Naia woke up to the sound of clanging metal. Every muscle in her body ached from yesterday's chores. Life in the province was tough and completely different from the city life she was used to. As she lay there, she heard the insistent clanging of a metal cooking pot banging like a bell. It was her Auntie Dina's way of waking her up.

"Time to wake up, princess," her aunt teased with sarcasm, "What time do you think it is? The sun's about to set!" she joked, though it was just past 8 in the morning.

Naia groaned as she sat up, struggling to adjust to waking up so early. Back in Manila, she usually slept in until around two in the afternoon. "You're overreacting, Auntie, it's only 8. The roosters are probably still sleeping," she muttered, rolling her eyes—only to hear a rooster crowing right on cue.

Her Auntie raised an eyebrow, hands on her hips. "Oh, so now you're blaming the rooster, huh? Here—" She tossed Naia a broom. "Take this. Start sweeping outside, Miss City Girl. And remember, no breakfast until the house is clean."

Naia frowned. "Shouldn't I at least eat first?"

"Nope. We work before we eat," Auntie Dina said firmly. "Now, hurry up. Clean first, then you can eat—and don't forget to water the plants afterward. Or I'll have to call your father and tell him to send you somewhere even farther away."

"N-no, Auntie, please don't," Naia pleaded.

"Then get moving," her aunt replied sharply before turning and walking away.

Grumbling under her breath, Naia got up to wash her face, resigned to her new routine. She knew better than to argue. Her dad's "lesson" felt more like punishment, but she had no choice but to deal with it. If she didn't, he'd probably send her somewhere farther. So, all she could do now was wait for summer break to end.

Naia followed Auntie Dina's orders and went downstairs to clean the house. On her way, she spotted her grandma already up and crocheting. These days, her grandma seemed to do little else, often struggling to remember things due to dementia.

Naia approached her with a soft, "Good morning, Grandma." Her grandma gave a faint smile, but there was no recognition in her eyes. It made Naia long for the days when her grandma had been the one to care for her. Before tears could rise, Naia pushed the sadness aside and focused on cleaning, just as her Auntie Dina had asked.

Once Naia finished cleaning, she sat down to breakfast, her stomach growling in protest. Auntie Dina was nowhere to be found, probably at the market picking up some things.

Auntie Dina, her mother's older sister, was strict but caring. She had never married or had kids, choosing instead to focus on her career. But now, with no one else to care for her Grandma, Auntie Dina had returned to the province to look after her.

After finishing her meal, Naia washed the dishes, still lost in thought about how she ended up here. Her mind wandered until her phone rang, snapping her back to reality. She grabbed the old, beaten-up phone—her only connection to the outside world. It was a basic, non-smartphone with a keypad, the kind that only let her call and text. No apps, no internet, just pure old-school functionality. When she saw an unregistered number, she knew it wasn't her dad. She wiped her hands on her clothes and answered.

"Zuup, sis! I was so worried about you!" a voice came through, full of warmth. It was her best friend, Rina.

Naia blinked, surprised. "How did you get my number?"

"I asked your dad. At first, he didn't want to give it to me, but I just kept on asking him until he did," Rina said with a laugh. "By the way, how's it going there? Your dad said you'd be there the whole summer."

"Doing good. Still adjusting."

"Girl, I miss you so much. Why don't you just tell him what really happened? He'll understand."

Naia sighed, a little defeated. "Nah, he'll never get it. I just have to accept it. It's only two months, and then I'll be back. Just wait for me, okay?"

"I can't wait that long. I miss you so much. Give me your address, and I'll come visit you," Rina insisted. Naia hesitated for a moment before finally giving it to her. "Great! I'll visit you soon," Rina replied, sounding excited.

After the call ended, Naia went outside to water the plants. In the yard, she spotted a few stray cats playing around. They weren't her auntie's pets, just random cats that had made their way onto the property.

