Ares Gabriel Salazar has always believed in love that when Cupid aims his arrow, you don't get a choice. You fall, hard. No rewinds. No escape. Just fate doing its thing. So when Aidan Lysander Angeles moves into the neighborhood, all clean-cut smiles and polite nods. Aidan may look like the perfect good boy, but Ares sees the restlessness in his eyes. The part of him that wants to break free, to be seen for who he really is. And maybe . . . to be loved. Ares didn't expect to be the one hit. But when you meet someone who makes your heart race and your beliefs shake, what else is there to do but fall?

Jackson Ramirez has always followed the rules-his family's, society's, everyone's but his own. Trapped in a life dictated by expectations, he buried his passion and silenced the voice that once made him feel alive. So when Kenzo Adachi walked into his class-blunt, intense, and always acting like he owned the room. Jackson couldn't help but feel . . . annoyed. Annoyed by his confidence. Annoyed by how he said whatever he wanted. Annoyed by how free he was. But Kenzo? He saw something else. He saw a bird trying to breathe through its cage. And Kenzo, the kind of man who lives by his own rules, was ready to go beyond the boundary-just to help Jackson learn how to fly.

Santiago Alverio is torn between family expectations and his own internalized fears from homophobic relatives. As he enters a casual fling with Diablo Delgado, he discovers that love, patience, and acceptance might be the blueprint to healing and embracing his true self. *** Santiago Alverio has always lived by the rules of his family, peers, and a silent world that tells him who he should be. As a civil engineering student, he hides behind toxic masculinity and the fear of being noticed because of expectations and a homophobic upbringing. Then comes Diablo Delgado--fearless, affectionate, and unapologetically himself. What begins as a no-strings "friends with benefits" arrangement slowly converts into something deeper. With every touch, every unguarded smile, Diablo breaks the walls Santi has built around his heart. But love is never simple. Santi is caught between family pressures, societal judgment, and his own insecurities. Will he ever realize that happiness was never about meeting expectations but about choosing the person who makes him feel whole? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano ILLUSTRATOR: Ri Ot

paano mo matatakasan ang iyong nakaraan kung ang mismong tadhana na ang nagdidikta nito sayo.

Warriors of San Marcelino Series #1 Paminsan-minsan ay hindi natin magawang maniwala sa isang sitwasyong naulit na sa ating nakaraan. Paano ko paniniwalaan ang mga salitang nabigo na sa akin? Simula no'n ay parehas na ang asin at asukal kaya hindi na ako nagtangkang tikman muli ang tamis. Ngunit lumitaw ka, ang lalaking malabo kong makatuluyan at ayokong makatuluyan; nagpumilit ka. Binigay mo ang panatang hirap kong tanggapin. Tinapon ko ito ngunit binalik mo pa rin sa akin. Kahit noong hawak ko na'y ayoko pa ring yakapin. Ngunit dahan-dahan mo itong pinatunayan hanggang sa ito na'y aking pinapaniwalaan. You fixed and dignified the promise that was once broken. Started: September 3, 2024 Ended: November 26, 2024