"You couldn't reach them either?" Adam frowned.

He was on his phone with Bright, inside a cab. On his way back home.

"No man. And I got stuck here. Am on my way back."

"Yeah okay. I'll be there in five."

"See you."

Adam cut the call, looking sideways at the shopping bags. He rested back. He was busy the for the whole day yesterday. And couldn't call Marilyn. Now that he was trying. She wasn't receiving his call. Well, it was early morning. They must be asleep.

Though, he was feeling a pit grow inside his stomach, when Bright told him that even he wasn't able to reach Marilyn. From last night. He decided to ignore it.

"Could you please drive faster?" Adam requested the cabbie.

"Sure sir."

Adam kept looking at the racing scenes, out of the window. Waiting with batted breathes. To reach back to his daughter.

His hand trembled, looking at the slightly ajar maindoor of Marilyn's house. Adam didn't want to open the door for some reason. He gulped a lump. And drew in a breath. As he pushed the door open and stepped in.

The gifts he was carrying, fell off his hands. As he looked around with slacked jaws. The house was a mess. Things were broken. And shattered.

"Marly..." Adam called, looking around. "Leah... Leah... Baby answer me."

He looked around the house. Under the bright morning lights, that sipped through the windows. His heart thudding. As he broke in cold sweat. His knees feeling too heavy.

Adam's heart skipped some beats, when he saw a pair of feet on the floor, peeking out from the side of a couch. Next to the fireplace.

Adam rushed towards it. And his world turned out. Looking at Marilyn lying there. Lifeless. And naked. Her thighs tainted with dry blood. And bruises on her beautiful face and body.

He didn't know where and how he found his senses. But he grabbed a tattered curtain, lying nearby. And covered Marilyn with it. He held back his tears as he kneeled besides Marilyn.

Trying to ignore his nagging feeling of searching his daughter. He didn't want to find his daughter.

Adam approached his trembling hand towards Marilyn. And touched her face. He blinked feeling a little warmth. Adam drew in shaky breathes, as he grabbed Marilyn's wrist. And concentrated. It was there. It was faint but it was there. Marilyn still had pulse.

Adam pulled out his phone and dialled a number. The receiver soon responded.

"What's your emergency?"

"Can you please send an ambulance and someone." Adam was still grabbing Marilyn's wrist.

"What's the cause, sir?"

"Just hurry up..." Adam snapped.

"Okay. Calm down sir. Tell me your address."

Adam gave the address. "I need an ambulance. Immediately."

"Someone will be there in 5 minutes."

Adam didn't respond. As he dropped his phone. And tapped Marilyn's face lightly.

"Marly. Wake up. Hey, wake up."

Adam rushed to the kitchen and got a glass of water. He sprinkled a little on Marilyn's face. And sighed when there was a faint response.

He held Marilyn carefully in his arms. Brushing away her messy blonde hairs. While she coughed a little. She slowly opened her eyes and looked back. Her lips slowly trembled, as she grabbed Adam's arm. Her blue grey eyes pooling with tears.

"Ssshhh. It's okay." Adam brittled, hugging Marilyn closer. "You are fine."

Marilyn shook her head and pointed a shaky finger towards Adam's back.

Adam shook his head at her instantly. Refusing to acknowledge the huge elephant that was there.

Adam knew, Marilyn was pointing towards her room. He saw the door wide open, the moment he walked in.

"I am so sorry." Marilyn cried.

And Adam broke in tears. Continuing to shake his head. Caressing Marilyn's face. Looking back at her eyes. Pleading silently, for her to assure that things weren't the way Adam was thinking.

"Go... I am fine... Just go." Marilyn sobbed.

"No." Adam refused.

"She was waiting for you, Adam. Go." Marilyn sobbed.

Adam carefully lied down Marilyn. As he walked towards the room. Dreading if he stopped, he won't be able to walk in.

The room was bathing in morning lights. Everything was the same. Except for the pool of blood, on the white covers. Adam saw from the corner of his eyes.

He rubbed a hand down his face, and collected the little courage. And finally faced the bed. He dropped on his knees. His whole system going in shut down. Looking at his beautiful daughter.

Adam gasped, holding his chest. As he pulled himself back on his feet. And opened his jacket.

"Hey. Leah." Adam crooned. "Hey, sweetheart. Look, I am back. Just like I promised."

Adam didn't hear any whine. Never saw any pout. Or exaggerated protests from the tiny mouth.

"Leah..." Adam brittled, looking at the tiny lifeless form. "Baby please, talk to me. Don't do this to Daddy."

