CHAPTER 5
Justin surveyed Prisca's room with an intense gaze, his eyes tracing over the cozy yet unassuming setup. He finally broke the silence.
"You're living comfortably," he remarked, almost as if stating a simple fact.
Prisca raised an eyebrow. "Do you think this is comfortable?"
"Yes, for a spinster," he replied, plopping onto her bed with a soft bounce. There was a slight pause before he added, "I'm thinking of leaving home. Getting a place of my own."
Prisca looked at him with a mix of exasperation and pity. "Justin! When will you listen?"
He sighed, meeting her gaze. "When you start loving me back."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Prisca's lips as she absorbed his words. Instead of answering, she shifted the topic, perhaps hoping to lighten the mood.
"Your sister was here yesterday evening."
Justin's eyes narrowed. "What? Why? What did she want?"
"I invited her," Prisca said calmly, brushing back a stray strand of hair. "I wanted to give her something. She told me your mother is devastated over... all this."
Justin scoffed, leaning back against the pillows. "Mom's always like that. It's not about this."
Prisca shook her head, her tone growing somber. "No, Justin. No mother would want her young son clinging to an older woman like me."
His expression tightened. "Don't remind me of that. It pisses me off. Let's not talk about age—it's just numbers."
Prisca sighed deeply. "Justin, we're not in a movie. You need to be realistic. This relationship isn't going to work."
A flicker of frustration crossed his face. "This was supposed to be a dinner, not a lecture. Don't make me regret not taking you out."
Prisca's lips curved into a gentle smile. "You know I wouldn't go out with you."
"You're ashamed of me," he muttered, looking down.
"It's not that," she replied. "I just... I don't want to hear people talk."
"Exactly. And I don't want you to worry, which is why I agreed to meet you here," Justin countered. After a brief silence, he added, "Hope you didn't notice my car outside—I took public transport, just for you."
Prisca chuckled and got up. "I'll get us something to eat."
Before she could move, Justin reached out, pulling her back gently. She settled closer to him as he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss on her lips.
"I don't want food. I just want this," he whispered, his voice filled with quiet intensity.
***
*Flashback Eight Years Ago*
Prisca and her friend Chi were chatting, their laughter filling the room with warmth. Chi leaned in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "...then he kissed me, and—"
Before she could finish, a younger Justin walked in, his oversized glasses slightly askew, a bowl of chocolates in his hands.
"Aunt Prisca, good afternoon!" he greeted, his voice eager.
Prisca's face lit up. "Hey, Justin! How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." He held out the bowl with a grin. "I brought you chocolates."
Chi shook her head, stifling a laugh.
Prisca beamed, taking the bowl. "All of them? Really?"
"Yes." Justin's smile widened as she accepted the chocolates, his eyes lingering on her face. Then, noticing Chi's gaze on him, he straightened. "Promise you'll let me see you off today?"
Prisca chuckled softly. "Sure."
"Alone," he added pointedly. "Not with Chi."
Chi threw her hands up in mock disbelief. "Wonders shall never end!"
Prisca laughed, glancing at Justin with a bemused smile. "I promise."
As he left the room, Chi gave Prisca a knowing look. "That's his church shirt, you know. And those glasses—honestly, it's all for you."
Prisca laughed, brushing it off. "He's just infatuated. Don't worry, he'll grow out of it."
Chi raised an eyebrow. "I sure hope so."
***
*Back in the Present*
John watched the Justin kiss Prisca on his computer screen, his expression unreadable. With a sudden, frustrated movement, he snapped the laptop shut, his eyes drifting to the dagger lying on the table beside him. He exhaled slowly, a dark smile playing on his lips.
"Prisca, you go out with everyone but leave me in the shadows. Is that really how much you dislike me?" His voice softened to a near-whisper. "If we can't be together in this life... then perhaps we will in the next."
He sat back, his fingers trailing over the dagger's cold metal as he envisioned the only way he believed he could bind them together forever.
***
The room was dimly lit, with patches of sunlight spilling in through half-drawn curtains. Daniel and Frank sat cross-legged on the floor, cards scattered between them as they focused intently on their Whot game. Daniel's face was creased with worry, his eyes occasionally flicking up to glance at Frank.
