For Chapter 20, play Stay — Carol Banawa as background music. Credits to the owners.
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The world came crashing down on me, and in just a blink of an eye, everything fell into a blur. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know who to approach, I was just lost. Every single thing that was happening around me didn't matter anymore, I didn't care anymore, I just stood there, my heart broken into a million pieces, shattered like glass... hurting me more as I try to fix it...
My morning started out... calmly. I might have arrived home late after going to the boulevard with Korics, but I still managed to wake up early and get ready for school, seeing as how I have missed Sapient University a lot, I was thrilled to start my day. I welcome it with a smile.
As usual, I would wake up the the sound of my alarm clock, rush to the bathroom to take a shower, wear my school uniform, and eat breakfast. After all of those, I head off to school, driving my dad's car. As I parked it in S.U's parking lot, my eyes scanned, looking for his motorcycle.
Yet, it wasn't there, no trace of it there. I shrugged, thinking he might be late or he decided to skip the first period again, like he always does. I went up to our classroom, majority of my classmates there as they waited for our lecturer to come in.
I witness Vrylle walk inside the room and when she saw me, she immediately waved and ran towards me. She took a seat near my desk so we could talk, and I won't deny about how much I wanted to ask her if she ever crossed paths with Korics.
Time passed by, the third discussion this morning came and I still couldn't see him anywhere. Maybe he decided to not go to class this morning? I asked myself, and how I assured it that maybe he's just sleeping because he got tired last night, and because we slept late.
It's break time for us, so I went to my locker to return some of my books and binders that I don't need to use for the next periods and I asked Vry to join me in the school's cafeteria.
While looking for a table at the cafeteria, we saw Ameelya and Nettheia there so Vry and I decided to join them. Venylie was still busy fixing something in her locker so she wasn't here, and there I was, busy thinking about Korics.
"Theia? Do you know where Korics is?" I asked, and there was this sudden change in her aura. She looked at me, starting to look as if she was scared of me? Or something else. "Are you okay? I was just asking..."
Ameelya looked at Theia and tapped her shoulder lightly, worrying that she might saw a ghost behind me. I also started to be afraid because she won't even say a word.
"Sis? Are you okay?" Vry asked Theia, she still kept staring at me with a weak and forced smile on her face, and this worried sense in her eyes. I knew there was something wrong the minute I noticed all of those. "Hey! Theia!"
"He got hospitalized." She said, and my stomach dropped. I got worried and there was this feeling of uneasiness going in my head, in my entire body. I felt like I wanted to vomit out of nervousness. "His mom called my mom earlier, he got hospitalized around 3:00 a.m."
"Why?!" I asked, hints of fear in my voice, I worried. A lot of questions in my head, all of them left unanswered because none of them knew how to answer me. "Theia, tell me! Why?! What happened to Korics?!"
"I don't know Sav! I don't know..." She says, holing her head with both of her hands. I felt a crack in my heart, I was just left so scared. Or maybe it's not that serious? I could only hope for that. "I'm worried too, okay? But I don't know what happened to him, all I knew is that he got hospitalized, that's all."
"Girls, calm down okay?" Ameelya says trying to calm the both of us. I looked at her, tears starting to form in my eyes. "I have an idea. Let's just visit Korics later after class, okay? Let's all go there together, let's bring him fruits."
And so we did. I impatiently went by my entire day, feeling worried and nervous, I finished all of my lectures, I fixed all of my things, I checked all of the school's next big activities as I visited the faculty, and I looked at the details in the orphanage donation. After that, I couldn't wait to go to the hospital to visit him.
I drove me and the girls there since I was the only one who brought a car with me, and I we all walked inside together. We asked for informations, and Korics is already in the emergency room. My heart was starting to sink and my mind was raising.
When I ran to see him, I felt a sting in my heart, seeing him like that made me want to slowly melt as the pain slowly got into my head. He looked like he was suffering. So far from how he looked last night, he was still fine last night. What happened?
His mom was there, sitting close to him and looking at Korics with sadness in her eyes. It must really hurt to see your son in that kind of situation, it even hurt me too. I was just standing there, waiting for the opportunity to get closer to him. Praying he'd get better.
Missis Villaverde gestured us to move closer to him, he looked at me even if he was struggling, tears started to form in my eyes. What happened to you Korics? Yet he smiled at me with his eyes, it was weak. It made my heart feel weak.
The doctor approached all of us and he started talking to Kor's mom, who looked tired and worried and torn by what's happening. We all listened as the doctor explained to us. I wanted to ask questions too.
"What happened to him?" I asked, I couldn't contain myself anymore, I just wanted answers to clear my bewildered thoughts. "Please... tell me, tell us Doc! Is he going to be okay?"
"Missis Villaverde, your son has Dilated Cardiomyopathy." He says, and I stood there, confused. How?!
"How come we never knew Doc?! I don't know about this Dilated Cardiomyopathy, my son looked perfectly healthy!" Kor's mom says. "He's active, he's playful, he's an outgoing young man! He... he never told me about this."
