Chapter 1

Hindi ko maalala kung paano ako nakauwi.

Parang dumaan lang ang lahat nang hindi ko nararamdaman. The flight, the people talking to me, the papers they asked me to sign. I remember answering, nodding, doing what I was told, pero hindi ko talaga naiintindihan kung ano ang nangyayari. It felt like I was just there physically, pero yung isip ko naiwan sa moment kung saan nagsimula ang lahat.

All I know is this. Wala na sila. Mom and Dad. Pareho silang wala na.

Humigpit ang hawak ko sa bag ko habang bumababa ako ng sasakyan. The moment the door opened, a cold breeze hit my skin. Pamilyar yung lamig na iyon, but this time it didn’t feel comforting. It felt heavy. Parang may kasamang sakit na hindi ko matanggal.

Dahan-dahan akong napatingala. The mansion. My home.

Dito ako lumaki. Dito ako natutong tumawa, maglaro, mangulit. This was the place where Mom would wait for me at the door, smiling like I was the highlight of her day. Where Dad would call my name the moment I stepped inside, asking me about school, about anything, like nothing mattered more than hearing my voice.

This place held everything. I had a perfect life. Hindi ko kailangang magtanong kung mahal ba ako, kasi ramdam ko iyon araw-araw. Everything was already given to me. Comfort, security, a life that felt stable and complete.

I had everything. A complete family.

Pero ngayon, habang nakatayo ako sa harap ng parehong mansyon na iyon, pakiramdam ko wala na akong kahit ano.

Tahimik ang paligid. Sobrang tahimik na parang may kulang. Walang tumatakbo papunta sa akin. Walang tumatawag sa pangalan ko. Walang nagmamadaling staff para batiin ako. It didn’t feel like home anymore. It felt empty. It felt… dead.

Huminga ako nang malalim, pero hindi sapat. Parang may nakabara sa dibdib ko that I couldn’t push out, no matter how hard I tried.

“Miss Serena…” Mahina ang tawag ng isang maid sa likod ko, pero hindi ako lumingon. I couldn’t. Ayokong makita ang mga mata nila na puno ng awa. Ayoko ng awa. So I just walked forward. Each step felt heavier than the last. Hanggang sa makarating ako sa loob.

And then…. everything stopped. Dalawang kabaong. Magkatabi.

Placed right in the center of the hall that used to be full of light, laughter, and noise. Dati, dito ginaganap ang mga parties. Dito ako patakbong umiikot sa mga bisita habang tumatawa si Mom sa gilid at pinapanood ako ni Dad like I was the most important person in the room.

Ngayon, wala na sila. Hindi ako agad nakalapit. For a moment, I couldn’t move. Parang may kung anong pumipigil sa akin. Like if I stayed still, hindi magiging totoo ang lahat.

But I knew better. So I forced myself to move. Dahan-dahan akong naglakad papalapit. Every step made it harder to breathe. Every second made it more real.

I could feel people watching me. Whispering. Familiar faces from past gatherings, business partners of my parents, people who used to smile at me politely.

But right now, none of them mattered. Wala akong nakikita kundi sila. Mom and Dad.

Huminto ako sa harap ng kabaong. My hand trembled as I slowly reached out. Nang mahawakan ko ang gilid, napapikit ako. Malamig at sobrang tahimik. And that’s when it finally hit me.

They’re really gone. Hindi na sila babalik. Hindi na nila ako tatawagin. Hindi na nila ako yayakapin. Hindi na nila ako hihintayin sa bahay. Humigpit ang panga ko. I tried to hold everything in. Hindi ako pwedeng umiyak. Not here. Not in front of everyone. I had to stay strong. I had to.

Pero kahit anong pilit ko, parang may sumisigaw sa loob ko. Parang may durog na durog sa dibdib ko na hindi ko na kayang buuin ulit.

“At least… hintayin niyo naman ako…” Mahina kong bulong. “Hindi man lang kayo nagpaalam…” Napapikit ako nang mariin. My hands started shaking. Ramdam ko na unti-unting nawawala ang control ko.

For a second, I thought I was going to break. The silence around me felt too loud. Parang may echo ng nakaraan na bumabalik sa tenga ko. The sound of laughter. Glasses clinking. Music playing softly in the background.

“Serena, behave.”

“Serena, come here.”

“Serena, anak.”

Napamulat ako, pero hindi nawala yung sakit. Reality was louder than memories. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay still. If I let even one tear fall, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop. So I stood there. Holding on. Barely.

Sa kabilang dulo ng hall, may isang taong tahimik na nakatingin. He didn’t move. Hindi siya lumapit. Nakatayo lang siya doon, dressed in black, his presence quiet but heavy. The kind of presence you wouldn’t notice unless you were paying attention.

But I wasn’t. Hindi ko siya nakita. Hindi ko siya kayang makita. Because at that moment, my entire world was focused on the two people in front of me who used to be everything.

The life I had. The perfect life. The luxury, the comfort, the security. The family that made everything feel whole. All of it shattered into pieces in a single moment. And now, I was left standing in the middle of what used to be mine, trying to understand how everything disappeared so easily.

I didn’t notice the man watching me. I didn’t notice how long he had been there. Hindi ko napansin kung sino siya. Because I couldn’t see anything past my grief. All I knew was that nothing would ever be the same again.