"You've really gone too far! I should've kicked you out a long time ago!" Papa's furious outburst didn't faze me one bit.
"Hahaha! Riz has been waiting for this moment—to finally get revenge on this bitch!" I shot back, locking eyes with him.
Sara glared at me in anger before hiding behind Papa, whispering something into his ear.
"So now you're trying to hurt Sara, huh? You really are a worthless son, Riz. If I had known you'd turn out like this, I would've killed you the moment your mother gave birth to you!" Papa shoved my head back forcefully.
"What can I say, darling… like mother, like son. Both of them are just curses, bringing misfortune!" Madam Sari added fuel to the fire, smirking as she watched Papa tear into me.
Anger boiled inside me. My blood burned, especially when they dared to insult my mother.
"Riz will leave this house… but only after doing this!"
I sprang to my feet.
Something surged within me. My eyes turned a fiery red. My teeth sharpened into fangs.
I bared them, grinning as I watched their horrified faces.
Without hesitation, I lunged at Madam Sari, slashing my sharp claws at her face.
She barely managed to dodge.
I laughed at her panicked reaction.
"Hahaha! So you do know how to be scared, huh?" I sneered.
I lunged again, aiming the knife in my hand straight at her—
But Papa intercepted, blocking my attack just in time.
"Riz… if you love Papa, please stop," his voice softened, shaking me out of my frenzy.
"Papa loves you. I promise, I'll tell you everything about your mother… and I'll divorce your stepmother."
He suddenly knelt before me, his eyes filled with desperate hope.
I hesitated.
And that was my mistake.
Before I could react, Papa grabbed a nearby vase—
CRASH!
He smashed it against the back of my head.
Dizziness hit me like a wave. My vision blurred.
Before everything went black, I heard his last words:
"Like mother, like son. So easy to fall for sweet words."
••••
Amir yawned for what felt like the hundredth time. He glanced at the clock.
2 AM.
"No wonder I'm so damn sleepy…" He stretched, trying to ease the stiffness from hours of studying.
Knock! Knock!
"Hmm? Come in."
His lips curled into a faint smile as his mother entered, carrying a glass of Milo and a few packs of Tiger biscuits.
"You've been studying for so long. Isn't your exam still far away?" Puan Ain sat on his bed, watching her son with fondness.
"My boy is so hardworking. I'm proud of you!"
Amir yawned again.
"Sigh, go get some sleep. You have school tomorrow." She began tidying up his scattered books.
"Alright, alright." Amir got up and flopped onto his bed.
"Have you prayed Isyak yet?" She paused by the door, ready to leave.
Amir shook his head.
"Go pray first, then sleep. And stop staring at your phone all the time!" she scolded when she noticed him scrolling.
"Yes, Mom… I was just checking the class group chat."
"Hmph. Fine." Puan Ain turned to leave.
"Uh… Mom, any news about Laura?"
His question made her pause, her smile faltering.
"Not yet… Just keep praying, okay? InshaAllah, we'll find her."
She pulled him into a comforting hug.
Amir nodded weakly.
Once she left, he let out a weary sigh.
"Laura… I miss you."
Tears welled up in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away.
He clutched the picture of Laura—his missing girlfriend for over a month—tight against his chest.
•••
The sound of a chair scraping against the floor jolted me awake from unconsciousness.
"Ugh…" I groaned, clutching my throbbing head.
"So? Have you made your choice?" Papa propped his chin up, that ever-present smirk never leaving his lips.
"W-what choice?" I blinked, confused. The pounding in my head worsened.
SMACK!
A slap landed on my already injured cheek.
"Stupid. Slow… just like your mother!" Papa laughed hysterically, clutching his stomach.
I gritted my teeth in fury, standing up and slowly walking toward him.
He only sneered.
"You have three choices, Fariz…" Papa picked up a framed photo from the bedside table.
He pulled out a pocket knife.
CRACK!
He flung the frame to the floor with all his might.
SLASH!
He tore the photo out and stabbed it repeatedly.
"Either you suffer the same fate as your mother…"
"Or you rot in a place where you truly belong!" He tossed a document at me.
I picked it up. My eyes widened in shock as I read it.
"Yes, Fariz. You'll be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for attacking Sara last night…" Papa grinned, twirling a lock of my hair between his fingers.
"And the third option—you become a slave in this house."
"So, choose wisely, my dear son. First, second, or third?"
I shoved his hand off my head.
"I-I won't bow to you, you bastard!" I shouted.
Papa clapped his hands loudly.
"Wow, Fariz. You dare challenge me? No problem—I'll choose for you."
He flung the knife straight at my leg.
Blue blood oozed from the wound.
"Option one!" Papa lunged at me, knife in hand.
I dodged just in time, leaping up and twisting his arm behind his back.
"Hahaha! Looks like your mother passed her genes down to you!" He still managed to laugh, despite his arm being locked in my grip.
"Shut up… don't you dare insult my mother again! I've held back long enough just because you're my father!" I shoved him hard, sending him crashing to the floor.
"Father? Please. Since the moment your mother got pregnant with you, I never considered you my son. You're nothing but a bastard!"
