Chapter 42
Arushi POV
5:00 PM | Rooftop
I stepped out of Professor Haneul’s office with shaky breath, fixing my blazer and trying to calm the thunderstorm in my chest. Her words still echoed in my head—“You smell like sex, Miss Costa.” Sobrang cold ng boses niya, sharp like blade.
I don't know what hurts more: the judgment in her tone or the fact na hindi niya man lang tinanong if I was okay.
I kept walking, dragging my feet like my soul was being pulled down. I felt like trash. Literal. I needed air. I needed space. Kaya I found myself climbing the stairs up to the rooftop, my safe place. Dito ako lagi nag-iisip, nag-oobserve ng stars kapag gabi, nagtatago sa ingay ng mundo.
Pagkarating ko sa taas, I exhaled. Wind blew against my face, lifting strands of my dark hair. It felt nice. At least dito, walang judgment. Walang tanong. Just the sky and silence.
But then I heard it. Footsteps. Heavy, quick. May sumunod?
I turned to the door just in time to hear the lock click.
Then a voice. Male. Loud. Filled with rage.
“Arushi Costa,” he shouted. “Ang laki ng atraso mo sa'kin. Alam mo ba 'yon, ha?!”
Napaatras ako. My heart started beating so fast parang lalabas na sa dibdib ko. I saw them—three men. Lalaki. Engineering students, base sa suot nilang uniform.
Shit.
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know them, not personally. But the one in front looked familiar. His jaw clenched, knuckles white as he pointed at me with disgust.
“Bullshit ka, Costa! Kaya pala nakipag-break sa'kin si Margarette—dahil sa'yo, tangina mong freak ka!”
Before I could react, someone grabbed my right arm. Another gripped my left.
But they didn’t listen. The guy in front—he was fuming. His eyes were red, wild.
He kicked me. Right between my legs.
Pain exploded through my body. I screamed.
Napayuko ako, halos matumba, pero pinigilan ako ng dalawang lalaki sa braso ko. Hindi ko na maramdaman ang fingers ko sa sobrang pagkakadiin nila.
Another kick. Then another.
Tears blurred my vision. Hindi ako makapalag. My body felt numb. Ang sakit. Inside and out. The blows kept coming. Legs, ribs, arms. Parang sinasaksak ako nang paulit-ulit.
I stopped struggling. My body went limp.
Then silence.
They finally let go. One of them spat near my foot before walking away.
The sound of the door slamming shut echoed in my ears.
I was left on the floor, curled up, shaking. My vision swirled. Everything hurt. My skin. My pride. My soul.
Was this karma?
Was this punishment?
I coughed, tasting iron. My body couldn’t move.
Tears fell silently down my cheeks as I stared at the orange-pink sky above me. Twilight. But I could barely feel its beauty.
Then—footsteps again.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to crawl away. But I couldn’t.
Someone knelt beside me.
I blinked. My vision was fading, but I saw...
Shoes.
A figure. A woman.
The sun was behind her, casting her in shadows. Hindi ko maaninag ang mukha niya.
She didn’t say anything at first. I felt her hand brush my hair away from my face. Her touch was soft. Gentle. Familiar.
A scent.
Wood. Salt. Sage.
My eyes widened slightly. That scent... I knew that scent.
Faceless girl?
I tried to speak, but my throat wouldn’t cooperate. The woman leaned closer, and though I still couldn’t see her face—everything blurred—I felt warmth radiate from her.
Then black.
I passed out.
---
Nagdilim ang paningin ko pagkatapos ng sunod-sunod na suntok at sipa.
Pakiramdam ko basag ang buong katawan ko, pero bago tuluyang mawalan ng malay, may naaninag akong silweta—isang babae.
Hindi ko makita ang mukha niya. It’s blurred…
faceless. Pero ramdam ko 'yung aura niya—powerful, eerie, and strangely… comforting?
When I woke up, I was lying on something soft—hindi concrete rooftop. A bed? My room? I blinked hard, adjusting to the dim light surrounding me. It smelled faintly of wood, salt, and sage.
Napabalikwas ako ng upo—my body screamed in pain. I looked around—pero walang tao.
Walang sumagot. Silence. Then, the pain from the beating hit me all at once. My abdomen, my ribs, my thighs—lahat masakit.
I looked down at myself. May bandages ako sa tummy at legs. My clothes had been changed—I was wearing a soft oversized shirt and boxers. I don’t remember going home. Who brought me here?
Tumayo ako kahit masakit, slowly limping toward the door. The floor was cold. I opened the door—only to see my cosmic-themed room. I’m home?
Narinig ko ang boses ni Citrine mula sa baba. “Troney? Are you awake? Mommy and Mama Primo are on the way. I called them.”
Napapikit ako. The pounding in my head intensified. I gripped the railing.
Flashbacks started hitting me like waves—Margarette’s ex, his words, his fists. Freak. Pinagpalit ako sayo?
Huminga ako ng malalim. I can't cry now. I need to get my shit together.
---
10 minutes later
Nasa sofa na ako sa living room, nakabalot ng kumot. Citrine handed me some warm soup and medicine.
Citrine looked at me. “A woman. She didn’t say anything. She just brought you in, bleeding and half-conscious. Then she disappeared. Akala ko nga si Professor Haneul, pero… parang hindi.”
My heart skipped.
Blurry? Just like in my dreams. The faceless girl…?
Then Citrine whispered, “Troney, did someone… do something to you?”
Napatitig lang ako sa kanya. I couldn’t speak. My lips trembled.
Citrine moved closer and hugged me. “Tangina. Sabihin mo kung sino. Please.”
Before I could answer, the door burst open. Mommy Auburn and Mama Primo came in, their faces full of worry and rage.
Mama Primo didn’t say anything. She clenched her fists and pulled out her phone.
---
30 minutes later
I told them everything. Halos hindi makapaniwala si Mommy Auburn. Galit na galit si Mama Primo. Citrine was pacing like a lioness.
But I couldn’t focus on that. My thoughts kept going back to the woman. The one who brought me home. Was she the faceless girl? Or was it… Professor Haneul?
I opened my phone despite my throbbing head. May message ako from Professor Haneul, sent at exactly 5:10 PM:
“I heard you skipped class again. Where are you?”
Sumagot ako agad.
“Professor… I was attacked. Sa rooftop. But I’m okay now. Someone brought me home.”
I stared at the screen, hoping for a reply.
A minute passed.
Then another.
Then finally—
“Stay home. Don’t go out. I’ll handle the rest.”
Walang ibang sinabi. But somehow… I felt safe.
---
Later that night
Nakaiga na ako sa kama, the ceiling glowing with fake stars. My body still ached, but I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing. I opened my notes app and wrote:
> Faceless girl didn’t visit me for one night. Then the next day, I was attacked. Was it connected? Is she protecting me? Or warning me?
The scent—wood, salt, sage. It was here. It lingers.
Could it really be… Haneul?
I stared at her name for a long time. The cold professor. The mysterious aura. The way she sometimes softened… only around me.
My phone buzzed. Another message.
From Margarette.
“Raegan told me what happened. I’m sorry, Arushi. Please let me visit you.”
I didn’t reply.
Not yet.
I turned off my phone and closed my eyes.
Then I heard a whisper again.
I sat up, heart pounding. But the room was empty.
Or so it seemed.
The scent was back.
Wood. Salt. Sage.
And it lulled me to sleep.
---