"Hmm, nice view." he murmured. I struggled against the tight wire bindings.
"Damn it, let me go!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and spat at his face repeatedly.
He chuckled, wiping my saliva off his face.
"Hmm, sweet." He licked his fingers greedily.
Suddenly, Remy plunged the tip of the knife into my arm. My eyes widened in shock.
"Arghh!!!" I thrashed wildly, but it was no use. Little by little, blue blood started to trickle out.
An insane idea popped into my mind.
You really want to carve something into my arm, huh?
"Hmm, your blood is beautiful. Blue—how fascinating." He grinned as he started engraving something into my arm. I clenched my teeth, suppressing the pain.
"Farah belongs to Remy. There, all done!" He smiled proudly, gently caressing the fresh carving on my arm.
But he had no idea… his life was already hanging by a thread.
"Ouch!!"
He wiped his hand—the same hand that had just touched my arm. Redness and tiny blisters began to form on his skin.
"You… you wretched girl, Farah!"
Remy frantically rubbed his now-burned hand, but it was too late. The acid had already seeped into his body.
I grinned widely and extended my arm toward him.
"Go ahead, do it again. What, are you only going to decorate one arm?" I raised an eyebrow, smirking mockingly.
Slap!!
My head jerked to the side from his hard slap. I felt warm blue blood trickling from my lips.
"You just made the wrong move, idiot!"
Fearlessly, I bit my already bleeding lip even harder, deepening the wound and making even more blood spill out.
Remy grabbed a wooden stick and charged at me.
"Did you really think I'd just let you go?!"
He smirked before swinging the stick straight at my head.
Wham!!
My head spun. I felt a warm liquid seeping down my scalp.
"Thank you, Remy. You just made it easier for me to turn you into my perfect meal."
I spat my blood onto the wire bindings, and they began to melt away, little by little.
"No! You can't escape from me, Farah. You can't. You belong to me!!"
Remy's rage exploded as he grabbed every sharp weapon he could find and lunged at me.
"I'd rather die with you than let you live happily with someone else!" He attacked wildly, blindly.
I took a moment to tie my hair into a bun before grinning sinisterly at him.
"I haven't eaten anyone in a long time. Huuu~ be careful, because this tiger is starving for your blood!"
I effortlessly dodged his reckless strike.
"Weak!"
I scoffed before countering with full force. My body was already drenched in blue blood—one wrong move, and he would be the one getting hurt!
"Die!!"
Remy hurled a knife at me.
On purpose, I let it stab into my shoulder.
My clothes were now soaked in blue blood.
My eyes began to glow red, my teeth sharpening into fangs.
---
"Amir, Nara just woke up from her coma."
Amir's thoughts shattered as he quickly nodded, his excitement barely contained. He had missed his friend so much.
Fina and Lina—the twin sisters—tugged at Amir's shirt, leading him into Nara's hospital room.
Amir froze at the sight of Nara.
She looked like a corpse.
"What happened to you, Nara? What's wrong? Are you sick? Who did this to you? You care about me, don't you? Please, tell me everything."
Amir moved closer to Nara, his eyes filled with concern.
Nara managed a weak smile and gently caressed Amir's cheek.
"I'm okay. Don't worry, nothing happened. I just fell and hit my head on a mirror, that's all."
She averted her gaze.
Amir exhaled sharply. He knew she was lying. There was no way a simple fall against a mirror could have put her in a coma.
"Why are you lying? What's really going on? Please, tell me."
He placed a trembling hand on her shoulder, struggling to hold back tears.
If only he could read her mind…
"That's enough, Amir. Don't stress her out. She just woke up—do you want her to get sick again?"
Suddenly, Reena entered the room with Lina and Fina.
Nara shook her head, gently brushing Amir's hair away from his face.
"It's okay, Reena. I'm fine now."
Reena sighed and sat beside her.
"Nara, are you sick?" Fina suddenly asked.
Reena shook her head slowly.
"Then why do you keep getting sick? Back in the village, I heard you were hospitalized for a severe case of measles. And now, this? It's getting weirder."
Lina sat cross-legged on the bed, Fina following suit.
"It's nothing. Stop worrying."
Nara tried her best to reassure them.
