Hezekiah's POV

I didn't see it coming. Not in a million years.

For a second, I didn't register what was happening. Everything went silent, like the world just... stopped.

The warmth, the softness—it caught me off guard, completely unprepared. My heart shot into overdrive, hammering in my chest like it wanted to escape, it's pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. My body froze, every muscle locking up as my brain scrambled to catch up.

Is this real?

Her lips—soft, gentle—moved slightly against mine, just enough to make me aware of every detail. I felt every tiny shift like a tidal wave crashing over me. I could feel the pulse in my neck, racing too fast.

I was scared. Terrified.

My body wanted to react, to pull her closer, to... stop!

This is wrong.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could do was feel the warmth of her skin, feel the fluttering inside my chest—This wasn't right. I shouldn't want this. I shouldn't feel this.

But for one fleeting, horrifying second, I did.

I suddenly became aware of the sounds of the siren wailing around us, so I mustered every ounce of strength I had and gently pulled away from her. She looked at me, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and embarrassment.

Why? I badly wanted to ask her that but she spoke.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice still weak. "I don't know why I—"

Hindi niya na natuloy ang sasabihin nang biglang bumukas ang pinto ng ambulansya at muling pumasok ang paramedic. Masyado pa rin akong nabigla kung kaya't para makahinga nang maayos ay mas pinili kong bumaba ng sasakyan.

The ambulance doors closed, sealing us in with the weight of what had just happened. I looked up and silently prayed to God...

Maybe she was just too shocked. It's just a mistake.

"Sir?" isang babaeng bumbero ang lumapit sa'kin, siya 'yung kumuha ng mga alaga ni Jael kanina. "Nasaan po 'yung isa n'yong kasama?"

"Kasama?" ulit ko at saka tinuro ang ambulansya. "Binibigyan na siya ng paunang lunas."

"Ay, hindi po, 'yung isa pa po."

"Isa pa?" kunot-noo kong tanong. "Mag-isa lang siya sa bahay kasama ang dalawa niyang pusa."

Napakamot sa ulo ang babae at sinabing, "Noong papalabas kasi kayo kanina, may isa pang matangkad na nasa likuran mo, Sir, parang tinatakluban kayo."

I was about to tell her again that nobody was with me when I suddenly realized what she was talking about.

"Ah, it's an angel," I casually said.

"Sir naman!" akala niya yata ay nagbibiro ako pero bago pa niya ako muling kulitin ay may tumawag na sa kanya kaya iniwanan na niya ako. 

When the woman left, I looked up again and thanked the Lord.

Angels... Another shocking thing, huh?

But then... that kiss...

My phone suddenly vibrated. Kuya Hector was calling and I answered it.

"Kai! Nawawala 'yung motor ko. Nasaan ka?!" he's sounds panicking.

"I'm sorry, Kuya. Hiniram ko lang."

"What? Nasaan ka?"

"Nagpahangin lang."

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

Jael's POV

PARANG pinupukpok ng martilyo ang ulo ko nang magkamalay ako. Unang tumambad sa paningin ko ang puting kisame at naamoy ko kaagad ang pamilyar na amoy ng antiseptic sa ER ng ospital. Biglang kumirot ang kanang braso ko, at pagtingin ko'y may bandage doon.

For a moment, everything felt surreal. My mind was foggy, torn between dreams and the reality of what had happened. Then it hit me, all at once, like a crashing wave—the fire. My house.

I sat up too quickly, the world tilting slightly as dizziness washed over me. Maingat kong tinukod ang kaliwang kamay ko sa kama para mabalanse ang sarili ko. At walang ano-ano'y bumuhos pabalik ang mga alaala: ang nakasusulahok na usok, ang nagbabagang apoy, at ang init na halos lamunin ang buong pagkatao ko.

At si Hezekiah.

Ang matipuno niyang braso na lumukob sa akin, ang boses niyang kalmado at puno ng pag-aalala habang napaliligiran kami ng dagat-dagatang apoy. At ang halik na 'yon.

Damn... why did I do that?!

The shame burned almost as much as my arm. I didn't even know what came over me—some mix of gratitude or desperation, maybe. But I couldn't dwell on that now. Mas marami at mas mabigat ang kinahaharap ko ngayong problema.

Kaya ayokong manatiling nakatunganga rito. Pinakiramdaman ko ang katawan ko at pinilit na bumaba ng kama. I felt my body protested, but I ignored it. I need to get out here. I needed answers. I needed to do something. What happened to my house? How much was lost?

The faint sound of laughter caught my attention. It came from the other side of the curtain that separated me from the hallway.

