Was it a Dream or a Nightmare?
March 25. It was her birthday.
The world carried on as it always did. People went about their routines, conversations drifted through the room, and familiar faces surrounded her. Yet some of those faces, despite once being so close, now felt like strangers the longer she looked at them.
Jay, an old classmate from elementary school, happened to be there. They had never been particularly close, so she didn't question his presence. He was telling everyone about a well-known healer who might be able to help with his health. The person lived in Bonifacio, the municipality beside Tangub City.
Then there was him.
A man she had once known by heart—someone who had once been her home. Now, she wanted nothing to do with him.
He, however, hadn't given up.
He still searched for ways to win her back, reaching out through mutual friends and acquaintances, hoping someone would speak on his behalf. Every gesture felt like another attempt to reopen a door she had already closed.
When Jay mentioned visiting Bonifacio, he immediately offered to drive everyone there.
Because it was her birthday, she let her guard down more than she normally would have. She greeted everyone warmly, including him, though only with the briefest acknowledgment.
Not long after, his youngest sister arrived. Of all his siblings, she was the one she had remained fondest of. Their breakup had never changed how she felt about the younger woman, especially since her birthday fell the day after hers. She greeted her just as warmly as before.
He saw an opening.
As the group began walking together, he slipped his arm around her shoulders. She didn't pull away, but neither did she respond. Silence was the only thing she had left to offer him.
A few minutes later, he went to retrieve his red Kia Picanto while everyone else made their way toward the parking area.
She followed at first, taking slow, measured steps. But just before reaching the car, something inside her shifted.
She stopped.
Then quietly turned around.
Without a word, she walked away.
Everyone was already seated inside the car when they realized she was missing. She glanced over her shoulder and saw them looking around, confused. It seemed they hadn't noticed which direction she'd gone.
For a brief moment, she felt relieved.
Then the car appeared.
He had refused to let the opportunity slip away. He turned the car around and began searching for her.
She ducked into side streets and narrow alleys, weaving through corners where the car couldn't easily follow. Every turn became a quiet game of cat and mouse. She wasn't running because she was afraid.
She was running because she was done.
Eventually, he found her.
The first thing he did was yell.
The sound of his voice instantly unraveled years of healing. In that single moment, she realized nothing had changed. Beneath every apology and every attempt to win her back was still the same man who had stripped away her peace, chipped away at her self-worth, and left her with little dignity until she finally found the courage to leave.
She turned and walked away again.
He chased after her.
Their argument carried them beneath a towering roadside billboard.
Without warning, a deafening crack split the air.
The billboard collapsed.
Metal twisted. Concrete shattered. Debris rained down around them.
She saw pieces strike him.
Then...
Everything went white.
She couldn't remember the impact.
She couldn't remember falling.
She couldn't remember anything at all.
When she opened her eyes, she was somewhere else entirely.
It looked like a rehabilitation home—a quiet place where people who had suffered amputations somehow continued to live together while recovering from unimaginable trauma. The place felt strangely peaceful despite its impossibility.
She overheard him talking with the other patients.
Someone mentioned that a specialist would soon arrive to help them process their trauma.
One of them laughed.
"What if it's her?"
The room erupted in uneasy chuckles.
"That would be a disaster."
Then silence fell.
She was standing at the doorway.
Every pair of eyes turned toward her.
His eyes met hers.
Neither of them spoke.
Time itself seemed to stop.
The room froze around them.
She couldn't tell whether she felt anger, grief, pity... or nothing at all.
Before she could understand what the moment meant—
She woke up.
