CHAINS of the SUN

CHAPTER THREE

I left the house early in the morning.

I wasn’t going to class today. I just needed some time alone.

I’m used to being by myself. I just... I just need some space to think things through and figure out how to deal with the pain that’s been eating me up.

I parked my car by the side of the road. Ilang oras din ang drive bago makarating dito.

I was hoping I’d make it before the sun fully set.

Bitbit ko ang isang Emperador at isang... bilog.

Oo, bilog.

I overheard the locals saying that it’s strong enough to knock you out, kaya ’yun ang kinuha ko.

I also grabbed Tanduay 65.

Sana kayanin ng katawan ko ’to.

Gusto ko lang talaga makalimot, kahit saglit lang.

Ang ganda ng langit. It was blue as the ocean.

Hinayaan ko lang na humampas ang malamig na tubig sa mga paa ko habang naglalakad sa buhangin.

The sand was white and soft beneath my feet, and for the first time in weeks, I let my mind wander.

Wala akong ibang iniisip kundi ang sandaling ito — ang paghinga ng malalim, ang kalmado.

I sat down on the shore, watching the waves crash against the sand.

Binuksan ko ang isa sa mga bote. Tinungga ko agad.

"Putcha, ang pait," I muttered to myself, grimacing as the burn slid down my throat.

I wasn’t a drinker. This was my first time.

"Kaya mo ’to, Adaire," I whispered.

"Kung kaya mong tiisin ang pait ng buhay mo, dapat kayang-kaya mo rin ang alak." I tried to laugh at myself, but it came out hollow.

Tinungga ko ang bilog. May chaser ako, Coke! Hehe, sabi nila perfect daw na chaser ’yun para sa ganitong klaseng alak.

Several hours passed, and I didn’t even notice.

I was just staring at the horizon, watching the sun slowly set.

Grabe, ang ganda ng sunset.

Lola Minerva used to tell me I was like the sun. She once said, "Hindi lahat ng araw maghahatid ng liwanag. May mga araw na kailangan mong dumaan sa dilim bago muling magsinag." It took me a while to understand what she meant.

What I think she was trying to say is that life isn’t always bright and easy. There are moments when everything feels dark, when the light seems so far away. But just like the sun, we have to rise again no matter how hard it gets. We can’t give up. Even when we feel like we’re fading, we have to keep going — because the light will return. Maybe not instantly, but it will come eventually.

Pero hindi sa kaso ko.

Araw-araw impiyerno ang buhay ko eh.

Parang hindi anak ni Lord. May favoritism.

I looked at the sky one last time, feeling the cool breeze against my face as the night started to take over. This moment felt peaceful, but the emptiness inside me still lingered.

Lola Minerva’s words echoed in my mind, but the peaceful moment didn’t last long.

Hindi ko namalayan, nag-iinit na ang katawan ko.

Nahihilo ako.

Ang sakit ng ulo ko, parang naglalakad akong umiikot ang mundo.

Tinutok ko ang mga mata ko sa kotse ko, pilit kong iniiwasan ang pagdapo ng mga alon sa mga paa ko.

The dizziness was getting worse, and I felt like the world was spinning faster than I could keep up. I forced myself to stand up, my legs wobbling as I tried to walk back to the car. I was almost there when I saw someone approaching from a distance.

He was tall, well-built, with a presence that immediately caught my attention. Ang mga mata niya ay gumala simula sa mukha ko pababa sa kabuuan ng katawan ko. His posture was confident, like he belonged here — like the beach itself had accepted him.

I didn’t even have to look twice to know that he was no ordinary guy.

I stared at him.

I blinked a few times, trying to focus, but everything still felt hazy.

I don’t know what happened next.

Darkness ate me up, at tuluyan na nga akong nawalan ng malay.

----

The beach was quiet. It always was. I preferred it that way.

There was no noise, no distractions, just me and my thoughts.

Not that I cared about thinking, or the beach for that matter.

It was just... easier.

Then I saw her.

She was stumbling across the sand, barely holding herself up, like she was fighting against gravity itself. Her body was weak, unsteady, but there was something about her that made me hesitate for a second.

She wasn’t my problem. People like her always ended up weak, getting themselves into trouble.

But she was falling.

I didn’t think, just reacted. I reached out, grabbed her arm before she hit the ground.

She was light... too light.

Her weight barely registered to me. I held her there for a moment, wondering if I should just let go and walk away.

"Pathetic," I muttered.

My words weren’t even meant for her, they were just the first thing that came to my mind.

She didn’t resist. Her body leaned into me, like she didn’t even care, didn’t even realize what was happening.

I grabbed her by the waist and steadied her, guiding her toward the nearest building.

I hadn’t planned on this.

I came here to think, to handle my next move with my enemies.

Yet this... girl... came out of nowhere.

I laid her on the bed, not bothering to be careful. She wouldn’t remember any of this, anyway. She’d wake up, confused, with no memory of who helped her, who hurt her, or even why she ended up here.

Just as I was about to leave, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I didn’t need to check the screen to know who it was.

A quick glance, and I answered.

"What." There was a slight pause on the other end. Then the voice came through.

"The job’s done. But there’s something you should know." I felt the tension in his voice, but I wasn’t interested.

"I’m not interested in your problems. Finish what you need to."

"We handled it. But you should be aware. He’s got a connection. Someone’s coming after you."

I didn’t react.

"Let them come. I’m not hard to find."

"You sure? You’ve been leaving a trail."

"I don’t care about the trail," I said, my voice growing cold. "Just do your job." I ended the call without another word, slipping the phone back into my pocket.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the girl on the bed. She was still unconscious. I couldn’t shake the thought that kept running through my mind.

Her wrist... She’s familiar.

I let out a deep sigh, She look vaguely familiar. I turned and left the room, locking the door behind me.

My footsteps were quiet against the floor, but the weight of the phone call still lingered.

The job was done, but the work never stopped. Someone was always out there. And now, it seemed, there was someone else to deal with.

But I’d handle it, like always.