Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Amir collapsed onto the ground, his face and body drenched in blood. Yet, despite his injuries, he remained calm, only fueling my rage further.
"What are you waiting for? Get up and fight me! Prove your words, Amir!"
Slowly, Amir pushed himself up, wiping the blood from his nose and mouth. He let out a small chuckle.
"I know all your secrets, Farah… You're a woman hiding behind the mask of a man. I can't believe my instincts were right all along. Turns out, I like a woman."
I froze at his words.
How did he know?
But even if he did, did he think I cared?
"Fight me, coward!" I shouted, trying to provoke him.
"I'm afraid you'll be the one begging me to let you go later," Amir taunted, making me laugh.
"You're too confident, Amir. You still don't understand my true strength."
I pulled out a sharp karambit and threw it toward him. Amir caught it effortlessly, twirling it between his fingers before securing it in his grip.
"What are you waiting for? Come at me!"
I tossed a saw onto the ground and held a blunt knife in my hand.
"As you wish, Farah."
His gaze darkened, and he motioned for me to make the first move.
Grinning, I lunged at him, aiming to drive the knife into his stomach.
He dodged just in time, causing the blade to stab into his shoulder instead.
Blood gushed from the wound, soaking his shirt.
Amir retaliated, swinging his fist toward my face.
I grabbed his wrist mid-air, stopping the punch. His hand was now locked in my grip.
A wicked smile crossed my lips.
Crack!
I twisted his wrist with all my strength.
But suddenly, his left hand struck, stabbing me before I could react.
Zap!
I couldn't dodge—the attack had already landed.
Blue blood trickled from my wound.
Amir stepped back, signaling me to attack again.
I steadied myself.
This time, I would strike with precision.
Cautiously, I lunged at him once more, aiming straight for his stomach.
Amir kicked my wrist, forcing me to drop the knife. However, the blade still managed to graze his stomach.
Zap!
Blood seeped from the wound, fueling my bloodlust.
"You're skilled. I'm impressed," Amir admitted, smirking. "But unfortunately, you're too confident in your attacks hitting the target."
Before I could react, he locked my arms behind my back, pressing his knee against the back of my legs.
Forced to my knees, I had no choice but to drop to the ground.
With a swift motion, Amir pressed the karambit against my throat from behind.
My eyes glowed a menacing red. My fangs elongated as I snarled at him.
Ignoring the pain in my injured hand, I pressed my bleeding palm against his wrist, the one holding the karambit to my throat.
"Arghh…"
His skin sizzled upon contact, as if scalded by boiling water.
His face contorted in pain.
I burst into laughter, clapping my hands at his helpless expression.
"Hahaha! You've lost, Amir!" I taunted gleefully.
"And now, it's time to end your life."
I turned to retrieve the machete from the ground.
This man had to die.
I could hear his ragged breathing behind me, his body trembling from the pain.
"Are you sure you've won, Farah?"
His voice made me pause.
I turned—only for Amir to headbutt me.
Dizziness overwhelmed me, forcing me to clutch my head.
"I told you, Farah… you'd end up begging me to let you go."
I tried to attack again, but before I could move—
Thwack!
A heavy wooden club struck the back of my head.
The sharp pain intensified, my vision blurred—
Then everything went black.
"From now on," Amir whispered, standing over me, "I'll make sure you stay Farah… not Fariz."
—
Rayqal, who had been secretly following Fariz, stood frozen in shock.
He had been hiding in the bushes, watching everything unfold.
He had rushed after Fariz, confused after hearing familiar voices mixed with the sounds of struggle.
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the noise.
"That must be Fariz… What the hell is he doing out here at this hour? And why is this place so deserted?"
He crouched behind the thick foliage, peering through the leaves.
His jaw dropped, his eyes widened in horror at the scene before him.
"I told you, Farah… you'd end up begging me to let you go."
Rayqal's body stiffened as he focused on the masked man, gripping a wooden club in his hand.
His eyes widened in shock at the sight of a lifeless body lying on the ground, blue liquid pooling beneath it. However, he couldn't see who it was, as the masked man's body blocked his view.
"Damn, what's up with this guy? What if he's some psycho? And what if he finds Fariz? No, I can't let this happen—I have to act!"
Summoning his courage, Rayqal stepped forward and grabbed the masked man's neck tightly.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Who are you? You better get lost before I call the cops!" Rayqal growled, his face tense with anger.
His gaze shifted to the body on the ground, trying to identify the person.
The masked man, with only his deep brown eyes visible, stared back at him sharply.
"Why? Do you want to take their place?"
Rayqal swallowed hard. Truthfully, he wasn't confident about fighting this clearly unhinged man. The person lying on the floor faced away from him, but he was certain they were still alive.
