Lahat ng Kabanata ng Rising from the ash: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

Chapter 62 Lana had been looking for Ryan all day. For some reason, he had not been returning her calls or texts. It wasn’t like they had a fight or anything. This morning, they were supposed to walk to class together as usual, only for him not to show up. At first, she thought maybe he had overslept or was caught up with something urgent, but when she got to school and didn’t see him, she started getting worried She tried to act like it didn’t bother her, but it did. Ryan had been distant lately, and though she tried to convince herself it was nothing, deep down, she feared something had changed between them. Was it because of someone? Ever since Jessie came into the picture and had that weird , Ryan had started acting differently. He smiled less, became more secretive, and now,she felt he was ignoring her completely.Lana sighed, running a hand through her hair as she scrolled through her phone again. Still no reply. She hated how much it bothered her. It made her feel w

Chapter 64He hesitated before hitting send, he desperately needed to see her. He had dressed so well today in hopes of impressing her, wondering if that last part sounded too eager. But then again, he was eager. He enjoyed talking to her—more than he had expected when they first met and started texting.As he waited for her to reply, he found himself smiling like an idiot at his phone. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling a lightness in his chest that had been missing all day. It was strange how one simple message could shift his entire mood.A knock on his car door startled him out of his thoughts."Hey there Ryan " Lana called out, she had decided to turn around and speak , regardless of her saying she does not want to , she couldn't help herself when it came to him ,her voice softer than it had been earlier.she had intended to scold him for now returning any message or calls , but seeing smile through the window at her , she changed her mind"Yeah, Lana, how are you doing?" he

Chapter 66 It was almost time for Sophia to return back to her counter, she was not willing to return to it,she felt herself remembering her social anxiety and it returning, the deal with Katrina had unlocked memories she didn't know still existed she had not felt that way since she was little her grandma and a lovely teacher from her junior school helped overcome it, it wasn't easy but she was just realizing that she didn't overcome them but instead locked it away There was a time Sophia sat quietly at her desk, trying to make herself as small as possible not to be seen by anyone or even be noticed . It was a habit she had developed over time—a way to go unnoticed, to avoid the cruel words and stares of her classmates; she didn't know her parents,never knew what happened to them at any point , just knew she grew up without any ; her only guardian was an elderly woman , her grandmother Junior school was supposed to be a place of learning, a place where children made friends

Chapter 68Now, standing behind the counter at the café, she stared down at the cup of chamomile tea in her hands. Her fingers trembled slightly as she took a deep breath.“Soph?”She blinked, looking up. Harris was watching her, brow furrowed. “You good?”Sophia hesitated. Then she nodded. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”Harris didn’t push. Just gave her a small smile. “Okay. Well, if you wanna talk, I’m here so sharpen up it's about to get busy.”Sophia exhaled slowly. Nodded again.Maybe one day, she’d tell someone the whole story.But not today.Today, she’d just keep moving forward.Just like Grandma Margaret always said. Sophia sighed, leaning against the counter, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the smooth surface. It had been a long day, and her mind wouldn’t stop replaying old memories—the kind she wished she could bury for good.Needing a distraction, she pulled out her phone and unlocked it, scrolling past a few notifications until one caught her eye.Ryan.For the f

Chapter 70By the time Lana was old enough to understand emotions, she had already decided she wanted nothing to do with them. When they came to her about their problems and how they have to leave the country, it felt just right to her and It was the perfect opportunity for her to decline going anywhere with themShe saw how they made people weak—how kids in her class would cry when they were hurt, how they would cling to their parents at the end of the school day. She watched as other children **trusted too easily**, only to be disappointed when people let them down. She wouldn’t be like that. So, she built walls. Thick, high, unbreakable walls that no one could climb over. Well that was before she became close to Ryan And when people tried? She **pushed them away** before they could get too close. She was mean. Not in the loud, obvious way some kids were, the ones who shoved others in the hallways or picked fights in the playground. No, Lana’s cruelty was **quieter, sharpe