Very few people visited Aya's clinic now.
She didn't blame them.
Fear still lingered—fear that their pets might suffer the same fate as the animals lost in the tragedy.
Sometimes she overheard whispers outside.
"The clinic is cursed."
Aya could only sigh at the nickname.
Sumpang Veterinary Clinic.
She stood behind the counter, struggling to stay awake, when the chime of the door suddenly rang.
A small boy stepped inside.
His eyes were red, and his face trembled as if he had been crying for a long time.
Aya immediately walked toward him.
"Is something wrong?" she asked gently.
The boy held out five hundred pesos with shaking hands.
"Ate… I know it's not enough… but please… please save him."
Aya blinked in confusion.
Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks.
"W–Who do you want me to save?" she asked, glancing around for an animal.
The boy suddenly ran outside.
Aya followed him and spotted a dog lying weakly on the pavement.
The boy tried to lift the dog but struggled under its weight.
Aya quickly helped him carry the injured animal inside.
"What happened?" she asked while cleaning and examining the wounds.
The boy sobbed.
"He… he followed me and I didn't notice. A car hit him. The driver didn't stop."
He wiped his tears roughly.
"I… I love him so much."
Aya felt her chest tighten.
"What's your name?" she asked softly.
"Ben."
She examined the dog more closely.
The animal was barely conscious—but still fighting, refusing to give up.
Its eyes searched desperately for the crying boy.
"Ben," Aya said gently, "wait in the sitting area, okay? Don't worry—we'll save your dog."
She smiled reassuringly.
Ben nodded and sat quietly, wiping his face with his sleeve.
Aya inhaled slowly.
Then she leaned closer to the dog.
"Fight with me, okay?" she whispered.
She began preparing for surgery.
As she worked, a painful memory surfaced.
Blue.
The thought stabbed through her heart.
She pushed the feeling aside and focused.
Carefully, she administered anesthesia and stitched the torn flesh with steady hands.
Hours passed.
Finally, she finished and wrapped the bandages.
When she looked toward the waiting area, Ben had fallen asleep on the chair.
Aya walked over and gently woke him.
"I–is Black-Black okay?" he asked anxiously.
"He's resting now," Aya replied.
Ben rushed to the sleeping dog.
"You won't be able to take him home yet," Aya explained kindly. "He needs observation."
Ben sniffled.
"I… I don't have money right now… but I'll give you everything I save. I promise."
Aya ruffled his hair gently.
"Alright," she said with a small smile.
"But in return, when he gets better, you have to love him with all your heart. Okay?"
Ben nodded vigorously.
He promised to visit his dog every day.
Aya sighed softly after he left.
This is the kind of kindness my sister loved…
XXX
"It seems we won't be guiding that dog today," Daniel said beside Aliya.
Aliya silently observed the scene.
Ben stepped out of the clinic, alone—but smiling with hope.
They followed him.
Suddenly, the boy stopped and turned toward them.
"You can't take him yet," he said firmly.
"I'll take care of Black-Black."
Then he ran home.
Aliya watched as he entered a small house made of rusted metal sheets.
Inside, Ben's mother rushed toward him.
"Ben, where have you been?" she asked worriedly.
"Mom… Black-Black is in the clinic," Ben cried.
"What happened to him?"
"He was hit by a car."
Ben wiped his eyes.
"But the doctor saved him. The money you gave me last Christmas… I gave it to her."
"I'll give her everything I save to help Black-Black."
His mother knelt down, stunned.
"Where did you take him?"
"To the clinic near here… the one where many animals died before. It's open again."
Aliya froze.
That clinic.
In an instant, she returned with Daniel.
They stood quietly inside as Ben's mother thanked the veterinarian.
Aya was feeding a cat.
Her movements were gentle—careful, familiar.
Something flickered inside Aliya's mind.
Darkness.
Screams.
Animals dying.
A frightened cat hiding and watching everything.
Aliya gasped softly.
Her gaze slowly drifted toward the cat sleeping on the counter.
Something pulled her closer.
As if her soul recognized it.
She reached out—
But the cat suddenly jumped up and ran toward Aya.
Aliya stood there, confused and shaken.
Daniel remained silent, letting her process the moment.
Soon Ben returned with his mother, carrying a small piggy bank.
"Good afternoon," the mother greeted politely.
"Good afternoon," Aya replied.
"Thank you for saving our dog."
"We know this isn't enough but—"
"Ma'am," Aya interrupted gently with a smile.
"Keep your money for now. Black-Black isn't fully healed yet."
"I'll give you a big discount. We'll talk about payment once he's better."
The woman's eyes filled with gratitude.
Aliya's gaze drifted toward the name written on the woman's coat.
Aya Grace Castro.
Why does this place feel so familiar?
Why does she feel familiar?
Questions swirled through Aliya's mind—questions her memory refused to answer.
Ben and his mother eventually left, smiling with relief.
Back in their realm, Isaac approached her.
"Were many animals saved today?" he asked.
Aliya shook her head.
"There are still humans with good hearts," she replied softly.
But her thoughts were elsewhere.
Fragments of memories flickered again—shadows and echoes haunting her mind.
Tiara watched her quietly, her expression unreadable.
Aliya was not close to the other guides.
Only Daniel.
She knew nothing about their past lives.
And nothing about her own.
But deep within her soul—
something was beginning to awaken.