Beyond the Stars

Chapter 1: Happy Birthday

I woke up with a thrill running through my chest.

Today's the day.
Today... I turn thirteen.

Officially a teenager. Officially in the zone of high school crushes, drama, love letters, heartbreaks, and group projects that somehow always fall on one person. I've seen enough movies to know that thirteen is when the real stuff begins.

In every story, thirteen is the start of something big—awkward, yes—but also exciting. I didn't know if today would be different, but it felt like it should be. I looked out the window. Nothing but the usual sleepy neighborhood and the pale gold sunlight stretching through the curtains.

Still, my heart fluttered with possibility.

I rolled out of bed and stretched, already picturing a birthday surprise waiting in the kitchen—maybe a banner, or my mom frying hotdogs cut like octopuses, or a small cake with a candle I'd pretend not to see before blowing out. But the house was quiet. Too quiet.

Tatay was probably already at work, and Nanay might be out buying ingredients for my favorite dish—lumpiang shanghai, crispy and golden and packed with flavor. Just thinking about it made me smile.

Since no one was around to spoil me just yet, I decided to do my part as a new, responsible teenager.

"With great age comes great responsibility," I said to myself, mimicking a superhero voice as I tied my hair into a messy bun.

First mission: saing

We weren't rich, but we weren't struggling either. Middle-class life had its own rhythm. Tatay worked in construction, often leaving before sunrise. Nanay managed the household, always budgeting with intense focus but still finding ways to make birthdays special.

I walked into the kitchen, humming to myself. The cool tiles greeted my bare feet. I grabbed the pot and opened the rice container. Scoop, rinse, drain—I'd seen Nanay do it a hundred times. I was halfway through the motions when I turned the faucet.

Nothing.

No water.

I frowned. We never missed a bill. Why was there no water?

Then it hit me. Nanay always turned off the water pump at night to save power and teach the kids about conservation. Adult logic. Still, she had a point.

I slipped on my slippers and stepped outside to switch it back on.

The air outside was warm and still. The street was quiet except for the occasional bark from the neighbor's dog. I walked toward the pump and reached down—

And froze.

That feeling. That prickly sensation crawling up the back of my neck.

Like someone was watching me.

I quickly turned my head to the right. Nothing but the old mango tree by the fence. Its thick branches swayed gently, casting shadows on the ground. I waited, held my breath. Nothing.

I shook my head and laughed nervously.

"You're just being weird, birthday girl."

I reached again for the pump switch—
And there it was again.

That feeling.
Stronger this time.
Like eyes boring into me.

I looked toward the mango tree again—closer now. The branches shifted. And then... I saw it.

A figure.
Half-hidden. Still. Watching.

I took a step back.

My heart kicked into overdrive. I squinted, trying to make out their face. They didn't move. Not even when the breeze passed. Just stared.