Rage surged through me.
I yanked open a drawer and grabbed a sharp knife.
"You… you're worthless!"
I lunged, stabbing his stomach repeatedly.
But he only chuckled darkly.
Furious, I reached under my bed for the gun I had hidden there—
And pointed it at his forehead.
BANG!
A scorching pain seared through my back.
I felt warm blue blood gush from the wound.
I turned around.
Papa was laughing even harder as he stood up.
I froze.
Two police officers had appeared behind me.
"Fariz Aidan, you are under arrest for attempting to murder your father, Mr. Faizul Rahman. Please come with us to the station."
One of the officers grabbed my arm tightly.
My rage flared.
My eyes burned red.
I kicked the officer hard in the chest—
He coughed up blood.
BANG!
Another shot hit my leg.
But I barely felt it. Pain meant nothing to me anymore.
"Restrain him!" Papa's voice rang out as he commanded the officers.
I shot him a wicked grin.
"You're not smart enough to catch a lunatic like me!"
Without hesitation, I leaped out of the window.
The urge to kill boiled inside me.
"Idiots. I should've just slaughtered everyone in that damn house."
I kept walking, trying to suppress the hunger.
Eventually, I felt myself returning to normal.
"Urgh…"
I collapsed onto the ground.
My back and legs continued to bleed. Walking for so long had only worsened the wounds.
I tried to move again.
But my legs gave out, and I fell—
Right in the middle of the road.
"Argh!"
I forced myself up, but the pain was unbearable.
A car sped toward me.
Too fast.
Too close.
Translation:
Honk! Honk! Honk!
The blaring honk grew louder, making me even more panicked.
The car speeding toward me was getting closer and closer.
I could only resign myself to fate, accepting that if I were to die here, so be it. I shut my eyes tightly.
Honk!
I suddenly felt my body being yanked forcefully to the side by someone.
I opened my eyes again.
"Oi! Are you trying to die?!"
I struggled to stand up, using a pole at the bus stop to support myself.
"Are you deaf or something?" the voice spoke mockingly. I looked up and saw a girl, probably my age, staring at me seriously while holding a lit cigarette in her right hand.
"So what? Did I ask you to save me? No, right?!" My blood boiled with anger.
"Huh, instead of thanking me, you're acting like this? I regret saving you now!" Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving me alone at the bus stop.
"Urghh..."
I finally realized how badly my wounds had worsened. They needed treatment immediately. The thought of asking the girl for help crossed my mind.
"Ah, what a waste of time asking her!"
I started walking slowly, using the nearby poles and trees for support.
"I'm so hungry..."
My stomach growled, craving the taste of human blood that should have already been inside me.
I kept walking, passing through a dark alley. Fear? That word didn't exist in my vocabulary.
Fatigue began to set in, worsened by the pain from my injuries.
I leaned against the wall beside a deserted alley to rest.
"Arghh, I don't want this!"
"Let me go, you bastard!"
A familiar voice caught my attention.
I didn't want to get involved, so I closed my eyes, trying to ignore it.
"Shut up unless you want me to cut your throat right here!"
I then heard a man's voice.
"I said I'll pay you tomorrow! Let me go, you idiot!"
I was almost dozing off when their shouting annoyed me.
"So noisy... Maybe I should feast on them tonight."
I walked toward the alley.
"Arghh, help!"
As I got closer, I saw a man holding a knife to the girl's throat.
Bang!
I kicked a nearby trash can hard, making a loud noise to grab their attention.
"Sir, please help me!" the girl sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
The man turned his sharp gaze toward me. He grinned before bursting into laughter.
"Wow, you really have no fear of death, huh?"
Without warning, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at me, roughly shoving the girl aside.
I crossed my arms and smirked.
My eyes turned red, and the remaining blood on my body turned blue.
"Hmm, woah! I smell a scared soul here. I wonder who that could be?"
The man started trembling in fear, but his finger remained on the trigger, aiming at my head.
"What are you waiting for? Shoot me!"
I grabbed his hand tightly, squeezing it hard.
"Never mind, let me do it for you."
I forcefully pulled the trigger and, in an instant, redirected the gun at him.
Bang!
"Headshot!"
I laughed in satisfaction as I watched blood gush out of his shattered skull. The man finally collapsed to the ground.
The girl cautiously approached me.
"Thank you for saving me..." She touched my arm.
I jerked my arm away.
"Wait a second... Weren't you the one I saved earlier?"
She furrowed her brows, staring at me for a long moment.
I didn't feel like answering. Instead, I crouched down and greedily licked the blood spilling from his body.
I glanced at the girl, curious about her reaction.
To my surprise, she watched me with excitement, her eyes shining.
I wiped the blood off my lips harshly before walking away.
"Hey, wait!"
She grabbed my arm forcefully. I turned to her with a sharp glare.
"You're the one who almost got hit by a car earlier, right?" she asked.
I remained silent. Slowly, I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"You better leave now unless you want to die by my hands. You should be grateful I didn't kill you because you saved me earlier. But if I lose control... you'll end up just like that guy."
