DAMNED

Chapter 3: Circle Tightens & First Strike

Eugenio leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming as Santos delivered the latest update.

“She’s cautious now. She knows someone is watching.”

Eugenio’s lips curled. “Good. Fear sharpens the prey. But one man isn’t enough. Send more. I want her surrounded, even if she doesn’t see them. She must feel it.”

Santos hesitated. “Sir, this is dangerous. If anyone notices—”

“Do it,” Eugenio snapped. “I want her world to shrink until I’m the only escape.”

Robina walked with her group — Cris, Joshua, Krystina, Eyrah, Amanda, and Alice. Their chatter filled the air, but she couldn’t shake the heaviness pressing against her chest.

Every corner seemed to hold eyes. Every shadow whispered.

“Robina, you’re pale,” Amanda said.

“I just… feel like we’re being followed,” Robina admitted.

The group laughed nervously, but their smiles faltered when Joshua glanced back and saw two men lingering near a*****e, watching.

Raell joined them halfway down the route. He noticed immediately — the way Robina clung to her bag, the way Joshua’s eyes darted.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Joshua lowered his voice. “Two men. Back there. They’re watching us.”

Raell turned, his jaw tightening. He saw them — strangers, too still, too focused. His protective instinct flared.

“Stay close,” he told Robina. “Don’t leave the group.”

Santos coordinated the men from a distance. Three shadows now trailed the students, blending into alleys, bus stops, and storefronts.

He hated himself for obeying. Each laugh from the students cut him deeper. They were innocent, unaware of the predator pulling strings.

But Eugenio’s orders were absolute.

The students turned a corner. The street was quieter, the lamps dim. Suddenly, one of the men stepped forward, blocking the path.

“Evening,” he said, voice low.

The group froze. Robina’s heart pounded. Raell moved in front of her, fists clenched.

Another man appeared behind them, leaning against a wall. A third lingered across the street.

The circle tightened.

Cris whispered, “What do they want?”

Raell’s voice was steady. “Keep walking. Don’t stop.”

The man smirked. “Where you headed, kids?”

Robina’s breath caught. She felt the trap closing.

The group pushed forward, Raell shielding Robina, their steps quickening. The men didn’t attack — not yet. They only watched, their presence suffocating.

Robina realized this wasn’t random. It was deliberate. Someone powerful wanted her afraid.

Rose noticed her husband’s growing obsession. He muttered Robina’s name in his sleep, scribbled notes in locked folders, and dismissed her questions with cold indifference.

She began to suspect not just corruption, but something darker.

And in his study, Eugenio Cardinal smiled, imagining her terror. The circle had tightened, and the hunt was only beginning.

Eugenio’s obsession had reached a fever pitch. Watching wasn’t enough anymore. He wanted escalation. He wanted Robina to feel trapped, vulnerable, and desperate.

“Don’t just follow,” he ordered Santos. “Push them. Make them afraid. Fear will break her faster than force.”

Santos swallowed hard. “Sir, this could draw attention.”

Eugenio’s eyes gleamed. “Then make it look like street crime. No one will suspect me.”

Robina walked with her friends again, Raell at her side. The group’s laughter was thinner now, strained by the memory of the men who had blocked their path days before.

She clutched her bag tighter. Every corner felt dangerous.

“Relax,” Cris tried to joke. “We’re too many for anyone to mess with.”

But Robina’s instincts screamed otherwise.

Raell had been on edge since the last encounter. He scanned every shadow, every alley. His fists clenched whenever strangers lingered too long.

He whispered to Robina, “Stay close to me. If anything happens, run.”

She nodded, fear flickering in her eyes.

Halfway down the route, the group slowed. A man stepped out of an alley, blocking their way. Another appeared behind them.

Then, without warning, the first man lunged — grabbing Joshua’s arm, shoving him against the wall.

Screams erupted. Robina froze, heart pounding. Raell shoved her behind him, swinging at the attacker. His fist connected, but another man rushed forward, striking Raell across the face.

Chaos exploded.

Cris tried to pull Joshua free. Krystina screamed for help. Eyrah swung her bag at one of the men. Amanda and Alice clung to each other, terrified.

Robina’s breath came in gasps. She wanted to run, but Raell’s voice echoed in her mind: Stay close. Don’t leave the group.

From the shadows, Santos watched. He hadn’t ordered violence — Eugenio had. The men were supposed to intimidate, not harm. But now fists flew, blood spilled, and the students fought desperately.

Santos felt bile rise in his throat. “This isn’t what I signed up for,” he muttered.

Yet he didn’t intervene. Fear of Eugenio’s wrath kept him frozen.

At home, Rose sensed something was wrong. Eugenio’s late‑night phone calls had grown darker, his tone sharper. She feared he was orchestrating something criminal.

She resolved to investigate.

**********

Raell, blood dripping from his lip, shoved one of the attackers back. “RUN!” he shouted.

The group bolted, dragging Joshua with them. Robina’s legs burned as she sprinted, her breath ragged. Behind them, the men cursed, but didn’t chase far.

They reached a crowded street, collapsing in fear.

Robina trembled, clutching Raell’s arm. “They wanted us. Not just random thieves. Us.”

Raell wiped blood from his mouth, eyes blazing. “This isn’t over. Someone’s targeting you.”

Far away, Eugenio Cardinal received the report. “They fought back,” Santos said. “But they’re afraid now.”

Eugenio smiled coldly. “Good. Fear is the beginning of control.”

And in her room, Robina stared at her reflection, bruised and shaken. She whispered, “Why me?”

The predator had struck, and survival mode had begun.