The ticking clock filled the silence as Raken waited. Twelve hours had passed since the car overturned on the road. And in all that time, Kala still hadn't opened her eyes.
Raken had taken her home before they could reach their destination. The funeral went on regardless, with Pra attending as the family's representative.
There were no serious injuries. Both Raken and Kala had walked away unharmed. It was almost strange to even call it an accident. Not a single scratch, not a drop of blood left behind. And yet Kala remained unconscious, even hours after it happened.
Raken made her his sole focus. A blanket covered her entirely, an IV line carefully attached. She looked peaceful in her sleep. Those long lashes—had they always been that long, or was he only noticing now?
A flicker of memory pulled him under. Something felt wrong. The driver who had been replaced just minutes before they left. The road, unusually quiet—too quiet for a route that was usually busy. And when Raken pulled Kala out of the wreckage, not a single vehicle had passed by.
A faint movement, a weak groan, snapped him out of his thoughts. Raken quickly leaned closer, checking on her.
"Kala."
No response. Her eyes remained shut, hiding the color of her irises. Pale face. Shallow breaths. Weak body.
"Ken..."
The whisper stopped him from stepping away.
"Ken..." she called again.
"I'm here, Kala."
"I'm scared, Ken. It's dark."
"Open your eyes. Look at me. I'm right here."
Raken took her hand in his.
Slowly, light seeped into Kala's vision. Her eyelids fluttered open—only to shut again.
"Too bright."
Raken lifted his hand, shielding her eyes from the sunlight.
"Try again."
Hearing his steady voice, Kala tried once more—until finally, her eyes opened fully.
The first thing she saw was Raken's face. The same lines, the same cold aura that never seemed to change. A tear slipped down her cheek.
Relief.
Because at the edge of her fear, Raken was still there. Still the place she would always search for. The safety she needed. The calm when her world turned into a storm.
"Everything's okay, Kala. Hold back your tears."
"I can't… they won't stop, Ken."
Instead of fading, her sobs grew louder. Her body trembled, completing the sorrow she had been holding back.
Raken said nothing. He let her cry.
She needed to let it out, even if no words came with it. So he stayed, letting her tears fill the silence. If it brought her peace, then so be it.
His grip tightened slightly, trying to pass on warmth he wasn't even sure he possessed.
"How was the funeral, Ken? Our car? Why am I here? Was it all a dream?"
After crying herself out, Kala leaned against the headboard.
"Pramudya attended the funeral on your behalf. As for the car… there was a minor incident on the road."
Kala let out a breath. She was still sniffling, but calmer now.
"Why does it feel like someone set all of this up? My parents' accident… and now me?"
"No. That's just your imagination."
Even as he said it, Raken knew otherwise.
This wasn't coincidence. Someone had planned it—and failed.
Kala was the sole heir now. Anyone who wanted her gone would gain everything—Ningtyas' name, its assets.
There was only one likely candidate.
Mahatma.
Considering how Rilen had threatened him… and the strange aura Pramudya carried.
In that moment, Raken realized—what he saw between Pra and Kala yesterday hadn't been his imagination.
There had been a flash of hatred in that man's eyes.
Anger. Ambition.
Ready to devour.
Kala was being hunted.
A merciless devil had set its sights on her.
The door opened.
Pra stepped in, smiling as usual. His gentle gaze locked onto Kala.
"How are you feeling, Kala?"
"Better, Uncle."
Then, in an instant, his expression changed. The warmth vanished, replaced by something sharp. His smile twisted.
"You should've died too."
Silence.
Kala questioned her own hearing. She froze, trying to piece together what he had just said. Her breath caught when she realized—it wasn't a mistake.
"You heard me? You should've died willingly… before I make your life a living hell."
A low chuckle escaped Pra.
"Watch your words in front of the Lady of the House."
Raken's voice cut through the air, making Pra's jaw tighten.
A scoff slipped out.
"Before she ever becomes Lady of the House, I'll make sure she's gone. Or would my dear niece rather offer her life willingly?"
"Your words have gone too far, Sir. If anyone's leaving this place, it's you."
A brief pause.
Pra's sharp gaze shifted to him.
"Go ahead. The door's still wide open."
"To hell with that!"
Pra turned back to Kala.
"Kala, choose. Die here, or leave Ningtyas. A spoiled girl like you will only bring disaster to this family. What do you even have to be proud of when you can't do anything?"
The words struck harder than they should have.
Kala shattered.
Her sanity slipped.
A scream tore through the room, followed by Pramudya's laughter.
Raken immediately pulled her into his arms, trying to give her the safety she could no longer feel. Her cries grew louder, spilling out beyond the room.
The man she once knew as Pra—the one filled with warmth—was gone.
In his place stood a blade.
One that stabbed her over and over until her soul bled dry.
Pra had destroyed everything.
The peace Kala once held crumbled into ruins, leaving nothing but scattered pain.
Where was the Pramudya she liked?
Where had that gentle warmth gone?
"Listen carefully. What you did to Rilen—I'll do the same to you. Every bit of pain Rilen felt will be yours. You always looked down on her, broke her pride just because you're Ningtyas! A spoiled, insufferable child like you doesn't deserve to be part of this family. Useless!"
Pramudya had become someone else entirely.
A devil in human skin.
His hand shot forward, aiming for Kala's head—but Raken swiftly blocked it, shielding her in his embrace.
"Hah! The more I look at you, the more I'm motivated to make you suffer, Kala. A child like you has bodyguards? What is there to protect from someone so useless?!"
Kala's screams rose higher.
Each word tore through her mind and heart.
She trembled violently, burying herself deeper into Raken. And he knew—
something inside her had broken.
Pra's laughter rang out, feeding on her pain.
"Look at her. This crazy child isn't fit to lead Ningtyas."
"STOP!"
Kala's voice cut through the chaos.
Her hands clamped over her ears, trying to block everything out.
"You should leave, Sir. Before I drag you out myself."
"I don't know what Rilen sees in a lowly bodyguard like you… to the point she asked me not to touch you."
"DON'T! DON'T TAKE KEN! DON'T! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!"
Kala clung to Raken desperately, her nails digging into his back. Her fear was real—her body shaking uncontrollably.
"Well then… my sweet girl, would you like to leave peacefully? Let Uncle handle Ningtyas? That way, I won't take your precious bodyguard."
Kala loosened her grip slightly, staring at him with unreadable eyes.
"You want that, don't you? I promise—you and him can live peacefully."
"I want that, Uncle. I do."
She nodded again and again until Raken cupped her face, forcing her to stop.
"You're more disgusting than an animal."
Raken's voice dropped, laced with venom.
"We're all just trying to survive. Let's just say I try harder than most—by any means necessary."
"Even if it means killing an entire family? You want to live by ending others."
"Oh, come on… you can't gain anything without dirtying your hands. If you want more, you do whatever it takes."
"You're insane. Wealth and power don't make you a king—your conscience does."
"Conscience? Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed, hollow and sharp.
There was no joy in it.
Only pain, forced into sound.
"Ken, let's go. Take me away from here… please."
Kala gripped his hand tightly. Her hair was a mess, her breathing uneven. Her soul—shattered.
All she needed now was peace.
And Pramudya had taken that from her.
"That's right. That's exactly what you should do. Leave. Go as far as you can. Never come back. Never show your face to me again. Understood?"
Kala nodded, then buried herself in Raken's embrace once more.
No one else was allowed to touch him.
No one else could want him.
Everything could be taken from her—
except Raken.