Rainan woke to the scent of antiseptic and the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor. The lights above him were soft, but still too bright for his weary eyes. His chest rose and fell slowly, like his body was relearning how to breathe.
He blinked a few times, trying to understand where he was—until he turned his head and saw them.
His mother sat by the side of his bed, her face pale, her eyes swollen from crying. Her hand was wrapped tightly around his, like if she let go, he might slip away.
His father stood beside her, one hand on her shoulder, the other clutching the hospital bed’s rail, knuckles white.
“Mama…” Rainan whispered, his voice hoarse.
Leticia’s lip trembled as she leaned closer. “Anak…”
“I’m sorry.” The words cracked from his lips like glass breaking. His throat burned. His chest caved inward. “I’m so sorry…”
Leticia’s tears spilled immediately, and Eduardo turned his face away, fighting his own.
“I’m sorry for lying… for keeping it all from you,” Rainan choked out. “I didn’t want you to worry. I didn’t want you to… to see me like this.”
Leticia brushed back his hair with shaking fingers. “Rainan, anak… how could you carry this alone? Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I thought I could handle it. I didn’t want to ruin your peace, Mama… Papa. I just wanted to come home and feel like… like I still had time to live.”
Eduardo finally looked at him, his eyes red and glistening. “You should have told us the moment you found out.”
“I was scared,” Rainan admitted, his voice cracking. “I was selfish. I know that. I thought if I told you, I’d make it real. That everything would feel more real than I could take. And then I met Angelo again and—” he paused, his voice tightening— “and everything felt like it was falling into place. For the first time in so long, I felt happy. And I didn’t want that happiness to disappear. I wanted to protect it. Even if it meant lying.”
Leticia leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “Oh anak… we would have held you through it. We would have walked every step with you.”
“I know, Mama,” Rainan whispered. “But I didn’t want you to see me getting weaker. I didn’t want you to watch me fade away.”
“You’re our son,” Eduardo said quietly, the pain buried beneath his calm voice. “Watching you in pain is better than losing you without knowing anything at all.”
Silence settled between them, only broken by the monitor’s steady rhythm.
“Dr. Elias told you, didn’t he?” Rainan finally asked.
Leticia nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. “He called us right after you collapsed. We came as fast as we could.”
Rainan turned his face into the pillow, tears soaking into the fabric. “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this…”
Leticia reached for his hand again, holding it close to her chest. “It doesn’t matter how we found out. What matters is that we’re here now. You’re not alone, Rainan. You never were.”
He let out a sob that shook his whole body, and this time, neither of them held back their own tears. They sat with him, letting the pain exist, breathing through it together.
-------------
Meanwhile, in San Felino
The sun had already begun its slow descent behind the hills when Angelo found himself once again standing outside Rainan’s house, knocking for the third time that afternoon.
“Rainan?” he called, voice tinged with concern. “Hey, it’s me... are you in there?”
No response. Not even a flicker of movement from inside.
He tried the door gently. Locked.
Frowning, Angelo pulled out his phone and dialed Rainan’s number. It rang once... then cut off. He tried again. This time, it went straight to voicemail.
That wasn’t like Rainan.
He checked the small side window, trying to see if any lights were on, any signs of life. Nothing.
With unease settling heavy in his chest, Angelo scrolled through his contacts and tapped Adrian’s name.
The line rang.
“Yo, Angelo!” Adrian answered in his usual energetic tone. “Long time no talk. What’s up, man?”
“Hey, Adrian,” Angelo said, trying to keep his voice calm. “I just wanted to ask—do you know where Rainan is?”
“Rainan?” Adrian repeated, the energy in his voice dropping a notch. “I mean, yeah, he came here a few days ago. Helped me with some plans. But... wait—didn’t he tell you?”
Angelo’s brows furrowed. “No. He didn’t say anything. He just said he was going somewhere, but he didn’t give me any details. No messages. Now his phone’s dead. I’ve been trying to reach him all day.”
There was a short silence on Adrian’s end. “Damn. That’s strange.”
“Do you know where he is right now?” Angelo pressed. “Like—did he tell you he was staying with someone else? Or if he’s okay?”
Adrian exhaled. “Honestly? No. He stayed with me for a bit, said he just needed a few days to clear his head. He looked… tired. And quiet. You know Rainan—he’s always composed, but this time felt different.”
Angelo’s heart dropped.
“Tired? How?”
“Like… emotionally exhausted. I thought maybe it was just the pressure from the project or… something personal. I didn’t want to push.”
“Adrian,” Angelo said firmly. “Please. If you know anything—anything at all—about where he might be now, you have to tell me. This isn’t like him.”
“I wish I could,” Adrian said, his voice softer now. “I haven’t seen him since he said he had to ‘run a few errands.’ I assumed he went home or… back to your place.”
“Well, he didn’t,” Angelo muttered, pacing now. “He’s not here. No one’s seen him. His house is locked up. His phone’s dead. And no one seems to know a damn thing.”
“I’ll ask around on my end,” Adrian offered. “I’ll check with Dr. Elias too, just in case he dropped by the clinic. You do the same there?”
Angelo’s heart skipped. “Dr. Elias?”
“Yeah. Rainan mentioned wanting to get something checked. I don’t know what exactly. Might be nothing. But if I hear from him, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thanks, Adrian,” Angelo muttered, feeling his stomach tighten. “Let me know. Please.”
After ending the call, he didn’t waste time. He immediately dialed Mikaela.
She answered quickly. “Sup?”
“Mika—have you heard from Rainan?” His voice trembled slightly, despite trying to keep it steady. “Did he say anything to you before he left?”
“No,” she said, alarm creeping into her tone. “He didn’t tell me he was leaving. Why? What’s wrong?”
“He’s gone,” Angelo said bluntly. “He’s not at home. His phone’s off. I called Adrian—he said Rainan visited but left without saying where he was going.”
“Are you serious?” Mikaela asked. “Did you checked or called at his condo in the city?”
“He sold it. He said he wanted to stay here for good.”
“God,” she whispered. “Do you think something happened?”
“I don’t know,” Angelo said, voice hard with emotion. “But I’m scared, Mika. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“I’ll ask around here, too,” she said quickly. “Check with his parents. Maybe they know something.”
“Thanks. Let me know if you find anything.”
He hung up and slowly sat on the bench in front of Rainan's house, staring at the pavement with a furrowed brow and clenched jaw. His mind ran through a hundred possibilities—but none of them eased the ache that had begun to spread in his chest.
Something was wrong.
And he could feel it.