They arrive in a glamorous mansion of the psychopath. It was grand and impressive blending itself to the other luxury buildings to avoid suspicion. Tales, move his gaze to different directions scanning the house. The house itself is big enough to host thousands of people. Despite the luxurious appearance it has a discreet and tight security, from the security cameras placed inside and outside the building to the armed securities dressed civilian to mix with commoners.
They went inside and he was in awe at how extravagant it is. Though, his expression remains the same. Plain. Emotionless. He can't help but be amazed of the house. Big walls painted gray, with no frames or any designs, sunken seating in the middle of the room, two sleek armchairs and a modern coffee table featuring wooden and marble elements is sitting in front of the seat. The light colored marble floor and the chandelier hanging from the high ceiling designed in a multi circular gold-rimmed fixtures. There is an open rise staircase with glass railings and metal connecting to the second floor. Raja sit in the couch and signal him to sit in front of him. He handed papers towards Tales who's brows furrowed, indicating he don't know what it is. "What is it?" Tales asked as he scanned the papers. "A contract, obviously." He answered. "I don't want you running away from me. A pet like you is hard to come by." Tales gritted his teeth in annoyance but didn't bother to look at the man. He read the contract conditions. It was stated there that he can only get away after paying the debt amounted to 3B. "3B?!" He growled. "My mother's debt is 3B? And you expect me to pay it? Are you kidding me?!" he hissed. Even if he will work his self to debt, he cannot pay that sum of money! Raja raised his eyebrow. "That's the correct amount considering that she borrowed money from us for almost 5 years. Promising to pay the time she will win." He stated. " That includes the interest. Blame your mother for being inconsiderate." Tales pressed his lips together. He's fuming in anger but he knows that arguing will lead him to nothing. He continued to read the said contract. Some conditions are endurable such as staying beside the master for 24 hours, protecting him at all cost (which Tales doubted to be necessary) and to stay trustworthy (which he obviously couldn't do.) Another condition caught Tales eyes. He look at Raja. "What do you mean by this?" He pointed the last part. Which states that 'Party B (Tales) shall obliged to any order given by Party A (Raja).' He shrugged. "It's just as stated there. You have to obliged anything that I will tell you to do." "I refuse." Tales immediately responded. "What?" "I refuse. I am at disadvantage here. I know that you want me to be your escort, but as you know, I haven't been with a man. I am not comfortable having s*x with same gender." He stated with emphasis on each word. Knowing Raja, he knows he's sexually deranged. He refuse to be Rajas toy. All he can do is to buy time, find excuses that can slow down Raja's purpose. The psychopath still can't decipher what he is uttering just furrowed his eyebrows. 'I refuse to do anything sexual to you! Bxstard!' he uttered in his mind. Raja's face immediately changed from stoic to amusement and then laugh like there's no tomorrow. "Man, you're amusing." He stated. "Don't fret. I refuse to eat my prey until I tame it. So rest assured." He said and chuckle. Tales just look at him plainly. Not believing him. Though a part of him was relieved, still, he should not trust any word of this man. "This is our hideout. From this day onwards, you will live here with us. You can touch anything, pick any room for your own use," he stated. "but don't go to that room. " a warning tone escape from Raja's lips as he pointed the last room from the left. The only room that the door isn't color black rather it is color red. "Unless I say so." Tales almost raise his eyebrows in curiosity. What's with that room? Curiosity filled his mind but he shrugged it off. Minding another business will worsen his situation. The important thing he needs to do is to plan something that will able him to escape. "So you're saying that you can't have s*x with me because you don't have experience?" He ask, trying to clear Tales intentions. 'Good! He took the bait.' "Yes." Tales answered. "Why does it matter though?" He asked with one of his eyebrows raised. "I am the one who will rammed you. You should just take me well." Tales gritted his teeth. This asshole! He clench his hand to prevent his self from exploding in anger. Otherwise, he will really punch that smug face of his. But after sometime, Raja change his mind upon scanning Tales actions. He found a way to play with him. "But since it can't be help. I will let you participate in our sessions from now on." Tales immediately lift his head to look at Raja. "What do you mean?" "I'll let you spectate to our play. You just need to record everything that's happening in the red room." Red room?! 