Chapter 3 A Cousin’s Surname

Before anything else, I couldn't help but laugh at the phone call I had received. Did they really think they could scare me? If anything, they had only given me even more reason to search for the truth.

They were acting like cowardly children. I never imagined they would resort to a prank call just to intimidate me.

Did they really think losing someone was that easy? That if they wanted to silence the people left behind, we would simply obey?

I'm not like them. I'm not someone who gives up on finding the truth.

I know to myself that I'm doing the right thing. As long as no one puts an end to their evil, they will continue doing this. More students will lose their lives.

Innocent people didn't send threats.

Only guilty ones did.

After I finished preparing everything I needed for my enrollment at Northbridge University, I went to my brother's grave.

I placed the flowers I had brought beside his headstone and sat down. I didn't know how many minutes I spent staring at his name.

"You know, brother, you're so unfair. You left me without even saying goodbye, and then you left me with this huge headache."

"You couldn't even give me a sign or at least a small clue, huh? You always had to be so mysterious, and then you ended up dying." The smile disappeared from my lips.

"I'm so confused about everything that's happening. I don't even know where to start. But there's only one thing I want to do," I continued.

"I want to know the truth about your death."

Tears began streaming down my face again.

"I promise you, I won't leave Northbridge until I get the answers to my questions."

I stayed there for another hour, talking to my brother even though I knew no one would answer me.

When I finally stood up to leave, I noticed something tucked between one of the flowers on his grave.

A white envelope.

Address to me.

I looked around to see if there was anyone else nearby, but I couldn't see a single person.

I picked up the envelope and opened it. Inside was a campus photograph of the university.

I noticed something written on the back and immediately read it.

"The answers are waiting for you.”

I frowned even more. Who would send this to me?

Weird.

My parents and I had already agreed that I wouldn't use our family surname because they were afraid something bad might happen to me.

If it weree true that someone hated my brother enough to kill him, then it would be even more dangerous if they found out how I was connected to him. It would also make gathering information much more difficult.

"You want to use my surname?" My cousin Olivia laughed.

"Just temporarily," I said.

"This sounds illegal."

"It's not," I insisted.

"I think it is."

I rolled my eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"How can you be so sure they won't find out who you really are? Even if Kuya Adrian was a scholar, it's not impossible for them to discover where he came from."

"I can handle it. Before they find out that we're siblings, I'll already be done with what I came here to do," I said.

She shook her head.

"You're putting your life in danger. Didn't Kuya Adrian tell you never to do anything that would put you at risk? But here you are, digging your own grave."

The concern on her face was impossible to miss.

"Maybe if they had just told me the real reason behind Kuya's death, I could've accepted it. It's much harder to move on from something you know nothing about," I said.

We spent some time together before I finally said goodbye.

But just before I left, she called out to me, making me stop.

"Why?" I asked.

She reached for my hand and placed something in it.

"What's this?" I asked.

"A gift. Isn't it obvious?" she replied, rolling her eyes.

I smiled and opened it.

Inside was a gold necklace.

I looked at her in confusion.

"What's this for?"

She stepped closer and hugged me.

"Think of it as something to remind you of who you are."

I immediately understood what she was trying to tell me.

I knew she was worried about what I was about to do.

But my decision had already been made.

"I know what you're thinking. But you don't have to worry because I'll be safe," I said.

"I can't help it. We lost Kuya Adrian without ever knowing why. I don't want anyone else to be next."

"I just want the truth, and that's it."

“I know, and I understand where you’re coming from. The pain of losing someone you love is unbearable. But when you finally learn the truth, don't do something you know is wrong. Okay?”

I laughed. “I'm not a murderer. I won't take justice into my own hands, even if my suspicions turn out to be true. I won't ruin my own name.”

“You can say that now because you haven't been in that situation yet. You know how it is in our country, getting justice is difficult. That's why some people would rather take revenge themselves than wait for justice that may never come. Especially when the culprit is rich or well-connected. No one ends up in prison. It's all so useless.”

I couldn't help but shake my head. The anger she had toward the people running our country was obvious. But I couldn't blame her. Aside from the endless corruption, crimes make the news almost every single day.

A few moments later, we arrived in front of the house.

“Thanks, Via,” I said. She didn't like it when I called her Oli because she said it sounded too masculine.

“Don't forget what I told you, okay? Be careful. I don't want to bury another cousin.”

I nodded. “The way you're talking, it's like I'll be gone for years. Hello! It's not like I can't leave the university.”

She rolled her eyes. “In your situation? If studying were really the only reason you're going there, I'd believe you. But I know your real reason.”

“Duh! Of course I'm going there to study.

Graduating is still my goal,” I insisted.

I was about to turn around when she called out to me again.

“What? Don't tell me you already miss me?”

“Ew, you're disgusting!” she said, pretending to gag.

“Good luck... and don't trust too much.”

Those were the last words she said before leaving.

Good luck, indeed, I thought, because I know I'm about to walk into hell.