Chapter Text
The backstage was a sticky mess of aerosol hairspray, fake tan, hot iron ceramic, and raw panic.
Stacey adjusted the thick, velvet sash around her right shoulder. Miss Nueva Vizcaya. It was her pride and her claim to the regional title. At twenty-one years old, with her twenty-inch thighs, five-inch nude pumps killing her poor toes, Stacey felt as if the universe was hanging on the tilt of her perfectly sculpted nose.
"Chin up, Stacey. Smile like you've just inherited the damned kingdom" hissed Dan, one of her head handlers, misting extra hold hairspray up her useless frizzy locks.
"Coach, I can’t breathe" Stacey muttered, her lips forming a pageant perfect smile, all teeth and no emotion. "At tsaka wag niyo 'ko pagalitan, I'm literally next."
"Then look like a winner for once" snapped her handler, giving her lower back a sharp tap. "And mag-ingat ka sa pagrampa. That Cebu queen is waiting to cut your throat."
Stacey rolled her eyes in a subtle way only to realize that she was eye rolling at her own reflection. That was the last thing that the beauty queens wanted to do in the history of beauty queens - to appear anything less than ecstatic. Especially when the entire province would be watching her on live television.
Maraiah Queen Arceta. Miss Cebu.
She had been watching the Cebuana's flawless coiffed black hair from the three weeks of the boot camp, as the woman had taken every challenge with an infuriating ease. Aiah, as she preferred to be called, was a head taller, had a more languid way of walking - her pasarela struts have made the bloggers swoon, and most importantly, she made the regional pageant look easy. Stacey had to bend over backwards to do a turn and pose as if she had practiced it for thousands of hours in front of the mirror while Aiah simply 'glided on the runway.'
"Candidates 12 and 13, standby!" the floor manager announced, waving a clip board in the air as he stood bathed in the glow of the three stage lights.
Stacey practically climbed on the painted box marked 12. She peered down at her own reflection, taking a steadying breath. Inhale - count to four, as per the latest media trainer. Chin up, bare shoulders, crown the head; the words echoed in Stacey's brain.
"You're shaking," a voice stated from behind.
Stacey whirled around, her long lashes flying open in surprise. Aiah stood on her box -13, right next to her. Her hands were folded loosely in front of her and the emerald green dress that she wore shimmered under the stage lights. Her eyes were warm, her glossed lips in a teasing slope.
"I'm not shaking," Stacey denied, her heart pounding in her ears. She gave a stiff smile to match the practiced face of her rival. "It's damned cold in here."
"Malamig ba?" Aiah drawled in a singsong voice, her lips twitching. "I thought it was the nerves, darling. Now, relax, Vizcaya. You look beautiful."
Stacey's heart gave a strange lurch. It was the first time that the woman had talked to her in two years without a polite distance, without pretending that they were not strangers who shared a mutual business rivalry.
"Thank you," Stacey said stiffly, her eyes on Aiah's lower lid, avoiding any contact with the woman's gaze. "Same to you, Cebu. Good luck out there."
"Luck is for the unprepared," Aiah replied smoothly. As the floor manager cleared his throat, Aiah stepped closer, until they were a mere fraction of an inch apart. "See you out there, Stacey Sevilleja."
---
Ten minutes later, the confetti fell.
When the flash photography stopped blinding her, Stacey found herself standing in the middle of the stage, her head crowned with cubic zirconia, her hands clutching the massive bouquet of red roses. She had won - Miss Grand Philippines - National Title.
Standing beside her, Aiah wore the 1st runner-up sash proudly.
As the photographers urged their models to pose together, Stacey took a steadying breath, her heart beating erratically. She had expected Aiah to look away, to pretend that the other woman was not even there. Aiah looked straight at her, her lips in a mysterious smile.
When they embraced each other for the cameras, Aiah's arms around her waist, her ear near Stacey's temple, the woman's voice was a husky whisper, heavy with something that almost sounded like sincerity.
