Point of view: Bella Isabel Chávez Reyes
Two weeks before chaos erupted in Manila, London seemed far too peaceful to be harboring so many secrets.
A light rain was falling on the streets when Josefina Chávez, Linda Villanova, and Ana María—accompanied by Jessica—arrived at an elegant house near the River Thames.
This was where Theo Darkmoor lived.
A close friend of Loki Vargas and Louise Vargas.
Filipino-English.
He was a calm, intelligent man—and one of the few people who still held information about what had happened at the Lisbon Masked Ball.
“So, you’re the famous women Loki talks about so often,” Theo said with an amused smile as he opened the door for them.
Jessica rolled her eyes.
“That sounds suspicious.”
“Because it probably is,” Theo replied.
Ana María burst into laughter.
Bella watched quietly.
There was something about the house that gave her a strange feeling.
It was as if Loki had been there recently—as if traces of him still lingered.
That evening, they had dinner together.
For the first time in a long while, Bella managed to put her fears aside.
Even Jessica and Ana María drank more than they should have at the small, private gathering Theo had organized.
“I don’t think I can feel my legs anymore,” Jessica whispered.
“That’s because you’ve been sitting on them for ten minutes,” Theo replied.
Ana María couldn’t help but laugh as Theo walked the three of them to the guest rooms.
“Loki was absolutely right.” “What is it about?” Bella asked. This story is hosted at g.com.
“You two always seem to get into trouble.” Bella smiled for the first time in days.
Before going to sleep, Theo handed her a small card.
“My personal number. If you need help, call me—wherever you are.”
Bella tucked the card away, never imagining just how much they would need it later on.
Present Day – Manila
The sound of a ringing phone shattered the silence.
Bella opened her eyes; she had been dreaming of Lisbon again—hearing the gunshot, seeing Loki fall.
Her breathing was rapid.
Then, she remembered that mysterious call.
A distorted voice.
A warning.
“Loki left a secret letter.”
“Who are you?” she asked.
“If you want to discover the truth… you need to come to Manila.”
The call ended abruptly, and from that moment on, nothing was ever the same.
11:35 PM
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Parking Lot.
Jessica and Bella wore nitrile gloves as they carefully examined the scene.
Jeremias Jones scrutinized every detail.
Christian Reyes spoke with the police officers.
Luis and Ressell reviewed the photos taken by the forensics team.
“It was a direct punch,” Luis whispered.
“And the killer knew their moves,” Ressell added.
Bella noticed something near the victim’s car.
A small, folded piece of paper.
“I found something.” Jeremiah immediately retrieved the evidence.
When he unfolded it, silence fell over everyone.
Only one sentence was written in red ink:
«JOSEFINA’S CHILD IS NEXT.»
A chill ran through Jessica; Bella remained motionless; Christian slowly looked up; Jeremiah clenched his fists.
Because they all understood the same thing: the killer already knew who Bella was, and likely knew who Jessica was, too.
A few meters away, Luisana watched the terrified students; rumors swirled, fear mounted, and history seemed to be repeating itself—just like with Ji-seung and Loki.
Just like with Sophia.
Then, Bella felt her phone vibrate; a message arrived from an unknown number containing only a photo—an old picture.
It showed Loki, Sara Medina, and a man wearing a red mask; beneath the image was a single sentence:
«The game has only just begun.»
And for the first time, Bella grasped a terrifying realization: they weren’t investigating the past—the past was hunting them down.