'You asshole! You want me to watch you f*ck someone?! Are you crazy?!' all the things that Tales supposed to say, he screamed it in his mind. Though his reactions isn't much. He gritted his teeth and endure. "Alright, sir." 'Spectating is better than being f*cked by that asshole. I can just think of it as watching a live p*rn. Yes, that's it.' He murmured. He went straight to the first room on the right. Upon entering it, he can't help but once again feel envy. This room has so much space than the room in his apartment. It was too spacious that even his whole things cannot occupy the said room. But anything than the king's bed, it has nothing else. It is TOO SPACIOUS!! He quickly lock the door and scanned the whole room to know if there's CCTVs in case he's being monitored. And he is right, there are security cameras. He just stared at it for a while then sit on the bed. Meanwhile, a playful smirk appear on Raja's face as he watch Tales look at the camera, eyes screaming 'I know you are watching.' he click his tongue and let out a chuckle. "Just as I expected, you are interesting." he said in an amuse tone. Back to Tales who's sitting on the bed with hands crossed on his chest. He list possibilities how to get away from the psychopath. Option A: Poison- make him a meal with a (poison name) mixed in it. But then, his men will surely not just sit by. They will unalive him in any possible ways. He can kill them but that's too much hassle to hide the bodies and surely the authorities will be alarmed. Not a very good option. Option B.- Strangle him to death using his pillow when he is asleep. Chances of killing him is 1%. This needs fast reflexes, a stealthy ability which he doesn't have. Raja is not a fool to let his guard down when there's a person who's thirsty for his life. And to worsen the situation, instead of escaping, he will get killed. Option C- he will trap him in a basement and burn it down. 'Wow, that's a pretty good idea.' he exclaimed in his mind. The question is how will he do it. Raja is smart and he will not be tricked by some half-ass lie. Then Tales remembered that Raja is showing behavior of a maniac person. So he come up with another option. Option D- use his body---- NOOOOO!!! 'Agreeing to be an escort is a facade and now? Use my body? Have I gone insane?' he shouted in his mind, contradicting what he uttered in his mind a while ago. All of this options are risky. It's either he'll die or Raja will. But Tales doubt that the latter will be dead since he's someone who cannot be messed easily. The plan cannot be executed sloppily and so he needs to improve himself. He needs to be better than Raja in every aspect. To killed a man, he needs to be more than the man. And so, the meticulous plan begin. He spent the night trying to find possibilities to execute his plans without loopholes.Raja entered his room, but what he found was Tales, shirtless and without any undergarments, standing in front of his bed. His forehead creased as he looked at him. He couldn’t believe it, knowing that Tales was always repulsed by the thought of showing his body to him, let alone having sxx. But the Tales standing before him now was in a trance-like state. His eyes were dazed, devoid of liveliness, and he had a grin on his face, as if being pleasured by something. Raja let out a small laugh. He wasn’t sure how to feel. “What are you doing here?” “Raja, don’t you want to fuck me?” Tales' words came out almost as a whisper. “Yeah, I do,” he answered without hesitation. “But I don’t get it—why would you willingly walk towards your predator?” Tales stepped closer towards him, the air between them creates an unspoken connection. His gaze directly locked onto Raja’s, and there was a teasing smirk on his lips as he knelt, his movements slow and deliberate. Raja’s breath caught, anticipat
In the cold, unclean and contaminated basement, where walls have splatter, Raja looked Tales like a predator while tapping his left foot on the floor as if he's analyzing something. The sound of his foot tapping echoing off the walls. Tales stood chained, wrists and ankles cuffed, his gaze is agitated but powerless. The faint bruises on his face are throbbing but he couldn't care less and it only fuel his defiance. “So,” Raja began, voice full of disdain, ,“are you going to keep your mouth shut forever, hm?” Tales smirked, his face seems like taunting him and even if he knows how stupid his idea was,he still don't want to give in. “I’m not going to grovel if that’s what you’re after. Just get it over with.” Raja’s eyebrows met, a cruel smile appeared on his lips. “Still so proud. I’ll enjoy breaking that out of you.” He then walk towards the right side of the wall pulling the lever, to tighten the chains holding Tales, forcing him to stand on his toes, straining under the weight.