"Congratulations, Stacey. It looks good on you."
Stacey drew back, stunned by the warmth of the embrace. "You played a good game too, Aiah. Susunod ka na."
Aiah gave a sudden laugh, stepping back to let the photographers capture the best picture possible of the new queen and the first runner-up. "See you in the next pageant, Stacey."
---
Two years.
Two years of product endorsements and international assignments. Two years of exhausting morning TV talk show appearances. Stacey had thought that she and her title were past that. She was a winner, a national queen, and she had secured her place on Nueva Vizcaya's heart and the provincial pride. However, the moment she stepped out to cross over to La Reina Filipina , the most coveted pageant title in the country, representing the Philippines at the international arena, she knew she was in for another round. And that other queen? Also knew it.
"You're a crossover queen, Stacey," Dan said as he pushed the iced Americanos in front of her. He was sipping from his own glass as he spoke, gesturing with his free hand. They were in a quiet cafe in Quezon City, away from prying eyes and curious reporters. "The pressure is double, since if you lose, people will say you are fading and if you win, they will claim it was handed to you."
"I know, I know," Stacey replied, swirling the glass absently, watching the ice cubes clink against the glass. "But I need this. I'm ready."
"Good" he said, his mouth twitching into a tight smile as he placed the magazine down in front of her, on the table between them. "Because the Cebu queen also thought so."
Stacey narrowed her eyes at the cover model of the glossy magazine. The woman in the shoot was wearing a stunning high-class metallic trench coat. Her long, jet-black hair was twisted into a low plait at the nape of her neck, allowing the focus to remain on the striking face - Maraiah Arceta, a familiar name for Stacey, the pageant rival and the provincial queen from Cebu. The headline screamed: THE RETURN OF THE RAVEN: AIAH ARCETA TARGETS LA REINA 2025.
"Did she file?" Stacey asked, her voice as steady as she could make it.
"Yesterday" Dan replied with a sigh. "The media has already dubbed it the rematch of the century. The Pride of Nueva Vizcaya meets the Queen of Cebu. Stacey Sevilleja vs Aiah Arceta."
"She skipped last year" Stacey muttered, her fingers tightening around the glass. "So, why now?"
"Baka hihintay ka," said Dan, only half-joking.
The first day of boot camp was an absolute frenzy of media clamoring for comments and flashing cameras. They were in the ballroom of the hotel where the candidates stayed. As soon as Stacey stepped inside the ballroom, dressed in a sharp white power suit, the reporters were upon her, clutching at her arms and holding microphones an inch away from her face.
"Stacey! How do you feel about facing Aiah Arceta again?"
"Stacey, do you think there is a bigger chance for Cebu's favorite candidate to win over Nueva Vizcaya's golden girl?"
"Is there bad blood between the two of you?"
Stacey gave a practiced smile, her million-peso smile, and struck a pose for the cameras, her shoulders thrown back in a confident stance, her head held high. "There is no bad blood between us at all! Aiah is an amazing contender and a sweet girl. We both push each other to be the best. Nag-e-enjoy lang kami pareho sa journey."
"Liar," a smooth voice said from behind her. The reporters were forced back as the security detail ushered in the next candidate.
Stacey turned on her five-inch heels, regarding the woman who had just entered the room with cool eyes. Aiah Arceta was wearing a midnight-blue jumpsuit that made her long and athletic frame look even more striking. Her hair was in a high ponytail, emphasizing her cheekbones. She was as beautiful as ever, and with those striking eyes, she looked as though she had come to murder Stacey on sight.
"I don't lie to the press," Stacey said smoothly as she stepped to the side, giving Aiah space. "I just give them what they want to hear."
"And what do you want, beauty queen?" Aiah asked as they walked together toward the orientation hall. She did not glance at the waiting reporters. Instead, she looked down at Stacey, her eyes unreadable. "The prize money? The fame? The title?"
