my dad taught me that, he said that is was from an ancient Greek philosopher I don’t know but for me, it just looks cool and surely up your grades in a higher notch.” I told him.

“They sure do.” He said.

And as we finished eating our meals, we stayed a bit in the cafeteria because neither of us is in the mood to go back to the classroom. I really need to find her.

With my best and again, with Eve, she helped me scan the whole cafeteria for finding Ms Vertucio, and also the energy fields that Macabulos is telling us to be aware of because it was said that she creates this weird energy fields. Maybe that is why and how those guys found her, because she attracts them, in a energy way, mind you.

But with no luck, I haven’t found any traces of energy nor Eve didn’t found her and so do I because I don’t even know her.

“Hey John, what does that Elise girl look like?” I asked John.

“Hey dude, really, what do you want with her? She is not in our level like hell a lot higher, and on what she looks like, she is the definition of beauty itself, no kidding.” He said as he sipped his coffee.

With confusion, I asked him “So you mean, the prettiest girl here I can find is her?”

“Oh surely, and also, people stare at her when she walks by. But really, what is the matter?” He asked once again.

I inhaled deeply and looked into his eyes, “Promise me you will never tell anyone about this and even her okay? I sorta need to protect her, that’s all, no more questions!” I ordered him.

With wide eyes, he said “Uh, okay, sure.”

I stood “Come on, let’s go back to our room, we are going to be late.”

“Uh Ramil…” He pointed on my back as I was looking at him

“Oh not again, I won’t fall for the same joke again, come on!” I pulled him and then by the momentum, I accidentally bumped a lady and once again, that 1 billion voltage electric shock surged through me and I was thrown away backwards by the shock.

I stood up as people are staring at me, some are stifling laughs and some are recording videos.

And then I looked to the lady I bumped. She too was carried away by the electric surge, this is the one who shocked me yesterday. I approached her.

John tries to say something but he is stammering “Ramil, uh, that girl…”

And then I saw her face, I’m a believer. Okay, stop that Smashmouth song, again, I saw her face and wow,

“Sir, I present to you, Emanuelle Elise Vertucio, the target has been found.” Eve concluded.