Ethan awoke that morning feeling heavier than usual, as if his body had forgotten how to support him. The ache in his side had grown sharper overnight, and even breathing felt like a chore.
Cooking breakfast—once his way of expressing love—now required careful pauses, shallow breaths, and leaning on the counter for support.
He placed the plate on the table for Luna, untouched rice, fried eggs, and tilapia, hoping she might notice, but she didn't. She had gone out with Maya again, disappearing into the Manila night without a word, without concern.
Fatigue was taking over. Every step, every movement, every simple gesture drained him. The once-effortless routine of caring for her now felt monumental. And yet, he continued. He cleaned, cooked, waited, and recorded her every moment, even when it left him exhausted, weak, and trembling.
The camera had become more than a way to capture her life—it was a tether to both love and memory. He filmed her yawns, the careless toss of her hair, her unguarded smiles, and even the nights she protested his hidden presence. Each frame preserved a truth she could never see: that someone loved her more than she could imagine, more than she deserved, more than life itself.
By midday, his strength was waning. He sat on the couch, hand pressed to his side, breath shallow. The pain was no longer something he could hide, though he forced himself to smile when Luna returned home hours later, laughing, glowing from another night he wasn't part of.
"Morning," he whispered, voice strained.
"Mm," she muttered, barely looking at him, absorbed in her phone.
He pressed the record button on the camera, capturing her unaware, her presence a bittersweet gift. He knew his body was weakening, knew that every day might be the last he could move freely, the last he could watch over her in silence.
And yet, he continued.
Because even in fatigue, even in pain, even as death crept closer with each heartbeat, Ethan's love remained steadfast. It was a love that required no acknowledgment, no return, only endurance.
I will stay, he whispered into the quiet apartment, pressing a hand to the camera. I will love you… until the end, even if you never see it.