"I want the crown, Aiah. Always have," Stacey replied, her voice hard. "I didn't come back here to play nice or to settle for second best."
"Good" Aiah said, her low laugh sending a shiver down Stacey's spine. The woman's voice dropped as they neared the double doors of the hall. "Kasi ayaw ko rin naman na madaliin mo 'ko. Push me, Stacey. Show me why Nueva Vizcaya's best is still the one everyone is trying to beat."
Stacey was a bundle of nerves for the next six weeks. Every swimsuit rehearsal was a knife fight and as soon as Stacey perfected every hip-swiveled turn at the end of the runway, Aiah was right there, doing the same move - only with far more elegance and ease, making Stacey nuts.
Where Stacey had to learn every position, every tilt of the head and a turn of the hip, Aiah simply embodied the movements as if she was born to do them. It drove Stacey mad, but at the same time, when she looked in the mirror at the end of every session, comparing herself to the woman in the adjacent mirror, she realized that Aiah was right. She was the one who kept pushing Stacey to be the best.
And yet, behind the rivalries and the cutthroat competitiveness, the tension between the two women was almost sweet.
One night, following a fourteen-hour tech rehearsal that left Stacey's toes numb, she found herself perched behind the backdrop curtain, her heels digging into her flesh, her bare feet dangling in front of her. Her makeup was ruined, her hair was a frizzy mess, and for once, she did not care. She was tired, beyond exhausted after another day of brutal training and barely surviving the press. The only thing that mattered to her was getting the sleep she desperately needed.
A bottle of water came to rest against her cheek, causing her to startle. Stacey blinked up at Aiah, who lowered herself down on her knees on the dusty floor with surprising ease, given the height of her heels. The woman gave her a strange look and handed her the water, along with a pack of band-aids.
"What is this?" Stacey asked, her eyes narrowing at the band-aid packet in Aiah's hand.
"Galing sa glam team ko. You're rubbing your pinky toe on the right foot," Aiah replied, unscrewing her own water bottle, her lips twitching. "Paltos na 'yan, Stacey. Put a band-aid before the mock pageant tomorrow."
"Bakit mo binibigay 'to sa akin?" Stacey asked, her voice laced with suspicion. "Competitor mo ako, Aiah. If I limp tomorrow, that's better for you."
"Dahil ayaw mo nang mangunguna ako," Aiah replied smoothly, her eyes locked on Stacey's. She was crouched on the floor, her head level with Stacey's. The harsh overhead work lighting cast strange shadows over the woman's sharp features. "I don't want you to limp, Stacey. I want you at your absolute best. Anything less is a waste of time."
"Is that your idea of psychological warfare?" Stacey scoffed, already peeling the band-aid open. "Make me feel indebted to you?"
Aiah gave a sudden laugh, lying back against the curtain framework. "Stacey, if I wanted to play mind games with you, I would not have used band-aids. I would have told you how beautiful you look when you're angry."
Stacey's heart gave a strange lurch. She looked down at Aiah, suddenly feeling strangely embarrassed. She felt her cheeks warm, her heart pound in her ears.
"Ewan ko sa'yo, Arceta," Stacey muttered, looking away sharply, her voice low. "You're weird."
"I know" Aiah replied, closing her eyes with a satisfied smile. "Tulog ka muna. Ten minutes before they call Group 3."
Stacey did not sleep. Instead, she sat on her plastic-crate-turned-chair, watching the stars from behind the curtain, her bandaged foot dangling in front of her. Aiah's shoulder brushed lightly against her knee, her scent filling the air behind the curtain.
---
The coronation night was a riotous blur of brass bands, blinking LED stage panels, and the deafening screams of the fan clubs waving their neon light sticks and flags - pink for Nueva Vizcaya, blue for Cebu.
It was all for the Top 2.
The two finalists stood in the middle of the stage, hands clasped together, their faces glowing under the golden lights, their images beaming on the giant screen above the stage for the countless viewers at home.
