Chapter 1

[Phraea's POV]

Naghaharumentado ang puso ko dahil sa kaba. I tried to recall what happened last night at napahagulgol ako nung maalalang may lalaking dumukot sa akin.

This is real, i'm not dreaming. Napaiyak ako sa kaba nung makita sa hindi kalayuan ang mga lalaking naka-itim na suit at sunglass. Nakatingin silang lahat sa akin at mukhang binabantayan ang galaw ko.

"Nasaan ako?" Tanong ko sa dalawang babae nung makalapit sila sa akin.

"You're in an island owned by our Master."

"Our master? Pinagloloko niyo ba ako?" They both looked at each other worriedly and I froze when I heard an unsatisfying noise. A huge sound of a trumpet that made the island vibrated. Tumangla ako nung makarinig ng tunog ng helicopter.

"Ano ang nangyayari? Are we going be save?"

Hindi nila ako sinagot at nagulat na lang ako nung bigla nila akong hilahin pabalik sa cottage bed.

"Kumalma ka muna. Everything will be fine, just do what we say and you won't get hurt." The girl who is taller than me said. She has the most gentle eyes I have ever seen and a voluptuous lips.

"Why would we get hurt? What is happening?" I'm confused and scared. The guards started walking towards the huge mansion where the helicopter is about to depart.

"Master has arrived. Pupunta siya rito and I suggest you to behave if you still want to live." Mahinahong sabi ng babaeng maitim ang buhok at kumikinang ang asul nitong mga mata.

Both of them are wearing identical long-sleeve dresses and they don't look nervous at all.

"K-kailangan kong bumalik sa pamilya ko." Akmang tatakbo na sana ako pero mabilis ako nilang hinila paupo.

Natatarantang iniling-iling ng isang babae ang kanyang ulo. "You are stuck in this island. There's no escaping."

"Why?–"

"Shh!" Mabilis nilang tinakpan ang bibig ko. Then I saw a guy, so tall wearing a sunglass and three-piece suit. Beside him are his guards and behind him, I can see ladies in their mid-thirty's wearing maid's uniforms.

He's still meter away from us but I could feel the terrifying sensation electrifying my entire system. Every cells in my bodies are telling me he's a dangerous man. I could sense the dark aura engulfing him.

Every passing seconds, he keeps getting closer and when he took off his sunglass, his brown hazel eyes directed in mine making me shiver.

"Good morning, Master." The two girls stood up and greeted him in chorus that made me speechlessly confused.

"Good morning, ladies. I'll be having a virtual meeting later and after that, I hope to join you guys for breakfast especially that we have a new member now," he looked down at me with a smile.

"S-sino ka?–"

"We want to cook breakfast for you, but we don't have enough ingredients." Pinutol ako ng kasama ko at palihim niya akong binigyan ng mapagbantang tingin.

"What? You ran out of supplies?"

"Yes, Master... since yesterday."

"Brina!!" Parang lumukso ang puso ko sa biglang pagsigaw niya.

"S-sir?" Nanginginig na lumapit sa kanya ang isang maid.

"Kailangan ko bang ipaulit-ulit sayo ang trabaho mo?!"

"P-pasensya na po, Sir. Hindi na mauulit." Parang hindi ako makahinga nung bigla siyang bumunot ng baril at itinutok sa maid.

"Maawa po kayo, Sir! Gagawin ko ang lahat, kahit hindi niyo na ako swelduhan." Humagulgol na lumuhod sa harapan ang maid at pinagsiklop ang mga palad.

Nakatulala lang ako hanggang sa makarinig ng malakas na tunog na nanggaling sa baril.

"You're... fired," he whispered and the body fell in front of him. Napaawang ang labi ko at nataranta nung makita ang dugo na naghalo sa buhangin.

Napahagulgol ako at lumapit sa isang kasama ko. Mahigpit niya akong niyakap at hinayaan akong umiyak.

"Sorry for the intrusions, Phraea. Well, welcome to the family. I'll be seeing you in a while, ladies."

Hanggang sa makaalis na siya ay hindi pa rin ako tumitigil sa pag-iyak. Bakit niya ginawa iyun? He killed the woman so heartlessly and without a second thought. Pinapanood namin na ligpitin ang katawan nung babae at parang normal lang sa kanila ang ginawang pagpatay nung lalaking tinatawag nilang 'Master'.

"A-ayoko rito. Please, itakas niyo ako." Nanginginig sa sambit ko nung dinala nila ako sa maliit na bahay na gawa sa semento.

"Walang nakakatakas dito, Phraea."

"H-how did you know my name? And that criminal knows it–"

"Don't ever call him that, Phraea," suway nila sa akin.

"Please... please explain everything to me. Naguguluhan ako," humihikbing pakiusap ko sa kanila.

"My name is Evelyn and she's Rowena." The blue-eyed girl said and pointed the other girl who has a mole besides her eyebrow.

"And i've been here the longest. I've been stucked in this island for almost two years." Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. She got to be kidding me. How can she endure living in this island with that killer? With that heartless kidnapper?

"Sixteen na babae kaming dinala rito isla. As days past, unti-unti kaming kumukonti." Mapakla siyang ngumiti at bakas ang lungkot sa kanyang mga mata.

"H-he killed them all?"

"Yung iba, yung iba naman ay nag-commit suicide. He kills those ones that wouldn't obey him, move too slow and cry a lot. As our number decreases, he decided to replace the old ones, pero ganoon pa rin ang naging scenario. Hindi pa rin magawa ng iba na sumunod sa kanya until he decided to stop adding new ones. Ikaw ang panghuli, Phraea."

"Paano niyo alam ang pangalan ko?"

"Master told us your name."

"Why are you calling him Master?"

"Because that's what he wants to be called. His real name is Garen Jermaine Dela Cerna. He abducted girls that fits his standard... his own perfect women."

"He's a psycho!" Sigaw ko at hinayaan na lamang nila ako bago tumayo na.

"Get yourself ready habang magluluto naman kami ni Evelyn. Yung damit at sapatos mo ay nasa kama mo na sa loob ng kwarto mo. 30 minutes and he'll be back for breakfast."