BOOK COMPLETED | UNDER SLOW EDITING

SAGE'S POV

'Mama, Papa, do stars ever fall?'

The question slipped from my mouth before I could think.

I was curled up between my parents' under a heavy blanket on our rooftop. The mug in my hands had long gone cold, but the warmth in the air stayed with the scent of thick cocoa along with the quiet hum of crickets.

Papa glanced up, scratching at his stubble.

'Hmm... only the lucky ones.' marahan niya akong nginitian. 'They fall to find something worth falling for.'

Tila nagniningning ang aking mga mata sa sinabi niya. Like any child would, I made a silly, hopeful guess: 'Really? Is that how I was born? I was a star that fell?'

'Maybe. You certainly shine like one,' tugon ni Mama. 'But sometimes, stars don't fall by accident. Sometimes... something calls to them.'

I stared at them, my brows furrowed in confusion. 'Pero sino ang tatawag sa kanila dito?'

Mama was the one who answered, her voice dropping to a soft whisper as she brushed the hair from my forehead.

'Maybe the moon,' she murmured. 'Tahimik siyang nagmamasid. Nakikita niya ang lahat, laging naghihintay. Marahil ay bumubulong siya sa mga bituin, hinihimok silang pumunta sa ating mundo. Ang sabi ng ilan ay ang buwan ang may hawak ng mga alaala ng mga bituin.'

I didn't truly understand what that meant, but for some reason, it made me feel safe.

'Do they listen?'

'Only the ones who were meant to.'

Hinila paitaas ni Mama ang kumot at pinulupot ito sa maliit kong katawan. Isinandal ko ang aking ulo sa balikat ng mga magulang ko at sabay-sabay naming pinagmasdan ang maliwanag na buwan.

'Do you think the moon gets lonely up there?' tanong ko.

'Not when she has stars to keep her company, my love.'

'If I fall someday... will you be there to catch me?'

'Always.'

Always...

Then why does it feel like I've been falling ever since you left?

Isang malalim na buntong-hininga ang pinakawalan ko.

I sank into a low crouch before the grave, burying my face in my hands. My fingers pressed into my forehead as my gaze drifted toward the damp earth. Everything had happened so suddenly. I still couldn't wrap my head around the events of the last few days. More than that, nanghihina akong tanggapin ang lahat ng ito.

First, Papa died of a sudden illness years ago. And now, Mama is gone, too.

Unlike Papa, when Mama was still alive, she never showed any signs of illness. But then I realized, maybe it wasn't her body that gave up.

Maybe it was her mind.

Sometimes, it's not the sickness in the body that always breaks a person... it's the crushing weight of the troubles they carry.

But what kind of troubles drove my mother into such madness? What truly led to her death?

I sat there motionless, in front of the grave. The only sound was the soft rhythmic tap of rain, muffled under a heavy shroud of gray clouds.

Mama's grave sat right next to Papa's, enclosed in a small, gated plot where colorful ribbons and various flowers surrounded the tombstones.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

All this beauty, all these flowers, yet nothing could fill the cold, empty space they had left behind.

Hindi pa katagal mula nang siya ay nalibing; sariwa pa ang semento sa kanyang lapida. I was the only one left grieving here. The other mourners had long since departed, leaving only Auntie Asia, who was waiting by the car to give me all the time I needed before heading home.

Napakurap ako at tumingin sa aking relo. Napabuntong-hininga ako nang mapagtanto kong matagal na pala akong nakatambay dito.

Mama, Papa...

I squeezed my eyes shut one last time before finally standing up. I wrapped my arms around myself, casting a final look at their resting place.

I hope you find peace wherever you are, tahimik kong bulong sa hangin.

I began to walk away, refusing to look back.

And though you're gone, you're never lost in my memories.

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"Are you good to go now?" Auntie Asia asked. She flicked away the ember of her cigarette as I approached the car.

I nodded without a word and slid into the passenger seat. I stared out the window, watching her take one last breath of smoke before crushing the butt under her boot. She climbed in beside me, and for a long moment, there was only silence.

Auntie Asia was my father's youngest sister.

Now that both my parents were gone, I was officially under her care.Wala akong ideya kung ano ang magiging buhay ko, but I was quietly grateful. Auntie wasn't a stranger; she had been a constant presence when Papa was alive. Madalas akong nakikipaglaro sa kanya, nakikitawa sa mga jokes niya at nadadamay sa mga kalokohang siya namang nagsimula. She had that same reckless charm na mayroon ang aking ama—always curious, always reaching for something beyond the ordinary with a bright smile.

