DEIGHLAND’S POV
For the past few days, sleep has become a stranger to me. Every time I close my eyes, her face flashes before me — tired, pale, and broken.
Shantal.
Nasa harap pa rin ako ng desk ko. Bukas ang laptop, pero wala akong natatapos na trabaho. The documents on the screen are just blurred lines now. My mind keeps asking the same question over and over — Nasaan ka na ba?
Paulit-ulit kong tinitingnan ang cellphone ko, hoping for one single message. Pero wala. Walang kahit ano.
My eyes wandered to her graduation photo on the shelf. Her smile — that same bright smile that used to light up the whole house — now only reminds me of what I’ve lost.
“She’s out there somewhere…” mahina kong sabi habang hinahaplos ang frame ng larawan. “And I can’t even protect her.”
Ever since she d
