Chapter 12 | Hidden

I stood at the shore's edge, the wind lashing at my hair, tugging at my clothes as if trying to drag me into the raging sea. The dark clouds above swirled, thick and ominous.

When I set down my empty glass, the taste of water lingering bitterly in my mouth, I left my phone behind with Faye. My appetite vanished, devoured by the tangled mess of emotions Leo had unearthed with his careless confession.

I should be feeling... what, exactly? Anger? Confusion? A hollow ache that refused to be named?

Ana. That was the name I had given myself, the persona I crafted meticulously to conceal the truth beneath layers of practiced deception. Yet, a mere stranger threatened the walls I had so painstakingly built. For years, I had perfected the art of pretending; letting it slip now would mean undoing everything.

I would never let Leo or the reckless emotions he stirred crack my defenses. I am Contessa, and she would never waver.

I couldn't even pinpoint the root of my unease. Was it just Leo and his persistence, his shameless antics that grated on my nerves? Or was it something far more terrifying... something I had never encountered before?

For weeks, boys from school approached me, each attempting to charm their way past the carefully constructed barriers I had long perfected. Compliments, glances, confessions—I had seen and heard it all—and I remained unaffected, apathetic.

This inexplicable feeling clawing at my chest was different. Unpredictable. It refused to be dismissed like all the others, and it frightened me far more than Leo could ever say or do.

I stared at the sea, its restless waves crashing against the shore, stretching before me. A vast, open escape from the noise I had left behind. I had walked far enough to sever myself from the shop, from the laughter and clinking glasses of celebration.

The weather had kept most guests indoors, leaving the beach nearly deserted. It was the perfect place to drown in my thoughts without interruption, where the wind and water might finally wash away the uneasiness stirring inside me.

Without hesitation, I unbuckled my sandals, slipping them off before reaching for the hem of my long white skirt. I pulled it free, revealing the white shorts underneath. The wind howled around me, tugging at the fabric, eager to steal it away, but I folded the skirt neatly, securing it through the straps of my sandals to keep it from being lost to the storm.

I paused, my gaze flickering back toward the shop, the distant place I had come from—the place I desperately wanted to escape. Then, without another thought, I turned and strode toward the sea.

"Ana!"

I exhaled sharply at the sound of his voice, growing closer with every passing second.

"Maliligo ka sa dagat? Uulan na, oh!"

Leo's warning barely registered. The cold water lapped at my feet, daring me to go further. I didn't hesitate. I stepped forward, bracing myself as the sea swallowed me whole.

I had traveled to countless shores and dipped my feet into the waters of different beaches across the region and country. No matter where I went, the sea of Cosmo Isle remained unlike any other.

Every time I escaped from the mansion after hours spent suffocating in silence, buried under the weight of studies and unspoken expectations, I found solace in these waters.

I used to dive freely alongside Faye and his father, our laughter rising and vanishing into the salt-kissed air as we chased fish beneath the surface. Other times, I simply let myself drift, surrendering my body to the steady rhythm of the waves.

Floating, weightless. Unfeeling. Letting the sea carry me as if I were no more than a whisper lost in the tide. Even when it raged—just as it did now—it never felt like something to fear.

A voice broke through the wind, faint but insistent. "Ana!"

His call grew nearer, rising above the rush of the current. Was he still at the shore? Or had he followed me, stumbling past the shallows in some foolish attempt to pull me back? It didn't matter. I wasn't reckless. I knew how to swim and navigate these waters even in weather like this.

He saw danger where I saw comfort. He feared what I embraced. Leo would never understand that if the sea decided to take me one day, I wouldn't resist. There was no gentler fate than this.

As I broke through the surface, the cold air rushed into my lungs, sharp and bracing against my skin. My arms pushed through the water, steadying myself, but the sand beneath was gone. My feet dangled in the depths, weightless, disconnected from the shore.

"Ana!"

The surface was always more violent—that was just common sense. I rolled my eyes when I realized someone—some absolute fool—had followed me into the heart of the dark sea, beneath a sky swollen with the promise of a storm.

I turned, letting the tide shove against my back, pushing, pulling, testing my balance. A sharp retort sat on my tongue, ready to spill—the kind of biting remark that would remind him exactly how ridiculous he was... but then I saw him.

Leo was struggling, his movements clumsy and desperate. The orange life vest he had with him wasn't strapped on. Instead, he clutched it for support, gripped it tightly against his arms like some pathetic excuse for stability.

He looked utterly lost in the water, like a puppy flailing against the current. I smirked, unable to stop the amusement curling at the edges of my lips.

What an idiot.

"Akala ko ba sumasama ka kay Mang Nestor mangisda?"

"Talagang mauuna pa ang pang-iinsulto mo kaysa—"

"Kaysa ano? Gusto mo bang tulungan kitang isuot sa 'yo 'yang salbabida mo?" I laughed, unbothered even as the sky growled its warning above us.