"Can you imagine? After getting kicked out here, may gana pang magpakita rito?"

"Alam mo totoo talaga 'yung kasabihan na binababa ang mga nagmamataas, ayun tuloy nasunugan!"

"Serves her right, she's always acting so perfect, balita ko noong med school days pa raw ganyan 'yan. I guess life wanted to humble her."

Napakuyom ako ng mga palad at ininda ang kirot sa braso ko. Kilala ko ang mga boses na 'yon. They were my collegaues. Doctors I worked with it.

Totoo rin talaga na maraming tao sa paligid mo ang naghihintay lang na bumagsak ka para pagtawanan ka. People wanted to see you fail so that they could feel better. Sadly, these kinds of jerks exists.

Fury overtook any hesitation. I pushed the curtain aside, stepping into the hallway.

"Really?" my voice was sharp, cutting through their laughter. Naglaho ang mga ngiti sa labi nila nang mahuli ko sila sa akto. "You think this is funny?" I demanded, my voice trembling with anger.

"Chill, doc—"

"What's going on here?" another voice stepped in. I turned and there she was, the rival I thought I'd left behind after med school. "Oh, hi Jael."

"Rita? What are you doing here?" napatingin ako sa suot niyang white coat, indikasyon na rito na siya nagtatrabaho.

Nakakuha ng pagkakataon ang dalawang hinayupak para makatakas kaya naiwan kaming dalawa ni Rita. Siya na yata ang kahuli-hulihang tao na gusto kong makakita sa akin ngayon. Gusto kong magpalamon sa lupa.

"I'm the one who replaced you," she answered with the same smug look she always wore. "Do you need any help? I heard from the circles that you're struggling to get a job." Sinikap kong huwag magpakita ng kahit anong emosyon sa kanya pero nanatiling malawak ang ngiti niya. Her faux sympathy made my blood boil. This bitch is still a bitch.

"No, thanks," matipid kong sagot at tinalikuran ko na siya pero narinig ko pa siyang nagsalita.

"Oh, don't blame the schadenfreude," she said, her tone mocking. "Quite the fall from grace, huh? From top resident to...this."

The memories of med school came back—the late night studying until my eyes burned, the sacrifices my mother made so I could pursue my dreams, the countless times I pushed myself to the brink just to prove I could compete with spoiled rich kids like her.

"Know your place, Rita," I said with restrained fury. "You're born with a silver spoon in your mouth, and I worked twice as hard as you ever did. While you had every advantage handed to you, I had nothing. But still beat you. Every single time."

Her smirk faltered, just for a moment, but it returned quickly, sharper than before. "And look where that got you. Maybe you should've focused more on making friends instead of enemies."

"I don't have time for this," sabi ko bago tuluyan siyang layasan.

Hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta kaya hinayaan kong dalhin ako ng mga paa ko sa courtyard ng ospital. Kaagad na yumakap ang malamig na simoy ng hangin sa aking balat at napayakap ako sa aking sarili. Parang sasabog ang dibdib ko kaya hinayaan ko nang kumawala ang kanina pang luha na nagbabadya.

And suddenly everything felt too much. The fire. The loss. The humiliation.

Pakiramdam ko'y lahat nang pinaghirapan ko'y nawala sa isang iglap.

"Jael?"

His voice came softly from behind me, steady and calm like it always was. I turned, wiping my face hastily, and saw him—he's in front of me again.

"Ano na namang ginagawa mo—"

Naglakad siya palapit at parang gusto kong tumakbo palayo nang maalala ko ang ginawa ko sa kanya. Nag-abot siya ng panyo na wala sa loob kong tinanggap.

"I thought I'd find you here."

"B-bakit... nandito ka na naman?" hindi ko mapigilang itanong. Bakit ba lagi siyang sumusulpot?

Bigla siyang nag-iwas ng tingin pero muling nagtagpo ang mga mata namin.

"Your cats," he said. "I brought them to the parish for the meantime."

Gusto kong magpasalamat pero may kung anong bukol sa lalamunan ko na pumipigil sa akin at hindi ko rin siya matingnan nang direkta.

"Maybe... pwede kang matulungan ng foundation namin."

"Hindi ko kailangan ng charity. I'll figure things out on my own."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "This isn't the time for pride," he said, his tone firm but not unkind.

"Hindi ako ma-pride," I shot back. "I just don't need anyone's help."

He let out a slow breath, his calm demeanor cracking just enough to show a glimpse of frustration.

"You think being strong means refusing help? You think it's a weakness to accept kindness?"

