FLAW: FIFTY

**TRISHA POV**

We're on our way back to the house after Tita's burial. All of us are still grieving her death. We still couldn't believe that Tita was gone. I wanted to think that this was just a dream, but the pain slapped me with the truth — a very painful truth.

Speechless.
Heartbroken.
Ruined.

We felt a mixture of emotions right now, and none of us knew how to handle it. Maica's classmates tried to comfort and cheer her up, but the pain was just too strong to beat. Alex was not with us. He insisted on staying in his room, blaming himself for sure. It wasn't really his fault. Yes, he failed to fulfill his promise to protect us, but death was inevitable. When it's your time, it's your time. He should think that he defeated the Incubus. Because if he didn't, I'm sure more would have died. He should look on the bright side.

"Do you have Trevor's number?" Sky asked while still looking ahead.

"Yes, why?" I responded.

"Call him. Invite them to the house. We need to talk." I nodded and instantly grabbed my phone. I searched for Trevor's name, and when I found it, I pressed the call icon. After a few rings, someone answered.

"Hello?"

"Who is this?" asked a woman, which puzzled me.

"This is Trisha, a friend of Trevor."

"Oh, sorry, my son is not feeling well."

"Is that so? Okay then. Thank you." She ended the call, so I immediately put down my phone. "Trevor is sick. He can't come."

"Call the others. This is an important matter."

"Okay," I replied and looked for the number of their secretary. After a few rings, a woman answered. I told Calli to gather their group and meet us in the house, which she agreed to. After our call, we arrived at the house.

Maica was the first to get out of the car and hurriedly entered the house. I followed suit, going down and heading to the house's door. Upon entering, everything was in order. The mess from that night was gone. The blood on the wall and floor had been cleaned. But the atmosphere remained the same — dense, gloomy, and quiet.

"I'll change clothes," Sky said without emotion.

"Sure. I'll prepare snacks for us and our guests," I replied. Sky nodded, agreeing with my plan. I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. I found an unopened bread and some strawberry jam. I took them and placed them on the table. After a few minutes of preparing the food, Sky came out with a laptop. He walked straight to the couch and opened the laptop he brought.

What are we going to discuss? Why does he need the Enigma Club?

Speaking of the club, we were interrupted by the doorbell's ring. Sky went to the door and opened it. I couldn't see who it was since I was in the kitchen. I was blocked by a cabinet and the door, but I'm sure it's the kids. And I wasn't mistaken. Sky came back to the couch with four students carrying bags.

What's in those bags that they need to bring?

"Hi, Ate Trisha!" Calli greeted me with a smile and wave. I smiled and waved back at her, then brought the snacks I prepared to where they were. I placed the tray on the mini table a few inches away from Sky's laptop. I sat down with them and invited them to have snacks.

"I called you here because I have a proposition," Sky began, grabbing everyone's attention.

"What is it, Kuya?" Wernie asked while munching on the sandwich in her mouth.

"Let me guess, you want us to help you locate these monsters for you to kill them before they could make the situation worse, am I right?" Dao guessed in a cold and dead voice.

Why do I feel like these two are siblings? Dao perfectly mimics Sky's personality. Cold, nonchalant, and showing no interest around them.

"You're right," Sky replied.

"Lucky for you, Trevor messaged me last night about his decision to help you. He said that we will do our best to help you," Calli informed. Sky may not show it on his face, but I'm sure he's happy. However, sadness still prevails in him. Not for himself, not for Tita's death, not for Maica, but for Alex. He's sad about Alex's situation.

"By the way, please send our condolences to Ate Maica," Justin stated, and I responded with a nod.

"What caused her death?" Calli curiously asked.

"Incubus attack," Dao replied. I already expected that he knew, so I wasn't surprised. But his companions widened their eyes in shock, seemingly unable to believe it. "The energy shift was in this house, so I had a hunch that one of you might be the victim. When I checked the master list, only Maica's mother was on the list," Dao explained. "That might also be the reason why Alex is not here. He must be blaming himself for not being able to save Mrs. Cristavilla," he added, which amazed me.

He's a keen observer. Maybe he dreams of becoming a detective.

The whole room fell silent after he uttered those words. The atmosphere reverted to being dense, gloomy, and quiet. It became awkward, so I decided to break it. "So! What are we going to talk about?" I asked, getting their attention.

"Do you have any recent cases?" Sky asked Dao, who nodded. Dao grabbed his backpack and took out his laptop. He opened it and showed it to Sky.

"I detected a series of energy shifts at Burnial Campsite. It started three days ago around 10:00 in the evening. According to the campers, they heard tiny bells around that time but ended up ignoring them. Not until they found out the next morning that one of their friends was missing," Dao recounted.

"According to what I've gathered, six people are still missing right now. Some of them were declared dead even though they didn't find the body," Justin continued while taking out a folder from his bag. He handed it to Sky, who immediately took it.

