Ryan Hawkins- A man with 3million egos

So, after all that rooftop drama, Rachel's soft moments, my full-on sad boy energy, and that one night where mosquitos flew around judging my face like critics in a beauty pageant...

Yeah. That happened.

But I guess it's time to get back on track.

My revenge—no, not that kind of revenge. I mean the one where I bring back my mom's real smile. That's my mission.

But ahm... yeah. I need to go back to Harvard Facilities again.

Rachel? Bye. Wait—it's already midnight. Maybe I should sleep first.

---

🌅 Sun rises

Scene 1 — Morning

People were already arguing outside.

"Ahhh, f*ck—was that my alarm?" I sat up, groggy. "Hey! Can you all shut your pretty mouths? Like, all of you?"

(Humor as a coping mechanism? Still active.)

Anyway, those people were so noisy, I felt like throwing something at them—maybe a TV or a radio.

But nah, never mind. I needed to get ready.

---

Scene 1 – Morning (continued)

Those people outside? Arguing again like toddlers on caffeine.

But yeah, not important. Just background noise for my misery.

> [Time skip]

After I took a bath, I stood in front of the mirror again...

Same old face. Same old brand. Slightly water-damaged, still under emotional warranty.

(Honestly, I deserve a recall.)

> [Time skip]

After breakfast, I opened the door—

And there she was.

Rachel.

Slow motion. Wind effects. She turned to face me slowly, eyes sparkling like a budget K-drama fantasy.

Or maybe that was just my delusion running on full charge.

Then—

Rachel: "Hey hey!"

She gently slapped my face.

Me: "Ouch... Hehe, sorry. Akala ko kasi may angel sa harap ko—kaso ikaw pala."

(Humor. Delusion. Defense.)

Rachel: smiles "Shh. Shut up. So, where are we going?"

Me: "Wha—what?"

Rachel: "You said it last night. Midnight. You wanted to take revenge."

Me (confused): "Revenge? From what? Who?"

Rachel: "You said, 'Bye Rachel, I need to go to Harvard... but it's night, so I need to sleep first.'"

Me (blinking): "That's not an invitation… That was a bridge to Chapter 12."

---

Rachel: "Yah, we need to go to that bridge—so I can throw you off it."

Me (grinning): "Wow. Touching. That's love, right?"

But then… she held my hand. Not tight. Not loose.

Just enough to quiet the war inside me for half a second.

Rachel (softly): "You don't have to go alone, Ryan. Even revenge missions need assistants."

Me (mock-offended): "Assistants? What am I—some overworked CEO in a revenge startup?"

She laughed.

That kind of laugh that makes you forget things like pain, bills, and pride.

I didn't let go of her hand.

> [Time skip]

We hopped into her car. Windows down. Cheap perfume mixing with the scent of old fries.

We talked. About random things. Pointless things.

Like whether clouds judge us. Or if dogs secretly speak in Morse code when we're not looking.

It was nonsense.

Beautiful nonsense.

The kind that distracts you from the fact that you're about to hunt demons in daylight.

---

After that nonsense topic, we finally arrived at the place where I left my burden sleeping.

We stepped out of the car like a hotshot couple straight out of a low-budget K-drama.

Sunglasses? On.

Fake smiles? Checked.

Low-resolution confidence? Fully downloaded.

We walked toward the facility—but Rachel suddenly turned to face me.

Rachel (serious): "Just stay calm. I know what's waiting inside."

Me (nods): "Yeah. I'm aware of it."

She took a deep breath. Looked me in the eye like we were stepping into a warzone made of memories and guilt.

Rachel: "Let's go. Time to start your revenge."

We both stepped inside.

Same atmosphere. Same security guard who still looks like he lost a bet in life.

After just a few steps, I heard it again—

Mom's voice.

Screaming. Arguing with ghosts only she could see.

Same as before.

My chest tightened.

My tears dropped quietly, traitors that they are.

Rachel saw it.

I sniffled. Tried to hide it with a smirk.

Me (inner voice): "I must look so disgusting right now."

Rachel turned to me sharply.

Rachel: "Stop. Look at me—You need to get strong, okay?"

I didn't say anything.

Just nodded like a broken toy trying to reboot.

I walked toward her.

"Mom…"

But she kept arguing—screaming at nothing.

To ghosts.

To shadows.

To memories only she could see.

"Mom!"

Still nothing.

I stepped closer.

Gently grabbed her shoulders.

"Mom…"

She turned to face me.

Her eyes wide, frantic—lost.

For a moment, I thought—

Maybe she remembers.

Maybe… just maybe.

Then—

Mom: "Who are you? Where's my son?! Why did you take my child?!"

The world froze.

Me: "Mom! I'm your son! It's me—Ryan! Look at me! Remember the siopao? That super hot, delicious siopao you used to make? I kept begging for more even when it burned my tongue…"

She stared at me. Just stared.

And then—she looked away.

Back at the wall.

Arguing again with a ghost I couldn't see.

Suddenly, she started choking herself.

Mom: "No! Don't kill me! I need to see my son!"

And in that moment—

I cried.

I cried in public for the first time in my life.

This was the day my heart and brain crashed into each other—

And left nothing standing.

Rachel moved closer.

She didn't speak.

She just placed her hand on my back.

Steady. Quiet. Human.

The nurses came running.

They tried to calm Mom down. Restrained her.

Soft voices. Hard decisions.

Me: "Please… stop…" I whispered.

But they had to.

She kept screaming, even as they pulled her away.

Until her voice broke.

And all I could do was watch—

While Rachel held me like the world was too cruel for one person to carry alone.

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[Thank you for reading,God bless]

-"Sometimes, you can't endure pain when it's bleeding — not when it's fresh, not when it's real."