The previous chapter felt like it should have been their happy ending—a canvas painted with golden days, filled and complete. But fate, with its inexplicable cruelty, twisted the story, tearing the warmth away. What was meant to be the conclusion of joy unraveled, leaving a lingering ache. If only that had truly been their happy ending, but the tale didn't stop there—no matter how merciless it may seem.
Elysia stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind whipping her hair as she gazed at the horizon. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, but the beauty of it felt hollow. In her hands, she clutched Orion's helmet, the one he had always insisted she wear during their midnight rides.
It had been six months since the accident. Six months since Orion's motorcycle collided with a truck on a rainy night. He had been on his way to surprise her, carrying a bouquet of sunflowers—her favorite. The memory of that night haunted her, the phone call, the hospital, the unbearable silence that followed.
Riiiiingg. Riiiiingg. The phone shattered the stillness of the night, a sound so piercing it sent Elysia's heart into a frenzied rhythm. She fumbled with the device, her hands trembling as she picked it up.
"Hello?" she managed, her voice cracking with unease.
"Elysia Salazar?" the voice on the other end was curt, official, devoid of warmth.
"Yes," she whispered, dread curling in her stomach.
"You are listed as an emergency contact for Orion Dominique Madrigal" the person continued. "Please come to the Cebu City Medical Hospital immediately. He was involved in a motor vehicular accident."
The words hit her like a sledgehammer. Elysia's knees buckled, and she sank onto the floor, clutching the phone as if it were the only anchor in a world suddenly torn apart. She could barely breathe, the air thick with panic and disbelief.
"What... what happened?" she stammered, the words barely audible. "Is he—?"
"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you need to come down to the hospital. The doctors will explain everything," the voice interrupted, trying to maintain a measured tone.
Elysia nodded instinctively, though the caller couldn't see. Tears blurred her vision as she grabbed her car keys, the phone slipping from her hands and clattering to the floor. The world around her felt surreal, distant—as if she were caught in a nightmare she couldn't wake from.
The drive to the hospital was a blur of honking horns and rain-soaked streets. Her mind raced with images of Orion, the memories of his laughter, his unshakable spirit. And the sunflowers—she remembered the bouquet he'd planned to bring her that night. Her heart ached at the thought of how one moment, one twist of fate, could change everything.
Elysia had always believed in balang araw, in someday finding the love that would complete her. And for a fleeting moment, she thought she had found it in Orion. He had been her anchor, her challenger, her partner in every sense of the word. But life, cruel and unpredictable, had other plans.
She had tried to move on, to find solace in her work, her friends, even her faith. But the emptiness lingered, a void that no amount of time could fill. She often found herself at the Simala Shrine, lighting candles and whispering prayers to the Birhen sa Simala. "Why?" she would ask, her voice breaking. "Why give me a glimpse of forever, only to take it away?"
Her family and friends urged her to open her heart again, to believe that love could find her once more. But Elysia couldn't bring herself to swipe right, to meet someone new. Orion had set a standard that no one could reach, not because he was perfect, but because he was hers.
As the first stars began to appear in the twilight sky, Elysia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She remembered Orion's words during one of their late-night conversations: "You remind me of the stars. Even when the night feels endless, they're there—steady, unchanging."
She opened her eyes and looked up, the stars twinkling faintly above. Orion was gone, but his love remained, steady and unchanging, like the stars he had compared her to.
Elysia knew she might never find another love like his, but she also knew that his memory would guide her, a light in the darkness. And maybe, just maybe, balang araw didn't have to mean finding someone new. Perhaps it could mean finding herself, learning to live with the love she had lost, and cherishing the moments they had shared.
As she turned to leave, the wind carried a faint whisper, or perhaps it was her imagination: "You're worth it."
Elysia smiled through her tears, clutching the helmet tighter. Orion was gone, but his love would never fade.
The End.