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Attacking someone from behind? What kind of man are you? Don't you feel guilty? Seriously, have some shame!"
The man chuckled darkly before pulling out a knife.
"You can leave now… unless you want me to tear your body apart." His voice was drawn out, filled with malice.
"And what if I say I won't?"
Rayqal was determined—he couldn't just stand by and let the person on the ground become a victim.
On top of that, Fariz, whom he had been secretly following, had completely disappeared. His unease grew. Now, he was tangled up with a psychopath attacking someone he didn't even know.
"Then… you've just signed your own death warrant."
Bang!
Bang!
—
Reena stared at the picture of Fariz she had secretly taken.
A wide grin spread across her face as she clutched her chest, her heart racing at the sight of the man she admired.
"Haih… why do you have to be so handsome? It's such a shame you've never shown me that killer smile of yours. If you did, I'd probably faint on the spot. Auch, it's a love shot!"
She crossed her legs, stretching them out on her bed.
"Oh, my prince charming…" Reena rolled around, giggling as she gazed at the photo.
She let out a dreamy sigh.
"I still can't forget when you kissed my cheek in the car that day… Now I get why you always wear a mask. If you didn't, everyone would be head over heels for you!"
Reena grinned foolishly, caressing the image like a love-struck fool.
Suddenly, a notification popped up on her phone—an incoming message with a photo of Fariz attached.
"Tch, ruining my daydreams again!" she huffed in annoyance, unlocking her phone to check the chat.
Fina (sister of twins):
Is your brother home? I just found a guy who looks like him lying on the ground with a leg injury… looks like he was shot.
Reena's jaw dropped.
"No way… Could that be Rayqal?" Panic surged through her.
She immediately rushed to her brother's room.
"Rayqal?"
She froze.
The bed was empty, clothes scattered all over the floor.
"Ish… He must've gone out. But could that guy really be my brother?"
Pacing anxiously, she sprinted back to her own room.
"What do I do? What if it really is him?"
Her fingers trembled as she dialed Fina's number.
"Hello, Fina?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Are you sure the guy who got shot is my brother?"
"I'm already home, Reena. I was planning to go to your house earlier, but then Lina called and canceled because she had a stomachache. So, I turned back, and that's when I saw a guy who looked like your brother. But I didn't dare go near him—there was so much blood. I got scared, so I just left and texted you instead," Fina explained.
"Haih… Where exactly was this?"
"Just walk towards the area near the park. That's where I saw him."
"Alright, got it. Thanks for letting me know. Bye!"
"No problem, babe. Let me know if anything happens. Bye!"
Reena shoved her phone back into her pocket and grabbed a thick jacket, slipping it on.
"Hish, Rayqal, you're such a hassle… If Papa finds out about this—" she muttered, running a hand through her hair before tying it up.
"You're dead meat if you've been up to no good, Rayqal!"
She grabbed her wallet and rushed out of the house.
—
"Hish, where's the gunshot victim?"
Her eyes darted around, searching for the wounded person.
"Did Fina lie to me? No, that's impossible!"
She turned on her phone's flashlight, illuminating the dark area—it was already late at night.
"Wait, is that…?"
Narrowing her eyes, she spotted a weak figure lying on the ground, blood soaking the area around their leg.
"Oh no… Don't tell me that's Rayqal?"
Without hesitation, Reena sprinted toward the injured man.
"Rayqal?! Ahh, Rayqal, what the hell did you do to get yourself shot?!"
Panic seized her as she shook his body, trying to wake him.
"Brother, wake up!"
Her hands trembled as she took in the sight of the bullet lodged in his leg.
"Rayqal, don't scare me like this!"
Her eyes welled up when she got no response.
"Brother please, wake up!!"
Desperate, she grabbed her phone.
"Fariz? No—what if he's too far away? Amir? Yes, Amir!"
She quickly dialed Amir's number, her fingers shaking.
"Come on, pick up!"
She gritted her teeth as the automated response played:
"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
"Arghh! Of all times for you to be unreachable!"
Frustrated, she grabbed a bottle of mineral water and splashed it onto her brother's face.
"Abang, wake up!"
This time, she shook him with all her strength.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
"Amir! Why the hell didn't you pick up earlier?!"
Her voice was filled with frustration.
"I fell asleep. Why are you calling so late? If you need me, just knock on my door—we live in the same house," Amir grumbled over the phone.
"Ugh, no time for questions! Just get to the park right now. It's urgent!"
Without waiting for a response, she hung up.
"Abang, don't die… Reena's scared…"
She hugged her brother's shoulders and removed the mask from his face.
Five minutes later, Amir finally arrived, rushing over.
