The Path I Doubted, Yet Led Me Home

Astrid Saji Valderrama never imagined her life would turn out this way-dancing under flashing lights, enduring unwanted stares, and sacrificing her own dreams for the sake of her younger brother. Forced to leave school, she takes a risky path when a friend recruits her into the underground bar scene, believing it to be her only way to survive.

One night, while performing, a man crosses the line, humiliating her in front of everyone. Just as she prepares for the worst, someone steps in-Kieran "Raze" Velasco. He's a stranger in the crowd, yet his presence is impossible to ignore. Unlike others, he doesn't see her as just another performer. He sees the girl behind the act, the fighter beneath the pain.

But Kieran carries his own demons, his own reasons for being there. As their worlds intertwine, Astrid begins to wonder-can she truly escape the life that has trapped her? Can she trust Kieran, or is he just another fleeting illusion in the darkness?

Sometimes, the path we fear the most is the one that leads us home.