Chapter XXXVI: Inscription
The dream unfolds. Liz finds herself standing in a familiar place—the Elementary Building of the Colegio. The air is crisp, the echoes of children's laughter faintly filling the background. She turns to see Bennett beside her, holding her hand.
Bennett: "Give me your hand."
Liz hesitates for a moment, but she places her hand in his. As soon as she does, the dream shifts. The warm light of Bennett's room fades, replaced by the familiar yet distant surroundings of the Elementary Building of the Colegio. The corridors stretch endlessly, filled with echoes of past footsteps and muffled classroom lessons. Liz looks around, recognizing every detail, yet it all feels like a distant memory.
LIZ: "Why are we here? This was years ago."
Bennett: "Watch."
Liz turns to see a younger version of Bennett, a first-year Senior High School student, strolling down the corridor. He looks calm, his hands tucked into his pockets, until he stops at a concrete bench that overlooks the court. He sits down, staring into the distance, lost in thought.
Then, someone passes by and pauses. A small girl, her braided hair slightly messy on top. Liz's stomach twists in embarrassment.
Liz: "Oh no. No, no, no—please tell me that's not—"
Bennett: "Cute, isn't she?"
Liz cringes harder as she watches her younger self clutching a folded letter, her fingers fidgeting around the edges. The young Liz takes a deep breath before stepping toward young Bennett.
Liz: "I can't believe you're making me watch this."
Bennett: "Pay attention."
The young Liz shyly extends the letter towards young Bennett, her cheeks flushed red.
Young Liz: "Here. This is for you."
Young Bennett looks surprised but takes the letter, his expression unreadable. Young Liz gives him a quick, nervous smile before taking a step back.
Young Liz: "See ya later, Bro."
Then, she turns and dashes down the corridor before she can see his reaction. Liz groans in disbelief.
LIZ: "'Bro'? Ugh! What was I thinking? Why would I say that?"
Bennett chuckles beside her.
Bennett: "It was adorable."
Liz: "I want to disappear. I cannot believe you kept this memory."
Bennett: "It's important. Now, look."
The scene fast-forwards. Young Bennett emerges from his classroom after his lesson, walking toward the male restroom. But instead of going inside, he stops near the old gate, away from prying eyes. He pulls out the letter and unfolds it slowly.
Liz watches as young Bennett reads. His fingers trace the words, his brows furrow slightly, and his lips part just a bit, as if reading aloud in his mind. His expression softens, and he blinks a few times, swallowing hard.
Liz: "Wait… why does he look like that?"
Bennett: "Because he's reading something that matters."
Liz turns to him, confused. Bennett looks at her warmly.
Bennett: "I never threw away a single letter, Liz. Not one. I read them all."
Liz's breath catches in her throat.
Bennett: "Every time you wrote to me, I took the time to read each word carefully. Even when you thought I didn't care. Even when you thought I wasn't listening. I always was."
Tears pool in Liz's eyes as she looks back at her younger self—so small, so vulnerable, so full of emotions she had no idea were being received. She turns back to Bennett, her voice shaky.
Liz: "You really… kept them?"
Bennett: "Of course. They were pieces of you. Why wouldn't I?"
Liz clenches her fists, overwhelmed with emotions, then lunges forward, wrapping her arms around him. Bennett holds her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head.
Liz: "I thought you ignored me all those times. I thought you didn't care."
Bennett: "I cared more than you knew. I just never showed it the way you wanted me to. But I always held on to your words."
The scene around them dissolves, bringing them back to Bennett's room. Liz is still clinging onto him, but this time, her grip is gentler, no longer desperate. She slowly pulls away and looks up at him.
Bennett: "It's time. You have to read and analyze everything you found. Every piece matters."
Liz nods, wiping her tears.
Liz: "Okay. I will."
Bennett places a hand on her cheek, his touch warm despite being in a dream.
Bennett: "Good girl."
Liz blinks, and suddenly, she is awake. Her room is dimly lit, and the first thing she sees is Bennett's framed picture on her bedside table. Without thinking, she leans over and kisses it, her heart still racing from the dream.
Then, she remembers.
She quickly gets up and crosses the room to a small storage space. She kneels, reaching for a large box tucked away in the corner. With trembling fingers, she lifts the lid.
Inside, a collection of papers, neatly folded letters, and cards from over the years. Some are decorated with small doodles, others written in rushed handwriting. Her hands hover over them before picking one at random. She unfolds it carefully, her breath catching as she reads:
"Merry Christmas, Liz. I know you love letters, so here's another one to add to your collection. I hope this one makes you smile today. No matter what happens, don't forget that you're special to me."
Liz presses the paper to her chest, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Liz: "Bennett… you really… you really kept them all…"
She wipes her eyes and pulls out another letter, this time a Valentine's note.
"Happy Valentine's, Liz. If I were braver, maybe I'd say this in person. But since I'm not, I hope this letter is enough. Just know that no matter what, I'll always be cheering for you."