Siguro 'yun nga ang problema.

Maybe seeing Auntie was too much for Mama.

After Papa died, her visits stopped abruptly. I wondered if every time my mother looked at Auntie... she saw the ghost of the man she loved.

Humalukipkip ako pinagmamasdan ang mga tanawin sa labas ng bintana. Tahimik kong pinanood ang mga puno at poste ng ilaw na naging malabong guhit lang habang dumadaan kami. Ang tanging ingay sa loob ng kotse ay ang mga mahihinang ugong ng makina at ang tunog ng gulong sa kalsada.

Until Auntie broke the silence.

"...Nga pala, Sage." tawag niya gamit ang palayaw ko. Hindi pa rin maalis ang kanyang tingin sa daan. "The other day, I went over to the house to clean up a bit. I didn't want you coming home to..."

Hindi na niya natapos ang kanyang sasabihin ng mapansing hindi naman ako nag-rereact sa mga sinabi niya.

"Sinubukan kong 'wag galawin 'yung mga mahalaga," dagdag niya habang iniikot ang manibela pakanan. "But your mom... she kept some strange things hidden, didn't she?"

Kita ko ang tensyon sa kanyang kamay na nakahawak sa manibela, parang nagpipigil siya ng kung ano man ang lahat ng gusto niyang sabihin.

"She does," maikling tugon ko.

Laging gano'n si Mama. Sanay na akong hindi niya ako pinapalapit sa ilang bahagi ng buhay niya. It often felt like I was a stranger to my own mother.

Auntie pursed her lips, casting a fleeting glance at me.

"Well... I think I found something. It was locked in a drawer in her room. I didn't want to open it at first, but..." She hesitated for a few seconds. "But it felt wrong to just leave it there. Like it was waiting."

I swallowed hard. Napayuko ako, wala sa sariling pinaglalaruan ang mga daliri ko sa aking kandungan.

"I didn't open it. I swear. I know how your mother valued her... privacy." She let out a heavy sigh. "But Sage, something about it—it feels like it was meant for you."

Tahimik lamang akong nakikinig habang patuloy siyang nagmamaneho. Wala akong maisagot sa kanya.

"I'm not trying to be disrespectful," bulong pa niya. "But if there's something in that box that can help you understand her better... or maybe give you the answers she never got to say—I figured you'd want to know."

Napakagat ako sa pang-ibabang labi. Sa wakas, tinapunan ko siya ng tingin. Hindi ko maipaliwanag, pero may kung anong kirot sa dibdib ko sa simpleng pangungusap na iyon.

"Thanks," mahina kong sabi.

Auntie Asia gave me a small, tired smile. "Anytime, kid. You don't have to go through this alone, okay?"

I didn't respond, but the weight in my chest lightened, if only by a fraction.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, huminto ang sasakyan nang marating namin ang isang pulang ilaw sa kalsada. My gaze wandered to the storefronts lining the street until it landed on a window filled with rows of books. On impulse, hinila ko ang black leather jacket na suot ni Auntie.

"Auntie... pwede bang huminto muna tayo doon?" tanong ko sabay turo sa isang bookstore.

"Hm? You want to go to a bookstore?"

"I..." I bit my lip, unsure how to explain it. The funeral had just ended; she might think I was being heartless or indifferent.

"It's fine," Auntie said before I could finish. She gave me an understanding, weary look. "You don't have to explain. Go ahead. I'll wait in the parking lot."

With a quiet nod, I stepped out of the car. It had suddenly occurred to me that the book I was hunting for might be in a place like this. Or maybe... I just needed to breathe.

Maybe I just wasn't ready to go back to a house that was now so painfully empty.

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

The delicate chime of windbells greeted me the moment I stepped inside. The air was cool, tinged with the rich, nostalgic scent of aged paper and fresh ink which was oddly comforting.

"...Miss, I swear! I have no one here but m-myself! You must be imagining things!"

I blinked, whipping my head toward the shop's counter. A flustered boy with fluffy, cream-colored hair and a green cloak was waving his hands frantically at the woman who appeared to be the owner.

