"Is that all?" Gael quietly wondered as he lay down on his bed. He had hoped to reconnect deeply with Matteo, who had said he missed him. But why did Gael feel nothing but a strange aura from Matteo? It was like he wasn’t the same friend Gael used to know. 
Even the hug Matteo gave him felt odd. Everything felt off. His thoughts drifted back to the woods, along the old path to Sitio Tanglaw, where a boy named Joshua had spoken to him suddenly disappearing without a trace. Who was that boy? The image of the child now came back to his memory, and it was frightening.
"And that guy last night," Gael muttered to himself, frowning in confusion. "Was he even real? Or was he just a figment of my imagination?" Lately, he noticed that his imagination seemed to be playing tricks on him.
Days ago in Manila, right after his boss approved his leave, strange things started happening. "Am I missing something?" he wondered aloud, the words echoing in the quiet room. "Or is there something these events are trying to tell me?" His head felt like it would explode from the intense confusion. He sensed that something was wrong, something that needed to be fixed.
His mind raced with questions, frustration growing as he tried to piece together the puzzle. Yet, with each attempt, the mystery only seemed to deepen, leaving Gael uneasy and restless in the darkness of his room.
Then there was Matteo. He looked so strangely different, every contour of him no longer familiar. Even his presence felt odd, like he was a stranger Gael had never spoken to before. Or maybe it was normal to feel this way since it had been seven years since they last saw each other. Of course, everything had changed—they weren’t kids anymore. But still, Gael sensed that nothing was real. He sighed heavily.
Matteo had caught a ride with him earlier when they went home since he didn’t have his motorcycle. It was such a coincidence that they met at the cemetery. Gael forgot to ask whom Matteo had visited. He had offered Matteo a ride home earlier because Matteo said he didn’t have his motorcycle. 
Gael suggested dropping him off at his house, but Matteo refused, which was unusual. Gael asked about Matteo’s love life, and Matteo told him he had a girlfriend. He asked about his job, and Matteo said he was a public accountant. Yet, Gael noticed that Matteo’s relatives avoided talking about him when they were at his aunt's house.
Earlier, before they parted ways, Matteo had suggested they go to town to relax. Gael wanted to rebuild their memories over the next twenty-nine days. He wanted everything to go back—the closeness, the old friendship—before he returned to Manila. Matteo agreed. Gael checked his wristwatch; it was only four in the afternoon, and he needed to wait two more hours.
The minutes dragged by, and Gael’s unease grew. He tried to focus on other things, but his thoughts kept circling back to Matteo. “Why does everything feel so off?” he muttered. He recalled how Matteo’s eyes seemed vacant, as if he wasn’t fully there. It was a small detail, but it was enough to make Gael uneasy.
He let out a deep sigh and got up from his bed. He went to the bathroom. He needed to take a shower. Once inside, he undressed. He closed his eyes as he felt the cold water pour over his face and body. The chill was biting, and anyone not used to it wouldn’t stay under the shower for long. But somehow, for Gael, it felt comforting.
As he lathered soap on his body, he heard a voice outside. He turned off the shower and stood still. He heard it again—a faint sound of footsteps. He shook his head. Then, suddenly, he heard his name being called. It was a man's voice, and he was sure it was Matteo’s. “One minute more, bro, be patient.” He smiled. He turned the shower back on and rinsed himself off.
After finishing his shower, he stepped out of the bathroom. He expected Matteo to be in his room, but he was wrong. The door was locked, and no one was there. Who the heck was calling him? Was it his Uncle Marco? But he was certain it was Matteo’s voice he heard. Or was Matteo playing a prank on him? He sighed and got dressed. He wore his trousers and a simple white t-shirt, but even in that simple outfit, his good looks stood out.
The room felt colder than usual, a strange chill that seemed to seep into his bones. As he combed his hair, he caught a glimpse of something in the mirror—a shadow darting behind him. He whipped around, but the room was empty. His heart pounded in his chest. He shook his head, trying to dismiss it as a trick of the light. “I’m fine, I’m not sick. I’m not sick,” he reassured himself.
Gael decided to check the rest of the house. He walked through the dimly lit hallway, the floor creaking under his feet. He peered into each room, but everything seemed in order. Just as he was about to give up, he heard a soft whisper behind him, "Gael..."