The One Who Stares Behind

HULING PAGBABALIK

At nangyari na nga ang hindi namin inaasahan. Masakit ang ginawa namin sa isa't isa, at ang pinakamasakit ay nang magpatuloy kami sa nararamdaman namin para kay Kasianna, at sa huli, kami pa ang nasaktan.

I knew she had talked to Lewis to sort things out, and things seemed to be getting better between them. We were trying to be civil now, just two brothers who had to work through their mess. But that didn't make the situation any easier.

I was holding my phone when the news hit me. I froze, staring at the screen, trying to comprehend what I was reading.

"Ano?!" Kusang nalaglag ang telepono mula sa aking kamay nang matanto ko kung anong nangyari. I didn't know how to process it. I let the tears fall freely, unable to stop them. I didn't know what to do anymore. Hindi! Hindi ang babaeng mahal ko.

"Anong nangyari sayo? Nag-break na ba kayo?" Si Lewis iyon, may halong asar, na para bang hindi niya maintindihan ang sitwasyon.

"Si Kasianna... Lewis, si Kasianna," I barely managed to speak, my voice cracking.

"Anong nangyari sa kanya?!" Agad akong hinawakan ni Lewis sa kwelyo, pagkabigla at takot na malinaw na nakatagos sa kanyang mga mata.

"She got kidnapped..." I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips.

In a split second, he released me, his face paling as reality hit him. Without a word, he punched me hard in the chest, causing me to stumble back.

"Fuck!" he yelled, his anger and worry mixed into one. "What the hell, Lexus? What the hell is going on?!"

I could see it in his eyes—the guilt, the fear. He had no idea how much pain we were both in, how much Kasianna's disappearance was tearing us apart. We were brothers, but now we were forced to face the truth that the woman we both cared for was in danger.

"Gago! Hindi ako nagpaubaya para mapahamak siya. Sinabi ko na sayo na may nagbabanta sa pamilya niya!" He shouted, the weight of the situation crashing over me like a tidal wave. Every bone in my body ached, knowing how much I had failed Kasianna. How much we both had failed her.

"Alam ko, ang gago ko!" I shouted back, my voice hoarse with frustration and guilt. Without warning, he pulled me into a tight embrace, his grip so strong it felt like he was holding on for dear life. "Oo, gago ka, pero wala kang kasalanan. Hahanapin natin siya."

It was the only thing I could hold onto right now—the hope that we would find her, that we could somehow make things right.

We reached out to the authorities, but even with their help, it felt like we were losing time. I could see it in Lewis' eyes—the desperation, the resolve. He didn't stop looking for any lead he could find. He was relentless, just as I was. But nothing seemed to make sense. The more we dug, the deeper the hole got, and the more helpless we felt.

I couldn't stand it anymore. The weight of not knowing, the weight of not being able to protect her—it was eating me alive.

Then, finally, it happened.

"Lexus, I got a lead." Lewis' voice broke through my thoughts. He was frantic now, his eyes wide with a new sense of purpose.

"Saan ka pupunta?" I asked, standing up quickly as I tried to catch up with him, my heart racing.

"Puntahan mo ang lugar na 'to," he said, pulling out a map and pointing to a spot. "At ako naman sa address na 'to. Para siguradong mailigtas natin si Zafhyrna."

I nodded, trying to keep calm, but the fear gnawing at me was palpable. "Sige, sila Khairo na muna ang bahala kung sakaling may update ang mga pulis."

Lewis grabbed my shoulder, his face set in a grim determination. "Osige, tawagan mo rin ako."