I was alarmed at how my brain worked.

I felt something inside me was trying to break free. Trying to wake up. And that scared me.

Like I would disappear if that something did wake up.

Without a second thought, I gathered my strength and kicked him.

"Agh!"

He groaned and loosened his grip. I crawled away from him and dashed towards my clothes.

"Estela, wait!"

I didn't wait.

The moment I snatched my clothes, I sprinted into the forest.

----

"Estela . . ."

I shrunk into the crevice of a large tree root. I thought I could hide from him, but it was just my wishful thinking.

"Go away!"

I shouted when he bent down and reached out to me.

He paused, and his face contorted in pain. Then he smiled –– a sad smile.

"I'm sorry . . . I shouldn't have done that to you . . ."

He placed the piles of fruits in front of me before he raised his arms, signaling he wouldn't do me any harm. And I thought he would finally go away when he turned around, but much to my dismay, he sat on a large tree root not far from where I am. His eyes were not leaving mine the moment he settled himself.

"I won't do that again. So . . . can we . . . talk . . . ?"

I didn't respond and shrank myself some more, praying for him to go away.

"Why don't we talk about something. You know, so you can get to know me better."

He smiled, and I swear . . . I thought my eyes had gone wrong when I saw sparkles around him.

I still didn't respond, staring at him in suspicion.

I don't want him near me.

"I'm Zhander Jansen, twenty-four years old, and I'm . . . your boyfriend."

. . .

. . .

I thought as much.

I frowned.

"But, of course, you don't remember that." He chuckled while he ran his fingers through his hair.

But after a while of silence, he sighed.

"You're probably wondering why you and I are here. Frankly, I don't have a clue either. At that time when I saw you at your brother's office . . . I was actually asking him a favor to see and talk to you with your mother so tightly guarding you and all . . . I had no other choice but to ask for his help."

My frown deepened.

Something tells me asking my brother for favors was never a good idea.

He laughed. More like a tired laugh.

"I never imagined he would trick me. I woke up one day, finding a person at my door, sent by your brother, who would take me to see you. Since I was so excited to finally have a chance to talk to you . . . I tag along . . . and here I am."

He weakly smiled at himself as he shook his head a little. Then he stared at me, face serious.

"But I would still come even on top of Everest or in the deepest part of a blazing volcano or the freezing desolate Arctic so I could see and talk to you again."

I bit my lip and interlocked my fingers when something inside me tried to break free. I was getting dizzy at the pounding pain. I didn't know if the pounding was my heart or my brain or maybe both.

"Little Stela, what's wrong?"

I heard the worry in his voice.

He probably noticed my face contorted in agony as droplets of cold sweat erupted from my skin. And before I knew it, I slumped on the ground. His cries of my name were the last thing I heard before my vision faded.