“Go home already, you blokes! Get your butts out of here!” Raulo cackled loudly which pierced through the wee hours of evening almost echoing in the empty dark streets. The bricked buildings were out of lights, windows closed and still. He playfully hit his mates by their behind and they staggered in an unsync motion, almost tripping and one of them hit the nearby post with dim light underneath.

They chorused laughter, a stinking breath of what they had for dinner, and alcohol filled the air as they joined Raulo in talking more about nonsense, their words barely coherent and already slurred.

The bald rowdy one yawned and almost fell backwards due to hang over. “Mate got some rouge? I’m out of stock” He took a swing of the alcoholic bottle held in one hand and chugged it in one gulp. His face was reddish and his eyes were not focused.

Raulo grinned deviously at him, “I am not sharing, go get yourself a new bunch, we’re not short in rouge, my friend”

“Hard for him to get one when he is not as well-proportioned as you” Declared by their other companion with curly black hair and sprawled on the pavement.

After they exchanged more friendly banters which ended up making less sense and shattering their bottles in the middle of the road, Raulo’s friends went off while singing out of tune. “You scoundrels are breaking my eardrums!” With a wave, he went to an alley leading to where he lived.

The excitement remained intact, Raulo was looking forward to this wild and colorful night–it wouldn’t end lamely with him going to sleep, shit no, he had another plan in mind. The darkness in these narrow alleyways never bothered him, he could still see ahead and his senses were hit with an absurd rotten scent coming from the stack of rubbish in a huge bin by the side.

Behind it were a pair of soft glowing garnet red eyes.

Raulo stopped walking, his eyebrow furrowing as he focused his gaze on the staring orbs next to the rubbish bin. He saw an outline of a hunched female.

“Hello?” Puzzled, Raulo stepped forward slowly to the feminine figure somewhat hiding behind the bin. He was certain around this time past midnight everyone in this area was already sleeping or locked in their homes. It was a rough neighborhood with a notorious reputation.

The female figure got up from her hiding, but because of the darkness, she was still obscured except for those orbs only which were very much concentrated on Raulo. Ringing bells of warning stirred in Raulo’s head when the female didn’t even do subtle movements–just stood there in front of him like a statue.

Those eyes are not like my–

“AAAARRGGGHHH!!!” Raulo’s internal monologue was brought to a stop and replaced by a throbbing pain; glancing down he saw his forearm with three large angry marrings and he quickly looked back to the female who was now standing closer, unblinking.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

Raulo held his aching and bleeding arm, turning away to sprint off without a backward glance. He was already fast but he quickened his pace more to make sure she would not keep up with him. “HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!” His voice sounded shrill as he yelled at the top of his lungs in desperation.

The windows remained closed, with no other sounds except Raulo’s heavy and panicked heaving and footsteps. He shook his head to try to suppress the after-effects of drinking alcohol but the surroundings seemed to fade in the darkness and he couldn’t see the rows of buildings anymore.

He skidded to a stop and gaped, knees bending under him and he fell on the road.

His friends–all three were lying in the middle of the way with their necks slit open and a gaping hole where their hearts were supposed to be.

“NOOOO!!!!” He wailed, they were his best mates after all.

A burst of twinkling laughter ahead, there standing meters from the grieving Raulo was the female he had seen earlier. His senses and vision had always been heightened but tonight it was dull like an unused blade. He couldn’t get a clear look at this ominous figure except…white.

Flowing strands of white, there was no blowing wind yet those snow-like manes moved to the side like long silk curtains. In her hands was an organ–there was no doubt what it was.

“They don’t taste delicious, they taste cheap and dirty” Her voice was heard clearly–alluring and like charming bells.

Raulo pushed backward with his forearm continuously bleeding. “What are you?! Why are you doing this?!” He forced himself up and whirled around to escape to the opposite side but the flickering lamp post shut off, and the entire streets were now encased in pitch black. He jerked away upon feeling a cold blow from someone’s lips on his ears. “Stop!”

Floral scent floated in the air–rose, apricot blossoms, red salvia, and peonies. The streets remained still, empty, and dark.

“Why do you ask such foolish questions? This is not who you are” Soft, polite, and with underlying sweetness–a whisper to Raulo’s right yet there was no one. “Are you twiddling your thumbs now?”

Raulo’s frightened state became mixed with anger, he sneered—baring his teeth as he kept on whirling around in an attempt to catch the female figure.

“Shut the fuck up and show yourself, coward! I will not forgive you for what you did to my mates! That’s taboo!” He felt a touch on his shoulder, it was a calm touch and made him turn to his right.

Wow, Raulo suddenly blanked out–the agitation in him became muted, and only one conscious thought in his head: She is gorgeous up close…an angel…

“I am not a coward,” She replied just as calmly and her glossed lips curled up into a small courteous smile. “I am playing with you, just like how you play with your food, Raulo” Finally, she blinked and Raulo was reminded of a porcelain lolita doll with large mesmerizing and detailed eyes. “...Also, I will not forgive you too, that makes us even now, right?”

Huh? Raulo was too besotted that he snapped out of a trance late. He saw her still with a smile on and the hand she put on his shoulder was already covered in crimson.

And as he reached out to his neck, the pain slowly came to the surface–he touched himself and felt the huge slit.

“That’s not all I got for you, look here” She stated in a whimsical tone.

And Raulo complied, glancing down, he saw her hand planted through the left part of his chest. He watched her pull his heart out.

Prologue

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