1 Volume 1.1 The unexpected

'I keep walking and walking.

However, as I keep walking the road always appears to be endless.

When will I be able to reach you on the top?

When I'm getting weary now,'

"Weary Road, that was the title of the last song Blaze Ashford released before he was found that he was already dead, this morning at 7:30 am at his bed at his condominium at Atlas. According to the investigators, it was an act of suicide. There was a poison together with a suicide letter found in his table. This was XYZ news reporting. ."

"All done," Estelle Sangalang decided to close her laptop, as she drank the Light Caramel Frappuccino.

"It was really horrifying, until now I can't believe Blaze died just like that.He was too young to experience death, I feel pity about him."

" Well, it can't be helped, since we can't hide the fact that he is having a lot of scandals left and right that can lead to a trend in our country. For example, the issue about his lifelong fiancé where she broke up with him. For sure, anyone will surely be depressed if things like that keep happening to you."

"But he is an idol and really well known to so many people. In the entertainment industry, he should have expected things to become like that.'

Estelle gave a side-way glance to the two women gossiping at the table in front of her.

"Blaze? That name sounds familiar." Estelle narrowed her gaze thinking deeply. Though her attire was neat, her expression was a bit gloomy. And there were huge dark bags under her eyes that were really visible. This past week, she was finishing her outline for the new story she would publish. " Wait, do these two girls mean Blaze Ashford?" her eyes were widened and her mouth was turned into an oval shape.

The dark coffee that she ordered earlier that she had in her hand dropped on the floor when she came to the realization whose name was that they were talking about. "Oh my God, Blaze?!"

The two women who were happily talking and doing their own stuff with each other froze when Estelle smacked both her hands on their table.

One of the women who was wearing a light pink dress was going to retort but when she saw Estelle was looking at her with a frightening gaze, she gulped the words that she was going to say. She could also see an imaginary dark aura around Estelle.

"Hey! Both of you tell me what happened to Blaze?!" Estelle shouted once again, causing the two women to startle because of her inappropriate behavior to the strangers.

"He-he already died. Oh until now you still didn't know about what happened to him? Check your phone and google it, it is all over the net now. Go check it now. Excuse me." The second woman said then she stood up and dragged her friend away, leaving the shocked Estelle who even didn't say anything after hearing those words from the woman she was talking about.

'This woman was really crazy, I think she has problems with her psyche.'

'Let's get out of here now, may later if we stay here any longer she will suddenly hurt us physically.'

' Yes, I agree. Let's go now'

'She really destroyed my day, ugh!'

Estelle didn't pay any attention to the mutterings of the woman who hurried to walk away from her just simply to avoid her company. Her body was trembling while the sweats on her forehead started to come up and her heart was beating fast. She walked towards her table then grabbed her phone. She opened it and the next thing she knew nearly made her faint.

"The rising star idol and actor, Blaze Ashford, committed suicide this morning." That was the trending headline she saw first when she opened her Twitter.

" No, please someone tell me it's just an illusion. This-this can't be…" Tears streamed down her eyes. "This must be just a nightmare, this was just a lie. Blaze was still alive because he is releasing more songs and albums." she said silently while her tears kept flowing down on her face.

***

One week has already passed since then.

Estelle just silently glanced at the stars and listened to the serene environment. She was leaning closer to her window and her mind was only wandering about Ashford. 'To think that this will happen to you after all the things you accomplished in your life at a very young age.'

She closed her eyes as if she was reminiscing about the distant past back in the second year of her high school.

'Even if you're not an idol yet you are already so famous back then and a lot of people were amazed by your looks and by your talent. And I can't hide the fact that we are miles apart from each other. You live in the limelight and I live in the shadows.' A painful smile escaped Estelle's lips. 'But nevertheless, you are the reason why I am still living and fighting for my life right now.'

{ It was afternoon but the sun was still visible in the sky.