"I'm just here to check if you have any books by Rune A—"

"Sabi ko sayo, wala kaming ganyan dito," the woman snapped, her arms crossed and her expression unmoved.

I paused.

Rune A? That name sounded strangely familiar.

Saan ko kaya naririnig 'yon noon?

I shook the thought away and returned to my mission. Whatever they were arguing about wasn't my concern.

Naglibot-libot ako sa kaliwang bahagi ng tindahan, kung saan nakalagay ang karatula na 'Myths and Folklore.' Naglakbay ang aking mga daliri sa mga maayos na nakaimbak na mga libro, bawat isa ay nakasalansan na parang mga sikretong naghihintay na mabuksan.

Still, nothing. No sign of 'Since the River Began'.

"Of course not," I sighed, half-expecting the disappointment. Nasubukan ko na rin kasi itong hanapin sa internet noon, but it never turned up—not a single title, not even a hint.

Maybe Papa really had been messing with me. Or worse... maybe the story was never written down at all. Maybe it was a tale passed only from voice to voice, never meeting ink or paper, and I'd missed my chance to hear it. Even Mama had never mentioned it.

Papa's words echoed in my mind: 'If you want to know the truth in the tale... you have to find it yourself.'

Wow. Cryptic much?

"Seriously?!"

A loud squeak cut through the aisle.

"You think I imagined a moving bear wearing a scarf?!"

Excuse me... ano daw 'yun?

Lumipat ako sa kabilang shelf para silipin sila, curious despite myself. There he was again—the guy from the counter. He looked seconds away from throwing a dramatic tantrum, standing over what looked like... a plush blonde teddy bear? Teka, bakit ngayon ko lang din nakita 'yan diyan?

The bear wore a little knitted scarf and sat calmly on the counter as if it owned the place.

"Ma'am, please," The guy groaned. "You're making this weird. Wala akong ideya kung paano 'yan napunta dito."

"That?" The shop owner jabbed a finger at the bear. "The one that walked across my floor five minutes ago?"

Gods above, what is happening over there.

"H-hindi sakin 'yan!" the guy defended himself far too quickly. "I don't—this isn't—uh... I didn't bring a toy to a bookstore! Why would I—seriously?!"

Okay, I thought, this guy is obviously losing it. Or he's a very, very bad liar.

I turned back to the books, stifling a laugh.

"...Look, I'm just trying to find anything written by Rune A, okay?!"

My eyes flicked back to the counter. The guy was flushed and embarrassed, babbling now.

"He's, like, one of the greatest explorers of all time! You're seriously telling me there's nothing by him in this store? Kahit isang reprint? Wala talaga?"

The woman stared at him blankly.

"I mean, come on!" he continued. "That guy literally crossed uncharted mountains, mapped forgotten rivers, and probably outran a tiger once! Rune A wrote journals, letters, memoirs! His works are historical treasures!"

The woman squinted her eyes. "Wala akong alam sa mga pinagsasabi mo."

Sandaling natigilan ang lalaki at mariing umiling siya.

"'The Adventurer's Retreat'? 'Memory in Sun Town'? Sigurado ka bang hindi mo pa narinig ang mga iyon?" he gasped. "Ma'am, those books are legit!"

His face fell when she remained unconvinced. "I... oh." He frowned. "I thought the outside world would be, y'know, cultured."

The shopkeeper gave him a deadpan look and pointed at the door. "Get out of here, kid. Wala akong Rune-Rune whatever."

He looked ready to protest again—until the lady turned her head back to the counter. She blinked. Her arms slowly dropped.

Napasimangot din ako. Wait... where's the bear?

The scarf-wearing teddy was gone!

Kusang lumundag ang tibok ng puso ko. Even the guy looked confused, spinning in place as if the bear had simply yeeted itself out of existence.

"Teddy?" He slapped a hand to his face. "Oh no. Not again!"

The shopkeeper gaped, then began storming toward him with murder in her eyes. "You brat! I knew you were hiding something—!"

"N-NO WAIT—NO NO—" he yelped. Like a total gremlin, bolted in the opposite direction.

Straight. Toward. Me.

"Hoy teka—!"

Bago pa man ako makailag, the idiot slammed into me. We both stumbled, and books tumbled off a nearby display shelf like paper bricks falling in slow motion.

"Oof—!"

"Ack—!"