Knock! Knock! Knock! Tales grimaced as he heard loud knocks coming from his door and opened his eyes. He had dozed off to sleep in the middle of planning his escape from this hellish situation. He immediately got out of bed and opened the door, not minding his bed hair and unkempt appearance. One of Raja's stern-looking men greeted him, holding a black box. "What?" he asked. "Get changed," the man said, handing him the box. "Boss is waiting outside. He ordered that you should be there by 7:30!" Then he left. 'What?' Tales didn't ask further questions and closed the door. He immediately looked at the wall clock and saw that it was already 7:25. He only had 5 minutes to prepare? Raja must think he has superpowers or something. Nonetheless, he shouldn't complain unless he has a perfect plan to kill that bastard. For now, he just needed to get on his good side. He was asked to get changed, so it must be clothes. He opened the box and saw a black suit, a gun, and a knife beside it.
Raja can smell the animosity of Tales base on its sharp gaze on his back. He cares no less. He knows that Tales wonders why he acts like that and may think that he is a lunatic but who fucking cares when it's true? And that old man is a traitor, and a traitor should be beheaded. He's merciful enough to gave that old man a short time to share the same air like him. How dare that old man, attempted to solicit his prostitutes with much wage than his? And one of his men even help with the plan! There's no way he could let it go. Raja discreetly glance at Tales who's maintaining his poker face but his body language says otherwise. Upon leaving the company, in the lobby, a lot of employees were shocked by how they were covered with blood but no one is fast enough to report them to the authorities. Of course, if someone is courageous enough to report them, he needs to spend some money to shut those personnels which will eventually increase his hatred towards Calder.When they arrive toward
Upon arriving at the estate, Tales frowned upon seeing two men in suits. They were muscular men who seemed to have the potential to be models. They were sitting on the couch as if waiting for someone. Tales' frown deepened when he noticed that the two men were trembling, their faces flushed red. Beads of sweat were also forming on their foreheads.Tales looked at Raja, but his expression was different. Raja seemed annoyed by what he saw."What the fxck are you doing here?"The two men were startled by the young man's outburst before they slowly replied."But it's Wednesday, Master."Master?!Raja smirked, then covered half of his face with his left hand and laughed."Right. It's Wednesday," he said, as if realizing something. "Glad you're here. I'm so pent up right now. Go to the red room first and get dressed."The two immediately obeyed and walked away. But Tales' frown deepened further when he saw that they seemed to have difficulty walking properly due to their trembling legs."Wh
The smell of sautéing onions followed by vegetables could be heard across the kitchen. Tales felt the pang of hunger again as he regained his senses from the events earlier. He went down to the kitchen and, to his relief, found lots of groceries. He didn't like processed foods, so he immediately started preparing a homemade meal. Fried fish and Sinigang.As he went downstairs, he could still hear the moans, sounding like cries of pleasure, coming from the room he had run away from a few minutes ago, but he ignored it. He should start acting docile, one step at a time. He should fool them into thinking he had submitted, but changing his behavior too quickly would arouse suspicion, so he would do it gradually.While he was cooking, Raja walked downstairs. Freshly showered, wearing a loose black tank top and black pajamas. He was still drying his hair when he heard the sounds of kitchen utensils and smelled the cooking. He frowned but still headed to the kitchen, knowing who was cooking.