And Kor was just there, listening to us and he couldn't even talk. I knew he was going through so much pain, and if only I could help him get through it, I would. Yet, with what I heard, my heart just shattered. It left me broken.
"Well, Missis Villaverde, Dilated Cardiomyopathy does not have any symptoms, or might not cause any of them." The doctor says as he tries to make us understand about what's going on. "Yet even if it doesn't have any symptoms, it's life-threatening. It's a common cause of heart failure. It can also lead to irregular heartbeats, blood clots, or even sudden death."
Sudden death?! I moved closer to Kor and this time I held his hand, he looked at me for a while before trying his best to tighten his grip on mine. My heart was pounding inside, and I wanted to scream. I was so afraid, and I didn't want things to end up badly.
"Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that usually starts in your heart's main pumping chamber. Over time, both ventricles may be infected." The doctor kept saying but I wasn't paying attention anymore, I just held Korics there. "And in your son's case Missis Villaverde, his condition has gotten worst inside, because as you age, it also worsens. You just didn't see it coming because it has no symptoms."
"Can we do a surgery? Or what treatments? What can we do, Doc?!" Korics' mom says, as she was spiraling out of control with her emotions. And I was there, closing my eyes, holding his hand tightly, not wanting to let go. "Please, help me save my son..."
"It's incurable, I'm sorry Missis Villaverde." He says. I started crying my eyes out, we all did. Vrylle, Theia, and Amee started crying too, moving closer to me and Kor, and Korics' mom, just stood there, as she begins to slowly cry. "We could only hope for the best and prepare for the worst."
With that, I cursed the world! I cursed destiny! I hated everything, I hated time! If only I could borrow it... if only I could have at least more of it... Because looking back, I knew it wasn't enough! The world came crashing down, and with my heart along with his, it betrayed me.
"Korics please don't leave me..." I said, whispering to him, bringing my lips closer to his forehead. I never wanted things to be like this, I never expected this would come. I don't want this. "The promises.. our dreams Kor! Our dreams... don't tell me I have to achieve all of them, alone.."
"I don't want this to happen.." He says, I could hear his voice frail and weak. "I don't want to leave all of you, you know how much I would want to stay if I had a choice... right?"
"Please don't go yet... I... I can't go through everything without you." I said, my voice shaking as tears fell down. It all fell down along with my hopes. "Last night... didn't we talk about the future? Please... I want to live in a future where I know I'd still get to be with you."
"You can go through it, Savelle." He gives me a weak smile. "You are strong, you are brave. I believe in you, remember what I said last night? Don't forget me, if anything bad happens, don't forget me. Remember me, always."
"Please... just please stay.." Everyone around us was just crying too, and my heart all falling into pieces, I didn't want things to end like this. Please take this all back! "Korics, please... stay with us. Don't leave yet.."
"We don't have a choice, Savelle. Before I go back home to paradise, know that I love all of you dearly. Know that I will always cherish everything we've been through, all the times we've spent together. I never loved you any less, please... when I'm gone, never stop reminding yourself about how much I love you."
He says, I couldn't take it anymore, I cried so much while still holding his hand. He was laying while looking at all of us. Vry was beside me, crying too, with her hand on my back, she caresses it while I continuously hold on.
"I love you, Korics. I love you so much, if only I had the power to help you, if only I could bring back time, and if only I could live those days again, I'll tell you how much I love you everyday. Because in this life, I failed to do that. I failed to tell you, and I'm sorry if it took me so long to be courageous... I will live in regret, but I will also live, with your love. Stay... please stay... stay with me... please."
"Maybe in another lifetime, I'm sorry if I couldn't be that boyfriend I promised you I'd be... maybe time and destiny doesn't want us to be a couple yet, but know that I love you, know that I care. Take care of my mom, take care of our friends, the love that I gave you.. share it to them. Promise me you'd work hard, that novel... go for it! I will be counting the stars until I see you being the best novelist out there."
"Korics! Please! Stay... please stay... I just want you to stay here... I want more time, I need more time." He starts to get more weaker, and I was afraid that this was it. It's our end, it's happening, and I wanted to faint. "Korics..."
"There are no goodbyes for us, Savelle... See you... when the right time comes. I... love you."
That moment, everyone was shouting, his mom was, and we were all doing the same. The doctors and nurses went in, he closed his eyes, his hand starting to lose its grip on mine, and when he finally weakened down and I knew it was over, our hands that once intertwined, are now apart.
"Time of death, 7:25 p.m." That's all I heard before crashing down on the floor, crying as I trembled in fear and pain, my world all torn to pieces right in front of me. I didn't see anything clearly anymore, and right there, I just blacked out. I felt so much pain. I was so afraid.
He's gone.
He's gone, and he's not coming back.
There are no goodbyes for us, Savelle... See you... when the right time comes. I... love you.
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