The afternoon sun was low, painting streaks of orange across the campus grounds. Kakalabas lang namin sa huling klase ko for the day, and I could already feel the relief in my shoulders. Beside me was Lenora, walking at her usual pace, animatedly telling me something about a professor’s odd habit of repeating the same joke every lecture.
I gave her a small smile, half-listening, half-lost in my own world. Kasi kahit sa gitna ng araw ko, Elio’s face lingered at the back of my head. Always.
Then my phone buzzed sharply in my pocket. A call. My men’s number flashed on the screen.
“Excuse me,” I muttered, already sensing something wasn’t right.
The moment I answered, the voice on the other end was frantic. “Sir Kiernan—hindi na namin makita si Elio. He’s gone. May dumukot sa kanya. Yung lalaking nakasuot ng kaparehong uniform ng driver mo—he lured him into a van. Wala na siya, Sir!”
For a second, the world tilted.
“What?” My voice dropped into a snarl. “Repeat that.”
“Sir, I’m sorry—akala namin safe, but he got in the car thinking it was yours. Hindi namin naagapan. Nawawala si Elio.”
My vision tunneled. I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
“PUTANGINA!” I roared, my hand gripping the phone so hard it might break. “If you don’t track that van now, I swear, ako mismo papaslang sa inyo. Do you hear me?! Hanapin niyo siya!”
“Y-yes, Sir!”
I cut the line so fast my chest heaved like I couldn’t breathe. My blood boiled, rage clawing its way out of my veins. They took him. They dared touch him.
My fist clenched at my side. I’ve never felt this level of fury before, this wasn’t just anger. This was primal. This was war.
“Kiernan!” Lenora’s voice snapped me back, her hand tugging at my arm. She had seen everything, my sudden eruption, the venom in my words. “Calm down. Hindi ka makakapag-isip nang maayos kung ganyan ka.”
I turned to her, eyes blazing. “They took him, Nora. They fucking took Elio. Kung may mangyari sa kanya—”
She squeezed my arm tighter. “Listen to me. Rage won’t bring him back. You need clarity. You need strategy. Ako na ang bahala mag-track sa kinaroroonan niya.”
Her words hit me through the storm, grounding me. Lenora, the one person who never flinched at my darkness.
“How?” I demanded, still trembling.
She pulled out her tablet from her bag, already typing with rapid precision. “Your men may be tracing the car, but I have access to another network. Hacking traffic cams, cross-checking plates. You’ll follow my lead.”
I raked a hand through my hair, trying to control the surge inside me. My chest ached with the thought of Elio, possibly terrified, in the hands of strangers.
“Fuck,” I muttered, voice raw. Then I forced myself to focus. “Fine. Do it. Find him.”
Lenora looked at me firmly. “And you, get ready. The moment I give you a location, you drive there with no hesitation.”
I swallowed hard, my jaw tight. “If they touch him, Nora… if they hurt him…”
She locked eyes with me, voice steady. “Then make sure you’re the one who finds him first.”
And in that moment, the chaos inside me settled into one burning vow.
I will find you, Elio. No matter what it takes.
BINABASA MO ANG
IKIGAI Series #1: Estranghero
Romansa[1st Series under IKIGAI] Elio Maze Inoue is a bubbly and optimistic, with an infectious energy that draws people to him. He also have that bright, expressive eyes that sparkle with enthusiasm. While in a physical manner, he has this curly or wavy h...
