Ariadne.

I

"Ariadne!"

"Mom?!"

"Hahaha! Fool! I'm not your mother!"

"Fool! Fool!"

"M-mom..."

"Ariadne?"

"W.. who are you.."

"I'm sorry, my love. I'm sorry..."

"M-mom.."

"Listen to me...

... I will...

... Come back for you...

Anak..."

"Mom!"

Kasabay ng pagmulat ko mula sa panaginip na 'yon ay ang aking pagbangon. I immediately tapped my face, feeling the liquid running down my cheeks.

That dream again.

"Ariadne, anak, bakit?" I saw Mom by the door of my room, holding a spatula on her right hand and a mitten on her left. She's also wearing her favorite unicorn apron. "Narinig ko yung sigaw mo sa baba, why are you calling me? Are you okay? May masakit ba?"

"Uh..." Nagtangka itong lumapit sa'kin pero nginiwian ko nalang s'ya na agad naman n'yang nakuha. "Nothing, Mom. I just dreamt of you again..." I said, my voice fading on the end of the sentence.

Unti-unting naibaba ni Mommy ang spatula sa gilid n'ya bago napabuntong-hininga.

"That dream again?"

I nodded.

"That will never happen, anak—" she started sniffing on the air before she could even finish the sentence she would always tell me everytime I tell her that I dreamt of her. "Sandali! Yung niluluto ko nasusunog na!" She screamed and started running away. Maya maya lang ay narinig ko na ang boses n'ya sa baba kasabay ng pagtunog ng mga utensils at pagpatay ng gas.

I just smiled at that. How can my Mom be so cute at such an age?

I just shrugged it off and decided to stand up from my bed. Sinilip ko pa ang orasan sa bedside table bago ako napatingin sa bintana.

7:26 a.m.

Hinawi ko ang berdeng kurtina na humaharang sa bintana para buksan ito. It wasn't actually just a window. The glass that it was made off was so big, it runs from the floor of my bed to the ceiling, which also leads to a small balcony in my room. I opened it and went outside to get a whiff of fresh air. I also did some stretching when I felt something— or someone— looking at me from afar.

Hindi ko ipinahalatang natigilan ako at nagpatuloy sa pag-uunat habang hinahanap kung saan galing ang mga matang 'yon. Mula sa di kalayuan, nakita ko ang isang anino na nagsisimula nang umalis sa kalagitnaan ng kagubatan.

We live in a mansion owned by my Mom. She came from a rich family, and at the age of 18, she already made money on her own. And this property, where we were living right now, is her first gift to herself after she proved worthy of my Grandpa's name. It's located in a high end village, which takes up 12 hectares of land. May sariling gubat sa likod, kung saan nakaharap ang balcony ng kwarto ko. Kung saan ko nakita ang anino.

I smirked and decided to just shrug it off before walking to my walk in closet. After getting the clothes I want to wear, I walked straight to the door connected to it, leading me to my bathroom.