"I can't believe you just sold me."

"I didn't!"

"Yes you did! Hindi mo ako mahal!"

"Hindi naman talaga! But that's not the issue here. The point is, what I did was for your own good!" 

I gasped and darted him a death glare, not minding the fact we're currently pacing one of the hospital's hallways. I was even about to shower him with my sentiments but he immediately interrupted it by his pointing fingers on my lips. 

"Chill okay, you just have to write a book for him. That's it. I even made a thirty pages rules for the contract and it includes your human rights so don't worry. Sa amin ka pa rin naman uuwi pagkatapos," pagpapakalma niya pero mas lalo ko lang akong napasinghal. 

Gah! Why am I even related to this guy? 

Matapos makapagpaalam kay Papu at mag impake ng kaunti, tahimik na akong nag antay sa labas ng bahay para sa susundo daw sa akin.  Iyon kasi ang sabi ng hayop na Mister Serenade kuno. Binigyan niya nga lang ako ng isang araw na palugit para masulit ko pa ang kalayaan ko. 

Like why the hellcrap did I end up this way? I know I'm not a good person and I deserve every misfortune that life has to offer, but what the flying fuck? Seriously? A cunning supernatural creature with a horned skull for a mask? Bruh, if the universe wanted to punish me, they should have sent a sexy vampire instead. 

A sigh made its way to my mouth. I couldn't even do anything but to stare at the empty street, as the flickering lights from the nearest lamppost became my only ally. With the breeze of October night lingering through my nose and the howls of the dogs from our neighborhood, I successfully distracted myself from this mad woman beside me. She was in her all-black attire with a heavy goth make up again. And hell, she's been smiling ear to ear since she barged right into our house.

"Rogue, can you at least stop scaring the dogs," I blurted out. But well, it just made her laugh harder. 

What a supportive childhood friend. And oh, note to sarcasm. 

So basically, this is what I get when my cousin said he's busy on the hospital so he'll let his buddy accompany me for my departure. I ended up rolling my eyes and played with my back pack's straps instead, but that's just when Rogue playfully pulled me into a hug. 

"Ito naman, napaka sungit. Masaya lang naman ako dahil sawakas, may lalake nang matapang na humarap kay Briar upang hingin ang kamay mo." 

Napasinghal ako. "I'm just going to be that bastard's ghostwriter. Stop making it sound as if I'm gonna marry him or something. That's so gross." 

She pulled away from the embrace and plasted a sinister smile on her pale face again. 

"Who knows? Maybe that creature was really the one you'll end up with? Kita mo, ibanahay ka niya, may taga hatid at sundo pa tapos may bayad. Signs na 'yon. Para ka lang magpa-practice na maging asawa niya tapos dadalhin ka talaga niya sa mundo niya—" Before she finished her horrible litany, I immediately shove my palm towards her mouth! 

"Shut up! I love you but I hate your words! I mean, you're really shipping me with a non-human species? And the worst part, you're seriously talking about marriage?"

Rogue shrugged off her shoulders. "Well, you started the marriage thingy, but what if you're really going to start a family with hi—" 

 "Biatch, I have a dream, and it doesn't include being a wife nor being a mother. So cut the crap," I said with gritting teeth. Tinalikuran ko narin siya pagkatapos no'n pero sinuyo suyo lang ako ng mokong. 

Nasaan na ba kasi 'yong driver na susundo sa 'kin? Akala mo naman karo ng patay ang minamaneho dahil sa sobrang tagal! Aamagin pa ata ako dito ka-aantay kasama 'tong si Rogue na gusto daw makita ang Boss kong engkanto sa personal. 

And speaking of that thing, muli akong napabuga ng hangin at hinarap siya. 

"Bakit ba halos ipagtulakan niyo pa ako palapit sa lalakeng 'yon? Ilang beses ko nang sinabi na hindi siya tao at minanipula niya lang lahat 'to, pero parang masaya pa kayo ni Briar na ibigay ako sakanya. Bruh, aren't you even worried about me?" I sighed. 

"Nope," nakangiting saad niya lang dahilan para samaan ko ito ng tingin. 

"You're like a sly demon so Briar and I will always know that you can handle shits. Besides, we're more worried about that poor guy's well being, because first, you'll seduce him but in the end you'll just might end up killing him, steal his fortune and made it look like an accident." 

She chucked. "Good thing he's not a human so he'd probably had enough powers to counter attack your wicked ways." 

I raised one of my brows and gave her a horrified stare. 

"That's disrespectful. What you said was just a trope for my horror stories! It's not like I'm gonna do that in real life. And bruh, never." I crossed my arms and that's just when a headlight from an approaching car somehow illuminated our direction. 

Oh, finally! My driver! 

As fast as the lightning, I picked up my baggage, and it became easier when the young driver greeted and helped me with the crap. But before I entered the passenger seat, I once again gave Rogue a serious look. 

Dude, don't get the wrong idea. I don't need men to become rich because I can be successful on my own. Probably not today, but it will happen soon! And what's happening right now isn't a desperate measure of mine because you see, that guy was the one who was chasing me.

And I'm not even seducing him. Well, not yet. 

*** 

"Uhm p-pasensya na po at natagalan ako. Naligaw pa ho kasi ako. H-hehe," sabi no'ng bagitong driver na nagpakilala kanina bilang Leaflet. Tumango naman ako at hindi na pinansin ang bahagyang panginginig ng ka I'll lmay niya. 

