Chapter 1

I'm waiting outside the police station for my parents to come out. I have a small packet of tissues in my pocket, the kind you carry when you're not feeling well. There's also a big tissue box in Dad's car on Azura's seat.

Our family SUV is the only vehicle in the small parking lot. You'd expect a busy police station, but in our peaceful hometown of Palawan, crime is rare. Then my sister passed away.

The police are looking into her death, even though it seems like she took her own life. They're following the rules, so they called my parents to get more details before releasing her body.

When the glass door opens, my mother rushes out of the station. I go to get the tissue box. She takes my hands and dabs her eyes. My father is talking to the detective in charge of Azura's case.

"Mom," I start to say, but she hugs me and stops me from talking. Her tears wet my t-shirt. I try not to cry.

She lets go, cups my cheek, and whispers, "It's over." She smiles, but I'm not sure why. We all feel empty. I can see Azura in my mother's eyes. They're looking at me, but it's like they don't really see me.

I feel sick, so I gently step away from my mom. She wipes her cheeks as my dad and the detective come over.

"We appreciate your help," Detective Dristan Tonnoir-Abrego says something and shakes all our hands. "I know this must have been hard for you," he adds, keeping his hand on mine.

My dad says, "We're taking it one day at a time," and I clench my teeth.

Before letting go of my hand, Detective Dristan shakes it again and gives, "We're doing everything we can to speed things up for you."

"Thank you, Detective Dristan," my mom says softly. She puts her hand on my shoulder. I stare at my feet, trying not to move.

He gives my mother a stack of business cards and says, "Many people are going through what you're experiencing. It's okay to seek help and connect with others who have lost someone dear."

I look at the top card: "Suicide Support."

I quietly tell Detective Dristan, "She didn't take her own life."

"We're considering all possibilities," he nods. "But the evidence suggests—"

I insist again, "She didn't do it," and I see both my parents flinch. We've been arguing about this for three days. They doubt her, and I defend, "She didn't!"

"Alora," my dad says gently as he opens the car door, "please just get in."

I look down, avoiding their sad and angry faces. I don't need to hear more to understand. It's the same thing I've heard from everyone since she passed away. That I'll feel alone and that I'll get through this. That I'm not to blame.

They all believe Azura took her own life by hanging herself. But I'm the only one who really knows Azura and knows she would never do something like this to our family or to me. She's always been stronger than me.

As my parents discuss Azura's funeral downstairs, I lie on my bed, thinking about Azura's steel drawer. Do ghosts know what happens to their bodies after they die?

I close my eyes, breathing unsteadily. How long does it take to stop crying? I don't want to stop crying for Azura. If I stop crying, does it mean I've stopped grieving? Does it make her less important if the memories and sorrow fade?

I think back to the months before Azura's death. I felt something was wrong, that she was in trouble, but I stayed silent. I thought we could handle it ourselves.

Was that too simple? Is it my fault? Could I have prevented this by telling someone about Azura's behavior?

"I know you didn't take your own life," I say, maybe to convince myself, maybe because I truly believe it. "You didn't do it. You...You didn't—"

I break down in my room, alone, crying until I can't cry anymore. I want to sleep, but sleep escapes me. Every time I close my eyes, I see her hanging with her neck at an unnatural angle.

"Alora."

That voice is like an angel's. Comforting...

A hand touches my cheek, and my body warms, pushing away the cold. The haunting image in my mind is carried away by the wind, and I feel safe. Numb. But when I open my eyes, I blink. No one is sitting next to me as I expected.

I sit up and look around the room. It's dark outside, and the forest is a solid black mass through my window. Did I fall asleep?

I turn my gaze away from the window and lie back down. These days, all I can do is stay in bed. Without my sister, the world feels less important...

When I close my eyes again, silent tears roll down my cheeks. The house and my room are quiet. Azura used to play the piano, waking me and my parents with her melodies in the morning. I never understood how she could wake up so early and be so cheerful when I stumbled downstairs.

Death has taken more than just my sister. It's taken Azura's beautiful piano music that used to fill our mornings. It's replaced comforting words with the silence of grief. This grief is overwhelming, making it hard to relate to others. Death has not only stolen my sister but also changed the way I exist. There's no one to talk about boys with or braid my hair before school dances. I'm alone in this solid house, a house meant for a family.

…

"Alora, what are you up to?"

When I open my eyes, she's standing right over me, hands on her hips, like she owns the world. I look at her, wondering if I'll ever be half as self-assured as she is. I just want to be half as amazing as her.

"Oh no," she says with a smirk, "you've got that melancholic look again."

"Shut up, Azura!" I grumble as I sit up on the grass.

"You don't usually nap in the grass, dear sister. You're usually too busy exploring the woods and the meadow. You only sleep when something's bothering you."

"Seriously, you're making me sound like a total loser," I protest, and we both laugh. "I sound like a slacker."

"Everyone deals with their troubles in their own way," she says, sitting beside me. "Maybe it's your way of escaping stress. No one should blame you for taking it easy. Some doctors might even say it's good for you."

I shake my head. We spend a lot of time sitting on the grass. I picked this spot by the pond near our home. In the summer, it's filled with wildflowers and birds. Dragonflies dance over the water, and the breeze ripples its surface.

I whisper, "I just...wish I could find someone." When I look at her, I can't help but feel envious. She's so attractive and outgoing, while I feel plain and reserved...

"Why?"

"Because...well, we're high school seniors, and I've never had a boyfriend," I stammer.

"Aloralie, I've never had one either," she smiles at me, "Ahren is more of a good friend... He's not the one, in my opinion."

I mumble, "Yeah, but at least you have options." She doesn't understand how it feels to be the quieter sibling, always feeling overlooked.

I can't blame Azura! Even if I were an only child, I'm too shy to stand out. Boys don't notice me because of my shyness.

"You and I will find the right people for ourselves," she whispers, "Alora, they'll come when the time is right. They won't be fleeting high school flings; they'll be keepers."

I mutter, "You can't be sure," too absorbed in my self-pity to notice she doesn't reply.

I wake up to a soft voice. My heart races, not from fear but from a whirlwind of emotions, like a million butterflies in my chest.

I rush to the window, scanning the area for any signs. My heart beats loudly. Thump. Thump. Thump. There's no one outside. Thump. Thump. I'm sure something was there, but maybe it was just a dream.

My bed is still warm, so I get back under the covers. Sleep eventually takes over, but I keep thinking the same thing until morning.

Who could it be out there?