It was just a normal day. Normal people hanging around the park, walking their dogs across the street, and the noise of cars. Not to mention, some strange things too.
There's an abandoned house in a quiet neighborhood that no one dares to approach because of some rumor. They say that a couple died there a long time ago and believe their souls remain in the house. Little did they know, it wasn't abandoned at all.
There was someone living under that roof—someone no one knew about. Some people thought it was haunted because they sometimes heard a girl screaming for help and the sound of chains clanking loudly every night.
And in that house, there was a girl tangled up in chains. Chains that could never be broken. Her hands were sore, and so was her head. Bruises couldn't be seen unless you looked closely. She looked whole, but no one knew she was already torn apart. She was alone with a monster in that house.
"I want to be free," she mumbled in silence. The longer she stayed, the more broken she became. She finally decided to break free. However, when she tried to break the chains, her hands wouldn't move—especially when she heard the man's footsteps walking toward her.
"Trying to escape, are we?" a husky voice suddenly echoed through the room.
"Too bad, because you can't," he laughed, seeing her hopelessly.
"You're mine."
When she realized there was no escape from that house, she gave up. She had become a possession.
There was no life left behind her face. She didn't feel pain anymore; her emotions were missing. The man seemed to enjoy playing with his possession to the point that it was now broken. Could he still fix it? Her world had already crumbled into pieces, and nothing was left—not even her body.
"You see, once I let you go, I know that you won't come back again," he whispered in her ear.
"I'm locking you up here with me because I love you," he added, and she trembled after hearing those three words.
"I don't like sharing what's mine either, so it's way better to stay here with me than escape. You know how ruthless I am." He kissed her forehead, and her body shivered.
She knew that if things had gone differently, she'd end up dead by the hands of this man. This man in front of her wasn't like this back then. His name was Aaron Claude—a man who would do everything for her. He was kind-hearted. However, things turned ugly because of one thing: jealousy.
She was caught hanging around another guy, a friend from high school. The guy was often with her to the point that she barely spent time with Aaron. Aaron was the type of person who couldn't restrain his strong emotions. Love became obsession, and obsession became possession.
One day, when Aaron saw her again with that guy, holding his hand, he dragged her away without saying a word.
"What is wrong with you?!" she shouted.
"Do you know that's rude?! Suddenly dragging me away while I'm talking with my friend?!"
Aaron was silent, listening to her like a breeze.
"Hah…" she sighed.
"This is why I'm tired of you," she said, looking away.
That's when Aaron raised his hand for the first time and hit her.
"Y-you—" she didn't finish her sentence, because Aaron suddenly grabbed her hair and dragged her to the house.
"What were you saying again?" he asked, still holding her hair.
"Tired of me? After all I've done?" he added.
"Honey, you can't be tired. You know how much I treasured you. You know how much I love you. And you know you're mine. Only mine," he said seriously, looking at her with dark eyes.
"Aaron… I'm sorry… Please…" she begged him to stop. She knew she was wrong, yet she still did it.
"Sorry? Honey, one sorry isn't enough to forgive you. I'll make sure to hide you for the rest of your life so that no one can touch what's mine ever again."
That's where it all started. A beauty that was once cheerful and strong was now weak and fragile in a cursed house.
Aaron came into the room where the girl was. He unchained and fed her—he did this every time. He was clearly abusing the girl, but he wouldn't let her starve to death. Aaron would rather kill her himself than let her die from hunger.
The girl's eyes watered, and tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Aaron…" she said in a weak voice.
"Hmmm?" he answered.
"I'm tired, Aaron."
She was unchained now, and all she wanted was her freedom back.
She ran away. She saw that the door was open, and she thought that finally, she had the opportunity to escape. But… Aaron shot her.
"I told you to behave," he sighed.
"Even in your last breath, you really won't listen to me?" he laughed, looking at his lover's lifeless body.
"You really think that because you're dead, you're finally free? Too bad, honey," he said, pointing the gun at his own head.
"I'll still catch you in hell."
He pulled the trigger.
"You're my possession for eternal."
Those were his last words before he lost the ability to breathe.
Someone reported the house after hearing a gunshot, and the bodies were discovered. News spread like wildfire about the couple who died in the abandoned house. Later on, the house was demolished.
One year later, it was like a normal day again—people hanging around, talking, laughing, giggling, and the noise of cars outside.
"Doctor! She's awake!" A nurse came running out to call the doctor.
There was a girl who had been in a coma for a year, lying in a hospital bed. She was so weak she couldn't even open her eyes. She wanted to move, but she couldn't lift a finger.
"Castiliana?" A man came running to her. It was the doctor. He checked her body, but Castiliana couldn't see his face clearly. She opened her eyes wider—and saw the one person she never wanted to see again in her life.
"You're finally awake, honey."
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