Prologue

Red and orange skies, white cottons, and a golden ball of light. A huge masterpiece was painted across the vastness of heavens. It was ethereal—almost too unreal. What a good day to bask under the sun’s warmth while feeling the fresh and cozy crisp breeze of morning hitting the bareness of your skin.

Sunday has come and it was his favorite day of the week, for he will no longer play alone as he expects that his playmate would come over and join him. The said kid was busy playing with his toy cards when he heard the door open. His head quickly shot up and he was greeted with another head peeking out from the other side of the door.

“Rain!” He cheerfully spoke, but it seemed like his friend was not happy with the way he called him. The way his face turned darker at the mention of the name just proves that theory.

“Let’s play, Rai-”

“I told you to call me Kai, right? Is that hard?” the older boy said sternly, eyes peering to the younger boy on the floor.

“But that’s-”

“If you want me to play with you, then do as I say,” he said, voice as cold as ice.

“O-okay . . . let’s play, K-Kai,” the younger boy softly said, letting out a small smile.

Walang imik na pumasok sa loob ang batang lalaki at tinabihan ang mas nakababata sa kanya na nakangiti pa rin. Inabot nito sa kanya ang isa sa mga laruang sasakyan nito at nagsimula siyang magkwento ng kung ano-ano tungkol sa mga laruang kotse niya. Siguro ay nakakailang kwento na siya ngunit ni isa sa mga kwentong sinabi niya ay walang pinakinggan ang mas nakatatandang lalaki. Tumatango lang ito kahit na hindi naman niya naiintindihan ang sinasabi ng kalaro.

He looks too naive and weak. It’s like he would cry to death if I break one of his precious cars. No doubt his brother was the one who was chosen. the older boy thought.

He was never fond of the younger boy. In fact, he despises him so much that he wants him out of his life. But that’s too impossible to happen. His family holds so much power that he could kill him in a snap if he wanted to. That’s the reason why he’s trying his best to keep up with these acts he was asked to do.

So that they could execute their pretty little plan perfectly.

Sa isip niya, darating din ang araw na hindi niya na kailangan pang lumuhod para lang magbigay respeto sa kanila. Dahil sinisiguro niyang sila na ang luluhod at magmamakaawa sa kanya—sa kanila. They spent years formulating and perfecting their plan. There’s no way they would let them find out that they’ve been betraying the family ever since then. Well, the boss trusts them so much that he would never think of them as traitors.

But that’s who they really are. 

His thoughts were interrupted when they heard a loud thud outside the room. 

“What’s that?” inosenteng tanong ng mas nakababatang bata.

He just shrugged his shoulders in response. Tumayo siya mula sa pagkakaupo at naglakad papalapit sa pintuan. Akmang bubuksan na niya ito nang maramdaman ang presensya ng kalaro sa likod niya. Mabilis niya itong nilingon at walang emosyong pinagkatitigan. “Don’t bother, I’ll come back quick,” pagpigil niya rito. Hindi naman nagtanong pa ang batang lalaki at tumalima na lang sa sinabi niya.

Pagkalabas niya ng silid ay tinungo niya agad ang pintuan kung saan naroroon ang mga magulang niya. Hindi niya pa binubuksan ang pinto ay nakarinig na agad siya ng mga sigawan na nanggagaling sa loob mismo ng silid. Idinikit niya ang tenga sa pinto upang marinig nang maayos ang nangyayari sa loob.

“Since when did you start betraying us?!” rinig niyang tanong ng isang lalaki sa loob. 

As far as he could remember, there were only four people inside that room: two of them were his parents and the other two were their bosses, and the voice he heard was surely not from his father.

That’s when he realized they might be in big trouble. His mind was filled with so many thoughts that he couldn’t figure out which one he should think of first. 

What if they find out about the plan? Will they kill us?

His palms turned cold and there were traces of sweat in his forehead. Slowly and quietly, he opened the door of the room. He left a small space where he could sneak a peek inside.

As soon as his vision became clear, he immediately saw someone kneeling on the floor. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were swollen from crying. His blood boiled at the sight of his mother’s state. Sa likod nito ay nakaalalay ang ama niyang walang pigil sa paghingi ng tawad. Paulit-ulit na lumalabas sa bibig nito ang mga salitang ‘Huwag ang asawa ko’ kalakip ang maraming paumanhin. Ngunit masyadong matigas ang lalaking nakatayo sa harapan nilang dalawa. 

The man alone is already screaming dominance, wealth, and power. Compared to them, they were just slaves—a total nothing. 

Mahigpit ang pagkuyom ng kumao niya habang pinapanood ang lalaki na duru-duruin ang ina niyang walang kalaban-laban sa sahig. Sa loob-loob niya ay mas lalo lang umiigting ang pagnanasa niyang makapaghiganti sa kanila. Matalim ang titig niya sa mag-asawang walang awang pinagsasalitaan ng masasakit na salita ang mga magulang niya. 

My mom doesn’t even know about the plan. Why are they calling her names?

He couldn’t bear watching the scene inside. It was a pure torture for him. He slowly closed the door, sighing deeply in an attempt to calm himself. He walked out of the place, passing by the room where the younger boy was playing. Diretso niyang tinungo ang daan palabas ng bahay.

