Six | Back to 15 Years Ago (2)

LIMA Estate, The Outlets, Lipa, Batangas, Philippines

May 22, 2030

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The world was alive with a vibrance Ace hadn’t realized he’d missed.

Walking through the bustling shopping district of LIMA Estate, The Outlets, Ace felt an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. The smell of freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery mingled with the scent of lunch meals at a food stand. The faint chatter of shoppers filled the air as store clerks called out to passersby, advertising their latest promos.

“The world fifteen years ago, huh?” Ace thought to himself, his steps slowing as he absorbed the atmosphere. Everything felt so... new.

“Hello, sir! We’re having a one-month grand opening promo for our chicken wings!”

Ace turned as a young store employee handed him a flyer.

“Wing Bites ZP,” he murmured, glancing at the brightly colored paper. The name struck a chord. This store just opened, didn’t it? Memories of after-work hangouts flooded back—he and his teammates would gather here, drinking and laughing late into the night.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. Those were simpler times.

As Ace wandered deeper into the shopping district, his sense of déjà vu grew stronger. Everything felt like a carefully reconstructed scene from his memories.

He went out of the LIMA Estate, going to the crowded streets outside. The aroma of sizzling burgers from a roadside stall caught his attention, and his stomach growled in response.

Stopping at the burger shop, he ordered their signature buy-one-take-one burger with a soft drink. While waiting, Ace pulled out his phone—a piece of technology that felt both familiar and foreign. ROG Phone 12.

He ran his fingers over the smooth edges of the device. This was his first real purchase after working part-time during college, a prized possession back then. The screen lit up as he instinctively browsed through a news app, Philippines Inside News (PIN), a habit carried over from his old self.

The headlines scrolled across the screen:

< Neotech Solutions Guild Successfully Clears Tagaytay’s A-Rank Dungeon. >

< ZJ Mountain Peak Potionchemical Inc. Reports Increased Exports of C-Grade Healing Potions. >

< Leader of IPT Guild, Marc Philip Zy, Hospitalized After Stroke. >

Ace froze, his burger forgotten. “Chairman Philip?” he muttered under his breath, his brows furrowing.

The headline brought a flood of memories crashing down to Ace. 'Chairman Philip collapsed this year. That’s right... I didn’t know much about it when I was a newbie, but later, I learned it was a major turning point for the guild.'

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

His eyes lingered on the article, but another memory stirred, unbidden and painful.

< Brother... Mother was... Mother was brought to the hospital. But she was dead on arrival... >

Ace’s hands trembled, the message burned into his mind from years ago. His mother had died from a exhaustion of overworking. It was one of the many regrets that haunted him.

Without thinking, Ace scrolled through his contacts and found her mother's number. He hesitated for a moment, his finger hovering over the call button. Is she really alive? What if... what if this is all just a cruel illusion?

He pressed the button, his heart pounding.

Ace’s breath hitched. She’s alive. 'Alas'. A nickname only his family and closest of closest friends call him.

“Mother?” His voice cracked, trembling with emotion.

< Son? Why did you call? >

“Mother...” Ace struggled to speak, the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

< Oi, Alas, what’s wrong? > Her voice held a hint of concern now.

Ace wanted to say so many things. He wanted to apologize for not helping her enough, for not realizing the toll her work was taking. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, how much he missed her. But the words caught in his throat.

< Hey, son, you’re scaring me. If you say ‘Mother’ one more time without explaining, I’m hanging up.>

< Wait... did you perhaps fail the initial interview? >

< Haynako... I said it will be fine if you got accepted or not. I'll support your father for now until you can help us.>

< Didn't I told you? Even though you are a C-Rank Hunter, that doesn't mean you'll get accepted easily. >

< Don't worry about that, there are still so many guilds in Manila or in the north. >

< Come back home here okay? I'll prepare your favorite. >

'Mother... what I wanted to say is... "Thank you..." I wanted to say this... On all the things that I have accomplished in life, I wanted to thank you and father.'

Ace let out a shaky laugh. “I... I passed the initial assessment into IPT Guild.”

There was a pause before her voice erupted with joy.

< Oh my! For real?! Why didn’t you say so sooner? Come home tonight—we’ll celebrate! I’ll cook your favorites! >

“I’ll try, Mother. I’ll try,” Ace replied, his throat tight.

As the call ended, Ace stared at his phone, the weight of his emotions threatening to pull him under. This time, I won’t let you die, Mother. I’ll do everything I can to save you. You, father, and Camille.

As he stared at his phone, a calendar notification reminded him of another detail from his past:

< May 22, 2030 – Pay monthly rent. >

It was a note that brought up another memory. His old apartment room. If it is the monthly due, he need to quickly pay it in order to not get any interest for late payment.

Catching a jeepney, Ace found himself navigating the familiar streets of his youth. The sights and sounds of the neighborhood filled him with an odd mix of comfort and melancholy.

“My memory’s getting hazy... Is this the right street?” he murmured, his eyes scanning the rows of houses.

Then he saw it. "Kafts Apartelle! Right, it is that name. I lived here before."

The two-story building was exactly as he remembered it, down to the chipped paint on the walls. Ace approached the entrance, his steps slowing as a strange unease crept over him.

As Ace walked toward his old room, he felt the presence of four people, two boys and two girls following him since he entered the street earlier.

Ace’s heart quickened. Are they following me? Why?

Opening his door with the key, he pushed it open quickly and stepped inside. He moved to close it, but a foot wedged itself in the gap.

“Hey,” a man’s voice said, his tone low and mocking. “Why the rush? Don’t you want to let us in?”

The door was shoved open, revealing a wiry man with a cocky grin. Behind him, a woman smoking a cigarette leaned against the wall, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten us,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You can’t just run off and leave your problems behind, can you?”

Ace’s stomach dropped as he recognized the group. As Ace tried to remember all of the faces back in his original life, one of the dark history inside his mind was forcefully opened. A black past that he has closed off in order to move on in life.