Adam sobbed. When he got no response. As he slowly covered the tiny, naked form and collected it in his arms. Wrapped in his jacket and held against his chest. Trembling. Feeling the cold thing.

Adam cried, and choked. Holding his little princess in his arms. Not ready to acknowledge in any way that she wasn't there with him anymore. That his little cupcake suffered so much. He never should have left. When Leah asked him not to.

Marilyn crawled and dragged herself inside the room. Holding the curtain around herself. She wailed looking at the bundle Adam was holding in his arms. Rocking to and fro. She fell against Adam. As he held them both.

"Leah..." Marilyn screamed. Peeking at the face from Adam's jacket.

She dropped on her knees, resting her forehead against Adam's knees. Hating that she survived. Hating that all of this, was because of her.

Adam caressed her head. "I have to go."

Marilyn kept crying. As she let Adam walk away. Carrying his daughter.

Leah's murder was never reported. Adam had just walked away, with Leah and everything that he got for her. Marilyn didn't say a thing. When the police came. And she was taken to the hospital. She shut herself. She didn't even remember the assaulters. And Bright found her the same way.

When Adam visited them. Three days later. In the same clothes he wore when he found Leah. He was full of stubbles. Shabby and red eyed.

Bright punched him, the moment he saw him. Then grabbed his collars.

"Where's Leah?" Bright glared. "Where is she?"

"Bright, stop it." Marilyn brittled.

"Why didn't you report?"

Adam kept looking back with blank eyes at Bright.

"Answer me. God dammit." Bright snapped.

"And let them cut open my cupcake?" Adam whispered. "Let them dissect her already ripped little body?"

Bright clenched his jaws, with wide eyes, his eyes getting misty.

"I kept her somewhere safe. She is sleeping now."

Bright pulled Adam in his arms. Who kept standing blankly. Without any response.

He went and caressed Marilyn's face, when Bright parted. And kissed her head.

"Adam. I am sorry."

"Sshhh... it's not your fault." Adam cupped her face. "Not your fault. I am glad you are okay."

Marilyn stared at the hazel eyes. Holding Adam's wrists. And she failed to recognise the eyes. It was dead. Adam was dead somewhere. Though he came back.

"Adam." Marilyn cupped Adam's face. With wide eyes.

She couldn't form any word, looking at Adam's eyes. But, she was feeling a dread inside her. A fear. Looking at the blank stare. And Bright wasn't jealous for the first time. As he cried. Blaming himself for not coming back sooner.

Adam drowned himself in alcohol. But no matter how much he drank. He couldn't stop feeling the burn that was constantly there.

Or how he heard and felt Leah in every corner of his house.

Bright was there for him everyday. Him and Marilyn. Who was staying at Bright's place. Refusing to be anywhere near the house. But Adam was blind to it all.

And the only thing he felt was, how he failed to be a protector. How he failed his deceased sister. And how his little daughter was tore of her innocence. Without even knowing what the world looked like.

Adam was inside a backroad bar. Hiding away from Bright. And also because for some reason he wanted to come here. It was a paradise for the dark side. And Adam didn't care as he drank his whiskey. Sitting on a corner table.

It was dark and dingy. Away from human population. With cheap drinks, women... Men and future less hook ups. Adam used to be here with Bright and his other friends, when they were in university. It was their go to place. After every stressful week.

Adam even met Joey here. Though she wasn't a future less hook up. And Adam was hopelessly in love. Or so he thought. Well, she left for an Audi. While, Adam was struggling. To make ends meet.

"That bitch is still alive."

Adam heard a whisper just behind. Breaking his chain of thoughts. The glass he was bringing to his lips, stopped midway. As he stared blankly at the table.

"I thought we killed her." There was another urgent whisper.

"Keep it down will you..." Someone hissed. "And no she is alive. But she doesn't remember us."

"And what about the..." A voice dropped.

Adam closed his eyes, with clenched jaws. Putting his glass down.

"What about the... Kid?"

"She is dead. Man, that insatiable David." Adam heard a disembodied, distressed hiss. "What the fuck was he thinking? Now, he is off the map. Leaving us in this fucking mess."

David... That was the only thing Adam registered.

He looked over once, and watched each of the four faces, carefully. Learning every etch and every feature of those faces closely.

Adam was staring blankly at the mask, he just pulled out. Of his pocket. And holding over his lap, under the table.

"Daddy. Wear this. You look like my own superhero. Who wears a mask."

Adam smiled sadly. Wasn't much of a superhero, was he? He wasn't even able to save a little child, who looked up to him.