Gabi nang makauwi silang mag-anak sa bahay nila. He never talked even just once ever since they came home. Kahit sa biyahe ay hindi na rin siya nagtanong ng kung ano pa. What would he even ask them? It’s obvious that they’re not okay. At this state, they were still lucky her mother wasn’t killed. He wondered why.

Sa ilang taong pagtatrabaho niya sa pamilyang ‘yon, kilalang-kilala na niya ang mga galaw nila. They’re evil, they don’t even give a damn. Who cares if you’re someone who worked for them for a long time? That doesn’t mean they will spare your life. If you’re a traitor, then you’re dead. Emotion is not something that will make them hesitate to shoot you right in the head. Nothing can stop them if they want to kill a certain person, even if it is their own family.

The mafia world has always been known for being merciless and cruel. It is a world that only devils will last—it is hell. It’s like a game of death, you will survive if you have the power, wealth, and strength. And in this world, there’s only one rule: never trust anyone. Nothing in this world is true. In order for you to live, you must live with lies.

And that’s what he hates about them. Everything around them revolves around power and wealth. They’re a sucker for golden and shining things. He loathes them so much, not even realizing that he’s already blinded by rage and he’s also turning into one of them.

Pagod niyang isinalampak ang sarili sa kama. The scene he witnessed earlier kept on flashing in his mind every time he closed his eyes. Not wanting to think of that again, he diverted his attention to the empty bed beside him.

If only you were here, I’d probably have someone to talk to.

He misses her so much. A part of him has been incomplete for the past years. But still, he never lost hope that someday, they would be able to meet each other. 

Sa kakaisip ay hindi niya namalayang nakatulog na pala siya. Ilang oras pa lang ang nakakaraan nang magising siya sa tunog ng parang may nabasag. Kinukusot niya pa ang mata nang bumangon siya mula sa pagkakahiga. Tahimik at patay na ang mga ilaw sa hallway nang buksan niya ang pintuan ng kanyang silid.

“Mom, Dad?” he called, but no one answered him.

He then proceeded to the master’s bedroom. Kumatok muna siya bago binuksan ang pintuan ng silid. Bumungad sa kanya ang madilim na kwarto. Sa pag-aakalang tulog na ang mga ito at wala lang ang narinig niya kanina, akmang lilisanin na niya sana ang silid nang mapadpad ang tingin niya sa nakabukas na bintana.

Napailing na lang siya at tinungo ang bintana upang isara ‘to. Sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon ay napatingin siya sa sahig at doon niya napansin ang parang kulay pulang likido dito.

Agad nanlaki ang mata niya nang mapagtantong mga patak ng dugo iyon. Mas lalong lumakas ang tibok ng puso niya nang higitin niya ang kumot na nakatabon sa kama at nakitang unan lamang ang mga ‘yon. His eyes then trailed the bloodstains which lead the way to the opened door of the bathroom.

He’s already sweating buckets. Hindi niya alam ang dapat bang maramdaman sa mga oras na ‘yon. Mabibigat ang mga hakbang niya patungo sa banyo. Nanginginig pa ang kamay niya nang itulak niya ang doorknob at halos manghina siya sa nakita.

In front of him was a lifeless body of his mom hanging on the ceiling of the comfort room. Blood was gushing out of her opened wounds and was already splashed all over the room making the once white walls turned into a bloody shade of red. There was a large slit in her neck as if someone had brutally slashed her throat and stabbed her body multiple times. Bruises are visible in every part of her body as a sign that she did try to defend herself, but the one who did this was obviously stronger than her. 

Her eyes were wide open, staring directly into his soul. Those lifeless orbs screamed pain and agony that she had gone through before her life came to an end. 

He immediately felt his legs turned into jelly and the sides of his eyes welled up. His mind couldn’t grasp the situation nor process the scene in front of him. Life left his eyes and his heart stopped beating. Everything around him turned pitch black. He was blind for a moment, his ears couldn’t even pick up the sounds around him. He felt his world crumbling down and all the dreams he had planned for them had shattered into pieces. Napaluhod na lang siya sa panghihina at isang sigaw ang umalingawngaw sa kabuuan ng bahay.

Isang sigaw ng pinaghalong sakit, galit, at pagkamuhi.

Tears flowed from his eyes like a river. Mariin siyang napapikit at pinakiramdaman ang sarili. He couldn't feel anything more than a strong desire for vengeance. 

This is a work that only devils could do—creatures who have no heart at all. 

His eyes found their way to the wall behind her where words written in blood could be seen. His clenched fist shook in anger and there was a strong lust in his blood to kill. He swears that this would be the last. No one could ever lay a finger on them anymore. He would raise hell and he won’t even give a damn.

That moment, he already decided he was going to live in this world for one reason only: for revenge. 

He swears, he'll come back. And he's gonna make sure to make them pay for what they have done to them. There's nothing sweeter than having a taste of their own medicine. 

Once again he looked at the words painted on the wall. A devilish smirk formed in his lips as he read the word.

“Traitor.”