Author's Note: Trigger Warning!
Third Person POV
Sigaw ang bumalot sa kwarto kung nasan si Astraea ngayon, she couldn't believe herself on when she could could still have that strength to scream, pero sa tuwing lumalatay ang ang latigo sa hubad niyang katawan ay hindi niya mapigilan ang sumigaw, umiyak, at magmakaawa.
Hilam na napatingin siya sa kasama, tahimik na umiiyak na lang ito, hinang hina habang nakagapos ang kamay. They are both chained from above, hands tied up in the air, at dahil sa pagod at panghihina ay mas lalong sumasakit ang gapos nila dahil nahihirapan na rin silang tumayo.
"Please... Please po..." Iyak ni Astraea but they continued hitting her, bukod sa likod ay pati binti at braso niya ang nilalatigo, and a camera is pointed at her naked and tortured state.
Nang dumating si Hera ay sinira ng mga lalaking kasama niya ang dmait ni Astraea tapos ay ginapos ito pati ang babaeng kasama, she was scared. She felt lonely. Sinisigaw ng isip niya si Lucien na iligtas siya pero pakiramdam niya ay kung iligtas man siya ni Lucien ay hindi na siya maabutan pa nito. She's feeling so tired.
"Gising!" Sabay buhos ng malamig na tubig sa kanya, her whole body shiver, ngunit saglit lang iyon dahil mulis siyang nakaramdam ng matalim na palo mula sa latigo nila. She just ekpt screaming and screaming until she couldn't anymore at tanging iyak na lang ang nagawa niya.
***
Pagdating ni Lucien sa headquarters ng Lardizabal ay suntok ang inabot niya mula sa kapatid ni Astraea, no one dared stop Zepharos from beating the hell out of Lucien, and he didn't even fight back. He deserved it anyway, he knows how dangerous it is to leave Astraea alone, peor ginawa pa rin niya. He knows the degree of the situation, but he still left her.
He could only imagine how she must have felt that time. Astraea is not the bravest person, she gets easily startled and Lucien could cry just by thinking how scared it was for her.
Nang makuntento si Zepharos ay binitawan na rin niya si Lucien, fixed his slightly crumpled clothes and went back to his seat. Hindi naman bumangon si Lucien sa lapag at tinignan lang ang kisame, wala na siyang pakielam kung makita man siya ng iba nilang kasamahan. He feels weaker by the second. Bawat segundo ay lalo lang siyang natatakot, lalo lang siya nawawalan ng pag-asa.
Hera has Astraea... it could only mean one thing.
"I'm sorry," bulong ni Lucien.
"Your sorry won't save my sister, Lardizabal." Saad ni Zepharos. Bumangon paupo si Lucien at tinignan ang lahat ng nasa paligid, his parents, and even Astraea's parents are here. They have been travelling since they retired, pero napauwi ang mga ito upon hearing about their daughter.
