I did my best during the final exams, but I knew the results wouldn't be that great for me. I wasn't able to concentrate on anything, because of the big fight Damien and I had.
It had been three days, and he hasn't spoken to me yet.
Damien got really angry when he saw Peter and me together, and I understand him. I hoped I could tell him what I was doing, but it would sound like an excuse. How could I explain everything to him?
How could I tell him – without sounding crazy, and without it sounding like an excuse – everything about Fate and Gaia, and that I was thinking that Gaia purposely sent that doppelganger to break us apart?
The last thing that Damien told me broke my heart; "Fine, if you want to continue seeing that guy, then suit yourself, I won't stop you, but Teo, don't expect me to stay by your side. It's painful. If you want to choose that guy over me, then I would respect that, all I want is to for you to be happy, and if I can't be that guy to make you happy, then I understand."
That time, he didn't even let me reply, he didn't even let me explain my side. He just said that and left. After that, I couldn't contact him anymore. James and Clark said that Damien needed some time to calm down and clear his head and that he wanted to tell me to focus on my exams first.
How can I do that? All I could think about was him!
Ever since I met him, ever since he helped me get over Peter's death, ever since I fell in love with him, not a day, an hour, would pass that I wouldn't think of him.
My mind was so full of him, so why was he doubting my feelings?
It was the end of the semester, and it was supposed to be a happy day, a big celebration, especially since it was UST's Paskuhan; a year-end festivities to celebrate the coming Christmas.
It's not like I was going to attend the event, though, since it is well-known that the campus is packed during the festivities. I don't think I could survive that.
Still, I wanted to watch the fireworks display from our condo with Damien.
The festivities were at full swing across the street; people started to crowd inside the campus. I watched by the glass windows of our unit as the campus was slowly filled with visitors.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Axel asked me.
"You won't be able to enjoy with me around." I told him. I'll probably pass out with all that people.
"Should I just stay here with you?" He asked me.
"You should enjoy out there, I'll be fine. I won't go out, I promise." I told him.
Axel looked at me with a worried expression, I could tell that he was reluctant to leave by myself that night. "What about you? Are you going to be fine here alone? I mean, you might be surprised, you might actually have fun there tonight..."
"With all that people? That's highly unlikely." I told Axel. "I don't want to get in your way, you'll just worry about me the whole time if I go with you. I'll be fine here."
"It's just that, this seems to be the perfect chance for that stalker to act..." He sighed worriedly.
"I'll lock the front door and stay in my room. I'll call if I need help. Don't worry too much about me, you should have fun with Clark tonight."
"Okay..." Axel hesitated. "You be careful..." He said before leaving.
That festivities made me remembered Peter, our Peter. He would talk about the Paskuhan so excitedly when he was still alive. He had always told me that it was one of the highlights of being a Thomasian.
He knew how scared I am of crowds and he promised me that he would find a way for me to enjoy Paskuhan, without the crowd that usually comes with it.
"The fireworks display is amazing." He used to tell me. "I want you to see it!" He was smiling at that time. "Let's see it together, alright, Teo!"
You're so unfair, Peter. We promised to see the Paskuhan fireworks together, remember. So... So... Why did you leave first...? You should be here to watch it, with me... and Damien.
"You still could see it with him." Suddenly, I heard Gaia's voice echoes in my room.
I looked around in nervousness, but I didn't see her.
My phone suddenly beeped as I received a message. It was from the new Peter. "Are you going to the Paskuhan?" He messaged me. I didn't reply, I was already feeling bad because of my fight with Damien, and I didn't want to add fuel to the fire. I received another message from him. "The fireworks display is amazing. I want you to see it."
"What the hell is this? He's saying the same thing as..."
All of a sudden, my pendant started turning and pulsing. It was as if it was trying to warn me about something.
On the gap below the door of my room, I could see a golden light shining from the living room.
I knew it was a bad idea, but I still opened the door. I was wasn't wrong about my suspicions.
Right in our living room was the owner of the golden light herself.
"You promised to see the fireworks with Peter, didn't you? Now is your chance." Gaia sat on the couch and then turned her face to me.
"What kind of game is this?" I asked her as I clenched my fist. "Stop using Peter... He... He... should already be at peace..."
Gaia stood up, golden light enveloped her. "This is not a game, Teo. I never play games." She said seriously as she moved closer to me. "I'm merely putting things back to where it's supposed to be. You and Damien are never meant to be in love, you two are not even meant to meet each other."
"Right, because I was supposed to die." I replied sarcastically. "No. I died, but Fate brought me back to life, right...?"
"Exactly." She replied. "A mortal boy and a..." She scoffed. "I can't permit it!" I had no idea what she was talking about. "Peter was supposed to be your first and last love, but when you and Damien met, that changed, and it sent a ripple of effects to everyone around you."
"You said that the mere fact that Fate gave me another life is causing anomalies, but I don't see anything wrong..."
"Of course you don't." Gaia replied. "People's destiny is changing, they're moving away from their chosen path. Because of you, people who are never supposed to meet and fall in love does, and some lost their destined lover. Reconciliation became impossible and as a heart continues to yearn for someone another continues to fall into despair and darkness." She was starting to sound angry.
"What are you talking about?" I was starting to get really afraid. "I don't know what that means...".
"As two hearts start to grow closer, families start to break apart. With one choice, things would never be the same, and a whole family line might end in this era."
"How is it my fault?" I was starting to shake.