Tales didn’t complain and simply changed clothes, and once again, a turtleneck paired with a coat. When he stepped out, Raja gave him a thorough head-to-toe look, clearly unimpressed. It was as if Tales hadn’t changed at all, as his outfit looked almost identical to what he usually wore, whether at home or out.“Don’t you really have anything else to wear?” Raja remarked sarcastically, crossing his arms. “What’s wrong with you, seriously?”Tales ignored the comment and sighed deeply. “What kind of work will we be doing tonight, sir?” he asked, bringing the conversation away from his outfit.“Hmm?” Raja raised an eyebrow, as if Tales had just asked something ridiculously obvious. “Of course, to punish Calder.”Tales just nodded slightly but didn't say any word.They got into yet another luxurious car and began the drive to their destination: which Tales don't know about. Throughout the ride, Tales pretended to nap to avoid Raja’s knack for getting on his nerves. He also didn’t want to
The second floor musics with a quiet, heavy tension. Tales followed Raja into the lounge, where the women stood in a loose semi-circle. As if they're discussing something. Upon seeing Raja and his company, some of the womens expressions ranged from nervous to defiant. While others, lower their heads as they're afraid of the man entering.Raja wasted no time, his gaze roam across the group before he gestured toward one of his men, who stepped forward with a ledger in hand.“You all know why you’re here,” Raja began, his voice cold and authoritative. "Let's not waste time and begin."The man flipped open the ledger and started calling names.“Ryza Mangyao.”A tall woman with long, glossy hair stepped forward, her red lips pressed into a tight line.“Loli Compacion.”A petite woman followed, her hands clenched at her sides, avoiding Raja’s piercing gaze. She bit her lips out of frustration. “Juliet Dagwayan.”A third woman who look like she'll collapse at any time because of nervousne
"Don't forget me, Tales."Tales slowly regained consciousness. His head throbbed like a gong, each beat connecting painfully through his skull. He groaned softly, the sound escaping before he could stop it. His vision was blurry at first, but as the world began to come into focus, he realized he was on a soft bed in the infirmary. Again. There was an IV in his arm.He stared at the ceiling for a long time, embracing the silence the room offered. Unknowingly, a tear fell from the corner of his eye. The dream he had wasn’t just a dream. It was his long-forgotten memory. He bit his lower lip to suppress his emotions, yet his heart felt like it was being squeezed because of how painful it was.He couldn’t believe he forgot Raja. He had promised him freedom, yet he forgot about him and that hellhole!A low sob escaped from his lips as his eyes began to water again. He looked like a child wailing over his first love, yet he didn’t care. He was disappointed with himself but felt hypocritical
The oppressive silence of the compound shattered as the monthly wipeout began. Children, some trembling, some eerily composed, were gathered into the arena. The blood-stained floor of the ring loomed over them, a bitter reminder of the fates that had befallen those who stood here before."Huh! They didn't even clean it for us to see," Tales scowled internally.Tales clenched his fists, his heart pounding in his chest as he glanced to both sides for Raja and Jake."Stay alive," he whispered to himself like a mantra, though it seemed the other two thought those words were meant for them."Of course I will," Raja exclaimed, even raising his fists."Basic," Jake snorted, making Tales look at him with a disapproving glare.The rules were simple: survive. The opponents? Determined by chance—or at least, that’s what Father wanted them to believe. Tales knew better. The system wasn’t random; it was designed to weed out the weak and pit the strong against each other. They want us to die!And w
A year had passed, and Tales had not remained idle. Every day after their training, he would sneak out and take careful note of the compound’s layout—the heavy doors, the creaking floorboards, and the blind corners where the guards were too lazy to patrol. Anywhere they could escape without anyone noticing. It was for their survival; there was no grand reason. If he was going to get out of here, he needed to know every inch of this godforsaken place. He didn’t have beautiful memories outside this place. He was always hungry, yet he also couldn’t stomach what they were doing there. They were killing each other because FATHER ordered it. They were like puppets that shouldn’t have their own awareness. When he was alone or with Raja and everyone else was asleep, Tales would sketch maps, though calling them “maps” was generous. They were chaotic, messy doodles of squares and lines, barely resembling the compound. But they made sense to him. And he was proud of them, as if they were the be
Tales could smell the faint scent of saltiness in the breeze as they marched toward the opposite flat building, accompanied by their armed men. They hadn’t changed their clothes or washed their stained body parts. When the door opened, Tales immediately noticed the long table with the leader sitting at the end of it. Dishes were already served, including a watery soup. Tales didn’t know what this was all about. The dishes ranged from shimmering, luxurious ones to simple, peasant-like fare. "Sit." The children immediately obeyed, still scared and walking on eggshells. The only sound they could hear was the dragging of chairs. Tales and Raja sat beside each other, but Tales felt even more irked when Jake, all smiley, sat beside him. Their seating arrangement: Jake - Tales - Raja. "Congratulations on staying alive." Although the man was congratulating them, his tone was indifferent and monotonous. He didn’t care about them at all. "Though the number of survivors is a bit lower than e