"No problem, I like midnight drives in the middle of the forest, especially hearing the howls that aren't from our dog's neighborhood anymore," I said with a sweet smile, causing him to gulp harder and intensely focus his face in front. 

"Is that sarcasm?" tanong niya pa ngunit umiling lang ako kahit totoo naman. Lol. 

But to think of it, Leaflet seems too young to be a full time servant. I mean, he just looked like a college student like me, but he said he's been working for that Harana guy for ten years already.

My forehead creased. "Ilang taon ka na, Leaflet?" seryoso kong tanong, dahilan upang bahagya siyang magitla. 

"H-ha? T-tu-twenty!" bulalas niya pa, ngunit tumango lang ako at itinuon na ang pansin sa mga naglalakihang puno sa labas. 

"Did he manipulate your situations too, so that you ended up being his servant?" 

Gusto ko sanang itanong kaso kung matagal na itong nagtatrabaho sa lalakeng 'yon, may posibilidad na nasa kanya ang katapatan nito. I couldn't just ask questions carelessly. 

"H-hindi po, napulot po ako ng butler ni Master Serenade sa kanal. Tapos siya po talaga ang humingi ng pabor kay Master na tulungan ako at kupkupin bilang isang servant." 

Oh, what a good butler. Muli akong napatango, ngunit agad din itong natigil nang mapagtanto ang kaganapan. In an instant, the chills made its way into my spine as I slowly turned my head towards his direction once again.

Did he just read my mind? And for the freaking fuck, anong napulot sa kanal? 

I was about to open my mouth but he was too quick to respond.

"Literal po na napulot at nagaagaw buhay na. Kung hindi po ako tinulgan ni Butler Damon, baka nabitay na rin ako ng Verdugo noon."

"Verdugo?" 

***

Nagising ako dahil sa ilang ulit na pagtawag ng pamilyar na boses sa pangalan ko, at nang idilat ko ang mga mata ay nadatnan lang si Leaflet at ang inosente niyang mukha.

"Miss Naenia, nakarating na po tayo sa bahay," seryoso niyang saad at pinagbuksan ako ng pinto.

Kunot noo naman kong bumaba at inalala kung bakit at kung kailan ako nakatulog, ngunit ang mga bagay na 'yon ay parang nilipad lang ng mga hamog nang mamataan ko ang bahay na tinutukoy niya.

I even felt like my jaw had dropped, as the unexplainable heaviness crawled into my chest upon seing the whole place. The gates were so huge and had a familiar emblem of a white horned skull. Wait, this is like the mask that the Harana Guy was wearing. Aside from that, the top of the four gigantic pillars were sculpted into bulls skulls with crosses on the forehead, while the pillar itself became its body that were also sculpted into a tall man's features. 

And there it was, the dark mansion just stood inside with pride and intense aura and it's just weird because the very existence of the place made my muscles weak. It also seems like the air became thinner, resulting for me to pound my heart and desperately gasp for air. Right at the moment, I knew my strength is slowly fading but my feet still continue to take another step because something inside me feels like the place is calling me. As if my soul was being dragged inside, even if it means leaving my body. 

"M-miss Naenia, ano pong nangyayari sa inyo?" 

The clicking of bat from the every trees nearby, the fact that it's now a crack of dawn and the waning crescent moon started to rise. Everything was too murky and hypnotizing. I even felt dizzy. My knees wanted to disown me and it doesn't help that I literally tripped into something. From then, everything went in slow motion as I was waiting for me to kiss the ground.

"Hey, stop being a baby." 

My eyes widened when instead of falling right into the grass, I fell into Mister Serenade's arms instead. So basically he catched me, and who knows when and where he appeared this sudden. 

"That's not the Naenia who slapped me with a hardbounded dictionary the other 3:AM." He chuckled but I couldn't even move my fingers anymore. I'm literally a dead plant and he's carrying me like a fucking bride! 

Damn this shit. I'm helpless and I hate this.

"I-I'm still going to write you a book, right?" Great. Of all the things that my trembling lips could ask, I really chose those phrases, huh? 

Curse Rogue for also scaring me earlier!

"Of course you will. Specifically it's going to be a gore novel too. You just have to write everything that I told you to, as detailed as possible and we're good. But anyway, that can wait so get some rest first, it seems like you're really tired."

"Well, that's because your house is draining me!" I wanted to say but I was too hoarse to even utter a single word. He then paced the way towards the main door while Leaflet was carrying my baggage. 

     It took a few seconds before the door was opened and that's when a sophisticated guy bowed and greeted us. Probably the butler. But to hell be with that, I was too worn out to even comprehend shits and just ended up passing out again.

"Bienvenido ven, Haranias."

Third Person's POV 

"Anak ng tokwa! Bakit ka ba nananapak!" Suminghal ang pulis na balak pa sanang humigop ng kape. 

Napahawak naman sa magkabilang bayway ang katrabaho nito at pinanlakihan pa ito ng mga mata. "Nagwawala nanaman daw 'yong isang pasyente sa mental ward."   

"Eh ano naman ngayon? Tol, pulis tayo, hindi nurse. Hayaan mo sila—" Bago pa matapos ng lalake ang sasabihin ay muli itong sinapak ng nakarolyong dyaryo ng kaibigan. 

"Iyong isang biktima ng Verdugo ang tinutukoy ko. Binalak nanaman niyang magpakamatay dahil babalik na daw siya. Babalik daw ulit ang Verdugo at iisa-isahin tayo." 

"Aba, anak naman talaga ng tokwang balita 'yan."