["PLAY THE KING" IS ACT TWO OF THE "PLAY" SERIES. PLEASE READ "PLAY THE QUEEN" FIRST.]
It's been four months since Priam Torres, the once unpopular president of the Elysian University Student Council, assumed office. Thanks to his chief-of-staff Cas...
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CASTIEL
MY DAYS sulking in the dark were over.
For weeks, I had blamed myself for what happened to Priam. As I mentioned to Fabienne during our one-on-one conversation in the apartment, I was not the one who wielded the blade and stabbed Priam ten times, but I felt equally responsible for the outcome. I trapped myself in a cage of guilt and shame. I abandoned my oath as acting president just the day after taking it. I even abandoned my classes because the weight in my heart was too heavy for me to carry on.
I had never been in that darkness since the day my sister fell into coma. It was familiar, it was comforting. Kaya nakaka-tempt na manatili roon at magmukmok hanggang sa lumipas ang mga araw. I failed to notice that almost two weeks had already passed.
But alas, the depressing clouds went away and the optimistic sun shone again on me. I had to thank Fabienne for pulling me out of the abyss. If she did not come to my apartment and knock some sense into me, I would not have stepped out of that building.
She was right. Locking myself up in my room would not make me atone for my sins. Kung gusto kong pagbayaran ang mga kasalanan ko, kailangang may gawin ako. Kailangan kong magbago. Then the idea struck me. I had been using people as pawns in my game and hurting them in the long term. Maybe it would be much better if it was just me moving and being wounded.
My first order of business? Show Alaric who the real boss in the LEXECOM was. I expected that he would try to take advantage of my absence and the confusion on whether I was the presiding officer of the committee or not. I consulted first the only person whose interpretation of the Constitution and By-laws would never be doubted—Kayneth Palacio. We found ourselves on opposite sides of the fence in the impeachment trial, but that did not mean we could no longer collaborate anymore. Kayneth was neutral—or at the very least, he would try not to take sides—so his words would weigh more than anyone else's.
That was done yesterday. Mission accomplished.
My second order of business? Show up in the USC office and take control as the acting president. For days, I had ignored the messages and calls from my fellow officers. They must be so frustrated about my sudden appearance. When the student government needed me the most, I vanished. That's on me. I let the grim thoughts and crippling sadness cradle me in their arms. But not anymore.
The next day, I mustered the courage to visit the USC office. I did not drop by there right after the LEXECOM session because I had not found the energy to face them. They must have a lot of questions. I called for an emergency council meeting in the morning. Fortunately, there were available. They asked if I could do an emergency press briefing immediately after. I agreed. The campus press had been asking about my absence so I had to grace them with my presence.
"Good morning," I greeted as I limped my way inside the aquarium. Everyone was gathered around the conference table, waiting for my arrival. My walking cane ceased creating a series of clanks when I halted for a second at one end of the table.