After a few scans, Sky handed me the folder. I took it and opened it. It contained profiles of each person declared missing. Justin was right about the six victims: four males and two females. All of them were in their twenties. There was nothing peculiar about the victims. They all looked fine before they went missing.

"So, who's behind it?" I asked after closing the folder containing information about the victims.

"No one knows who's behind it. But I think Dao has a hunch," Justin accused. I looked at Dao, waiting for him to tell us what he knew about these creatures' weaknesses.

"What I have in mind is just pure speculation of mine. There's no concrete proof to support this claim, but because of what is happening right now, this is one of the possibilities. Are you familiar with bogies, leprechauns, goblins, imps?" Dao listed.

"I'm only familiar with goblins," I commented, with the rest nodding their heads.

"Bogies, leprechauns, goblins, and imps are some of the creatures in the fairy realm. These are the bad types, especially to adults," Calli explained.

"Are you saying that these vile creatures are responsible for the disappearance of these people?" Sky asked, and Dao nodded in response.

"So, how are we going to defeat these things?" I asked.

"Creatures like these are shy. They hide from humans and use concealing magic to keep their homes hidden. The only way to enter their world is to let them take us there," Calli explained.

"That won't be the case anymore, Calli. Remember that the sheet has been severed."

"Dao is right. They can't hide anymore, just like the Incubus," Wernie agreed.

"So, our goal is to locate their home and retrieve the missing persons," Sky concluded. Dao nodded in response, seemingly agreeing with his statement.

"That's if we're not too late," Calli remarked.

"What do you mean, Calli?" I asked.

"If a person stays in the fairy realm for too long, it's hard for the body to leave the place. If they stayed there for a week, they won't be able to return, ever," Calli explained, making us worried.

"Dao stated that the energy shift started three days ago. We only have four days left," Wernie added.

"Locating their home is not that hard. The problem is how we're going to fight them," Justin said. We all turned our attention to Calli, waiting for her to tell us what she knew about these creatures' weaknesses.

"Sorry, guys. There's no evidence that the methods I know are effective. These are just beliefs of the people," Calli defended.

"Then we'll use every means to defeat them."

"Excuse me? We?" I skeptically asked Dao after he spoke.

"Why, Ate Trisha?" Calli asked.

"You already mentioned that these creatures are dangerous, so it's risky for you," I protested, but they just looked at me.

"Don't worry, Trisha. I'll protect them," Sky assured.

"Did you forget that your ability is limited? You might collapse in the middle of the battle trying to protect them. Let's just say that you'll protect them. But who will protect you?" I asked. I'm really worried about this plan. I just don't want anyone to die again.

"I will."

******

**ALEX POV**

I had just stepped out of the room when I heard a group of people talking. Judging by the tone of their voices, it seemed like they were discussing a very serious matter. Aside from Sky and Trisha's voices, the others were familiar. That's when I realized it was the Enigma Club they were talking to, especially when I heard Dao's cold and deep voice. I decided not to show up and tried to eavesdrop on their discussion.

I've heard about these six people who went missing in a camp. According to Dao, energy shifts were detected there, so their suspicion was that something otherworldly was responsible for the victim's disappearance. They also discussed how to defeat these creatures but ended up with nothing. Based on Calli's expertise in fairies, everything she knew about these creatures was just beliefs, and there was no proof that those methods were effective against actual beings.

"...Let's just say that you'll protect them. But who'll protect you?" Trisha asked. It's my cue to show up and tell them that I'm here, willing to help and save their lives.

"I will," I interjected as I stepped out from the hallway. They were surprised when they saw me. Each and every person questioned in their minds if I was doing okay and fine. I walked towards them and took a seat on one of the empty couches. They were still looking at me in wonder. "Let's head out tomorrow."

"But we have classes, Alex," Trisha reminded me.

"What time?" Dao suddenly asked, surprising Trisha even more. She was missing the point here. Saving others was the utmost priority for now. Classes could wait. Besides, there would be no class if our whole school fell apart. It's better to start early to prevent the worst.

"10 am sharp, at the campsite." All of them nodded in response. We continued discussing how we could defeat these creatures, also considering the folklore that stated the weaknesses of these creatures. We finished around 7 pm. We invited the group to have dinner with us, but they rejected the offer for personal reasons. The group immediately left after we bid each other goodbyes, leaving the house quiet and blue.

"I'll cook dinner," Sky suggested and instantly walked towards the kitchen.

"I'll check on Maica," Trisha excused, and I nodded. Trisha started walking towards the bedrooms until I couldn't see her. I looked at the kitchen with Sky prepping the ingredients for the food he was about to cook. I walked towards him while he was still washing the veggies. When I reached his broad and muscular back, I hugged him. I noticed Sky stopped because of my sudden gesture.

His back was warm. It was like lying in a bed that I had never laid on before. He also smelled good. The perfume he wore always captured my nose. I felt his head tilt and leaned on mine, telling me that he was there for me. Always.

"I'll protect you," I said and tightened the hug. "No matter what."