Strings of Memory

Chapter 24

Shattered Melodies

They say history is always bound to repeat itself. 

Just like how the Philippines fought for its freedom time and time again—against Spain, against America, against Japan. Different enemies, different battles, yet the same struggle, the same cries for independence, the same blood staining the soil.

Just like how heroes have always been betrayed by their own people—Andres Bonifacio, executed by fellow Filipinos; Antonio Luna, murdered by his own comrades. Names change, but the pattern remains. Trust is broken, loyalty is tested, and history repeats itself in the most tragic ways.

And now, it happened again. 

When my father died, it was as if the world lost its color. All the happiness and warmth I once knew vanished in an instant. I was left in a world that felt empty, meaningless—as if music had lost its purpose, as if there was no reason to keep moving forward. 

With my father's death, my dream died too. The dream of standing on a stage, of performing with him as we looked out at a sea of little lights held up by the crowd—I let go of it, leaving it in pieces, too broken to pick up again. 

But then, Luna came into my life—suddenly, unexpectedly, like a gust of wind that threw everything into disarray.

I wasn't prepared for her. I wasn't looking for someone to pull me out of the emptiness I had settled into. But Luna came crashing in, unbothered by the walls I had built, unfazed by the weight of my silence. She appeared in my life with the force of a storm, pulling me into her whirlwind of dreams, music, and unwavering determination.

She was relentless—so full of life, so unwilling to let anything hold her back. And before I even realized it, I was running alongside her, dragged into a chase I never thought I'd have the strength for again.

And strangely enough, we had the same dream.

She rekindled what I thought was long dead.

Just like the moon that illuminated the night, she became my light, guiding me back to the path I had abandoned. With her, the colors slowly returned. In every smile, in every laugh, I felt the warmth creeping back into my life, filling the void my father's death had left behind. 

But just like history, every moment of happiness seems to end in tragedy. 

In an instant, like a bubble bursting, Luna was gone. 

And with her, all the colors in my world faded once more. 

Darkness took over again. The warmth disappeared. My dream, the one I thought I had finally reclaimed, slipped through my fingers once more. 

History had repeated itself. And for the second time, I was left shattered.

"N-nagbibiro lang po kayo, hindi ba?" Nauutal na tanong ni Elliot. I saw how his lips quivered before he bit his lower lip, as if trying to stop it from shaking even more.

Pero imbes na sumagot ay seryoso lang siyang tinitigan ni Tori. She looked at us one by one, and when our eyes met, I saw the way hers shook—how the composure she was desperately trying to maintain started to crumble.

I don't know what she saw in my expression, but I just stared at her and waited for her response.

Umiwas siya ng tingin at humugot ng malalim na paghinga. Hindi lang isang beses pero madaming beses. As if silently begging her emotions to settle down.

Nang magmulat siya ng mga mata ay nawala na ang nakita ko kanina. But now, her eyes were slightly bloodshot. She was probably trying to stop herself from tearing up.