Tasia's feeling was like the cake dough that was being mixed and kneaded until smooth. She felt betrayed right now, but on the other hand, she didn't proper to be angry. Because she had no special relation with Hadyan.
The hiking activity would only start tomorrow because too many amateur kids were completely blind to the world of camping and the outdoors life. Because of that, the leader of the committee decided to make today the day to provide direction and guidance for the participants.
"It must be because of Peter, so a lot of spoiled girls are coming." The committee leader grumbled while checking the attendance list of participants.
"How come this is also considered as my fault? Could I choose my face? Since birth, my face has been this handsome." Said the sexy Santa Claus to defend himself.
"But you did flirting with them, didn't you? You think I didn't see how you acted in my class?" Patra replied.
The guy smiled mischievously, "But the funds now are enough, right? They are loyal, you know," The others could only snort.
Out of the corner of his eye, Patra caught a familiar figure walking past him as if he was just a pile of dry wood to be burned during camping.
"Tasia!" He called while patting the girl's shoulder.
"Ouch! It hurts!" She growled.
"What happened to you? Walked past me as if I'm a ghost,"
Tasia rolled her eyes, "I'm fine. I didn't see you earlier."
"You fought with Hadyan, didn't you?" Guessed Patra frontally.
"Why would I fight with him? We have no relation, either."
Patra laughed, "What's wrong with you? I was just asking, why would you give me the angry answer? Are you in your period again?"
In his heart, Patra knew that the reason Tasia was upset was Hadyan. He indeed never wanted to take care of his friends' love affairs, because he had his own love problems. But it had been a long time since he had seen Tasia like an empty shell. But, since Hadyan was here, Tasia slowly seemed to get her soul back.
"How about walking around the villa?" Asked Patra. Who knew he could ease this cute girl's upset feeling?
Tasia immediately nodded, though still with a sour face. She never refused Patra's suggestion. That guy always knew when to comfort her and always succeeded.
Finally, they took a walk around the big villa. The villa was indeed quite old. There were several rooms that made Tasia shudder because they looked gloomy.
Even though she's been walking around quite long, it turned out that this time the anger in Tasia's heart wouldn't go away. She even thought about where Hadyan's figure was. Usually, that guy was never absent to always stick to her. But now, even though when Patra was clearly walking alone with her, Hadyan was nowhere to be found. But Tasia couldn't deny, in her imagination, Hadyan was enjoying alone time with Marya.
"Tasia! Patra!" A girl's high voice was heard from behind. They both turned. Marya was half running over to them.
"What?" Asked Patra.
"Have you guys seen Hadyan? I've been looking for him for three hours." Asked the girl with a bandana while looking around.
Tasia frowned, "Wasn't he with you from earlier?"
Marya shook her head, "After breakfast, he suddenly disappeared. I thought he went with you, Tasia."
"Where is he.." Tasia mumbled worriedly.
Patra showed complete annoyance on his face, "How happy.. to have a good looking and cool body like Hadyan. He has only been missing for three hours and now two girls are busy looking for him. If I was missing for three days, you girls wouldn't even notice."
"Have you looked in his room? Maybe he is sick?" Tasia asked, then got a head shake from Marya.
"I've checked there. But he's not there."
Patra's face became more upset because no one responded to him.
"Oh, come on, girls! Hadyan is a grown-up guy, not a little kid anymore. Even he has a big muscular body. You girls shouldn't worry about him that much. Maybe, he just wants to be alone now."
Tasia and Marya looked at each other then nodded, confirming Patra's words. Why would they worry about such a big man?
"Jealous, huh?" Marya teased him, got a snort from that guy in the oversized white T-shirt. It seemed that now the sulking one was not Tasia anymore, but Patra.
****
It was a dark damp empty room. Only a small amount of light from outside could enter through the small window that was covered by the iron railings. The path leading to the room was a narrow alley and a descending staircase.
A man stood in the middle of the room. He stared at one of the blank walls.
"I came with no ill intentions. I came in peace and have no interest in disturbing you all." Said the man.
"We know who you are. We know what you've done. We know how you treat our folk." A voice answered him. Male and female voices. Small children and old people. High and low notes. All mixed into one.
"I'm not going to do anything here. Please, do not do anything harmful to those humans. What you all hate is me. Don't make humans your scapegoats."
"Prince Hadyan. We don't know why you suddenly defend humans. How naive! Even you often sink ships and kill them to become your slaves. Hahaha.."
Hadyan chuckled, he didn't have time to take care of lowly ghosts like them. He had to focus on Tasia.
"Don't do anything to them. Attack me, because I'm the one you don't like. Those humans are polite here. You have no reason to hurt them." Hadyan said loudly.
"You are weak in this place, Prince Hadyan. You are using all your strength to maintain your human form. Hehehe!"
Slowly, a bunch of eyes popped out of the shabby wall. Behind it, the eyes stuck together and filled a face that had no nose and no skin. Just a lump of blackish-red flesh with a wide mouth full of sharp teeth.
"What can you give to us to take care of those humans?" They laughed. It made Hadyan grit his teeth in annoyance. He didn't want his friends' activity to become a mass possessed show.
He reached into his jeans pocket and took out a small cutter and opened it, "I know you're must be starving. Locked for decades in this place. The last blood you could drink was the last human who killed in this place."
"Hehehehehehehe.. Huhuhuhu..." The room became very noisy.
Hadyan aimed the cutter at the palm of his hand and made a deep long slash that immediately bleed out black blood. Without waiting any longer, the disgusting ghosts immediately swarmed the blood that pooled on the cement floor.
"You're all disgusting. Remember your vows! If you all ever touch those humans, I'll make sure this will be your last laugh." He said firmly, then walked away.
Hadyan climbed a small staircase and out of a rusty scrap metal door in a backyard full of unkempt plants. Then, the door was locked again as usual. Hadyan had deliberately entered that room and used his strength to open its door. But now, he was like a car that had almost run out of gas.
The blood that Hadyan gave to the disgusting creature earlier was not just ordinary blood, but the remnants of his power. Because of that, the ghost group could immediately obey him. The power in his blood would fill them up for decades to come.
He stepped a little limp, intending to go to the bathroom to wait for the wound on his palm to heal. Then, he could find and stalk Tasia again.
But, when he did not even enter the villa yet, a shrill voice made him sigh tiredly. The voice called his name, "Hadyan! Where have you been?"
He turned and saw Marya walking hurriedly toward him. But his anger suddenly rose when he saw Tasia side by side with Patra, walking casually to follow Marya's steps.