Chapter One
My phone suddenly rang.
I quickly reached into my pocket and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey Zac, are you still coming to Zyron's bachelor party? He's been waiting for you for a while now," said my older brother, Xavier.
I let out a sigh.
"I'm on my way."
Without waiting for a reply, I ended the call and slid my phone back into my pocket.
My eyes wandered to the telescope I brought with me. I'd been standing alone on this vacant lot for over an hour, tracing constellations and letting the stars distract me from everything. I picked the telescope up and carefully placed it inside the car's trunk. Then I climbed into the driver's seat and drove off into the night.
A few minutes later, I pulled into the resort owned by our family. As I stepped out of the car, I was immediately met with the vibrant glow of multicolored lights dancing along the shoreline. Loud music boomed from the beach, echoing through the salty air. In the distance, I could see some of our friends already gathered.
I started walking toward them.
"Hey Zac!"
It was Zyron—my sister Trixie's fiancé. He was holding a bottle of beer and flashing a lazy grin.
"I thought you weren't coming to my bachelor's party," he said.
I glanced around. All I saw were our male friends. Not a single girl in sight.
"Relax, future brother-in-law," Zyron added, clearly tipsy. "I didn't agree when some of the guys wanted to bring girls. I don't want your sister mad at me."
"If there are no girls, how are we supposed to enjoy this party?" Tristan joked, raising his drink.
"Tss. Don't compare me to you," Zyron snapped back.
"What do you mean by that? And what if guys show up to your bride's bridal shower?" Tristan fired.
"Hey! My sister's not like that!" a voice interrupted.
It was Xavier, approaching us with two bottles in hand. He stopped in front of Tristan and glared.
"Stop saying dumb stuff before Zyron punches you," he warned, then turned to me and handed over one of the bottles.
"I thought you weren't coming because you were busy stargazing or something," Xavier teased.
"Don't worry about it, kuya," I replied, grinning. "There's always next time. I couldn't miss this—Zyron's last night of freedom." I gave Zyron a playful nudge, and he chuckled.
"So let's enjoy this party, everyone!" Xavier shouted, raising his bottle.
He suddenly grabbed a microphone nearby and tapped it. "Hello? Is this working?"
I shook my head. Kuya's clearly drunk too.
"I just want to say something to my soon-to-be brother-in-law," he began. "Honestly, I didn't want you to marry my twin sister. You've hurt her before—too many times. You made her cry. But despite all that, she still chose you. So I had no choice but to accept her decision. But listen carefully—if you hurt her again, I swear I'll be the one digging your grave."
I glanced at Zyron beside me. He was smiling. I could tell he understood—Xavier only said those things out of love for our sister.
"Anyone else want to give a message besides me?" Xavier asked, turning to me.
"There's no need," I said. "Zyron already knows."
Zyron met my gaze and gave a small nod.
After that, the party continued.
"Zac, where are you going?" Tristan called out behind me.
"He's probably looking for a spot to throw up," Timothy, his brother, joked.
I didn't answer. I just kept walking, the bottle still in my hand. I didn't even realize how far I'd wandered until I found myself alone at the far end of the beach.
I sat on the sand, staring up at the moon. She was beautiful tonight. Gentle. Serene. Her silver glow danced across the ocean, the only light cutting through the dark.
I heard footsteps approaching from the left. They stopped just behind me. I could feel someone standing there, close.
I didn't look. I just gripped the bottle tighter.
"I didn't know someone followed me all the way here," I said quietly, standing up without turning around.
No answer.
I finally turned to face the person behind me. But I couldn't recognize them—their face was completely hidden under a black hoodie.
Still, I stared, hoping I'd find something familiar in their body language. Anything.
"May I know who you are?" I asked. "And why did you follow me?"
Silence.
Did they not hear me? Or couldn't they speak?
I shook my head and started to walk away—
But suddenly, they grabbed my right arm and pulled me close.
I stumbled forward, caught off guard. I couldn't see their face in the shadows. The moonlight wasn't strong enough. The hoodie hid everything.
"Who—"
I didn't get to finish.
They kissed me.
I froze.
My mind screamed to push them away. To do something. Anything.
But my body refused to move.
Maybe it was the alcohol.
Maybe it was the shock.
Or maybe… it was something else.
Their lips moved slowly, gently—warm and soft, brushing against mine with a strange familiarity. A feeling I didn't expect. My chest tightened, my face burned, and my thoughts scattered.
Then… everything slowed.
I no longer felt the sand beneath my feet.
The music, the waves, the breeze—all of it faded.
Even the warmth of the kiss began to disappear.
Only the moon remained, glowing faintly above us.
And then... everything went dark.
---
"Zac…"
A voice echoed from somewhere far away.
"Zac…"
"Zac."
"Zac, wake up!"
I jolted upright in bed, gasping.
Mom stood at the foot of my bed, arms crossed and staring at me like she'd been calling me for minutes.
"Do you know what time it is, Zac? You're going to be late for school," she said, frustrated. "Now get up and have breakfast downstairs."
She turned and walked out of the room.
I sat there, stunned. My heart was still racing.
I raised my fingers to my lips.
Was that real?
Did I really… kiss someone I didn't even know?
I shook my head, trying to steady my breathing.
Don't think too much, Zac. It was just a kiss.
You'll never see that person again.
Or maybe…
It was just a dream.