Naia went inside, grabbed some leftovers, and went out to feed the cats. She had always had a soft spot for cats and treated them like her own.

As she walked back, she overheard the locals chatting, their voices floating through the air like they had nothing better to do.

"Did you hear? Another one's gone missing. Just a month, and now there's another victim."

"She's probably already dead, been missing for days."

"That poor girl."

A man rushed past them, his voice frantic. "They found the body!" he shouted.

"They did? Do they know who did it?"

"No, but she was connected to that cursed kid. That's probably why she's dead."

"That poor girl. So beautiful, but tied to that cursed boy. He's bad news. Always will be."

"Where did they find her body?"

"At the lake. The body's at the lake."

Naia couldn't help but watch as the crowd quickly moved toward the lake. It was just a short walk from their house, a fishing spot Naia used to visit when she was a child.

Naia, scared but curious, couldn't stop herself from following. "Grandma, I'll be back soon," she called as she ran after the others. The whispers followed her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. What body were they talking about? Who was dead?

As she neared the lake, police officers appeared, shouting at the crowd to stay back. But the locals ignored them, pushing forward, desperate to get a glimpse. Naia could hear the chatter from every direction, the gossip spreading faster than their hurried footsteps. She could feel the panic rising, and then the whispers turned into frantic voices.

This place was all too familiar to Naia—full of memories that once terrified her. But now, she found herself back here again. "What's happening?" she asked, her voice thick with confusion and fear.

A girl standing next to her, dressed in a simple shirt, quickly answered. "It's Margareth, the captain's daughter. I—I think they're bringing Calix in for questioning. I have to warn him," the girl said urgently, rushing off. But before she could get far, a car slammed into her.

"No!" Naia cried out, rushing to her side as the girl lay unconscious. "Call an ambulance!" she shouted in panic, but the crowd just stared, doing nothing.

Naia overheard whispers from the bystanders, "Don't help her, that's the cursed kid's sister."

What kind of people were these? Someone had just been hit by a car, and no one lifted a finger? Naia's anger flared, but then a police officer appeared and quickly moved to assist.

"Are you with her?" the officer asked. Naia almost denied it, but before she could speak, the girl stirred and weakly gripped her arm.

"She—she's with me," the girl whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Alright, we're taking her to the hospital," the officer said, and they hurried toward the police car.

At the hospital, Naia stayed by the girl's side, unsure of what was going on. She didn't even know who this girl was, but she couldn't leave her alone. There was no one else around, and the strange rumors about the girl being connected to some cursed boy swirled in her mind. It was only her second day in the province, and everything felt way more complicated than she expected.

A few hours later, the girl woke up in a panic. "I need to hurry... I need to warn my brother, I need to warn Calix," she repeated, her voice filled with fear.

Still confused, Naia called for the nurse. "Calm down. Who are you talking about?" she asked gently.

"My brother," the girl replied, her wide eyes full of worry. The nurse quickly came in and tried to calm her down, giving her an injection to help her relax. "No..." the girl protested weakly as the drug took effect, draining her energy. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice fading. "I had to bring you here... You're the new girl, right?" she asked, looking at Naia with tired eyes.

Naia nodded, still lost in confusion. How did she know she was new in town?

"I'm Cana," the girl whispered faintly. "You need to hurry. Tell my brother, Calix, to hide..." Her voice trailed off as she lost consciousness.

Naia was about to check on the girl when, suddenly, the door swung open, and a man appeared. He was about 1.7 meters tall, with fair skin and the kind of good looks you'd expect from a celebrity. Who's this handsome? Naia wondered to herself.

"Who are you?" he asked, his tone less than friendly. "Are you one of the people who hurt my sister?"

Feeling offended, Naia answered, "I assume you're her brother? Well, hate to break it to you, but no—I'm actually the person you should be thanking." Her words full of sarcasm, but the man seemed entirely preoccupied with Cana, his expression filled with concern.

