STRINGS AND CHAINS

SPECIAL CHAPTER #1

THE PUNISHMENT

Raiden's head was aching like crazy. He was so drunk last night and he couldn't remember what happened or what he did. When he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Where the hell was he? He got up only to realize that his whole body was also aching. What did he do last night? This wasn't supposed to happen to him. He shouldn't be feeling this way. What the hell happened?

He sat up and held his head. He was massaging his temples when he noticed something on his hand. He looked at his palm only to see dried blood.

"Oh, fuck me," he whispered. He then looked around only to see a woman lying on the bed, naked, gaping, eyes opened, and dead. Sanay na siyang makakita ng patay na katawan but this scene surprised him to death. He suddenly felt frightened.

What the f-ck did I do?!

"Oh, f-cking devil, no... no..."

He sniffed the blood on his hand and the blood of the woman. It matched. Mas lalong sumakit ang ulo niya sa nangyayari at sa dilemma na kakaharapin niya ngayon. Did he kill this woman? How? Why? When? He was only having a good time last night. He went to a bar, drunk a lot, and he remembered pulling this woman out of that place.

"Do you have a place to go?" she asked.

"Let's go to a hotel," he answered.

He remembered not being so patient that he almost f-cked the woman on the street. It was a miracle that they reached the hotel. He remembered f-cking her. But killing her? Where the hell did it go wrong?

He immediately looked for his clothes. Nang makita niya ang mga ito na nakalat sa sahig ay agad siyang dumiretso sa banyo upang linisin ang sarili. Madali siyang nag-ayos at nagbihis. Nang makalabas siya ng banyo ay agad niyang hinahanap ang kanyang cellphone.

He immediately contacted his brother, Alexander. When he heard him on the other line, he could only sigh.

"I'm in big trouble. I need help."

Raiden was so nervous he just wanted to kill himself. He waited for an hour for his brother. If Lauren, his master, heard about this—that he killed a human—she won't be merciful. She would kill him or worse, she would punish him.

No matter how many times Raiden tried to remember what happened to them, he still couldn't remember. Did he really kill the woman? He stood up and inspected the body. There was a bite on her neck. Did he drink her blood?

Then the blood on his hand and body made sense. But did he really lose control?

No, impossible.

It was impossible. He was in control. There was no way he would lose control just because of her blood. Napahilamos sa mukha si Raiden at muling umupo sa upuan. Siya'y bumuntong-hininga. He was going crazy. He didn't know what to next. He could only rely on his brother, Alexander. If it was him, he would know what he should do.

There was a knock on the door. He immediately stood up and opened it. Bumungad sa kanya ang kanyang kapatid na nakasuot pa ng suit. Halatang kagagaling lamang nito sa meeting.

"If you don't mind me asking, where were you?"

Ngumiti lamang si Alexander at pumasok sa loob. Sumunod siya sa kanyang kapatid na ngayon at nakatayo sa gilid ng kama habang tinitingnan ang bangkay ng babae.

"Oh, you're f-cked."

"Thanks for being helpful."

"I'm here, am I? Be grateful, you bastard."

Muling umupo si Raiden sa upuan habang hinayaan niya ang kanyang kapatid na suriin mabuti ang bangkay ng dalaga. Hinawakan ni Alexander ang ulo nito at maingat na itinulak ito upang mas makita niya ang kagat sa leeg nito.

"When's the last time you drink?"

"A week ago?" Hindi siguradong sagot ni Raiden.

"And have you felt any bloodlust?"

Umiling si Raiden. "No. We are all in control. It isn't hard."

"Then how would you explain this?"

Raiden frowned. "I don't know. I don't remember."

Tumingin si Alex sa kanyang kapatid na ngayon ay tila gulong-gulo sa nangyari. "You don't remember?"

Tumango si Raiden. "I don't remember anything. I just remember we were fucking but after that, no memories."

"That's odd."

"And I woke up with a severe headache."

"That's even weirder."

They shouldn't feel any pain in their bodies. They won't feel any hangovers even they drowned themselves with alcohol. Medicine doesn't work. They had lived for a long time that their body already built resistance and immunity to those things.

"Were you being followed?"

Nahinto si Raiden at tumingin sa kanyang kapatid. That didn't cross his mind. He didn't check. He was so busy flirting and drinking last night. He really did not give a f-ck about their adversaries. Raiden knew he was strong. But then, he lowered his guard and they caught him.

Malutong na napamura si Raiden.

"Use your God damn brain next time, Raiden."

Nilabas ni Alexander ang kanyang telepono.

"What are you doing?" Nagpa-panic na tanong ni Raiden.

"Calling who we supposed to call."

Raiden couldn't do anything. Alexander was already speaking with their master—Lauren. Was this his end? He didn't even know if he was the one who did this. Even if he felt a bloodlust, he wouldn't kill her. After all, it wasn't blood he needed. He wanted sex.

He was so f-cked. Even if he runaway now, Lauren would do anything just to find him. And then after that? She would decide. Would she kill him or punish him? And punishment? Devils, no. Raiden hated the idea that he wouldn't be free. No women, money, and alcohol. That was hell.

"Now, we wait," Alexander announced.

Raiden kept his mouth shut. They waited for their master. She was coming here. For several minutes, the two didn't talk until Raiden asked Alex a question.

