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
Tales stepped into a familiar house, looking around cautiously. The living room had a table full of cigarettes and three small, heavily worn-out gray sofas. The TV was on. Scattered across the floor were bottles of liquor and a pile of laundry."Mom," Tales called out, but his mother didn’t respond. He knows she's here since he cleaned up before going to school.He grew uneasy when he noticed his bedroom door was open. He had locked it earlier—what had his mother done now?He ran towards his room, and his suspicions were right. His mother was frantically rummaging through his things, pulling clothes out of his cabinet.Tales let out a deep sigh. This was always the case. Every time his mother ran out of money after losing at gambling, she would ransack his things. He couldn’t deny that she’d become this way because of his father. But he had enough. He can't go on like this.'F*ck my life.'He was their child—why did he have to suffer the consequences of their mistakes too? He didn't c
Tales turned his head toward the camera in the corner of the room, its lens silently fixed on the bed--- on him. He wondered for a moment if Raja was asleep, his mind begin to wander in thoughts of the man who kept him under constant watch. Who's cruel, horny and degenerate yet sometimes unreadable and unexpected. 'Is he watching me right now?' Tales thought, his gaze is fix on the camera. But he quickly shook his head, dispelling those thoughts. 'What a load of bull. It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m still stuck here, still can’t get away. When will I be able to live free?' The fleeting moment of curiosity became vague, replaced by the realization of his reality. He could think about it all he wanted, but it wouldn’t change anything. He couldn’t escape. 'And that man is the reason of it all. Thinking about it, pissed me off.' He once again look at the camera. Tales didn’t want Raja to see this side of him—his frustration and helplessness. Raja had too many advantages, too man
Raja's room was like fortress of technology. Monitors lined in a long table, glowing with live feeds and cryptic data streams. The sound of powerful processors filled the air in a quiet room while wires lying across the floor connecting unto the surveillance. The dim light from the screens reflect on his face, emphasizing the vigilant characteristic in his eyes—eyes that never missed a detail.His fingers skitter over the keyboard with a precision over the technology.Monitors displaying a live footage of the living room, the garage, the kitchen, the room and hallway of a certain house. One monitor displayed live footage of a man moving cautiously from room to room. Raja’s lips formed into a wicked grin. This wasn’t just random spying; this was his prey.“Caught you,” he murmured, his voice low and dangerously enjoying the fun.The man on the screen was someone Calder had named 'Dante'—a Judas in his treachery. Raja had hacked the CCTV cameras of the man’s home, tracking his every move
The air around them shifted.It was like the world had gone silent for a brief moment before the storm.Tales gripped the phone whom he immediately snatched away from Raja, staring at the image on the screen. Ria—bound, bruised, with her eyes showing exhaustion yet with defiance. She wasn’t broken. Not yet.However they'll do anything to make her submit.And that was enough to make Tales' blood run cold.He turned to Raja, eyes asking for his opinion—no... A help. And looks like, Raja will honor his request. The barely restrained fury. The dark promise of violence lurking behind his unreadable expression.They immediately called the suspect to ask for their location or what they want however, no on pick up the call that made them feel even shitter. Then—Raja’s phone vibrated.A message.> Unknown: Stop calling for information. Let Tales save the girl.Tales' entire body went rigid. His jaw clenched as his fingers tightened around the phone.Another text.> Unknown: Don’t look so pis
The air was laced with the scent of blood and smoke as Raja and Tales stepped out of the ruined hideout. Their boots left behind dark footprints, but neither of them looked back. Raja immediately called Claren to ask for a clean up of the area. Authorities might suspect and investigate them. He can no longer be complacent now that he's planning to cut ties with father."Alright. On the way."Now, it was done.The past had been confronted. The ghosts had been silenced.But at what cost?Tales' hands were still trembling, the weight of the knife lingering in his grip even though he had already wiped it clean. His body felt light, almost numb, like he was drifting between reality and something else. He didn't feel any remorse yet the emotions he felt now is so deep that he can't really ignore it.Raja walked beside him, silent, his presence a steady force against the storm inside Tales’ chest.For a long time, neither of them spoke. The surroundings around them felt unnaturally quiet, as
“Raja.”A voice.Familiar. Firm.He stopped.Slowly, he turned.Tales stood a few feet away. His face was tense, his eyes locked onto Raja like he was trying to read him. His breathing was steady, but there was something behind it—something controlled, like he was forcing himself to stay calm. Raja on the other hand was surprised. But he chooses not to let Tales' know through his expression.Raja raised an eyebrow. “You followed me.”Tales stepped closer. “I’m not an idiot.” and walked slowly towards where Raja and Clein is. Tales’ gaze flicked to Raja’s hands—his sleeves, stained with blood. His expression darkened. “You found them.”Raja didn’t answer because it's obvious.Tales clenched his fists. “You killed them.”Raja shrugged. “Of course, I did.”Tales stared at him, his throat bobbing. He don't know what to feel. He's thankful but at the same time he's uneasy. “I never asked you to do this.”Raja let out a quiet laugh, one without humor. “You didn’t have to.”Silence. Tales f