Liz chokes back a sob, overwhelmed with gratitude, with longing, with love.
She presses her forehead against the letters, whispering softly.
Liz: "Thank you, God… for Bennett."
She stays like that for a while, holding onto the words of the boy who never stopped listening, who never stopped caring. And now, with the new mystery unfolding before her, she knows she has to keep moving forward.
For Bennett.
For everything he left behind.
Liz carefully places the letters back in the box, ensuring everything is as she found it. She slides the box back into its place, takes a deep breath, and wipes a stray tear from her cheek.
Feeling a bit hungry, she heads to the kitchen, grabs a piece of toast, and bites into it as she makes her way back to the table where the items she and Wyn recovered are laid out. Her eyes land on the notebook, its worn cover intriguing her.
She picks it up, noticing a numerical padlock securing its pages.
"Great, a puzzle," she mutters sarcastically, tapping the lock absentmindedly.
A thought strikes her. Bennett always had a fondness for biblical numbers. She tries "316," the reference to John 3:16, and to her astonishment, the lock clicks open.
With a deep breath, she flips open the first page. The title reads:
"Journal Log: The Mysteries by Martin Bennett Q. Lontoc"
Her heart skips a beat. "Bennett... what were you into?" she whispers.
Curious, she skims through the pages, noticing there are forty entries in total.
She groans. "Forty? Seriously? You really had a lot to say, huh?"
Despite her initial reaction, she flips to the first entry. The date catches her eye—January 28, 2024.
She reads aloud:
"Today, I was asked to serve. Nothing unusual about that. Afterward, I was sent to the Campus Ministry Office to deliver some files. Just when I got there, I saw something… unsettling. A figure, standing in the hallway, speaking to—no, whispering to—a dark silhouette. It wasn't human. I know what I saw. But when I blinked, it was gone."
Liz grips the notebook tighter, her breath hitching.
"I almost ran, but I held onto my crucifix, kissed it, and prayed. I told myself to be brave. I stepped inside the office, expecting the worst… but it was just one of the Junior Servers. And yet, something didn't add up. The person I saw before had curly hair and was much taller."
Liz feels a shiver crawl down her spine.
"I don't know what's happening, but I need to get to the bottom of this. Adrian saw something, too, from afar. I'll talk to him soon."
Liz shuts the book, her hands trembling slightly.
"No way…"
She immediately grabs her phone and dials Wyn.
"Wyn, you need to hear this."
Minutes later, Wyn arrives, her expression laced with curiosity and concern. Liz hands her the notebook, flipping it to the first entry.
As Wyn reads, her brows furrow.
"So Bennett and Adrian saw something suspicious… a shadow? A figure?"
Liz nods.
"And Bennett wanted to investigate it."
Wyn sighs, tapping her fingers against the wooden table.
"I don't like this, Liz. If Adrian saw it too, then it wasn't just Bennett's imagination."
Liz chews on her lip, then exhales sharply.
"We need to ask Adrian about this."
Without hesitation, Liz grabs her phone again and calls Adrian. He picks up after a few rings.
"Hey, what's up?" Adrian's voice is casual, but Liz can tell he's caught off guard by the sudden call.
"Did you see something weird near the Campus Ministry Office back in January?" Liz gets straight to the point.
There's a pause on the other end. Then Adrian sighs.
"So… you found out."
Wyn and Liz exchange nervous glances.
"So it's true," Wyn presses.
Adrian hesitates. "Yeah. I didn't think much of it back then, but Bennett seemed really bothered. He told me he saw something… unnatural. I only caught a glimpse from a distance, but I remember thinking it didn't look right."
Liz's stomach twists. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Adrian exhales. "Bennett told me not to. He said he'd figure it out. I just… I trusted him."
Silence lingers between them.
Liz swallows hard. "I think whatever Bennett was trying to uncover… it's all in this journal."
"Then read it," Adrian says. "Find out what he wanted us to know."
Liz nods, even though Adrian can't see her.
"We will."
They end the call, and Wyn leans back, rubbing her temples.
"Liz, I don't know about this. If there was something… supernatural involved, we could be stepping into something dangerous."
Liz stares at the journal.
"Bennett wouldn't have left this behind if he didn't want us to know."
Wyn sighs, then nods reluctantly.
"Alright. But we do this together."
Liz smiles faintly. "Always."
As the night drags on, Liz spends the rest of the evening helping out with the chores. Once everything is done, exhaustion seeps into her bones. She heads to her room, placing the notebook carefully on her bedside table.
She kneels beside her bed, pressing her palms together.
"Lord, please guide me through this. Help me understand what Bennett wanted to tell me."
Her eyes drift toward the framed picture of Bennett on her nightstand. She leans forward and presses a soft kiss against the glass. "Good night, Bennett."
With that, she crawls under the covers, letting sleep take her once more.