Pareho kaming bumagsak sa sahig. Kasabay nito ang pamumuo ng iritasyon sa aking dibdib para harapin ang walang hiyang taong 'to.

"Gaaah! Freaking omens—! I didn't see you, I swear! Ayos ka lang ba?! Hindi ba bali ang mga buto mo? Can you BLINK TWICE IF YOU HAVE INTERNAL BLEEDING?!"

Napakurap ako ng ilang beses.

"Dude," I muttered, sitting up at marahas ko siyang tinulak. "Get. Off. Me."

"GAH-! Right! Sorry, sorry!" He scrambled back like a crab, almost tripping over a book. "I didn't mean to crash into you, I was looking for Teddy—well, he's probably chewing books with honey pictures somewhere—"

Hindi na natapos ang kanyang sinabi ng parehong nagtama ang tingin naming dalawa. Tila naistatwa siya sa kanyang kinatatayuan at suminghap na parang nakakita siya ng multo.

"Ikaw..." bulong niya.

"What?" Pinaniningkitan ko siya ng mga mata. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Wala! I mean—yes. No! I mean—" he stammered. "Hindi... ano... hindi ko ini-expect na nakasalubong kita ngayon!"

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. He looked dazed. Starstruck. Absolutely stupid. Meanwhile, I was still dusting crushed pages off my lap. Who was this guy?

Magsasalita na sana ako nang mabilis niyang hinalungkat ang kanyang mga bulsa. Kunot-noo ko siyang pinanood hanggang sa may inilabas siyang bagay na hugis bilog na mayroong hindi-pangkaraniwang disenyo at parang isang itong... compass?

"My locusdial..."

His what?

He held his palm out. My eyes narrowed as the device began to glow with a brilliant yellow light. The arrow inside quivered, pointing directly at me.

"It is you..." A grin spread across his face like he'd just won the lottery. "It's really you!"

I deadpanned, dusting off my sleeves. "What are you talking about?" I mumbled, planning to leave this nonsense behind.

CRASH!

"AHH—!" I covered my ears instinctively.

A sharp, splintering shatter split the air. My eyes snapped to his palm. The compass—or whatever he called it—was vibrating, pulsing with gold light as sparks of energy jumped off its metallic edges.

The guy yelped, nearly dropping it. "Oh crap. Crapcrapcrap. That wasn't supposed to—uh—ugh, how could I forget the confirmation alarm?!"

Then, the shopkeeper started screaming.

"ANONG KAGAGUHAN 'YAN?!" she shrieked from across the store. "WHAT DID YOU BREAK IN MY SHOP?!"

The guy's head snapped up. "RUN!"

"Huh. What—"

He grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the aisle!

"Hey—HEY—WAIT!"

Huli na akong mag-react. I was already being dragged past rows of bookshelves as the angry wails of the shopkeeper echoed behind us.

"Anak ng—" she shouted. "Babayaran n'yo 'yang shelf—AT ANO 'YANG SUMABOG NA MAGNET SA KAMAY MO?!"

"It's not a magnet, it's—NEVER MIND!" pabalik na sigaw ng lalaki sa kanya, hinawakan ng mahigpit ang glowing device na parang kakagatin siya nito.

We ducked into another aisle just as a flying bookmark clipped my shoulder. I shot him a glare. "Kasalanan mo talaga 'to—!"

"Correction! It's Teddy's fault—OH SPEAKING OF!"

He skidded to a stop near the corner shelf. "Teddy!" he hissed.

I turned and nearly screamed. "T-totoong bear ba talaga 'yan?!"

On a tiny reading bench, surrounded by children's books, was the teddy bear with the red scarf. It was sitting casually, happily chomping on a hardcover titled 'The Magickal World of Honey Bees.'

Oh, hell no. That is definitely not normal.

The bear blinked at us, then shoved another torn page into its mouth na parang kumakain lang ng snack.

"TEDDY!!" the idiot screamed. "'WAG! BITAWAN MO 'YAN! THAT'S NOT EDIBLE!"

Huminto ang oso at kumurap sa direksyon namin. It casually tucked the book under its stubby arm na parang nanakawin niya talaga ito. Suddenly, a broom narrowly missed the guy's head.

"MGA YAWA!!!"

I couldn't believe this. Pilit akong pumiglas mula sa paghihila niya habang tumatakbo kami pero mahigpit ang kapit niya. Grabe, wala naman akong kasalanan pero nadamay ako?