Bubuka pa lang ang bibig ko para sumagot pero tinaas niya ang kamay para pigilan ako.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice steady but commanding. "Strength isn't about pretending you're okay when you're not. It's about knowing when to let others in. You think you lost everything, but refusing help out of some misplaced sense of pride will only make things harder for you."

His words hit like a hammer, breaking through the wall I'd built around myself. I felt the sting of shame, not because of what he said, but because I knew he was right.

"I'm just..." my voice broke, and I looked away, trying to find the right words. "Buong buhay ko kinaya kong mag-isa, okay? At ayokong maging burden—"

"Hindi ka burden," he said gently, his tone softening. "At lalong hindi ka na nag-iisa."

Halos mapanganga ako nang sabihin niya 'yon. At walang ano-ano'y bigla kong narinig ang malakas na pagkabog ng dibdib ko. Katulad noon... Parang may kung anong pwersang humihila ulit sa akin palapit sa kanya... Napapikit ako saglit para pigilan ang anumang delusyon ang naiisip ko.

Namayani ang katahimikan sa aming dalawa at pagkaraa'y narinig ko muli ang tinig niya.

"Your cats are safe," he reminded me again. "And... remember you still have a home."Nag-angat ako ng tingin at nakita ko ang bahagya niyang pagngiti. "Maviel is waiting for you."

As he turned to leave, I found myself speaking up. "Father." I don't why that sounded so bitter on my lips.

He paused, looking back at me.

"Thank you."

He gave me a small, reassuring smile. "You're stronger than you think. Don't forget that."

"A-about the kiss, it's just—"

"A mistake," tuloy niya sa sasabihin ko. "Let's leave it at that." And just like that, he walked away hurriedly.

But the flutter in my chest refused to die down, leaving me frowning at the ground.

You have bigger problems than that kiss, I reminded myself firmly.

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

Maviel's POV

"SIGE na, Mavy! Sama ka naman sa amin minsan mag-overnight kina Keira, malaki 'yung house nila, promise!" pagpupumilit sa akin ni Rory habang naglalakad kami papuntang exit.

"Next time na lang, magpapaalam muna ako sa Ate ko," sagot ko naman at napanguso lang sila.

"Promise 'yan, ha? Join us next time," sabi naman ni Keira habang pinapaikot-ikot sa daliri niya ang buhok. "Look! Nandiyan na 'yung service ko, tara na Rory!"

"Bye, Mavy!" paalam nilang dalawa sa akin at nauna na silang naglakad papunta sa sasakyang naghihintay sa labas ng gate.

Napayuko ako nang maalala ko si Ate Jael. Isang linggo na ang lumipas pero hindi man lang siya tumawag o nangamusta sa amin.

Siguro... nakalimutan na niya ako. O baka busy lang si Ate sa trabaho!

Habang winawari ko kung kailan ulit siya magpaparamdam ay natigilan ako nang may nakita akong nakatayong lalaki sa labas ng gate. Matangkad, nakaitim, kumakaway sa akin.

Nanigas ang buong katawan ko at una kong naisip na tumalikod at tumakbo pero alam kong wala 'yong saysay... Kahit saan ay masusundan at masusundan niya ako.

P-pero paano? Paano niya ako nahanap dito?

Sumenyas ang lalaki na sumakay ako ng kotse. Nakayuko akong tumawid ng kalsada at hiniling ko nga na sana masagasaan na lang ako pero hindi 'yon nangyari.

Pagpasok ko sa loob ng kotse ay nakayuko pa rin ako.

"It's been a while, Maviel," sabi ng lalaki. "Maganda pala ang bago mong eskwelahan."

Hindi ako kumibo.

"Your mother missed you," sabi niya at halos kilabutan ako.

"H-hindi na ako babalik!"

Narinig ko siyang marahang natawa. "Huwag kang mag-alala, kakampi mo ako—hindi kita ibabalik sa kanya. You're just doing fine. As long as you're following my orders... you'll be fine."

May inabot siya sa akin—iyon na naman...

"I want you to give this to her when she returns," sabi ng lalaki. "But make it a surprise. Don't let her see you putting this precious Pink Carnations." 

-xxx-

https://youtu.be/2AqZyIA-tRM

A/N: Hello! Thank you so much for waiting and reading! Most especially sa new usernames na nakikita kong nagko-comment (and opkors sa mga OG readers nito), you guys make me happy and inspired to write more and more! I'm really excited how this story will unfold. Kaya... stay tuned! ^_____^

Your votes and comments are highly appreciated. Thank you for reading! :) Super excited na ako sa mga susunod! Welcome to part three!

God bless you!

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"

They replied, "Certainly, Your Majesty."

He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire.

-Daniel 3:24-26