Stacey's palms were slippery with sweat, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her molars. This was it. This was what she had trained for, what she had bled for. The ultimate prize, the ultimate honor. The most coveted title. The one that would make her a household name, that would bring the fame and fortune that she so desperately desired, that would make her father proud. She looked down at her hands, clasped with Aiah's. Aiah's grip was warm and steady.
"Hey" Aiah said quietly, her attention on the murmuring crowd. Stacey looked up at the woman, her lashes damp with something that might have been tears. "No matter what happens, you were brilliant tonight."
What happened next was drowned out by the cheers of the adoring fans as the host held up the envelope with the winner's name inside. All Stacey saw was the flash of the photographers' cameras as she turned, her heart breaking into a million tiny pieces. Aiah had won.
She felt her lips curve into the standard, practiced smile of the runner-up as she turned to Aiah, preparing to offer her congratulations. Her feet moved, her mind not following until she was caught in a tight embrace by Aiah.
Aiah did not look triumphant. She was not wearing the usual victorious smile. In fact, she looked as if she had just been gutted. Stacey could feel the woman's heart pounding wildly against her own chest.
"Aiah... congrats," Stacey said, her voice barely more than a whisper. She pulled back so that Aiah could take her rightful place on the winner's stand so that she could take the massive diamond crown from her head.
"Wait," Aiah whispered into her neck, her arms still around Stacey's waist, her fingers resting on her silk dress. "Just wait a second."
"You have to walk, Aiah," Stacey whispered back, her voice cracking. She pulled away so that Aiah could release her. "It's your moment. You have to walk to your victory."
Aiah looked at her for a long moment, her expression unreadable, her fingers tracing lightly across Stacey's cheek, stopping just before her tears could hit the camera. "I'll see you, Staks."
For a brief, fleeting moment, Stacey thought she felt Aiah's lips on her temple, but she was mistaken. The fan screams grew louder as the spotlight followed Aiah down the runway, where she turned her head to wave to the roaring crowd, radiant and victorious. Stacey stood in the shadows, watching the woman walk away, bearing the crown that should have been hers, her heart breaking.
That night, Stacey laid on her hotel room floor, her heels pushed aside, her head hanging over the toilet, vomiting the remnants of her dinner. Her tears soaked the cold porcelain of the bathroom as she stared into the mirror, watching the redness of her cheeks, the puffiness around her eyes. She felt like such an idiot. Like she had not fought hard enough, like she had somehow failed.
---
A year passed.
Aiah won third place at the international pageant, securing her spot as one of Cebu province’s and the country’s highest-revered and most exquisite beauty queens. Her face lit up billboards along EDSA.
Stacey has been trying to move on with her life for the past year, hosting in different places such as Vizcaya and Manila while getting signed with an acting agency. She even tells herself that the pageant life is all behind her.
The call for the Miss Universe PH 2026 title has started, and it is the ultimate competition. Stacey finds herself back in Dan’s office, staring at the tablet in his hands.
"Are you sure regarding this one, Stacey?" He asked her gently as he leans back on the desk, circling the engagement ring on his finger, "You surely do not have to do this again. You are already on the top of the world. If you compete again and lose"
"I have to," Stacey said, her voice quiet but resolute. " I need to get it off my chest, Dan. I just feel like I left something unfinished at the pageant"
"Well then," Dan sighs, "You won't have to see Aiah this time. She has retired from competing already. Moreover, she is one of the head-screeners and guest mentors for the camp"
Stacey’s hand stopped moving on the tablet as her brows furrow in surprise. "She’s a mentor?"
"Oo, She's royalty now. So, if you are going to do this, you will have to face her"
The competition camp was as stressful as it was. Stacey knew she would have to face Aiah at some point, but she never expected it to be in the runways.