"With that heart falling into darkness and despair, her path of becoming a catalyst of change a peace closes and a path of hatred opens. With a family line ending, a child of charity and compassion that would uplift the lives of many would never be born. And. It's. All. Because. You. Lived."
Having Gaia so close to me was very frightening. I could feel her contempt and anger, and it sent shiver all throughout my body.
"So, you want me... dead..." My heart was pounding in fear at that very moment. If she wanted, Gaia could kill me right then and there, and the only one that could stop her was Fate.
"Fate gave you another chance in life. Another chance to fall in love. I'm merely doing the same. I'm only giving you another chance with your first love. You were supposed to be with Peter, anyway, you can start again with him. Don't you want that?"
"What do you mean? What did you do to Peter?" I knew their resemblance wasn't a coincidence, I knew that Gaia had something to do with it, but I just didn't know what exactly it was that she did. "Don't tell me..."
"I couldn't turn back time like Fate, but I can give Peter's soul another chance in life." She smiled at me. "One kiss, Teo, just one kiss, and Peter's return would be complete." Gaia told me.
"You..." My voice was shaking. "What did you do with Peter?" I was angry that she was using Peter, but I was also very afraid.
"Don't you miss Peter? Don't you want to be with him again?" Gaia goaded as she looked at me with that frightening piercing eyes.
"Sure, I miss him, but if meeting him again, if being with him again means losing Damien, then forget it. I don't want to lose Damien. I loved Peter, sure, he would forever be in my heart, but it's Damien that yearns for. It's Damien that I want to be with. It's because of Damien that my heart is beating every day. It's Damien that I love."
Suddenly, balls of blue light shot out of the pendant, one hitting Gaia directly. Her light started flickering after being hit by the blue ball of light. The remaining blue balls of light surrounded the weakening Gaia. "I want my children to be happy, but because of one selfish act of a cupid, the world is starting to change, and it's bringing despair to my children, and for what? For the happiness of one single boy who was supposed to be dead." Gaia dispersed into a countless golden ball of light. "Forgive me my child, but the happiness of one would never outweigh the happiness of the many. I can't sacrifice your siblings just so you can be happy." Her voice echoed in the room.
The blue balls of light phased out of the window and Gaia's light followed. It was like they were on a chase. They were on a race to reach somewhere or something, although I had no idea what they were both after.
I hated the idea of Gaia using Peter to break Damien and me apart. Peter should be at peace in heaven, he shouldn't be involved in my mess.
Gaia's words weighed in my head. I couldn't understand what she was trying to say. What did she mean by one kiss? I hope I was wrong, but my suspicion that the new Peter that appeared was our Peter was only getting stronger.
It sounded impossible, then again, after everything that happened to me, the impossible is just like any event in my life.
I was so deep in thought that I had no idea how long I had the refrigerator door opened. I even forgot what I came here to get. Was I hungry or just thirsty?
Things were so confusing and many thoughts whirled inside my head. I didn't even know where to begin to process everything. I mean, I haven't even solved my problem with Damien yet, and another already came in my way.
Everything would be easier if only I didn't have that fight with Damien. If only I wasn't too curious about that new Peter.
In the end, I caused all of this mess.
If there's one thing I know, it's that I shouldn't prolong that small fight. The longer it gets, the harder it would be to fix.
Besides, I didn't know how long I would last without Damien by my side. I already felt really guilty about the whole thing, and the thought of Damien hurting because of me made me feel even worse.
A loud and insistent knocking came to the door and it startled me. Then the doorbell rang non-stop.
It couldn't have been Axel or Damien, because they knew the passcode of the lock. It made me really nervous, and I hoped that it would just stop.
How I wished it was just a drunken mistake by a neighbor, but when my necklace started acting up again, I knew that something terrible was about to happen.
Nervously, I walked towards the door, and when I looked through the peephole, my whole body went numb. Even with the mask on, I could never forget those eyes.
My heart almost stopped at the sight of the stalker.
Fear crept in my veins as I stood paralyzed on the other side of the door. My whole body shook as I slowly regained my senses.
Maybe because the police were busy with all the crowd going in and out of UST, that's why the stalker managed to get inside the building.
I ran into my room and locked the door. I took my phone and called the first person that came into my mind; Damien.
The call wasn't connecting. Even my text message wasn't being sent.
Clark wasn't joking when he said that everywhere around UST would be a dead spot for cellular signal during the Paskuhan.
I was scared as hell.
I had nowhere to run, no one to ask for help.
I was practically trapped inside my own room.
And it was the scariest thing I had ever experienced.
All I could do was clutch the pendant inside my shirt and hope for a miracle.
Damien... Damien... help me...
The banging on the door intensified, and even though I was in my room, I could still hear it. It was frightening, it was a nightmare.
I was breaking a cold sweat as my body shook in fear. I felt helpless, and it was the first time I felt truly alone.
All of a sudden, I felt a warm sensation from the necklace.
Blue balls of light suddenly entered through my window. Was it the same one that Gaia chased a while ago? I don't really know, all I know was that I was thankful that Fate was there by my side.
The balls of blue light surrounded me, and whenever one would touch my skin, I would feel safe and warm.
A flash of blue light exploded and blinded me, and when I came to be, I was somewhere very familiar.
I was in my room at our rest house in Tagaytay.
As soon as I realized that, my eyes felt heavy and I fell on my bed in a deep slumber.