Naia stood by the lake where, just days ago, everyone had been in a panic. Now, the area was taped off with police warnings, yet the town seemed to have gone back to normal, as if a girl's body had never been found. Naia had heard that the "cursed" boy was questioned but released due to lack of evidence. She was still confused—wondering if the curse was real.

As Naia walked around the lake, her knees felt weak and her heart heavy. She didn't know what to feel; this place meant so much to her. Tears fell down her cheeks. This was where her mother had died, a day she could never forget.

When Naia was little, her parents went fishing at the lake near her grandma's house, leaving Naia with her grandma. Everything seemed fine until her dad came home early to grab something he forgot. But when he returned to the lake, her mom was missing.

For days, they were terrified, fearing the worst. Then three days later, they found her mom's body floating in the lake. Naia had stood there with her dad, grandparents, and the police, watching them pull her mother's lifeless body from the water. The police have concluded that her mom might have slipped and drowned, and that image was burned into her mind, and it still hurt deeply.

Naia was pulled back to reality when a man approached her, prompting her to quickly wipe away her tears.

"Hey there, young lady. I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you new here?" The man, who looked to be in his early 40s, held a fishing rod in his hand. Fishing? But isn't this area restricted? Naia asked herself. Her Auntie Dina had warned her to be cautious about who she spoke to in town, especially around Calix, the so-called cursed boy.

As Naia studied the man, he offered a polite smile. "Oh, did I startle you? I'm Garren. I live nearby. I know things have been strange here lately for everyone, but don't worry—I'm not here to cause any trouble." He seemed kind, his tone friendly, and Naia felt herself relax a bit. He doesn't seem like someone dangerous, she thought.

"No, it's alright. I was just lost in thought," she replied. "Yes, I'm new here. I live at the Castro's house."

"The Castros, you say? Are you Dina's daughter by any chance?" Garren asked, curiosity in his eyes.

"N-no, she's my aunt," Naia explained.

"Ah, so you must be Aya's daughter," Garren continued, as if piecing together a puzzle.

Naia's heart skipped a beat. "You knew my mother?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Yes, we were good friends back in the day," Garren said, his gaze drifting to the lake. "But... well, then that tragedy happened." His expression grew somber. "Ah, I'm sorry—I shouldn't have brought that up."

"It's okay," Naia said quietly. "I'm... still trying to cope. But, you know, accidents happen."

Garren nodded slowly, then his face brightened as if to change the subject. "Say, how about we go fishing for a bit?"

"Fishing? Here?" Naia frowned. "But this area is off-limits," she said, hesitating.

"Oh, come on. Just for a little while," Garren urged with a grin. "Sometimes, breaking a rule or two is the only way to really enjoy yourself."

Garren seemed so genuine that Naia felt a spark of warmth. He reminded her of her dad—kind, determined, and always ready for adventure. But everything changed after her mom passed away; her dad became strict and overly protective. With no uncles, since her dad was an only child and her Aunt Dina never married, having an older male figure to bond with felt new to her. Maybe, just this once, it wouldn't hurt to join him.

Naia and Garren went fishing. They chatted, and Naia was eager to hear stories about her mother, someone she'd never really had the chance to know. Garren shared what he remembered about how they met.

"Your mom and I—we were friends in high school. She was a sweetheart: smart, bubbly, and popular. Then she went off to college in Manila, where she met your dad."

"You knew my dad too?"

"Not really, and I don't think he knew me. After she left for Manila, I didn't see her again until... well, until that tragedy."

"I'm glad you got to know her. Honestly, I barely remember anything. I was so young, and memories from that age just seem to fade," Naia said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Are you here on vacation or planning to stay for good?"

"You could call it a vacation, but really, it's more like punishment from my dad."

"Oh? What did you do?"

"Got into trouble at school."

"Middle school, huh? It's okay to break the rules sometimes, but you have to know your limits. Some mistakes can't be fixed or forgiven." Garren's words reminded Naia why she was there.

She nodded. "Maybe you're right."

After they finished fishing, Garren bid Naia a farewell. He told her to stay safe, especially with the town becoming more dangerous lately. He also told Naia that if she ever needed help or just someone to talk to, she could always reach out as she reminded him of his own niece. Their time together was brief, but Naia couldn't shake the feeling that Garren would make a pretty great uncle.

Naia returned home to find her Aunt Dina in the yard, gathering fresh vegetables from the planter box in front of her grandma's house.

"I thought you were just going for a walk. Where have you been?" her aunt asked, still focused on picking vegetables.

"I went fishing with Uncle Garren."

"Uncle Garren?" Aunt Dina paused, a light flickering in her eyes as she realized. "Oh, you mean Garren Reyes? The fisherman?"

"Yes, I met him by the lake, and we went fishing."

Aunt Dina froze, eyebrows raised in surprise. "That area is off-limits, Naia! What if the police had caught you?"

"But they didn't," Naia replied confidently.

"Still, don't do anything dangerous like that. By the way, how's Garren?" her aunt asked, softening a bit.

"He's pretty cool. He seemed really nice, too."

"That poor man," Aunt Dina murmured. "If you see him again, don't mention anything about the recent murders in town. Just be kind to him."

"Why? What's going on with him?"

"Before the latest victim, Margareth, Garren lost his niece, Sarah, to those Cat King murders, too."

Naia remembered Garren mentioning how she reminded him of his niece. Was that why he was so kind to her?

"Got it, Auntie. He's really nice, though," she said, moving closer to where Aunt Dina was picking vegetables.