He slowly put the mask on his face. Gazing blankly. And pulled his hood. Adam wasn't sure what he was about to do. But, sitting back and remembering how his little girl was brutally exploited wasn't one of the option.

The three men stared at the man who walked in their shack out of nowhere. In a creepy mask, and the creepiest whistling they ever heard.

And the first thing he did was stab a knife, right in Trevor's eyes, the moment he opened the door. And swing an axe next, when the others went for rescue. He was an amateur that was for sure. But the anger he was portraying in every attack, made him terrifying.

And it was more terrifying when he repeated one question, repeatedly in his deep cold voice.

"Who is David?"

"I'll tell. You. Please, I'll tell you." Carl dragged himself back.

Watching the masked man, chopping a leg off Rick's body. While he screamed. Trevor was dead. Rick was about to. The only people left were Carl and Ben. And something told them they won't be alive for very long, either.

Carl gasped, hearing the footsteps approaching him. As the man leaned down in front of him. Dead hazel eyes, stared back. And face, dripping with blood that sprayed.

The man tilted his head. And Carl knew. It was his que to tell. Carl gulped a lump.

"David Chanthara. He is some kind of new big deal here. Deals with drugs." Carl explained. "We were just trying to make some money man... I don't know what your deal is with him."

"Leah..." The man spoke. "A little girl... Ring a bell?"

Carl's eyes widened. "It... It... Wasn't us... I swear."

"David liked that chick." Rick gasped. "He... He was fascinated with her. But, that babe was there with her... We tried to stop him... He didn't. He wouldn't."

"Where is he?"

"We don't know." Carl was close to crying now. "We seriously don't know."

"I don't what you want from him. But we have nothing to do with the babe."

"And what about the woman?" The man tilted his head at them.

Carl and Ben, clenched their jaws gaping. They shared glances. Than looked back at the man.

"We are sorry. It was a grave mistake. Forgive us."

The man nodded blankly. Staring straight in their eyes. As he came to his feet.

"Marilyn, Bright..." The man called. Stepping back.

Carl and Ben gaped at the door. As a woman walked in. And they recognised her in instant. As they scrambled back. Watching the man passing the knife to Marilyn. Who was staring blankly at them. Taking the knife.

"They seek forgiveness." The man walked away, right out of the door.

Adam didn't stop. He kept chasing after one name without face. Killing and executing. In his wake. Getting hurt. And almost knocking deaths door sometimes.

But, he always recovered. For some reason. And grew more vicious than the last time. Getting blind, forgetting who he killed, how he killed. He just wanted David. Nothing else.

And it kept going for years. He left behind his home, his life, his friends. Even his name. Just to chase after a name, he didn't know the face of.

It changed. Five years later. When he saved a middle aged woman, in a back alley. His mother would have aged the same. If she was alive.

He realised something that day. Animalism is in human nature. Some suppresses. Some couldn't. And that instinct won't be eliminated. And no matter how much he chases after. It can never be enough.

And Leah wasn't coming back.

So... He changed his identity. Became a professor. Made a past in certificates. That he never lived. And did one thing. Which gave him a little solace. He started teaching women how to fight. Not just save themselves. But fight. Kill, if need be.

And he stopped. Being the killer, watching from the corner. He kept looking for Chanthara. Just stopped ruthlessly murdering. And focused on the women, who never seemed safe. Albeit their ages or dresses.

His sleeping instincts were triggered. When Chanthara surfaced. Eight years later.

Going on a desperate killing spree. And he looked deeper. Finally knowing. David was going ballistic after his brother Darren's death.

And Darren... Got him to Atid Sutthiluk. And Atid Sutthiluk lead him to Kongpob.

He was shocked to see the resemblance he had with Atid. He would have looked the same when he was younger.

Impressed would be an understatement of what he felt of Kongpob. And he also knew Kongpob will lead him to David.

So, he opened his drawer and pulled out the mask, he locked inside it. Tattered and faded. But still a reminder of Leah's bright smile.

And did what he used to do. Getting David's attention to himself. Distracting him a little from his brothers murderer. Making him confused.

And it wasn't hard leading both of them to each other. Though Kongpob was a little tough. As he kept tracking back. And he had to say, Kongpob did give him sleepless nights, forcing him to bounce his addresses.

David was thrilled to find him as the informer. His face was giving memories to David. And David really assumed that he trusted David. Not knowing, that he was waiting for David. From way back.

For Leah... And now, for some reason. He wanted David for Atid too. Atid's death. The viciousness, triggered the hidden demons in his heart.