The Antagonist
Truth

A rancid smell filled the warehouse where the four thugs were held captive, their situation was truly apprehensive. An inert purple face, blood flowing at the corners of the lips that were visible started to dry out. Not to mention their bodies are filled with scratches that are very deep.

Vichy ...

One of the men with a stocky body splashed water on his four. The thugs thrashed on the chair they were sitting on, the rope wrapped around the body from hand to foot. Their movements are limited and the friction caused even makes their bodies feel more pain.

"Do you still want to sleep?" the baritone voice of someone wearing a mask made the four thugs fully aware. Their bodies stiffened, the man was a masked man who attacked and beat them mercilessly.

"How, what's your sleep?" asked like that, the bodies of the thugs were trembling even more.

Is he kidding? How can it be good, if the men just keep giving wounds to their bodies. Seems to have been skinned alive.

The masked man opened his mask and displayed a devil smile.

"Sir, they won't admit who told them to." Alex came down respecting the man.

Not a regret if you don't arrive late. The thugs grimaced, regretting that they had been tempted and accepted the job. If time could be turned, they would want to reject the job outright even how much of a salary offer was given.

"Oh yeah?" the man raised one of his eyebrows.

"Master, forgive us. We really don't know who sent us." The answer is exactly the same as the answer that was questioned by Alex yesterday.

"Yes, Sir. We really don't know. That guy was in touch with us through messages."

The other two nodded in affirmation with a face of light. They had no idea who had told them.

Alex knew the intent of the gaze of the man standing before him, "The number is no longer active, Sir. Its last location was on a bridge that was rarely passed. There's no CCTV access we can track."

There was a sigh of anger from the man. He was about to turn around to leave, there was no point in being here.

The thugs slightly heaved a sigh of relief, as the monstrous male superior of these people would leave them just like that. But a second later, his fourth body slumped not upon hearing the edict coming out of his mouth.

"Make them feel the punishment of their evil deeds .. whatever you want to do!" there was a horrible smile full of intent from those burly men.

"Good, Sir." Gracefully they simultaneously.

After the man came out with Alex, there was a scream from the four of them mutually agreed.  The two people who walked away did not care at all.

*****

Ayu walks down the aisle of the hospital where Rizky was treated. He asked the receptionist for a room.

"On behalf of Rizky Febian, it's in rose room number 03." The receptionist said, Ayu thanked him and walked to it. His hand held the fruit that the boy liked.

Before Ayu opened the door he heard a rumour inside there making him undo his intention.

"What the fuck are you, Ky?! Brother told you not to fight them or leave the girl alone!" Maya scolds her brother who is still limp on the patient's bed. "Now look, you're battered like this."

"Can't, Brother. I can't leave her." Rizky said softly in response to her brother's anger.

"J-so, the thugs yesterday's messenger Brother?!" The teenage boy looked in disbelief, his brother did such a cruel thing. Yes, yesterday almost destroyed two people. Him and Ayu.

Ayu outside the door shut her mouth also in disbelief, she retreated slowly with trembling legs. Yesterday's painful events repeated. No longer able to survive there, he also chose to go home. The goal of visiting Rizky disappeared instantly.

Maya demanded her mouth, she shook her head to quibble. But his movements have been read by his sister.

"Already, Ky. I don't want to talk anymore." Maya disconnects their contact meeting, ends the conversation and passes.

"Sister, only one person has become a monster in our village." The teenager warned her brother, not wanting him to follow in the footsteps of their father who was like a terrible monster. Even their own mother died at his hands.

Maya's body paused for a moment, her hands clenched not when the old bastard's face appeared in her mind. He hated the figure glorified by his father's name. Maya considers it nothing else and nothing is not a human-shaped demon.

Ayu arrived home with a staggering step, the fact of truth she had just learned really shook her. The person he always defended faced his brother, even willingly hostile to Nayla, his sister-in-law, was the same person who wanted to harm him.

What's the girl's fault? Why would Maya do that? But whatever the purpose, it's still the wrong thing. It cannot be justified on any basis.

The girl thought to herself if she should have anything to do with Rizky. Yeah, maybe Maya doesn't like their relationship. Ayu leaned her head on the sofa, her mind was in complete chaos.

"What's wrong?" Nayla came with two orange juices. That is of course good, want to establish a good relationship with the sister-in-law.

Ayu turned to Nayla, and immediately sat up straight. For a moment, the girl wanted to tell her problem to the sister-in-law. But urung considering the relationship the two had just improved a little yesterday. Surely the girl is prestige and later afraid to be considered sensitive.

"It's okay, brother." Ayu turned her head back on the sofa.

"If there's a story, consider it your story's brother." Nayla grabs Ayu's hand warmly, "If there's something not to hold yourself, it could be dangerous or even explode at some point."

Nayla's words made Ayu think deeply, should she tell a story?

What he has lived all his life has always been alone. How not so, he has no storytelling friends. If other teenage girls will tell stories while sleeping in understanding his mother, then Ayu always just soak, swallow, eat it alone. Her mother didn't have much time for such a trivial thing. And now there is Nayla who wants to be a willing listener.

"Sister, I have a temen. She told me that her relationship with her boyfriend was fine, but her brother didn't like the girl. The guy's good, really good. So my confused friends want to break up the guy or keep going. Because the relationship is not sanctioned by that."

Yeah, if Maya blesses their relationship why she doesn't like him. That's what bothered the girl's mind, had to go ahead or just stop. Because of course he still knows how to love himself, by avoiding those who want to hurt him.

Nayla was silent for a moment, the relationship without approval is complicated especially after marriage. There are many obstacles and challenges to be faced. Problems like and dislike, of course, must ask the person concerned so that we know where their faults and dislikes are located in order to improve themselves. But that doesn't mean we have to be someone else.

"If it is love, it is worth fighting for. But if one of them does not want to fight together to get blessing, it is better to just retreat. The relationship will be very complicated and disappointing for either party. So try to ask the same of both, would not fight together?"

Ayu looks dreamy, does Rizky really love her? Or is it just Maya's orders approaching her?

Nayla saw Ayu daydreaming, her hand outstretched rubbing Ayu's hair gently. "But say you don't have to think that far, you're still teenagers. There is still a lot you want to do, you want to achieve and achieve. So if falling in love is held back, improve yourself first, continue to increase your potential. Even if we can't have loved ones at least we don't self-destruct, or don't become oppressed women." Ayu was silent for quite a while, digesting all the advice from the sister-in-law.

*****

Seriate...