THE FOOL-Chapter 44: Embrace of a Nightmare

----Continuation of Flashback 3 years ago----

As Loren stepped out of the police station, she immediately spotted a familiar face.

Wait... that's one of the staff from the airport earlier, she thought.

"Sir! Sir!" she called out urgently, not hesitating for even a second.

"Please, where did you take my boyfriend? I just want to know where he is. He didn't do anything wrong, did he?" Her voice trembled with desperation, and her eyes pleaded for any answer.

But the two men she had approached didn't seem to care in the slightest. They were casually puffing on their cigarettes, blowing smoke in every direction without concern. They passed the stick back and forth like it was a shared game.

Finally, one of them spoke with a smug tone.

"Oh, you mean the guy who had a bullet in his bag? Chief Eman's handling that now."

"Please, sir... I'm begging you," Loren pleaded again, her voice cracking. "Just tell me where you took him."

They exchanged glances. One of them sighed.

"Tsk. Fine," he said with a twisted grin. He leaned in and whispered something to his companion that Loren couldn't quite hear—and then both men laughed, their grins widening.

"All right," the first man said, blowing out a long stream of smoke.

"We'll tell you where your boyfriend is... but you're gonna have to pay us for that information."

"Do you have two thousand pesos with you?" one of the men asked, his voice laced with arrogance. "Just two thousand and I'll tell you exactly where they're investigating your boyfriend about that bullet they found in his bag. And that scene he caused at the airport? Yeah, that too."

He reached out his hand toward Loren, shamelessly demanding the money.

Loren stood frozen, clearly troubled and beginning to frown. She instinctively reached for her wallet, her heart racing. But deep down, she already knew—she didn't have enough.

She had only brought enough money for a simple overnight stay, as she and Alfi had planned to meet and rest somewhere before heading back home. Alfi was supposed to take care of all the expenses, having saved up for this visit.

But now, all Loren had left was five hundred pesos—barely a fourth of what these opportunistic men were demanding from her.

"Sir... is it alright if I pay you once I see my boyfriend?" Loren pleaded, her voice soft and desperate.

"I really don't have enough money right now. I only have five hundred pesos left—just enough to get home."

One of the men looked at her, smirking.

"Fine. Give me the five hundred. That'll do," he said, snatching the money from her hand.

"Besides, your boyfriend has cash, right? Just ask him to cover your ride home later."

Loren hesitated, but her desire to find Alfi far outweighed her pride. All she wanted was to know where he was and to see that he was safe.

"I'll take you as far as the door," the man warned.

"We're not allowed past that point. Chief Eman gave strict orders—nobody but authorized staff gets inside."

"And listen," he added in a serious tone, leaning in slightly.

"Don't you dare tell any of the police here that we're the ones who brought you there. Got it?"

Loren nodded quickly. She had no other choice. Whatever it took to see Alfi again—she was willing to go through with it.

She was invited by the two men she had placed her trust in—desperate to find her missing boyfriend. Though fear and hesitation lingered in her chest, Loren knew she had no other choice. With nowhere else to turn, she forced herself to believe in the strangers' words.

They walked a short distance behind the police station she had just visited, until they reached what appeared to be an ordinary house. A large campaign tarp of a local candidate was draped awkwardly over the front gate, partially obscuring the entrance.

"There," one of the men pointed.

"That's where we took your boyfriend. We've done our part. It's up to you now."

"You can either knock or just walk in—they'll open the door for you," the other added quickly.

Without another word or even a glance back, the two men turned and left, abandoning Loren in front of the house without further explanation.

Alone and anxious, Loren stared at the tarp-covered gate—her heart pounding in fear of what she might find on the other side.

Terrified and filled with anxiety, Loren stood frozen in front of the house, unsure of what to do. Her thoughts raced—should she stay or go? Her gut was screaming that something was wrong. After a few more seconds of debating with herself, she decided to trust her instinct.

"I'll go back," she whispered to herself.

"It's too risky. I'll report this to the police first and bring someone with me when I return."

Just as she was about to turn around and walk away, a familiar voice suddenly called out to her.

"Loren? Hey, what are you doing here?"

She looked up and saw a man with a recognizable face—but she couldn't immediately recall his name. His voice and appearance felt familiar, but the memory was still blurry.

"It's me, James," he said with a smile, seeing her puzzled expression.

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"We were classmates in high school. We used to be in the same group for projects."

"Oh! Yes, now I remember," Loren replied, the recognition finally dawning on her.

James nodded, then looked around curiously before asking,

"So what are you doing here? Why are you standing outside this place?"

Loren hesitated for a moment but decided to be honest.

"I'm looking for someone who I believe was brought into this house... but I'm scared. I don't know if it's safe to knock or even go inside."

However, Loren was surprised—and somewhat relieved—when James casually mentioned that he knew the people inside that house.According to him, the place was sometimes used secretly by the police as an informal interrogation room, especially when their station became too crowded.

"Come on, I'll go in with you," James offered.

He knocked firmly on the door and shouted, introducing himself so that whoever was inside could recognize his voice.

Moments later, the door creaked open, and Loren's heart skipped a beat when she saw one of the officers who had earlier taken her boyfriend away.

"Sir! Where is my boyfriend?" Loren immediately asked, her voice frantic with worry.

The officer looked like he was about to say something else—something unsettling—but he caught James subtly signaling to him.The officer stopped mid-sentence and instead forced a smile.

"Don't worry, Loren," James said in a strangely calm voice."Come inside."

There was something suspicious about James's tone, and Loren hesitated for a moment at the doorway.But trapped by desperation and fear for her boyfriend's safety, she had no other choice but to step inside.

Upon stepping inside the house, Loren immediately noticed Alfi's luggage scattered across the floor.There was no mistake—those were Alfi's bags, the very ones he had brought with him from the airport.

But something felt horribly wrong.

All the bags were open, their contents rummaged through.Even the gifts and souvenirs Alfi had carefully packed were strewn about, torn apart like trash.

"James... these are Alfi's things. Why are they all opened?"Loren's voice shook with confusion and desperation as she turned to James, silently pleading for some explanation.

But James didn't answer right away.He simply stood there, his expression unreadable.

Then, in a commanding tone—one that made it clear he held authority over everyone in the room, even the officers present—he spoke.

"Show her the boyfriend," James ordered coldly.

A few moments later, one of the officers dragged a man out from another room.

Loren's heart shattered into pieces when she saw him.

It was Alfi—bruised, bloodied, and barely conscious.His once joyful face was now almost unrecognizable from the brutal beating he had endured.

Tears streamed down Loren's face uncontrollably.Without thinking, she ran toward Alfi and embraced him tightly, sobbing into his battered chest.

The happy reunion she had dreamed of for so long had turned into a nightmare she couldn't escape.