STALKER x STALKER (Kentell)

"The illusion of Reality"

Stell's POV

Two days had passed since Ken returned into my life, and yet here I was, waking up in a daze, the sunlight pouring through the curtains. I turned to my side, ready to greet Ken with a sleepy smile, but the space beside me was empty. Panic surged through me. Where’s Ken? I thought, a knot forming in my stomach. We had fallen asleep together, hadn’t we?

Rushing out of bed, I frantically searched the house, looking in the bathroom, the kitchen, even the living room. I called out his name, my voice tinged with desperation. Ken! Where are you? The silence that greeted me was deafening. I felt the world around me start to tilt; was this a cruel joke? Had I dreamed it all?

I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling as I opened our group chat.

“Hey! Has anyone seen Ken?” I typed quickly, hoping for a response that would calm my racing heart.

Pablo’s reply came instantly. “Ken? Stell, I know you miss him, but you need to let go of him.”

Let go? What does he mean? I stared at the screen, confusion washing over me. How could I let go when he was right there with me just days ago?

“Why? I woke up and he wasn’t beside me. Josh, maybe he’s at your house?” I replied, clinging to hope.

“Stell, Ken’s gone. You’re just hallucinating,” Josh shot back, his words slicing through my heart like a knife.

No! Ken’s not gone! My mind raced as I recalled every detail of our time together, from our silly arguments over the last piece of pizza to the way he looked at me, as if I were the only thing that mattered in the world. We shared our dreams, our fears… we even had a moment of intimacy!

“Stop joking! I know he’s alive; we spent a whole week together!” I argued, feeling the walls of my reality closing in on me.

“Stell, that’s just your imagination! Ken’s dead!” Justin chimed in, his words echoing in my mind.

Dead? The very notion sent a shiver down my spine. It couldn’t be real. My heart raced as tears streamed down my face, each one a reminder of what I had lost. He said he wouldn’t leave me again!

I fell to the floor, the weight of my grief pressing down on me. The phone buzzed incessantly with messages from my friends, but I had no courage to look at them. All I could think about were the moments we shared—the laughter, the joy, the love. How could it have all been a figment of my imagination?

I wept uncontrollably, my heart breaking anew with every memory that flooded my mind. We played at the playground, laughing like kids, even running around with other children. I could still hear his laughter, still feel the warmth of his hand in mine. The beach dinner was magical, with the sun setting over the waves, our fingers entwined.

“Stell, I know you miss him,” Pablo’s voice broke through my thoughts as my phone rang. “Let’s go to his grave tonight with Josh and Justin so you can at least let go.”

I wanted to scream, to deny everything they were saying, but all I could manage was a choked sob. How could I let go of him?

“Wipe your tears, Stell. I know losing someone hurts, but you gotta let go.” Pablo’s voice was soothing, but it did little to ease my pain. “Later, at 7 p.m., let’s visit him, okay?”

I nodded, even though the words felt heavy in my throat. The hours passed slowly, and when 7 p.m. finally arrived, I forced myself to get ready. My eyes were bloodshot and puffy, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

When the three of them arrived to pick me up, I felt a wave of sorrow wash over me again. It was supposed to be four of us, but we lost one—my Langga.

The car ride was filled with a heavy silence. I didn’t bother looking out the window; I didn’t want to see the world pass by while I was stuck in this nightmare. My thoughts were consumed by images of Ken—his laughter, his smile, his warmth.

We arrived at the cemetery, and darkness had already settled over the sky. I felt a chill creep down my spine as we walked through the rows of headstones. It felt wrong to be here at night, the shadows looming large, the air thick with an eerie silence.

Eventually, we reached a small clearing, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw it—the stone engraved with Ken’s name: Ken Felipe Jhon Suson.

Is this real? I stared at the stone, feeling as if the ground beneath me would swallow me whole. Is he really gone? My heart ached as disbelief clawed at my insides.

Pablo placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I felt detached from everything. It felt like I was watching from a distance, unable to accept what was happening.

“No… no, this can’t be,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “He was here. He came back to me. We spent time together! He can’t be dead!”

“Stell, we’re here for you,” Josh said softly, but his words felt distant, like echoes of a past that I couldn’t quite grasp.

I sank to my knees in front of the grave, the cool earth grounding me in this moment of pain. “Ken, please… I can’t believe you’re gone. You said you wouldn’t leave me!” I cried, my heart breaking all over again.

In the darkness, I could almost hear Ken’s voice—soft and reassuring—telling me everything would be okay. But that was just a memory, a cruel trick my mind played on me. I felt so lost, so empty without him.

As the tears flowed freely, my friends knelt beside me, their presence a small comfort in the vast emptiness. “Let it out, Stell,” Justin whispered, placing a hand on my back. “We’re here for you.”

But even their support couldn’t fill the gaping hole Ken’s absence left in my heart. I pressed my hands against the cold stone, wishing for a moment that I could turn back time and relive all the beautiful moments we shared.

“Why, Ken?” I cried out, my voice raw and pained. “Why did you leave me? Why did you let me think you were gone?”

The night deepened around us, and I felt a sense of despair wash over me. What if this was it? What if this was all I had left?

But even in my grief, a small flicker of hope remained. Ken had fought to come back to me once; perhaps he would still be with me somehow. As the tears continued to fall, I made a silent promise to myself. I would carry Ken in my heart, wherever I went.

With a heavy heart, I stood up, my legs trembling beneath me. “I love you, Ken,” I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion. “I’ll never forget you.”

And as we walked away from the grave, something happens..

To be continued