Raja stood in the alley, surrounded by bodies. The air smelled like blood, thick and full of tension. The fight had been quick—too easy. They had begged, made excuses, tried to run. For Raja, it didn’t matter.They were dead now.He rolled his shoulders, wiping the back of his hand against his cheek. A smudge of blood smeared across his skin, but he didn’t care. His focus was elsewhere."In order for me to locate them, tell me your location."Raja can't believe what he was hearing. Apparently, Zaden thinks that he's a fool. Wow?! Licking father's ass made his head got bigger, huh?"Where are you?" Zaden's voice was indifferent, accompanied by the faint clacking of a keyboard in the background.Raja smirked slightly. "Close."More typing. "That's not an answer.""Don't need to answer if you already know," Raja muttered, his tone just as flat.A brief silence as if proving Raja's words. Then, Zaden continued. "You're near the location. Their boss is hiding in an old gambling den—still a
Raja moved through the crowd, his pace slow, unhurried to avoid being notice. But inside, his blood was boiling. His hands itched to wrap around the throats of the men walking ahead, completely unaware that death was already watching them.Then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. His eyes flicked down as he be look at the screen. Zaden.He answered without breaking stride. “What did you find out?"Zaden’s voice is still professional and cold. “Right. You told me to dig into the gangs operating around Tales’ hometown. See if any of them were involved in… well, you didn’t give me details, but I assumed it was bad.” A pause. “I found something.”Raja’s grip on the phone tightened as if he had been waiting for this moment. “They were known as the Crows. They ran the underground trade in that area. Small-time, but brutal. They sold people off for slavery in illegal auctions , extorted businesses, took what they wanted. Word is, a woman with a gambling problem sold her own kid to them.”Raj
That voice—He turned, eyes widening slightly.Ria.She stood a few feet away, her expression shifting from disbelief to relief.“Tales!” She hurried toward him, looking him over like she couldn’t believe her own eyes. She immediately wrap his slender arms towards Tales' body out of excitement.Tales stiffened. “Ria?”Ria clench his teeth. She don't know what to say to Tales but one thing she knows is that she doesn't want to let go of Tales. She look up as if to touch his face, then hesitated, her brows furrowing. “I’ve been looking for you!”Tales blinked. “Looking for me?”'Why would she look for me when I clearly told her that I'm moving out?'Raja, who had been silent until now, tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze settling on the woman in front of them. He don't what he's feeling but he's sure it's not happiness. He's not happy in the slightest to see this woman.Ria finally seemed to notice him, her eyes flickering to Raja.And then… narrowing slightly.Her entire posture s
The sun hung lazily in the sky as Raja and Tales drive through the road, their pace was neither fast not slow. The world they passed by bustled with life—vendors shouting, children laughing, the scent of street food filling the air.Tales leaned against the window, watching the scenery shift from clean roads to rougher neighborhoods. He exhaled slowly, fingers tapping against his thigh.Raja, on the other hand, was anything but tense.He drove with one hand on the wheel, the other casually resting on Tales’ knee.Tales glanced at him. “Hands. Off.”Raja just chuckled and didn't take his hands off. Instead his fingers enveloped to Tales' fingers too. Tales had already guessed where they were going. The familiar roads and infrastructure give away hints. And as much as he didn’t want to set foot in that house again, he didn’t resist when Raja tugged him along.Surprisingly, Tales didn’t hate it.He's being insufferably clingy.He leaned into Tales’ space with every opportunity he got li
The tension in the dining hall had evolve into something heavier— anticipation to achieve freedom but dreadful to the chance that they'll not survive. However, the decision had been made. They would all follow Raja and severe ties with Father. But now came the true test of their resolve.But before Raja could begin discussing strategies, an uneasy voice broke the silence.“Um…”All eyes turned toward Liam, one of the younger members of Unit 1. He was usually quiet, never one to speak up in these meetings. His fingers fidgeted against the rim of his cup indicating how frightened he is but at the same time, he wants to know. His face was slightly pale, as if he had been holding in his question for too long.“Liam?” Raja prompted, raising an eyebrow.Liam hesitated, clearly regretting speaking up after meeting Raja's cold gaze. He swallowed hard, avoiding eye contact. “I—uh—about the… the six punishments…” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck.Raja’s eyes na
The first thing Tales noticed when he woke up was warmth. A steady, solid body—presence beside him.For a moment, he forgot where he was. Forgot everything that had happened the night before. But then he felt the slow rise and fall of Raja’s chest against his back, the steady rhythm of his breathing, and it all came rushing back.The confessions. The anger. The pain. The decision to move forward.'We did it.' Just the thought of remembering their steamy was enough to make Tales blushed yet he immediately composed himself.Tales blinked at the morning light filtering through the window blinds. He was still wrapped in Raja’s arms, his back pressed against the other man's chest. Their legs were tangled beneath the sheets, and Raja’s hand rested loosely against his stomach.His entire body felt sore, but strangely… he didn’t mind. He bit his lower lip and slowly place his hand against Raja's. The feeling of disdain was nowhere to be found. That's strange but just now, he's just relieved.