Chapter one:
"Morning, Isa."
I looked up from my coffee, startled out of my thoughts. Marco, one of the bartenders, waved a hand as he passed by, a cheeky grin plastered on his face. "You look like you haven't slept in a week."
"Feels like it," I muttered, shrugging. My voice came out quieter than I intended. He chuckled, shaking his head. Some things never changed—Marco always found the right way to tease me.
"You're late," he said, nodding toward the bar. "Boss is probably going to chew you out."
I rolled my eyes. "Barely. Let's hope he's distracted by someone else today."
I moved through my morning routine, greeting coworkers with half-smiles and small talk, pretending everything was normal. But my mind wasn't on coffee orders or schedules. It was still on him. Sid Arius Aurelio D'Amato. Even thinking his name made my chest tighten, like someone had pressed their hand on it and wouldn't let go.
"Hey, Isa, you okay?" asked Lira, the bar's waitress, leaning against the counter. She had that way of noticing things before anyone else, and right now, I didn't feel okay at all.
"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just tired, that's all."
She didn't look convinced, but she let it go. Not everyone needed to know what I was thinking—or feeling.
The shift started, and the bar slowly filled. I handled complaints, answered calls, smiled politely at clients who were impossible to please. It was exhausting, but there was comfort in routine. I liked knowing exactly what I needed to do to survive the day.
"You're overthinking again," Marco said during a quiet moment, leaning on the counter. He gave me a sideways glance, eyebrow raised. "Talking to yourself isn't healthy, you know?"
I laughed, a little too quickly. "I'm not talking to myself."
"Sure," he smirked, not bothering to argue further. He left, and I let out a sigh I hadn't realized I'd been holding in.
The truth? I was thinking about him. Sid. The night I had seen what he really was. The pull he had, the danger, the darkness—it shouldn't affect me. And yet, every time I tried to push it away, it came back stronger. Like a shadow following me, waiting for the right moment.
"Isa, your break," Lira called from the kitchen, snapping me out of my thoughts. I grabbed my bag and headed outside, letting the Manila heat wash over me.
I bumped into a delivery guy, knocking his box of bottles to the ground. "Oh! Sorry, sorry," I apologized, helping him pick them up.
"Careful," he said with a grin, shrugging. "You're lucky I don't charge you for damages."
"Yeah, yeah," I laughed, brushing off the embarrassment. Normal, everyday chaos. Safe, ordinary moments. I clung to them like lifelines because the thought of stepping back into my memories of Sid made my chest ache.
Back inside, I sipped water and leaned against the counter, watching the room. People came and went, conversations flowed, laughter rose and fell like waves. I kept my smile polite, but my mind wandered. Some part of me still wanted to see him again, even though I knew I shouldn't. Even though I told myself I needed to forget him.
Marco returned, holding a plate of pastries. "Here. Because you look like you could use one."
"Thanks," I said softly. A small act of normalcy, like a thread holding me together. For a moment, I felt human again, not trapped in the memory of that night, not tangled in the pull of someone I knew was dangerous.
But deep down, I knew the thread was thin.
Sid's world was out there, waiting. And no matter how many pastries I ate, how many small jokes I shared with coworkers, I couldn't escape it. Not really.
And I didn't know if I wanted to.