"He did what?!" Taylor asked. Everyone is puzzled. Why will that man ask for his own death?
"He… he asked me… to do it… He said he doesn't want to live and be controlled anymore. I… it was so confusing… I can't remember everything." Nathanya answered, trying to recollect any useful information.
"Think more. Did he tell you about the person controlling him?" Drake asked but Nathanya just shook her head. After a while, she suddenly remembered something.
"He said something about not wanting to hurt the woman he loves. He said that if I won't kill him, he will kill me and will kill himself after. I… he handed the dagger to me and pulled my hand… that's how he died." She then added.
"Not wanting to hurt the woman he loves? Could he be someone related to any of you." Drake asked but Briana rejected the idea.
"If that's the case, at least one of us should have been able to identify him." She said, At that moment, Nathanya suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Before… before he died, he's talking about a mask? He… he is pointing at his face and says mask." She said. Drake immediately called his subordinates who took the body away. They just reached the parking lot when they received the call telling them to carry the corpse back. It took a couple of minutes before they were able to bring it back.
The moment the corpse was laid, Drake wore some disposable gloves and opened the body bag. Something was strange about the corpse. Its lips had now turned purple. Usually, a person who died will immediately have a yellowish colored skin due to some chemical build up. But this one is different. It still looks fresh, just like the skin of a living person. He then felt for something behind his ear and there it was. A lifted skin which is not a part of his real skin. He pulled it out, revealing the real face of the dead. Everyone was shocked for a while upon seeing the face of the dead. It was Liam Perez, the brother of Lalaine Perez. How can this be him? Everyone saw with their eyes how he jumped off the tallest building in the academy. They saw how he landed and everyone heard the cracking of his bones. How can he survive such an impact? Liam Perez loves Taylor but his feelings were never reciprocated. His death was the reason why Lalaine wants Taylor dead.
They were still puzzled when Briana's phone rang.
"Surprise number two." The voice just said then he hung up.
The man manipulating these people must be someone close to them. Not literally close but was just moving around them.
"Lalaine must know this." Drake said and was about to call her when Taylor stopped him.
"Don't waste your time. She's dead." She said that caused Drake's eyes to grow bigger.
"Dead? How?" He asked.
"I killed her. She's blaming me for her brother's death. She is the one who caused my injury days ago." She said flatly.
"Are you sure she's dead? I mean, did you see her die on the spot?" Lace asked. Taylor shook her head.
"I didn't wait for her to fall dead. I left when she was just about to die." She answered.
"Where did it happen? I mean if it's some hidden place, her remains must still be there right?" Drake asked.
"It was indeed a secluded area. It was at the warehouse over the old factory. That's where I left her." Taylor answered.
"Okay. Let's call it a day for now. Tomorrow, I will come back here and we will check on her corpse." Drake said before calling the two men again to carry the corpse.
"And, don't leave her alone. Not at least once." He added before pulling the door closed behind him.
It was a sleepless night for Taylor. She can't fall asleep no matter how hard she tries. She was so alert to the point that every small unusual noise that she hears serves as a warning for her. After finally accepting the fact that she can't sleep anymore, she left their room and stayed on the sofa. The condo was back to being clean after Briana and Lace took care of everything. Along her way to the sofa, she grabbed Phoenix and Raven. She stared at her two weapons for a long time before someone suddenly interrupted her.
"Why are you still awake?" Nathanya asked. She had just come out of the room once she felt that Taylor was not on her bed. The four of them shared a single room and were only separated by four beds.
"Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that? What are you doing here?" Taylor asked, not even looking at the other person.
"I was slightly awakened and I didn't see you on your bed so I came to check out where you went." She answered and sat beside her, not even minding asking for permission first. Taylor didn't mind her actions and just let her sit beside her. It was an awkward silence afterwards.
"I'm sorry." Nathanya finally said that broke the deafening silence. She's not looking at Taylor, her head is lowered and some droplets of water fall down that reflects the light of the moon. She is crying.
"E… ever since I… I came… all I caused is trouble… I am really…. Sorry'' she added.

"You don't have to be. Ever Since I came to this world, all I have caused is trouble too." Taylor said after being quiet for a while. Nathanya looked at her and she felt that she needed to continue.
"When I was a little kid, I always hurt those who played with me. I always make my mom run after me before I follow her. I always smash the toys of my brother Tyler and I once broke my other brother's phone. I can still remember what Tyrone told me that day. That I was meant to be a trouble maker. And it did happen. After they were killed, I was taken to a foster house. I always make the nuns mad at me. When someone tried adopting me, saying they will replace my parents, I scratched the lady's face and punched the man's balls. After that, I sneaked out. I don't want to be adopted by anyone. I don't want them to replace the family I once had. That's when I was brought to Demethry Smith, the owner of the academy. From then on, I never gave anyone a peaceful day. As long as they annoy me, they'll suffer. Tyrone's perception about me came true." She said, summarizing the messy life she had experienced.
"You… It's understandable. You suffered so many hardships." Nathanya said. Taylor looked at her and started to wonder how this innocent soul entered hell.
"How did you end up here? You're weak and fragile." She asked with a little insult afterwards. Nathanya suddenly lowered her head before she talked.
"My father. He was a member of a certain organization and was accused of spying for another group. He was not. Although we don't know what kind of organization he was into, I know he is not spying. The day before he died, he had sent my mom and my elder sister to my grandparents in a faraway province. But on their way there, they…. They were ambushed and my mom and sister were … raped. My dad fought for his life but he didn't win the fight. I was not there because I was staying in a boarding house. But I was scheduled to come home. After entering our house, I saw my dad, still hanging on for his life, as if waiting for someone to save him. I ran towards him and on his deathbed, he whispered something about an academy. The Black Smith Academy. Thinking that maybe he wants me to be here, I looked for it and found it." She said with a little bit of difficulty because of the tears and sobs she tries to control. Taylor also lowered her gaze. She didn't know when or how but she felt herself moving, her hands wrapping around Nathanya's waist and her head being buried on her neck. She can't also understand herself. She didn't flinched and let go but she kept asking herself, "Just when did this body become involuntary?" Nathanya didn't say any words. She just let Taylor do what she wants and she even hugged her back, stroking her hair with her fingers.
" Aren't you sleepy?" She asked but Taylor didn't answer. She then slightly lifted Taylor's head and saw that the latter had already fallen asleep. She can't obviously carry her back to the room so she just slowly laid her down on the sofa. After successfully laying Taylor down, she went back to the room and came back carrying some pillows and two blankets. She laid the other blanket on the floor and covered Taylor using the other. She lifted her head slightly and put a pillow. Then she arranged the remaining pillows and she finally laid on the floor.
"Goodnight." She whispered before finally closing her eyes.