Before You Let Go
For the first time, Death smiled.
Not kind. Not cruel.
Just ancient.
“Very well, Lyra Villanueva.”
The hallway began to shake.
Isa-isa, namatay ang mga kandila.
The names disappeared into darkness.
Caelan’s candle was the last one left.
Its flame rose higher, brighter, until napapikit ako sa sobrang liwanag.
Death’s voice came from everywhere and nowhere.
“Remember this when you wake: saving him does not mean owning him. His life is not a prize. His pain is not a puzzle made for you.”