The air Jake was giving creeped Tales out so much that he couldn’t help but scowl at the other child, who seemed younger than him. "I'm Raja," Raja stated with a beaming smile, as if he had found another playmate. Tales' brows furrowed. "Hey!" His reprimanding tone made Raja blink twice, as if asking what he had done wrong. This naive child, Tales sighed and just shook his head. Jake smiled more when he saw Tales' reaction. Though he was smiling widely, his eyes seemed unaffected. His eyes were bland, dull, and plainly colorless. "Now that you know who your teammates are," the man stated, grabbing Tales' and the others' attention again. Jake also walked to his side and turned around to face the man. "There's a weapon on the table. Choose anything that fits your hands and that you think you can wield with ease," the boss stated. Tales stared at the man for a moment, cursing him in his mind as he clenched his teeth. What did this man think he was doing? Clearly, he was not human. Ta
Tales was just wandering around the streets, trying to find a signage that offers a job. His both hands were in his pockets, and he shivered because of the cold. It was winter, and he, who's wearing thin clothes, shivered every time the breeze hit him. He felt like his now red nose and ears could fall off anytime. Every time he breathed using his mouth, smoke would form.On top of that, his stomach was growling loudly like he was hosting some kind of monster that had been deprived of food for about thousands of years. He hadn’t eaten for 2 days now."Ahh," just when he saw a signage wanting a dishwasher, a van maneuvered beside him, making him turn around to see what kind of dumbass almost hit him. But to his surprise, masked men bolted out of the van and captured him.His eyes widened in horror as the two unknown persons yanked down a fabric forcefully, shrouding his face in darkness. He gasped when strong hands gripped his arms, leaving no chance for escape. His body trembled, muscl
The dim light seeped through the window blinds of the headquarters infirmary. It was already morning, but Raja hadn’t slept a wink as he sat near Tales, who was still unconscious. He couldn’t sleep, nor could he leave Tales behind. His face showed exhaustion—not from work, but from the thoughts that kept lingering in his mind. He looked at Tales, who was peacefully sleeping, and winced when his chest throbbed. He cupped his face and gritted his teeth. Truth be told, he had really intended for Tales to disappear the moment the Scorpions threatened him, saying they had Tales. It was like a consequence that Tales should face for disobeying him. Yet, the moment he discarded Tales, he felt a pang in his chest. He couldn’t breathe as his ears rang for reasons unknown. Just the mere thought of Tales' death made the pain unbearable. It was even more torturous than when he had been in training. He couldn’t breathe, and his eyes began to water. “Kill him, feed him to rabid dogs. It’s your ca
“Kill him, feed him to rabid dogs. It's your call. You don't have to call me unless you want me to pick up his corpse."The room fell silent. Tales burst out laughing, his voice cutting through the tension. “Told you! He doesn’t give a fuck about me!” he managed between chuckles. “You’re wasting your time!”'What do I expect from that bastard?' Tales muttered in his head. ''I'm all alone now and I needs to survive. I'm not gonna die here.'Scarface’s face turned tomato red with rage. He slammed the phone onto the table and turned to Tales, his fists clenching. “You think this is funny?” he lash out.“Absolutely,” Tales agreed, his laughter slowly change into a deriding grin. “You guys went through all this trouble, and for what?" No one answered that he once again chuckled. "Raja’s not coming. You’re stuck with me, and honestly, I’m a terrible hostage.”Scarface’s fist landed on Tales’ jaw, the force flicking his head to the side. Pain surface through his face, but he gritted his teet
The once neat living room of Raja's estate became an utter chaos. His trusted men—Claren, Raoul, Michael, and several others—lie down across the floor, unconscious. Empty mugs of coffee and tea were scattered across the tables. Raja stood in the center of the room, his hands immediately clenched into fists, his jaw tight and his temple shows veins when he tried to control his emotions. 'No sign of forced entry. Whoever did this knew their way around.'Raja’s jaw tightened as his pulse quickened. He stand beside Claren, kicking him moderately. “Wake up,” he barked. “What happened here?”Claren groaned faintly but didn’t open his eyes. Raja's mind immediately play different scenarios of what could possibly happened here. When he's focusing on his work, this happened? His men was drugged and incapacitated? Then the realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. Tales.He turned sharply, his eyes flaring as he strode rapidly toward Tales’ quarters. The room was empty. The sheets were