TAMING THE HEARTLESS VAMPIRE

Chapter 6

Nanigas ang buong katawan ko.

The air in the office suddenly felt like it was made of lead, crushing the breath out of my lungs. Hindi ako makapaniwala sa nakikita ko. The person trembling in that chair wasn't just a stranger; he was a piece of my past, a ghost I thought I had left behind on the pavement of Vale.

Aaron.

Ang lalaking minsan kong minahal—ang lalaking binigyan ko ng lahat, pati na ang huling piraso ng aking tiwala—ay nakagapos ngayon sa harap ko. He was a mess of sweat and tears, his expensive shirt torn and stained. Nang makita niya ako, agad siyang nagpumiglas sa upuan, the heavy wood creaking under his weight. Kahit muffled ungol lang ang lumalabas dahil sa busal sa bibig niya, ang mga mata niya ay nagsusumamo. They were wide, bloodshot, and screaming for mercy.

Galit akong napalingon kay Vale. My vision was swimming in a faint red haze, the hunger inside me clawing at my stomach.

"Bakit mo siya dinala dito?" madiin kong tanong, my voice trembling with a mixture of fury and horror.

Vale didn't flinch. Tumaas lang ang kilay niya, leaning back against his mahogany desk. He looked like a bored spectator watching a predictable play.

"Oh? You don't like my gift?" sabi niya, his words cutting through the silence like a razor.

Malamig ang ngiti niya, but his eyes remained sharp and predatory. "I thought you'd thank me for this, Aria. You spent your last hours as a human weeping over his betrayal. Now, I have delivered him to your feet. You can finally take your revenge. Isn't that what humans want? Closure?"

Natigilan ako. The logic was twisted, dark, and perfectly in line with the monster standing before me. Hindi ko na tinanong kung paano niya nalaman ang tungkol sa nangyari sa amin ni Aaron. Of course he knows. He is the shadow in the corner of every room; he always knows.

Biglang umungol si Aaron, pushing his body forward so hard the chair nearly tipped. I couldn't stand the sound of his muffled panic. Lumapit ako at marahas na tinanggal ang busal sa bibig niya.

"A-Aria!" halos mapasigaw siya, his voice cracked and raw from crying. "Tulungan mo ko! I don't know who these people are! I don't know where we are! Please, ayoko pang mamatay!"

He sobbed, the snot and tears mixing on his face. This was the man I thought was my king? He looked so small. So pathetic.

"Please... patawarin mo ko! I cheated on you, okay? Inaamin ko! I was a jerk, I was a coward! Pero huwag mo akong papatayin, Aria! For the sake of everything we had, please!"

Napabuntong hininga ako, looking down at him. Pinakiramdaman ko ang sarili ko, searching for the old spark of love or even the heat of a fresh grudge.

But there was nothing. Wala akong maramdamang galit na tulad ng kanina sa condo. Wala ring sakit na dulot ng kanyang pagtataksil. At lalong wala ring pagmamahal. Parang... wala na lang. To my new eyes, he was just a frantic, pulsing collection of veins and warmth.

But still...

Hindi tama ang ginagawa ni Vale. I wouldn't let him turn me into an executioner just to satisfy his sick curiosity.

"Spare him," sabi ko, turning my back on Aaron to face the Master of the House.

Tahimik ang buong kwarto. Only the ticking of an antique clock broke the stillness.

"What did you say?" tanong ni Vale, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

Huminga ako nang malalim at hinarap ang ginto niyang mga mata. "Let him go," matapang kong ulit. "Whatever happened between us... it's my business, not yours. Hindi mo karapatang makialam sa buhay ko, Vale. I am not your weapon for revenge."

Umarko ang labi niya, a slow, dark transformation of his face. Then suddenly—

Sa isang iglap lang, before I could even blink, nasa harap ko na siya. His movement was a blur of shadows. Mahigpit niyang sinakal ang leeg ko, pinning me against the wall with enough force to make the portraits shake.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko, my hands clawing at his cold, iron-like grip.

"No one lectures me about what I do in my own palace," malamig niyang sabi, his face inches from mine. The scent of him—like ancient stone and rain—was overwhelming.

Mas humigpit ang kamay niya sa leeg ko. I could feel the bones in my neck groaning under the pressure. "Do you think I need your permission, Aria? Do you think your petty human morals still apply here?"

"H-hindi... ako... makahinga..." paos kong sabi, my vision starting to flicker.

"You are my thrall," sabi niya, his voice vibrating through my skull. "My blood runs in your veins. You are an extension of my will. And you will do what I want. Understand?"

Sa kabila ng hirap sa paghinga, sa kabila ng sakit, napangisi ako. It was a defiant, jagged little smile. Mas mabuti pang mamatay ulit kaysa maging sunod-sunuran sa isang halimaw na tulad niya.

Bigla siyang nagsalita ulit, his tone shifting into something far more sinister.

"Do you love your brother, Aria?"

Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig. The mention of Adrian was like a dagger to my heart.

"Adrian..."

Unti-unting nawala ang ngisi sa labi ko. Napuno ng takot ang dibdib ko—isang takot na mas matindi pa sa takot para sa sarili kong buhay. Napailing ako habang tumutulo ang luha ko, silently begging him with my eyes.

Nakita ko ang kakaibang kasiyahan sa mga mata ni Vale. He leaned in closer, his fangs grazing the shell of my ear. Satisfied siya sa reaksyon ko. He knew he had found the leash that would finally make me heel.

Pinakawalan niya ako nang biglaan. Napahawak ako sa aking tuhod, collapsing to the floor habang hinihimas ang leeg ko at pilit na hinahabol ang hininga.