"Hmm, where's Farah?"
Her eyes darted around, searching for Farah.
"She's missing."
Reena's voice was barely above a whisper as she fought back tears.
"Missing? Oh no, poor thing…"
Nara seemed deep in thought before she suddenly perked up, nudging her friends excitedly.
"What?" they asked in unison.
"I think I can help find Farah."
She smiled meaningfully, her eyes lingering on the mirror in her room, filled with a mix of emotions.
But she had already made up her mind.
She would help her friends however she could.
She had caused them enough trouble already.
"How?" Amir asked eagerly.
---
Remy's pale, unsettled expression made a wicked smile creep onto my lips.
My tongue flicked out, licking my bloodstained lips, thirsting for the fresh red blood right in front of me.
"What's wrong, darling? Scared? You did say you wanted to play some more!" I purred playfully.
But Remy shot me a sharp glare and pulled something out of his pocket.
"You… you can't just kill me that easily. I'll make sure you die by my hands. We'll go to paradise together, my love."
He winked at me.
I simply shook my head, pressing a finger to my lips, signaling him to be quiet.
Bang!!
Remy fired a shot at the floor, grinning.
He aimed the gun at me, laughing hysterically.
"You think I'm scared of your boring little weapon?" I pretended to yawn, biting my own fingers with my now-sharpened teeth.
"I'm too lazy to drag this fight out, so I might as well kill you quickly. Saves time and energy, don't you think?" I raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"Don't you dare move unless you want to eat a bullet!" He threatened.
I crossed my arms and let out a sarcastic laugh. "Is that the best threat you've got? Boring. No thrill at all!"
With that, I lunged at him.
Bang!
He fired at my head.
Bang!
But I dodged with ease and kicked the gun out of his hand.
"Weak. Idiot."
The gun clattered to the floor. Grinning in victory, I kicked it farther away.
Fear flashed in Remy's eyes.
I grabbed him by the throat, squeezing tight. His eyes widened as he gasped for air, his hands clawing at mine in a desperate struggle.
"Erghh!!" His breath hitched, and blood trickled down his neck.
"Oh, looks like you've got a little wound there. Don't worry, let me heal it for you. Hmm, wouldn't it be interesting if you became a vampire? Getting your blood sucked dry until you're lifeless!"
With a wicked grin, I sank my teeth into his neck, drinking greedily, relishing every drop.
"Erghh..."
At last, he went limp—his body lifeless, his throat nothing but a hollowed-out shell.
"Delicious. Especially when it's from a stupid enemy like you!" I wiped the blue blood from my lips.
I grabbed the karambit from Remy's hand and began stabbing at his eyeballs.
Hehehehehe...
Laughing maniacally, I crushed his eyeballs under my foot, savoring the feeling.
At last, I was free from this psycho bastard!
I jumped out the window, but the moment I landed—
"Auchh!"
Pain shot through my body. My legs were wounded, my arms were slashed, and my head throbbed with the warm trickle of blue blood.
"Really? You're going to hurt now?!" I groaned in frustration, limping forward.
"Now, it's time to deal with the traitor."
I was going to make Amir pay.
I was going to make him suffer for lying to me all this time.
Suddenly, a hard blow landed on my head.
"Ergh..."
Footsteps approached. A slow, deliberate clap echoed in the night.
"Congratulations on escaping," a voice sneered.
I couldn't lift my head to see their face, but I felt their warm breath as I lay there, bleeding out.
Then—darkness.
—****—
"Idiot!"
Smack!
"Ow! What the hell, why are you hitting me?!" Amir snapped, glaring at Reena.
"You are an idiot, so I had to knock some sense into you!" Reena crossed her arms before lying down beside Farah, who was still unconscious on the bed.
"Hey, the 'idiot' you're talking about is the same guy who risked his ass to bring back your lesbian girlfriend!" Amir shot back.
"Ugh, if I had known, I never would've liked her in the first place!" Reena huffed, staring at Farah's sleeping face.
"Why did you do that to her? What if she goes berserk when she wakes up?" she asked, bombarding Amir with questions.
Suddenly, Rayqal burst into the room, looking frantic.
"Rayqal, you..." Amir gawked at him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know everything now. No need to explain," Rayqal said, cutting him off.