"Do you think I'll be punished?"

"You certainly will."

"Even if I didn't do it?"

"That's negligence. How long have you been ignoring your task? Did you even finish one?"

Muling bumuntong-hininga si Raiden. He kept his mouth shut until Lauren finally reached them. Lauren walked towards the bed. She looked at the woman and she could only sigh. She reached for the bite mark and inspected it.

"How do you feel?" Lauren asked and Raiden became even more nervous.

"Normal."

Lauren smiled at him. "Don't lie to me."

"I apologize."

"You know what you did," Lauren stated as if it was a fact that Raiden killed the woman.

"I can't remember anything."

"That doesn't change the fact that you were the one who killed this woman."

Raiden felt frustrated and angry. He didn't kill the woman. It was not his intention.

"I didn't kill the woman."

"Yet you feel different now, right? You drank her blood."

"I didn't kill her."

"Yes, you did."

"It was a set-up!" Raiden stood up and angrily shouted at the two.

But Lauren only sighed. "And whose fault it is? Mine? Alexander? Or you? You lowered your guard, did not heed to my summons and orders, and you ignored your f-cking task. You enjoyed your little time, didn't you?"

Lauren glared at him. "Now look what happened. You killed someone without you even knowing. Pathetic."

Raiden could only clench his fist and bite his lip until it bleeds. He was so shaking because of anger. This was unfair, but he knew he was so freaking dumb to ended up being framed. He admitted that it was his mistake that was why he could no longer say anything to both of them. And Lauren was already angry. If he couldn't control his anger right now, devils would set lose and he would end up dead.

"Check the CCTVs and delete every record of him and the woman. Give her a proper burial and compensate her family if she has. Do it silently to avoid suspicion. You know what to do Alex."

"Leave it to me."

Lauren then looked at Raiden. Naglakad siya papalapit sa binata. She immediately bounded his hands and black smoke encircled it as his handcuffs. That was to make sure that he would not run away.

"You're coming with me."

She then touched his shoulder and teleported immediately back in the Labyrinth. They were back on their mansion where Lauren, him, and his other brothers lived for some time. Raiden knelt and immediately asked for forgiveness.

"Forgive me, Master. I—I—" He was about to say that he won't do it again, but he couldn't also lie to himself. Who was he kidding? He won't do it again? He was now desperate to protect his freedom. He wanted to enjoy his life.

Lauren walked back and forth in front of him. She was so angry at Raiden that she even thought of a lot of ideas on how to wreck him and punish him.

"I will not kill you, Raiden. Don't worry. It's too early for that."

Devils, she sounded so scary right now. He was fated to experience her wrath.

"I expected Samuel or Cael would do this first. Not obeying me. But unfortunately, you came up first, Raiden. I didn't expect this at all. I know you're a f-cking asshole, but I also know you're responsible. But you disappointed me greatly this time. Now tell me, what should I do with you?"

Huminga ng malalim si Raiden. Tumingin siya ng diretso sa mga mata ni Lauren. The only thing that could save him right now was to accept any punishment from her.

"I'll receive any punishment from you, Master. I'll repent for my mistakes. I promise that this will not happen again."

Lauren was looking down at him while he was still kneeling.

"Any punishment you say?" she asked.

Napalunok si Raiden at tumango. "Yes, Master. Any punishment."

Nakita niya ang pagngiti ni Lauren.

"You shouldn't have said that." Lauren clicked her tongue.

"You love women, Rai, don't you?" she asked while circling around him.

"You enjoy drinking, f-cking, and gambling. I also want nothing but the best for you all seven idiots, but if you're not going to listen to me, I might as well return you back inside that void. No life, no light, no money, women, and sex. How does that sound?"

That was his worst nightmare.

"Now, this is your last chance to prove your worth, Raiden."

Huminto si Lauren sa tapat ng binata.

"I want you to find the cursed objects and I want you to give it to me as soon as you can. Your first stop is a town full of hunters, werewolves, and witches. Sounds interesting, right? But it won't be fun if I will just let you go."

Black smokes were circling and floating on Lauren's right hand.

"Now remember these following stories. Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty."

Hinawakan ni Lauren ang balikat ng binata. Pinalibutan ng itim na usok ang buong katawan ni Raiden.

"Master? What's this? What are you doing?" Raiden shouted as he felt something different on his body.

After a few seconds, the black smoke was gone as well as Raiden. The only thing that was left on the floor was a black dog.

"This is your punishment, Raiden. If you successfully found a way to break free, do your f-cking mission. I won't be merciful next time. Now do your best to find a way how to uplift the curse of the witch. Remember the stories."

Lauren smiled at him for one last time. At the snap of her finger, Raiden left the Labyrinth and found himself inside a cage. He then looked around only to see different dogs around him. The noise got louder as the dogs barked non-stop. Lauren left him in a dog shelter. No matter how many times he tried to shift back to his form, he couldn't do it. He was nothing but a dog. He had no money and no power. She left him with nothing and this was his punishment. And until he found a way to break free, he would remain here, alone and forgotten.

***

A gift for y'all. More special chapters will be posted.

Read Cursed, Lauren's story, on Dreame!

Blood Slaves, Alexander's story and book two of the Frey series, is also posted and currently ongoing here on Wattpad.

Enjoy reading!