Leo pressed forward, his movements stiff and awkward. His dog paddle technique barely kept him steady as he fought against the ruthless tides.

"Para sa 'yo 'to!" Leo said, thrusting the life vest toward me with an urgency. "Hindi ka lumalangoy kanina! Nagpaalon ka lang!"

His words were not an accusation but an undeniable truth. I wasn't swimming or resisting. I had let the waves carry me, surrendering my body to their will until my lungs had drained their last reserve of oxygen.

It was something I had always done, something instinctive. Leo, with his unsolicited concern, didn't know that.

I narrowed my eyes, the salt stinging at their edges. "Sinasabi mo na gusto mo ako pero wala kang alam tungkol sa akin. Alam ng mga kaibigan mo na magaling akong lumangoy! Literal na sumisisid ako kasama si Mang Nestor—"

"Wala akong pakialam, Ana, kahit ikaw pa ang pinakamagaling sa buong Cosmo!" Leo snapped.

I blinked, my breath hitching as I truly saw him—angry, vulnerable, stripped of his usual charm and confidence. His thick brows were drawn together, the corners of his eyes tinged with red, and water dripped in uneven trails down his face. His hair, always messy, was slicked against his forehead, darkened by the sea.

"Wala akong pakialam kahit mas magaling ka pa sa aking lumangoy," he repeated, his voice raw as the sky rumbled in agreement. "Dinala ka ng mga alon! Malayo ka na sa dalampasigan! Ni hindi na nga natin makita mula rito ang puting buhangin ng Cosmo! Ano sa tingin mo ang gagawin ko?"

Like earlier, Leo left me speechless. The waves lashed at us, but they could not break the hold of our locked gazes. I struggled to steady my breath, not from the exhaustion of diving, but from him.

From the way his voice trembled with frustration.

From the way his eyes burned with something dangerously close to desperation.

From the way he raged at my recklessness as if it personally wounded him.

"Wala akong pakialam kahit gawin mo pa 'tong biro sa harap ng mga kaibigan natin! Sige, sabihin mo sa kanilang sinagip kita kahit hindi naman kailangan. Sabihin mo sa kanilang nagmukha lang akong tanga sa salbabidang 'to. Sabihin mo na lahat ng gusto mo, Ana—wala akong pakialam!"

I gulped, his words pressing against my chest. "T-Totoo rin namang sinayang mo lang ang lakas mo para sundan ako rito! Hindi ka pala sanay lumangoy sa malalakas na alon. May nagbabadya pang ulan! Pwede ka namang tumawag ng lifeguard—"

"How could I think after seeing you drown?" Leo's voice shook, cracking under the force of his emotions.

I froze. For the first time, Leo talked back in English. His voice carried the thick, natural accent of the locals, yet his words slipped between us like second nature. As ridiculous as it was, I was impressed and drawn in by this unexpected revelation.

"H-Hindi ko kailangan ng salbabida kaya suotin mo na lang!" I said, determined to mask my reaction. "Bumalik na tayo—"

The sky split open before I could finish. Thunder cracked and lightning tore crooked lines across the darkened heavens.

Leo's body reacted before his mind could catch up, his balance snapping beneath him as the life vest slipped from his grasp. His scream ripped through the chaos, brief, then swallowed instantly by the roar of the waves.

Then, the sea took him.

I remained on the surface even as the waves grew more violent, clawing at my body, testing my balance. The rain had begun its relentless descent. My breath came in sharp, hurried gasps as I opened my eyes, straining against the darkness that had swallowed the sea whole.

Since I arrived at Colegio de Pelaez and discovered my role, I have felt the burden of time running out. Yet, I have never understood that feeling until now—until I realized that Leo had disappeared into the ocean's wrath.

With my heart pounding a furious rhythm, I inhaled sharply, filling my lungs with what little air I could manage before plunging into the depths. The world beneath was suffocating, murky, and unrecognizable. The pressure tightened around me, dragging me in directions I wasn't meant to go. I fought against it, kicking harder, moving forward even as the sea tried to claim me.

Then, amidst the chaos, I saw Leo sinking.

With every ounce of strength left in me, I swam toward him, tearing through the treacherous currents, defying the merciless force that sought to keep us apart.

I couldn't even remember how I managed to grab his shirt and fight against the pressure, the waves, the storm—all of it—just to pull him up with me.

I broke through the surface, gasping, only to be met with the cruel slap of another wave. The impact sent me crashing into Leo's limp body, his weight unresponsive, cold.

I couldn't let us go under again. Desperation fueled my movements as I forced my aching limbs to swim toward the shore, dragging Leo along. I had no idea how I did it. How I survived the sea's wrath while carrying another body on my back.

"Damn it!" The curse slipped out of me as I finally felt the familiar scrape of wet sand beneath my fingers.

Crawling forward, I let the waves spit us out onto the shore. Leo's weight pressed into me, too heavy, too still. With a final burst of exhausted strength, I shoved his body off to the side, letting him collapse onto the damp sand.