"Look at what they did to you," he whispered softly, sadness lacing his voice. "I'm so sorry."

Naia's patience wore thin as he continued to ignore her. "By 'they,' are you implying I had something to do with it?" she scoffed. "Wow, that's ungrateful. I'm leaving," she said, irritated. She walked out, but the man didn't say a word to her, which only made Naia even more annoyed.

By the time Naia left the hospital, evening had fallen. She was still annoyed by how rude that man, whom she assumed was Calix, had been. As she walked down the street, she noticed her Auntie Dina standing at their gate, talking to the police.

When Auntie Dina saw her, relief and worry crossed her face. "Officers, thank you for coming, but my niece is here now. Sorry for the trouble," Auntie Dina said as Naia approached.

The police nodded and left. Auntie Dina rushed over. "Where have you been? I called your father and thought you went back to the city. We were so worried!" she said, clearly relieved.

"I... got caught up in the commotion earlier," Naia explained. "There was a body found at the lake, and then a girl was hit by a car. She was alone, so I stayed with her at the hospital. I'm sorry for worrying you, Auntie."

"For heaven's sake, don't do that again," Auntie Dina said, exasperated. "Especially with everything going on." she added.

"What's going on?" Naia asked, confused. But her aunt didn't answer. "What? Tell me," Naia insisted.

"Let's talk inside," Auntie Dina said, glancing at the darkening sky. "It's getting late."

Auntie Dina stepped inside, and Naia silently followed. They entered the house without exchanging another word. Once they were settled, Auntie Dina let out a heavy sigh and turned to face Naia.

"There are things you wouldn't understand about this place," Auntie Dina began, her voice weighed down by worry. "I didn't tell you because I wanted you to have a normal life here, just like your father wanted. But... I don't know if any of this will make sense to you—someone here is cursed."

"Cursed?" Naia echoed, confusion in her voice.

"Yes," Auntie Dina said grimly. "Someone was cursed by the Cat King. It's believed that he's been given nine lives, and he's already claimed seven victims. He needs to kill nine people to continue to live."

Naia's eyes widened. What is she talking about? Can someone truly be cursed and cause this much chaos?

"And he has already killed seven people?" Naia asked, trying to grasp the gravity of it.

Auntie Dina nodded, her expression troubled. "At first, we thought it was just a series of terrible coincidences. But girls your age started disappearing, and nine days later, their bodies would be found. All of them were somehow connected to one person—the cursed boy. His name is Calix. Don't go near him. He's believed to strike only at night, so as long as you stay inside after dark, you should be safe."

Calix—the man she had met earlier—was the killer? But he didn't look like one. Should she tell her aunt about their encounter? What if it's true and she's next?

"If it's really Calix, then why hasn't he been arrested?" Naia asked.

"Because he kills perfectly," Auntie Dina replied. "No evidence, nothing that links him to the murders. But it's an open secret around here."

"Nothing links him to the crimes? But people still claim the victims are connected to him. How?"

"They say that if you had taken interest with the cursed boy, it seals your fate," Auntie Dina explained. "Every one of those girls showed interest in him—and then, days later, they were found dead."

None of it made sense to Naia. Why was Calix cursed? How could all of this be real?

"If you're scared, I can call your father to take you somewhere safer. Though, I suspect you wouldn't want to be sent even farther away, would you?" her aunt added, watching Naia closely.

Naia frowned, still trying to wrap her head around everything. "No, Auntie, please don't do that. I can handle myself."

Auntie Dina gave her a stern look. "Alright then, let's make a deal. From now on, you have to follow my rules."

Naia reluctantly nodded, and her aunt continued, "First, no going out after dark—"

"Wait, hold on," Naia interrupted, frustration clear in her voice. "This is starting to sound like I'm some kind of prisoner now."

"As you should be," her aunt said with a teasing grin. For a moment, the tension broke, and they shared a quick, nervous laugh, though the underlying fear of what was happening in this town lingered between them.