Reena frowned, noticing his bruised and battered face.
"What happened to your face?"
She grabbed his hand, pulling him closer.
"I fell… Eh, what happened to Rayqal? What's wrong with his leg?"
Reena weakly shook her head, her mind a mess.
"He got shot. Now help me carry him back!"
Using all her strength, she tried to lift her unconscious brother.
"Why didn't you just call an ambulance? If he got shot, who's going to remove the bullet if you don't take him to a doctor?"
Amir bombarded her with questions, earning himself a hard slap on the shoulder.
"Is now really the time for questions? I'll explain later!"
Her patience was wearing thin.
"Just help me carry him!"
"Alright, alright!"
Both of them struggled to support Rayqal, who had grown pale and weak from blood loss.
"Ugh…" I clutched my head, still feeling dizzy.
"You okay?"
I frowned, turning toward the source of the voice.
"Remy? How are you here? Where am I?"
Remy sat down on a chair.
"You're at my place. I live with my sister, but she's staying over at her friend's house tonight to finish an assignment."
He handed me a glass of water with a kind smile.
"Hmm… How did you find me?"
His brows furrowed as he glanced around his slightly messy home.
"I found you lying in the bushes, badly injured—your head, face, and body were all covered in wounds. What the hell happened?"
He leaned closer, concern written all over his face.
"Nothing. It's my business, so it has nothing to do with you."
I got up from the bed and slowly walked toward the door.
"Wow, rude. The least you could do is say thank you. I even treated your wounds."
I scoffed at him.
"Alright then, thank you so much. I'm leaving now."
Without another word, I stepped out and slammed the door shut.
"Amir… Ugh, if it weren't for that bastard, I wouldn't be this messed up!"
I kicked a nearby flower pot, venting my frustration.
"Just wait, Amir. This time, I'll make sure to kill you for good!"
Determined, I ran back to the scene of the fight.
I froze. The entire area was spotless—no blood, no evidence of what had happened earlier.
"You're slick… But I can be even slicker than you."
Just as I was about to step away, I felt someone yank me into the bushes.
"So? How does it feel to be defeated by me?"
That mocking tone ignited my fury.
BAM!
I landed a punch straight to his face.
"You coward, Amir! You attacked me from behind—I won't let this go!"
I panted, trying to control my rage.
"Me? A coward? If you lost, just admit it. It's obvious you can't keep your word, huh?"
He smirked, laughing slightly.
"But don't worry, I won't spill your secret… However—"
He grabbed my chin, grinning.
"You have to do exactly what I say. If not, everyone will know the truth, Farah."
I smacked his hand away and twisted his arm as hard as I could.
"You—! I will never listen to you!"
I kicked him in the stomach, but he only laughed, grabbing my leg.
"Hahaha, so cute. Well then, get ready to be known as Farah Aida soon."
I gritted my teeth in anger.
ZAPP!!
Without hesitation, I drove the knife I had hidden behind me straight into his arm.
"Hurts, doesn't it? That's exactly how I feel whenever I see your face."
I sneered.
"You're very brave. But don't get too happy."
Amir clutched his neck, blood already dripping from the cut.
"Amir, where are you?"
A familiar voice made me freeze.
"Looks like your lesbian lover has arrived."
Amir grabbed my hand, the one holding the knife, and threw the weapon to the ground.
"Reena, I'm over here!"
Rayqal's voice rang out from behind the bushes, his face twisted in confusion.
"Eh? Amir? Fariz? What the hell are you two doing in the bushes?"
Reena eyed us suspiciously.
I shot Amir a sharp glare, warning him to stay silent.
"Take your brother home first. He's losing too much blood just lying here while we waste time looking for his wallet." Amir's face showed genuine concern.
We walked back home, exhaustion weighing on us. The entire way, I could feel Amir's intense stare, silently warning me to stay away from Reena. If looks could kill, his eyes would've gouged mine out by now.
As soon as we arrived, I slumped onto the sofa, relieved to finally rest.
"Fariz, I've been meaning to ask… What happened to you? Your leg, your arm, your face—why are you covered in wounds?"
Reena moved closer, concern evident in her voice.
Before I could respond, she suddenly turned to Amir.
"Hey, Amir, move over a bit. Why are you clinging to Fariz like a leech?"
She squeezed into the seat beside me, but Amir remained frozen in place.
"So? What happened to you?"
She gently took my injured arm, examining it closely.
Ugh, why is she asking so many questions? Amir is injured too, but she's only fussing over me. Annoying, you know?
But I forced a small smile, enduring the way her fingers softly traced over my wounds with an almost delicate touch—filled with care and concern.
I sighed internally, keeping my expression in check before finally answering her question.