"Ouch" Estelle said when the girl pushed her, causing her to be out of balance that led her body to fall into the ground.

"Come on nerdy, give me your money." the girl who had a pink butterfly headband on her hair said while pulling her hair.

"I-I don't have any money." Estelle responded with a soft and low voice.

" Liar!" the girl said." Girls look at her bag just make sure you check her wallets."

The two other girls grab her bag to open it and they start to scatter her things.

"Stop bullying her." There was a voice of a young boy that get their attention.

"Ashford, what do you think you are doing? why does it look like you're siding with that nerd?!" the girl who had the pink butterfly headband said. " Can you just leave us alone, it's a girly thing or else you are gay hahahaha" the girl was laughing but the two girl that with her was just looking at her. Then when she realized that she was the only one who laughed, she suddenly coughed.

"Stop asking me the stupid questions and trying to insults me because that didn't work for me." Blazed moved forward just to get close to the three girls." Do you wish for me to side with the wrong people instead, huh? Well, I give you an option right now and you have to make a choice immediately. The first one is to just leave now then the other one is that I'll call the police."

"Tsh, okay fine but remember this Blaze Ashford you will regret saving that nerd girl." The girl who had a pink butterfly headband said. " Let's go girls, we can't afford to waste our time on this kind of person." she said follow by the two girls who bullying Estelle have no choice but to decide to walked away from Ashford threatening gaze,

The fourteen-year-old Estelle slowly raised her head, there were visible bruises on her face and also scratch marks all over her arms. Her things were also torn and scattered in the ground. She watched as Ashford picked her things one by one until he stopped in a certain piece of paper.

" Wait, this is yours?" he asked with amazement in his voice.

Estelle didn't say anything but she just moved her head upside down.

" Woah so it only means that you are the one who writes, The Angel's Cry?" He was a bit surprised as he helped Estelle to stand up.

Estelle was also surprised when the famous Ashford of their school mentioned the story she submitted in their school's writing contest. She tried to find what she was going to say. And in the end, she still chose to simply nod her head as a response.

Seeing this, Ashford's eyes lit up! "That's incredible! I've read your entry.And I really like it, how the story flows and even how you express the characters in your story. It is so amazing, I didn't expect that Angel was the serial killer in the end. You really have a talent for writing! I think that you could become a great writer someday. Please, keep pursuing it because I can see that you have a lot of potential and the readers will probably love your stories.}

Another heavy feeling surged inside Estelle. 'That was the time I first talked to you and also the last. At that time, I was already thinking of ending everything when it comes to writing. I didn't have any longer passions and encouragement to keep moving forward to pursue the field of being a writer and yet out of nowhere you came to me like a storm that changed my life forever.'

'Why did you have to die this way?' She clenched her fist as she stopped herself from crying again one more time. 'Just how did this happen? I thought you were strong and you could face any obstacles that life throws at you because I look up to you as a pioneer of your own life..'

'Those words that you gave to me before are what kept me on going with my life up until now. You gave meaning into my life and brought a new beginning to me like no other can' Estelle glanced at the thousand stars sparkling above her.

All of a sudden, a shooting star passed through. She clasped both her hands and closed her eyes. 'I wish I could go back in time to save you and can bring you again into this lifetime.'

Although she knew that it was just crazy thinking but she still wished for it. She wished with all her heart and pure intentions

*Click!*

At the exact time, Estelle didn't notice that a robber picked the lock of her door and entered her house. She turned her head when the door of her room suddenly opened.

"Who…" The shocked and terrified Estelle didn't finish her sentence. The robber didn't expect that someone was in the house. With a terrified and panicked expression, he brought out a gun.

The next thing that happened sounds of gunshots reverberated through her whole house waking up the already sleeping neighbors around her.

***

Incident/Investigation Report:

Victim's Name: Estelle Carmellie Villena Sangalang

Birthday: November 1, 2000

Death: March 27, 2021

Cause of Death: Homicide from Attempted Robbery