"How's Farah?" Alvin asked, stepping in beside him.
"She's still unconscious. Keep your voices down!" Reena shushed them.
"Oh, and by the way, you better stay away from Farah. She's mine," Amir said, locking eyes with Rayqal.
Rayqal scoffed.
"What the hell? She was my girlfriend first, dude!" he snapped.
"Ugh, you two..."
"Enough! You guys are so damn loud. Can't you be quiet like Alvin?" Reena elbowed them both as they bickered over Farah.
"Hah! Alvin's quiet because he's heartbroken. Of course he is!" Rayqal smirked.
Alvin just scratched his head awkwardly.
"Oh, that makes sense."
"Where's Nara?" Amir suddenly asked.
Reena tied up her hair. "She's still recovering. Speaking of which, have you thanked her yet? If it weren't for Nara, we wouldn't have found Farah in time."
Reena gently ran her fingers through Farah's hair.
Suddenly—
Slap!
Rayqal swatted her hand away.
"Don't touch her like that. She's a girl!" he scolded.
"I know that!" Reena shot back, glaring at her brother.
"Oh yeah, Chan—oops, I mean Amir. Are you still going to be the boss there?" Alvin asked suddenly.
"Yeah. Why?" Amir frowned.
"Because I'm quitting."
Rayqal and Amir both gawked at him.
"What? No way. You're ditching me, aren't you?" Rayqal whined.
"No, I just... I think I found someone new," Alvin said, side-eyeing Reena.
Reena blushed, fiddling with her fingers.
"Oh, hell no. You're going after my sister?" Rayqal groaned, facepalming before covering Alvin's eyes.
"She's cute. I like her," Alvin smirked, winking at Reena.
"You little flirt!" Reena playfully tugged Alvin's ear.
"Oww! Reena, your brother's bullying me!"
Everyone burst into laughter at Alvin's whining.
Meanwhile, Amir remained silent, staring at Farah's wounded face.
He had to tell her the truth about who he really was.
Before it was too late.
He was determined to save her—to bring her back to the light.
That was his promise.
"Get well soon, love," Amir whispered softly in her ear.
The others groaned at the cheesy moment before chuckling.
"Don't worry," Reena patted Amir's shoulder. "I'm sure Farah loves you."
But was hope really enough to change your heart, Farah?
•••
Amir cast a long look at his room in his adoptive family's house.
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
A small sigh escaped Amir's lips. He grabbed a cigarette from the pack before pulling a lighter from his pocket.
"Come in," he said coldly. His mother entered the room with a warm smile, looking at the son she had long considered her own flesh and blood.
"Why are you here, Mom? I'm busy." Amir exhaled the cigarette smoke slowly, savoring it without sparing her a glance.
"Amir, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me…" She reached out to touch his shoulder, but he harshly pushed her hand away, looking at her with nothing but hatred.
"Can your apology bring Laura back?" Amir asked, his voice dripping with bitterness as he took another drag of his cigarette.
"Why are you blaming me for what happened to Laura? She ran away from home, made reckless decisions on her own… she wouldn't have d—" His mother's words faltered.
"Died? Hah! Stop pretending to be innocent, Mom. You think I don't know that you were the one who forced her to leave me? You drove her into despair until she vanished. She died in the most brutal way possible, Mom—so cruel! But I never blamed the person who killed Laura. Because all of this—every bit of it—is your fault. If you hadn't pressured her, none of this would have happened. She'd still be alive!!" The fury he had bottled up for so long finally erupted.
"Amir, how could you say that? How could you accuse me of such a thing?" His mother wept, shaking her head desperately.
"Spare me the act. But you know what? I should thank you, Mom. If it weren't for you, I'd never have uncovered your rotten intentions!" Amir let out a bitter laugh.
His mother lowered her gaze to the floor. Who would have thought that the secret she had buried so deeply would finally be exposed?
"You really thought I wouldn't investigate Laura's death? For your information, I searched through her room myself. And do you know what I found?!" Amir tossed a small book onto the floor.
"Laura's diary. She wrote everything in here. So there's no use in covering up your sins anymore!"
Amir stood up, shoving all his clothes into a rolling suitcase. He grabbed his personal belongings, making sure nothing was left behind.