"TEDDY, MOVE YOUR FLUFFY BUTT—" The guy scooped the bear up in one arm, grabbed my hand again with the other, and the three of us bolted toward the emergency exit.

"BUMALIK KAYO DITO!" the shopkeeper roared.

"ARGHHHHHH! I'M NEVER COMING BACK TO THIS TOWN EVER AGAIN!" the guy shouted as he threw the door open and we disappeared into the cold afternoon.

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

"PWEDE BA?!" inis na sambit ko sa kanya nang tuluyan na akong kumawala sa pagkakahawak niya sa kamay ko. "Ano bang problema mo?!"

He stopped, panting, staring at me as if I was the strange one.

"You," turo niya sa akin. "You're coming with me."

Excuse me???

"Ako?" Kusa akong napaatras at pinipigilan na sumabog ang kaba sa dibdib ko. "Sasama sayo?"

Marahan siyang tumango at nginisihan ako.

"I don't think so." I scoffed. "Wala akong rason para makinig sa isang weirdo—lalo na't dinamay niya ako sa gulo!"

Samantalang, yung nilalang na tinawag niyang Teddy ay kaswal lamang itong naglalaro sa librong ninakaw niya habang buhat siya ng lalaking ito. The guy raised his one hand in a 'peace' gesture.

"Okay. I get that this is a lot. Pero makinig ka," he took a deep breath. "Nandito ako para sunduin kita. I'm here to take you home."

I stared at him, confused. "Home? What the hell are you talking about? I have a home."

"No, I mean your real home." He stepped closer, eyes dead serious now. "Ashburn."

Napakurap na naman ulit ako. "Ash—what?"

He looked at me, tilting his head as if I'd just told him I didn't know what a cloud was. "You don't know what Ashburn is?"

I didn't answer.

"Wait... seryoso? Hindi mo alam?!" His eyebrows shot up.

"Of course I don't!" My hands balled into fists. "I've never even heard of a place like that."

Nagtataka niya akong tinitingnan na para akong isang puzzle na hindi niya alam kung paano i-solve. "Imposible naman..." Napalunok siya habang tinitingnan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa. "Why are you even here? In this town? Living like... like a regular person?"

Living like a regular person? Anong inaakala ng lalaking 'to? Nag-expect ba siyang baliw ako katulad niya?

Umatras ako. My heart wouldn't stop racing. He's not making sense. None of this makes sense! Everything about him screamed 'not from around here.' Mula sa paraan ng kanyang pananalita, sa kanyang kinikilos, sa pananamit—hell, he was literally wide-eyed when we passed an ice-cream truck earlier like he's never seen one before.

Then spitting nonsense like Ashburn? Glowing magnets? A book-thieving bear?

Nope. I'm done.

"No thanks, dude!" I spun on my heel and started sprinting. "I'm done with this freak show!"

"Wait—can you just—ugh! You're making this so difficult!" pahabol niyang sigaw at tila napipikon na ito.

Mas binilisan ko pa ang pagtakbo ko nang marinig ko ang nagmamadali niyang yabag mula sa likuran. I ran towards the parking lot like my life depended on it. May gusto lang naman sana akong hanapin sa bookstore eh! That's it. A book. Not a cursed teddy bear or a stranger dragging me into a world I've never heard of!

I spotted Auntie Asia by the car, scrolling through her phone. "Auntie!" I yelled.

She looked up, startled. "Sage? Why are you—?"

"START THE CAR," I interrupted, breathless.

"Ano? Anong nangya-"

"PLEASE, JUST DRIVE. NOW."

She squinted over my shoulder. "Who's the boy running behind you?"

"NO ONE. JUST DRIVE."

I flung the door open and practically dove into the seat. Thoroughly confused, Auntie threw her cigarette and hopped in. "Okay, okay! We're going!"

The engine roared to life. In the side mirror, I caught a glimpse of the idiot—eyes wide and frustrated, cradling a very hungry-looking bear in his arms.

Something deep in my gut whispered that this wouldn't be the last time I saw him. But I pushed the thought away immediately.

Hindi. Stress lang 'to. Nasobrahan lang 'to sa pag-ooverthink eh! 

(A/N: book 1 will be in constant editing for now. if there's no owl emoji in the chapter titles, that means it's edited but self-proofread only :>)