I yanked my arm from her grip. She seemed stunned.
I started walking away.
"Urghh..."
A sudden dizziness hit me—no doubt the aftermath of what I'd done.
"No, I have to stay strong!"
I ignored the pain in my head and walked faster, eager to leave the place.
Unfortunately, my vision blurred, and I collapsed before being caught by someone.
"Hey, wake up!"
I felt my cheek being slapped repeatedly before everything went black.
---
I woke up to the sensation of cold water being splashed onto my face. I opened my eyes and glared fiercely at the person who dared to interrupt my sleep.
"Ha! You're finally awake!"
The girl placed the bowl aside and handed me a glass of water.
I tried to sit up, but she stopped me.
"Don't move too much, or your wounds will reopen!" She pushed me back onto the sofa.
I examined my injuries—they were all neatly bandaged.
I shot her a sharp glare.
"I already cleaned your wounds, dressed them, and removed the bullet from your leg," she said, as if I had asked.
"Who told you to touch my body? You should've just let me die! You're nobody to me!" I slammed the small table in front of me.
"You're so full of yourself! Instead of thanking me, you just keep complaining!" She grabbed my hand before I could slam the table again.
I let out a weak sigh.
"But seriously, your injuries were really bad! A bullet in your leg, stab wounds on your back... Are you some kind of gangster? How did you get hurt this badly?"
She looked at me, full of curiosity.
I shot her a deadly glare.
"And what if I am? Want to be my 100th victim?" I asked mockingly.
She chuckled before slapping my shoulder playfully.
"So that means you're not a bad guy!"
I found her reaction strange—she didn't seem scared of me at all. If it were anyone else, they would've run away by now.
"Whatever, laugh all you want like a lunatic!"
I got up and headed for the door, annoyed by her behavior.
"Wait! Don't leave yet... What if that guy comes back and attacks me again?"
She ran ahead to block the door, preventing me from leaving.
"So what? None of my business!"
I pushed her aside, but she stood firm.
"Ugh, you owe me your life twice! At least repay me by protecting me from that guy!"
She suddenly knelt down, hugging my leg.
I was taken aback by her actions.
I saw tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Hey, why are you putting on a drama here? I don't have time for this!"
I pulled my leg away and stepped out of her house.
"Please... I have no one else to protect me..."
She sobbed, clutching my leg as I tried to leave.
"Arghh!"
A sharp pain shot through my wounded leg, making me collapse to the floor.
"See? You're not even fully healed yet. At least stay here until you recover..."
She pleaded with sad eyes.
I had no other choice. With my current injuries, hunting was impossible.
Slowly, I nodded and walked toward a room, locking the door behind me.
"Thank you... You're the only one willing to protect me!"
Her voice echoed in the living room.
I rolled my eyes, irritated by her behavior.
Good thing I was also a girl—otherwise, I wouldn't have had the slightest sympathy for her.
I lay down on the bed, closing my eyes to rest.
"Don't fall asleep yet! I'll call you for dinner later!"
Her voice faded into the background as she bustled around in the kitchen.
I ignored her and shut my eyes, letting myself drift into sleep.
••••
"Wake up!" I felt a light slap on my cheek. I groggily sat up, still drowsy.
"What do you want?" I squinted at her, my vision adjusting.
"Come on, let's eat. I cooked something…" She grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room. Still half-asleep, I unwillingly followed her to the kitchen.
"Here, dig in!" She placed a plate of fried rice in front of me. I stared at it for a moment before looking at her sharply.
Suddenly, she took a big bite of the rice and gulped down some water.
"If I poisoned it, I'd be dead first," She said, crossing her arms with a smirk.
Not wanting to argue, I picked up the spoon and slowly ate. My appetite for regular food had long faded, replaced by an insatiable craving for human blood.
A few minutes of silence passed before he spoke again.
"Oh yeah, we didn't get to introduce ourselves earlier…"
"So, what's your name?" I sipped my water slowly.
"Ahem, just call me Fariz. And you?" She grinned widely.
"Reena Anissa. Just call me Reena. Oh, and how old are you?" I asked.
"Hmm, 17," I replied quietly. She suddenly looked excited, his eyes gleaming.
"Hey, same! I'm 17 too! So, which school do you go to?"
"I dropped out," I muttered, pushing my food around the plate. My appetite was completely gone.
"Why?"
"Because I tried to kill a teacher there." I deliberately said it to see her reaction, but she only nodded slowly, looking confused.
"Well, I have to go to school tomorrow. Why don't you enroll too? You can come with me!" She beamed.
I quickly shook my head.
"Come on, Fariz, you owe me big time," she pouted, blinking at me repeatedly.
"Fine!" I huffed, getting up and bringing my plate to the sink.
She started jumping around excitedly.
"You're a grown girl, but you act like a hyperactive kid," I muttered before heading back to my room.
"Don't forget to wake up early tomorrow! If you don't, I'll splash water on you so you can shower in bed!" She shouted.
I let out a frustrated sigh, rolling my eyes before shutting them again.
"As if I care…"