"I refuse to live under the same roof as a monster like you. You act all kind, but in reality, you're worse than the devil!" He flung a large sum of money onto the floor.
His mother sobbed, wrapping her arms around him.
"Amir, please don't do this. I love you. I'm sorry."
Amir shook his head and pushed her away.
"I will never forgive you. Take the money—it's payment for everything you've done for me."
He didn't linger any longer. With eyes glistening with unshed tears, he walked out of the room. His heart had turned to stone, incapable of loving the woman he once called mother.
"I just hope you won't do to me what she did, Farah."
He got into his luxury car, and without a second glance, drove away from the house filled with memories, both good and bad.
---
"Fariz, darling—oops, I mean Farah…" Reena grinned mischievously as Rayqal shot her a deadly glare.
"Reena, stop it. Her real name is Farah now, not Fariz!" Rayqal reminded his sister for what felt like the hundredth time.
"You think I'm stupid? I know that. I'm just trying to get comfortable with calling her Farah!" Reena punched her brother's arm playfully.
"You're so aggressive. I don't understand how Alvin fell for you!" Rayqal rolled his eyes dramatically.
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
Both siblings turned toward the slightly opened door.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to check on Farah." Nara stood there hesitantly, her face still pale, a bandage wrapped around her head.
"No worries, she's your friend too, right?" Reena gestured for Nara to sit beside her.
Nara adjusted her hair and gently touched Farah's bandaged cheek.
"She's okay, right? Nothing too serious?" Nara asked with concern.
"No, just some severe injuries. We're not sure when she'll wake up, though."
Nara nodded in understanding.
"Hey, why are you just staring at Nara like that? If you keep this up, I swear I'll gouge your eyes out, Rayqal!" Reena threatened, pretending to strangle him.
Rayqal scratched his head awkwardly.
"Who's this?" he asked, pointing at Nara. She chuckled lightly, shaking her head at his cluelessness.
"This is Nara. Nara, this is my brother, Rayqal."
Nara smiled and nodded.
"Why are all your friends so pretty? Life is too easy for you!" Rayqal smirked, his eyes twinkling as he stared at Nara.
Smack!
A firm slap landed on his arm.
"Stop being a creep! Just wait until Farah wakes up. She'll beat you up if you keep acting like this!" Reena scoffed.
"Yeah, yeah."
Nara just shook her head at their antics.
"By the way, where's that friend of yours who said I was cute?" Reena asked quietly.
"Alvin? He's on a date. Didn't you know he got back together with his ex?"
Reena's expression immediately soured. Her lips trembled, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Hahahaha! Aww, my poor little sister. That was a joke! He had some business to finish for Amir before he officially quits. You should've seen your face, like you were about to cry!" Rayqal covered his mouth, laughing uncontrollably.
"Where are the twins?" Reena suddenly asked Nara.
"They went home. You know how strict their parents are. They can't stay out too long—they have to act like perfect little daughters." Nara yawned. Reena nodded in understanding.
"See? All your friends are so ladylike. You're the only one who acts like a guy! Don't let Farah influence you, Reena. If you start behaving like her, Dad will kill you!"
Reena shot her brother a death glare.
"Like I care. But you have a thing for Farah, don't you? Honestly, I think you should give up because I'm pretty sure she's starting to like Amir…"
Reena glanced at Farah's unconscious face.
"I know. I can see the way she looks at Amir. But how will she feel when she finds out Amir was pretending to be Chan this whole time? I've accepted that she doesn't like me… but do you think she'll still like Amir after everything?" Rayqal's voice was heavy with uncertainty.
Reena let out a deep sigh.
"You know, no matter how much someone has hurt us, love has a way of making all that pain disappear in an instant. Because that's what true love is—accepting each other's flaws."
Rayqal and Reena both turned to stare at Nara in shock.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? I was just sharing my opinion…" Nara quickly covered her face, embarrassed.
'That's why I'm willing to let Amir go, even though I love him deeply. No one knows what fate has in store… but I believe someone better will come into my life and love me wholeheartedly.'
Nara stole a quick glance at Rayqal, who sat lost in thought, completely unaware of the emotions stirring within her.