The study was now fully chaotic. They kept justifying their actions, and even Maricar was like a human, well she was once, but not anymore, quarreling with them.
Blaming one another for what happened.
And I clenched my fists, I closed my eyes, and I was trying my best not to explode. But I couldn't.....
"ENOUGH!"
[VOICE OF THE CHOSEN ACTIVATED]
[DESCRIPTION: FOCUS EVERYONE'S ATTENTION ON THE USER AND APPLY FORCEFULLY MAKE EVERY ABIDE USER ORDERS FOR 10 SECONDS.]
[SKILL COOLDOWN: 24 HOURS]
"ALL OF YOU! SIT DOWN AND KEEP QUIET."
I rubbed my temple, like a parent who got his hands full of annoyingly stubborn children.
And all of them?
Even Millien who was munching on a cookie, dropped it and sat on the floor, just like the others.
I could see their confusion as to why their bodies just did what I said. Looked at each other and finally there's a moment of silence.
"Ahmmm... Anthony? Why us too?" Sarah asked who's clearly puzzled about it.
"We can't end this if they're all raising their voices like children arguing about a candy!"
Well, my voice went louder than ever. Needed to maintain this...this dominance if I wanted to be heard.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bartolome, do you want to continue your relationship? Be a family, despite this circumstances?"
Mr. Bartolome spoke first.
The effects of my skill was long gone, but they're just sitting on the floor afraid I might raise my voice again.
"That....I am blessed to have them as a family. When Maricar died...my conscience was driving me crazy. I blamed myself for it too. Guilt got me. I shouldn't have done that. I should have stopped Helena's bullying. But I didn't. I did much worse." He was looking down on the floor, unable to meet my gaze.
[SKILL LIE DETECTOR ACTIVATED]
[JEREMIAH BARTOLOME'S WORDS ARE TRUE]
"So you regretted what you did? But it's too late now isn't it? Someone already died." I steadied my voice and kept the authority among them.
"I know. And..." He finally looked up and his gaze went to Maricar. "I'll do what it takes to make it right. Even.. if I have to surrender myself to the authorities."
I saw Maricar stiffened. Like she never expected the guy, who once manipulated her, played her, destroyed her, would be this vulnerable.
"And what does that give me? Peace? Or is it your peace you're trying to get?" Maricar's voice was shaking.
"Maybe." Mr. Bartolome said, almost inaudibly.
Maricar just laughed it out. And started crying. Her, possessing a human body made her express her emotions more openly.
Then Mrs. Bartolome, broke her silence.
"I am sorry too." She said sincerely.
[HELENA BARTOLOME'S WORDS ARE TRUE]
Maricar looked at her this time. And glared, but then softened into disappointment and dismay.
"You can't possibly be-"
"She is truly sorry." I cut her off.
That's when she spiraled. Crying and laughing at the same time. But nothing too aggressive to shake the house or cause tremors.
"You can't be too. No. Was all my effort to get back at you both worthless? I harmed students. I caused accidents. And I.... Turned into such monster to be able to take revenge. And you're both sorry?"
She stood and and walked in front of the couple, and sat.
I covered her with the jacket again, since the distraction was too....distracting.
Not that I'm looking. My gaze just lingers way too much where it shouldn't.
"Thanks Anthony." She said softly. Then looked back at them. "How will you repent your crime?"
Mr. Bartolome looked at her with full of determination.
"I'll confess to everything. To the recording. To what I did. To our arrangement before. Everything. I'll come clean if that gives you peace." He said firmly.
"I will too. We will both head to the station, reopen your case and confess." Mrs. Bartolome added.
Maricar's tears kept falling.
Originally, she's just too in love with Jeremiah that she was too blind to see anything else.
Most especially. It's all Mr. Bartolome's selfishness that led to this.
Maricar didn't say anything else.
[VICIOUS SPIRIT LEVEL HAS LOWERED. SOUL STABILIZING.]
[SOUL CAN'T BE CLEANSE DUE TO HUMAN HARM INFLICTION.]
[OPTIONS AVAILABLE: EXECUTION OR ETERNAL SERVITUDE IN THE GHOST REALM]
I stared at the blue screen. So the system isn't that cold. Both sides were seen and dissected.
"Maricar, what do you want? You can have your revenge, I'll let you. But I'll have yo eliminate you too."
The Bartolomes looked at me with such terror. What I said was cruel. But this was not my call.
But truthfully, I was just gauging Maricar's stand on the situation.
Maricar looked at me and stood.
"All I wanted to hear was their apology. But when I heard it, why does it feel hollow?"
"Because you've already brought harm to many. Also, you've already taken out that revenge on their daughter." I said as a matter of fact.
"What do you mean child?" Mr. Bartolome looked at me, with confused eyes.
Cynthia fidgeted with tears streaming her eyes now.
"I used your daughter's body, and made her little desire come true." Maricar's tone was outright aimed to hurt but her eyes were strained.
The Bartolome couple gasped and looked at their daughter.
"She possessed you. And...." Mrs. Bartolome said.
Cynthia nodded without looking at them.
Gino on the other hand looked like he's about to die of shame, and Sarah? She's breaking too.
"Who did you do it with?" Mr. Bartolome asked.
Maricar's gaze went to Gino. The latter, looked away.
Mr. Bartolome clenched his fists, a father's rage. But Maricar spoke before he could physically do it.
"I tricked him. Just like how I tricked you. The young man has nothing to do with it. He was... collateral damage. We're even now.
The couple slumped on where they were seated. The one who got punished for their crime was their own daughter.
Which was something that broke their hearts to pieces as parents.
And here I am. Still trying to close this.