Chapter 2 Wake Up

• What Ma'am Mira said almost caught me off guard. Who is this man, and why does the Solidad family seem to know him well and be comfortable with him?
• Without even realizing it, I found myself outside the house, watching Sir Levi say goodbye to the family.
• "It was nice seeing you again, aunt," he told Ma'am Mira while Sir Constantine just looked on. Celest suddenly hugged him.
• "Levi, I'm glad you visited us. You're always welcome here. If you have time, drop by again."
• Celest's hand caressed his chest, which didn't escape my notice. He nodded sparingly and said goodbye again. He got into his car, opened the passenger seat, and I stopped staring at him, walking closer to his car. He waved at the Solidad family before starting to drive.
• He seemed so stoic around the family, and I couldn't help but wonder if he's always like this. My eyes widened when he approached me, and my face almost touched his chest. I inhaled his scent as he returned to his seat.
• "Seatbelt," he said and started the car.
• I stopped breathing for a few seconds and didn't even notice I was wearing a seatbelt. I blinked a few times and just looked outside so he wouldn’t notice how much he had affected me.
• "So, how are you living with them?"
• I turned to him, thinking he was talking on the phone, but he was focused on the road. I held my breath to answer his question.
• "Fine."
• He nodded, and I heard nothing more from him. I distracted myself by looking at the scenery. We were driving along the secluded road of Mar De Vena, heading towards town.
• "Who are you going home with? The road is dangerous if you are alone."
• I was shocked again when he spoke. I turned to him, making sure he was talking to me.
• "Maybe I'll go with Oli. And I won't stay out too late."
• Since my parents passed away, my life has changed. I have to work hard and avoid leisure activities. But I promised my dear friend, so here I am.
• "I'll contact the Solidads if you're home then."
• My eyes quickly landed on him, still serious about driving. Why would he care if I got home safely? Maybe he just needed to confirm to the Solidads that he had done them a favor.
• "Where should I drop you off?"
• "Next to the barangay hall. My friend's aunt lives near the court."
• The car stopped at the place I mentioned. The surroundings were crowded and noisy with people doing karaoke and drinking. He quickly got out of the car, opened my door, and preceded me.
• "Thank you," I said with a bow.
• I couldn’t bear to look at him anymore.
• "Thank you very much. You can go now. I'll just tell the Solidads that—"
• "Where's your friend?"
• "His aunt's house is near here. I'll just go there and look for him."
• I was surprised because I was much shorter than him and had to look up to see his eyes.
• "I'll accompany you. Lead the way."
• It started to mist as I saw Oli at his aunt's house. He hurried over, holding me with worried eyes.
• "Cy! I was worried. I even went to the Solidads earlier to ask where you were."
• I just smiled at him, turned around to thank Sir Levi again, but he was already walking away.
• The night was getting late. It was ten o'clock, and I couldn't sit still while my friend lay next to me, drunk.
• "Oli, I need to go home. They'll worry about me."
• I got up and said goodbye to his cousins and friends, then ran out of the alley. Mud splashed on my foot, and my dress got dirty.
• The rain got heavier, so I took shelter under a store's roof, waiting for a ride. After thirty minutes, I was sneezing in the cold. No tricycles were in sight, likely due to the festival.
• I dared to walk out of the arch to wait, but no one stopped. I was soaking wet, my head hurt, and nothing was stopping.
• Two elderly men appeared, limping down the road, drenched in rain. They smiled and whispered while looking at me. I avoided them, but one grabbed my neck and forced me to join them. I cried and felt very scared, unable to move because of their tight grip.
• "Help—"
• The man slapped me hard, and I tasted rust in my mouth.
• "No one can hear you here, young lady."
• "Help!"
• I wasted more energy calling for help, hoping someone would hear. Mom, dad, I'm sorry if I'm weak. I wanted to stand up, but my eyes were spinning, and my body was numb.
• A violent force pulled me upright and leaned me against something hard. The structure of a man was visible, but it was too blurry to confirm.
• "Fuck! Stay here."
• I heard someone say, and I could see the three people in front of me, but couldn't make them out properly. I heard cheap sighs.
• I opened my eyes desperately to see what was happening, only to see him. Is it him?
• "Levi..."
• My world spun again, and I just sat down, trying to hold on.
• "This is bullshit. Ava, wake up," the man said. That’s all I heard before I lost consciousness completely.