I coughed violently, choking on the taste of salt and rain as my body trembled from exertion. A minute passed—maybe more—before I finally steadied my breath. I tilted my head back, eyes drifting toward the sky, letting the rain cleanse the remnants of sand clinging to my face.

Then, I realized. Leo was still not moving.

"Hoy," tawag ko nang sinubukang alugin ang braso niya. "Tama na 'yang pagdadrama mo. Binuhat na kita hanggang dito. Awa na lang. Gumising ka na!"

I waited. Seconds stretched into eternity, each one dragging me deeper into panic. Leo remained still, unmoving, his body slack against the drenched sand.

I wanted to believe he was faking, dragging out some ridiculous act for attention. He was dramatic enough to do it, stubborn enough to milk a moment for pity. Then, the image of him sinking flashed through my mind—how helpless he had looked beneath the waves. He had no chance against the ocean's wrath.

"Wala ka ba talagang malay? Leo?" My voice broke, trembled.

Nothing.

"Shit, isa! Hindi ako nakikipagbiruan!"

Thunder ripped through the sky, drowning my words, as if mocking the sheer uselessness of my fear.

"Teka, hindi ko alam ang gagawin," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the storm.

My hands hovered over him, uncertain, useless, shaking as I scanned his face for any flicker of reaction. Should I call for the resort's rescue team? Were they even close? I looked around, but the fog was thick and blinding. There was no one. We were unseen.

A scene from a survival movie I had watched months ago resurfaced to the forefront of my mind. CPR?

I sucked in a shaky breath. "Ni hindi ko nga alam ang ibig sabihin no'n. Paano kung mas lumala lang 'to kapag... shit. Mag-isip ka nga, Contessa!"

I had no other options. No backup, help, or resources—nothing but the raging storm and the weight of Leo's stillness pressing against me. On bended knees, I positioned myself beside his torso, my hands hovering, trembling, unsure. His lips were pale—a sign that I was running out of time. Again.

A frantic surge of fear coursed through me. My breath hitched, and my thoughts scrambled, desperately trying to find any solution, any skill, anything that could help me right now. I only had a faint memory of a scene from a survival movie that I could barely recall!

I wasn't qualified for this. I wasn't trained or prepared. Yet, there was no one else, and I couldn't afford to hesitate and waste more time.

With skills barely above pure instinct, I placed my trembling hands on Leo's chest, pressing down with a force I wasn't sure was right—but it was all I had.

My breath was uneven, and my body was shaking as I moved through the motions, counting each compression, my mind scrambling to recall the steps from the movie. I repeated a prayer silently, clinging to every word as if they alone could guide my hands, as if they could fill my lungs with the certainty I lacked.

The rain pelted against my skin. Thunder rolled overhead, deafening, but it was nothing compared to the deafening silence of Leo's stillness.

"Please, gumising ka na!"

Then, like a sudden flare in the dark, a scene from that movie flashed in my mind—the main character opening the victim's mouth, pinching their nose shut, breathing life back into their lungs.

My hands faltered mid-compression. My efforts weren't working. Leo wasn't responding. I didn't know what I was doing!

I forced myself to breathe, to think. Should I mimic that scene? Was it even right? Either I tried—did something—or I lost him.

With trembling hands, I reached for Leo's face. My right hand pinched his nose shut. My other hand guided his mouth open, my fingers cold against his skin.

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening as I leaned in. Inch by inch, I closed the distance, my breath shallow and uneven, barely visible against the relentless downpour.

Rain blurred my vision, streamed down my face, and dripped from the tips of my hair—an endless cascade that made the task almost impossible. With nothing but sheer will, I imitated the scene from the movie.

Leo's lips—cold, soft, lifeless—pressed against mine. The sensation sent a shiver down my spine, but it was drowned beneath the moment's urgency.

Compression. Breath. Another compression.

I leaned in again, pressing my lips against Leo's, willing air into his lungs. This time, before I resumed the compressions, I let myself pause—just for a second—to look for any flicker of consciousness. It was then that I noticed something.

Leo's skin, kissed by the sun, held a golden warmth, tanned in a way that made him stand out even among the boys of Cosmo Isle. His build—strong, more mature than most his age—gave him an air of effortless charm that had always been evident... but this? This single detail had gone unnoticed until now.

Soft freckles... hidden unless seen up close, unless studied.

Tiny specks of darkness scattered across his cheeks—not bold, clustered, or as prominent as Elias, Juli, or Audth's? Why was I even thinking about them? Why, in the middle of a storm, with Leo unconscious beneath me, was my mind suddenly grasping at their names, at the shared trait they all had?

A strange, unfamiliar realization twisted in my chest, but before I could latch onto it, before I could make sense—

A sudden movement beneath my hands. There was pressure rising from Leo's chest! My breath hitched as I jerked back, barely registering the erratic rhythm of my heartbeat.

Then, with a sharp, violent gasp, Leo lurched upward, coughing, choking, expelling the seawater from his lungs.