Then suddenly—

Naglabas siya ng isang maliit na kutsilyo mula sa kanyang bulsa. It was ornate, silver, and sharp enough to cut the air. He flicked his wrist at inihagis iyon sa harap ni Aaron.

Clang.

Tumunog iyon sa sahig, sliding across the marble until it hit the leg of Aaron's chair. Pagkatapos noon, without a single word of explanation or a backward glance, walang sabi-sabing lumabas si Vale ng kwarto. The heavy doors clicked shut with a finality that felt like a tomb closing.

Tahimik na tahimik ang paligid.

Nang lingunin ko si Aaron, nanigas ako. He wasn't crying anymore. Nakatitig lang siya sa kutsilyo na nasa paanan niya. My eyes trailed down to his wrists. Wala na siyang gapos. Vale must have cut them in that split second of movement.

Pero hindi siya tumatakbo. Hindi siya sumisigaw. Parang... naghihintay lang siya ng signal.

Maya-maya, yumuko siya. His movements were shaky, robotic. Kinuha ang kutsilyo.

"Aaron...?" I whispered, taking a step toward him. "Aaron, drop it. We have to get out of here."

Pero bago pa ako makalapit—itinaas niya ang kanyang kaliwang braso. Ang mukha niya ay blangko, parang wala na siya sa sariling kaisipan.

Then—

Bigla niya iyong hiniwa. Deep.

Umagos ang dugo, thick and crimson. The smell hit me instantly, like a physical blow to the chest. It was warm. It was sweet. It was intoxicating. Nakakabaliw ang bango nito sa isang gutom na nilalang na tulad ko.

Biglang nanuyo ang lalamunan ko, my thirst igniting like a forest fire. My fangs grew longer, aching to sink into something soft. My eyes burned with a golden heat.

"Aaron, stop!" I tried to scream, but it came out as a growl.

Kahit anong pigil ko sa sarili ko, kahit anong laban ng isip ko, kusang gumagalaw ang katawan ko palapit sa kanya. The predator inside me had taken the wheel.

"S-sorry... Aaron..."

Iyon ang huling salitang naalala kong sinabi.

After that—parang dumilim ang mundo. The hunger took over, and I was no longer Aria. I was just the Thirst.

Nang bumalik ang ulirat ko, ang unang naramdaman ko ay ang lamig ng sahig sa ilalim ng mga tuhod ko. Humihinga ako nang mabigat, my chest heaving as if I had just run a marathon.

May kakaibang init sa dibdib ko—ang pakiramdam ng pagiging busog, pero may kasamang matinding pagsisisi.

Then I saw it.

Dugo. Napakaraming dugo.

Dugo sa mga kamay ko, staining my fingernails. Dugo sa sahig, spreading like a dark inkblot on the white marble. At sa harap ko...

Nakahandusay ang katawan ni Aaron. His eyes were wide open, staring at nothing. His skin was pale, ashen, and completely drained of the warmth that had tempted me moments ago. Wala na siyang buhay.

Napaatras ako, my breath hitching in a sob. Isa. Dalawa. Pinagmasdan ko ang nanginginig kong mga kamay na puno ng malapot na dugo.

Hindi ako makapaniwala. Ang kaisa-isang bagay na ipinangako ko sa sarili ko—na hindi ako papatay—ay nabali na agad.

"Hindi... hindi... hindi..."

Humagulgol ako, my voice echoing in the cold, empty office. I curled into a ball, trying to hide from the reality of what I had done. Ako na ang halimaw. And the first person I killed... was the man I once loved.

Biglang pumasok sa isip ko ang kapatid ko.

Adrian.

Parang gumuho ang buong mundo ko. I saw his face in my mind, his bright smile, his innocence. If I could do this to Aaron, what would stop me from doing it to him? I was a monster. A parasite.

Kailangan ko siyang layuan. Bago pa siya ang susunod kong mapatay sa isang sandali ng pagkagutom.

Hindi ko alam kung ilang oras akong nakaupo sa sahig, staring at the corpse of my past. Umiiyak ako hanggang sa wala na akong luhang mailabas, hanggang sa ang tanging natira ay ang tuyong hapdi sa aking lalamunan.

Then—

Biglang bumukas ang pintuan. Isang malakas at swabeng tunog.

"Oh my... what a tragic, messy scene."

Napalingon ako, my vision blurred. May isang babae sa pintuan.

Napakaganda niya—yung klaseng ganda na nakakatakot tingnan. Maputi ang balat niya na tila porselana, at mahaba ang maitim na buhok na parang seda. She was dressed in a dark, elegant gown that flowed around her like ink, and she carried a palpable aura of power.

She slowly walks inside the room, her high heels clicking softly. She steps carefully around the pools of blood, as if she didn't want to ruin her shoes on something so common.

Then she looks at me. Her eyes shine with a deep, unsettling curiosity.

"So you must be the new thrall everyone is talking about. The girl who came back from the dead."

Lumapit siya nang kaunti, tilting her head. Tinitigan niya ang duguan kong mga kamay, then looked at the body of Aaron with a faint, bored expression.

Then she smiles faintly—a sharp, cold expression.

"My name is Cassandra," she said, her voice like honey mixed with poison. "And judging from this mess... I assume Vale has already started breaking you. He always did have a flare for the dramatic."

Tumigil siya sa harap ko, looking down at me as if I were a wounded animal she was deciding whether to keep or discard. Her smile becomes colder, more defined.

"Welcome to the Nightborn family, Aria." 🩸