"Yes, he is. People in town have always liked him," her aunt replied.

"Auntie, I'm curious about those murders. Can you tell me more about them?" Naia asked, but her aunt just shook her head.

"It's better if you don't know too much, Naia," she said, trying to change the subject.

"But how will I know if I'm in danger? Shouldn't I know what to avoid?" Naia asked.

"Just stay away from Calix and his sister, Cana. I don't know if you've met them, but don't get involved. They bring bad luck to this town," her aunt said firmly. Aunt Dina didn't know she had already helped Cana at the hospital. But still, it didn't make sense to Naia. Cana seemed kind, and Calix didn't look like someone capable of killing, let alone being cursed. He was even a bit too handsome to seem cursed. Then again, didn't some killers use charm to get close to their victims? She pushed the thought away, remembering how her dad taught her to be fair and give people a chance.

"Isn't it unfair, Auntie? Treating them like that? What if the curse isn't real and they're innocent?"

"It's better to be safe than sorry, Naia. Just listen to me, and you'll stay safe."

"But—" Naia began, but Aunt Dina cut her off.

"No buts. Your dad is arriving tonight, so come here and help me with dinner. And don't bring up anything about what's going on around here—unless you'd prefer to be sent somewhere even farther away."

Naia nodded. She had no choice but to follow. She knew her aunt just wanted to keep her safe, so she didn't argue. Still, she figured she could always ask around the neighborhood about the cat king murders. If her aunt wouldn't tell her, maybe someone else would—it was an open secret, after all.

After Naia helped Aunt Dina prepare dinner, her dad finally arrived to join them. He hadn't been able to come right away when Aunt Dina called him the other day while looking for Naia, as he'd been away on a business trip.

"Glad you made it," Aunt Dina said to her dad.

Naia waved. "Hi, Dad," she greeted him with a smile.

"Sorry I couldn't come sooner," he replied.

He then went to greet her grandma, handing her a basket of fruit. "Hello to my beautiful mother-in-law. These are for you—I hope you like them." Her grandma just smiled, barely recognizing him.

"Come, let's eat," Aunt Dina said, and Naia's dad joined them at the table.

"So, how's my girl Naia doing here?" her dad asked, almost as if she wasn't there. "Is she causing trouble? Maybe we should extend her stay—or even have her move here for good instead of coming back to Manila," he joked, though Naia knew he could be serious.

Naia frowned, dreading the thought. She looked to her aunt, silently pleading for her to say something nice.

"Naia's been very helpful around here, and I'd love for her to stay longer," Aunt Dina replied. "But we'll see. She's only been here a few days, so there's still time for her to prove herself."

"Seriously?" Naia whispered, staring at her aunt in disbelief.

"I understand," her father said. "Naia, make sure to behave well here," he continued.

After dinner, Naia's dad said his goodbyes, explaining he couldn't stay because of an early meeting the next morning.

Naia and Aunt Dina walked him to his car, sharing a few last words before he drove off into the night. As they headed back to the house, Aunt Dina reminded Naia to come straight inside after closing the gate, warning her that the "cursed boy," Calix, might be out at night.

As Naia was closing the gate, she suddenly heard a faint "psst" nearby. She paused, looking around, but saw no one. A chill crept over her. Was someone really there, or was it just her imagination? She brushed off the thought and hurried to the door. Even then, she couldn't help but glance around again, hoping to see something, but there was still no one in sight.

"Something wrong?" Aunt Dina's voice startled Naia. She decided not to mention it as she didn't want to worry her aunt, especially when she wasn't sure what she had heard.

"N-nothing, Auntie. I'll just go get ready for bed," she replied.

"Alright, good night then. Rest well, and make sure you're ready for your chores tomorrow," Aunt Dina said.

"Good night, Auntie. Good night, Grandma," Naia said, then made her way to her room—still couldn't decide if what she heard was real or just her imagination.

Naia's room was located at the front of the house, so she peered out the window once more, but saw nothing. Maybe it had been nothing after all. Let's just call it a day. She said to herself, trying to shift her focus to something else.

Naia reached for her phone, which she had left on the bed earlier. There wasn't much else she could do about it. As she scrolled through her phone, she noticed several missed calls and messages from her best friend, Rina. She opened the messages and saw that Rina had been on her way to visit earlier but couldn't find her address. She had tried to reach out, but Naia had failed to respond because she left her phone behind.

Without hesitation, Naia dialed Rina's number.  It rang for a few moments before going to voicemail. Her heart began to race. "Come on, Rina," she muttered to herself, willing the call to connect, but it was still unreachable.

The last message said Rina was waiting at the mart near the bus stop. Naia knew exactly where that was. Unease settled in as she realized it was already dark, and that text was hours old. Was Rina still there? Where could she be now?

Unable to reach her best friend by phone, Naia sent a text asking where Rina was. She waited anxiously for a reply, but there was no response, even through text. Naia felt helpless. What could have happened to her best friend?

She hoped that Rina had just gone back to Manila, but deep down, she knew her best friend too well. Naia couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She knew Aunt Dina wouldn't allow her to go out searching for Rina, so she decided to sneak out.

Despite the danger of going out in the dark, Naia couldn't stay still. Not knowing where her best friend was felt worse than anything she might face.

As she stepped outside, the cold air made her shiver.  She looked around, expecting to see something—or someone—in the dark. Then, a sound from behind made her freeze. Naia's heart beating fast. Was someone really there, or was it just her imagination?