"I am worried," Daniel murmured, barely above a whisper.
Frank looked up from his cards, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"
Daniel shifted uncomfortably, his gaze dropping back to the game. "Okay, I'm scared," he admitted, his voice quieter now, tinged with an edge Frank rarely heard.
Frank sighed, setting his cards down. "Why na?"
Daniel took a steadying breath. "I was threatened."
Frank's eyes widened. "What? By who?"
Daniel hesitated, then finally said, "I did a little check-up on him... found out he's been stàlking Prisca."
Frank blinked, caught off guard. "So, this is about Prisca?"
"It's not just about Prisca," Daniel clarified, shaking his head. "It's about a crimînal who's latched onto her, chasing her against her will."
Frank frowned, his voice lowering. "Wait—you're saying that stàlker threatened you?"
Daniel shot him an exasperated look. "Do I sound like I'm speaking Greek?"
"But why would he threaten you?" Frank pressed, his mind racing.
Daniel bit his lip. "Because he saw me out having dinner with Prisca."
Frank's expression shifted from shock to admiration. "You had dinner with Prisca? Jeez, Daniel. You actually beat me this time!" But the grin faded as Daniel continued.
"He threatened me," Daniel said, his voice trembling slightly, "with a dàgger."
Frank's face went pale. "Jesus Christ, that guy's a psychópath! He needs to be cut out of Prisca's life before he hurts her—or someone around her, like you."
Daniel leaned forward, eager. "So, what do you think we should do?"
Frank didn't hesitate. "What else? We report to the police. You should have done that already! For crying out loud, he threatened you."
Daniel sat in silence, deep in thought. Finally, he nodded, determination hardening his features. "Good idea. Let's go to the police station."
He stood up, but Frank glanced at the clock, a sleepy grumble escaping him. "Ah ah, this early morning ni? See the time, o! It's just after six."
Daniel shook his head, unwavering. "We don't have time to waste. That guy isn't normal. He could do something stupid at any moment."
Frank rolled his eyes but stood, heading toward his closet. "Fine, fine. Just let me put on something decent."
***
At the police station, the tension was palpable. Daniel and Frank stood at the counter, waiting for assistance. They exchanged anxious glances as they waited, the stillness around them somehow more ominous.
A door opened, and a group of police officers filed out from an inner room. Leading the group was Alex, a stern officer with an unreadable expression. One officer's voice drifted over as they spoke.
"He was found déad a few houses away from his place. Brûtally mûrdered with a dàgger, and a note was left behind."
Daniel and Frank froze, exchanging alarmed looks, their curiosity piqued and fear creeping in.
The attendant at the counter finally addressed them. "How may I help you?"
But Daniel, now shaken, could only mutter, "Sorry… we'll be back." He grabbed Frank's arm, pulling him aside.
Frank eyed him, concerned. "What? You want to follow the police?"
Daniel swallowed, dread settling in his stomach. "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this."
Frank's expression turned stern. "Jeez! You're gonna get yourself into trouble."
***
Elsewhere in the city, Prisca's boss jogged down the sidewalk, lost in his morning routine. The world around him was peaceful, unaware of the unfolding tragedy nearby.
***
Not far off, in another part of the city, a small crowd began to gather. Justin lay lifeless in a pool of blood, a single note pinned beside him with a stone. His mother arrived first, her footsteps faltering as she saw her son's body sprawled out on the cold ground. She collapsed beside him, her cries shattering the morning stillness.
Chi (Justin's sister and Prisca's friend), visibly shaken, picked up the note, hands trembling. The words scrawled on the paper seemed to scream up at her:
'I kïlled him because he didn't stay away from my woman.'
Tears streamed down Chi's face, her heart breaking at the sight of her friend's mother clinging to his body, inconsolable, her screams mingling with her own sobs. She handed the note to Justin's mother, who read it, the words a knife to her already shattered heart.
"Which girl?" she cried, her voice raw with grief and anger. "Which girl? I warned him against such friends! Which girl!"
As her cries filled the air, Chi fumbled for her phone, her fingers shaking as she dialed a number, desperately hoping someone, anyone, would pick up.