As she stood in the middle of the arena, walking the wooden floor, popping her hips at the right time, and keeping her shoulders rolled back, her eyes would always meet one familiar face.
Aiah never wears her tiara or sash during the mentoring seminars, only a tailored suit, and her hair is always in a low bun, appearing more severe and sophisticated than ever.
As others frantically write their scores on the clipboards, Aiah would just observe the young women, her hands folded on her lap, her raven-black eyes intensifying as they follow Stacey’s every step.
"Stacey" Aiah announced during a mock Q&As on their third week, "Please stay back a little"
The other girls exited the ballroom with inquisitive whispers, while Stacey remained, her hands gripping the table’s edge as the doors closed behind the other contestants, leaving only the two of them in the large ballroom. Aiah gets up from her seat and makes her way to the middle, her heels clicking rhythmically on the floorboards.
"Your answer was good," Aiah says, stopping a few inches away from Stacey, "It had a clear message and was well-delivered; it had everything the judges needed for the advocacy round"
"But?" Stacey asks, narrowing her eyes, already in defense mode. Aiah always does this whenever something about Stacey is botheringher
"But it lacked you," Aiah replies softly, "You are answering like a girl who wants to impress a panel of old men in suits. I want to hear Stacey, the one who fought me till her feet bled one year ago"
Stacey chuckles bitterly as she steps down from the podium, facing Aiah. "You want to know where she is, Aiah? She is right here, tired of chasing you. Every step of the way, someone like you comes and steals it from me"
Aiah looks genuinely surprised at Stacey’s confession. "You think I stole from you?"
"Didn't you?" Stacey snaps, stepping closer, "You came out of nowhere one year ago and claimed the title that was supposed to be mine. You took headlines, the crown, and now you are here, telling me where to improve as if you have not wrecked my life already?"
"I did not steal from you!" Aiah explodes furiously, the calm and collected mentor image shattering away as she leans in until their noses almost touch, "Do you think I was competing against you?!"
"What else were you doing?!" Stacey yells, the frustration building up in her for the past four years bursting out of her, "You keep coming! You keep showing me that nobody beats you, Aiah! 'See you on the next pageant, Stacey' you always say! Do you enjoy seeing me chase you?"
"No, you idiot!" Aiah snaps as she closes the distance between them, "I didn't join La Reina to compete with you. I knew you were there"
Stacey looks genuinely surprised at the unexpected answer
"I joined because you were there" Aiah whispers, her voice cracking slightly,
"Every single competition I joined, every camp I trained for, it was because I saw your name on the application first"
Stacey's heart skipped a beat. "Aiah, what are you saying?"
"I do not care about the crowns, Stacey," Aiah says with a bitter laugh, wiping a small tear rolling down her cheek, "Honestly, I never liked the competitions. I hated the spotlights, the fake smiles, the lying, and nonsense. They were all a farce, and I despised it"
"Then why-"
"Because it was the only place I could see you," Aiah admits, her voice shaky, "When we were on the stage, when we were on those brutal boot camps, you were the only person who did not treat me like glass. You fought me, challenged me, and made me feel like your equal. I was so afraid that if I did not compete, if I did not fight, you would win, take your crown, and leave, forgetting I was ever part of your life"
Stacey's heart ached at the raw confession; the room seemed to shrink to contain only the two of them. "You... you lost me the first time around..." Stacey breathed
"I didn't lose," Aiah countered softly, shaking her head. "Yes, I did," Stacey insisted, her own emotions threatening to spill over.
Aiah smiled sadly, tears still flowing down her cheeks, "I was happy for you when you won. I watched you on the monitors and cheered like I was in the audience. But as you looked at me afterward, I knew I had lost you. So, I trained harder and came back for you the second time around. Not to steal your title, Stacey, but to stand with you on that stage again and hold your hand in the Top 2."
Aiah steps back, wiping her face with her handkerchief as she composes herself.
"Stacey, you are the only stage I would have willingly lost on, over and over again," Aiah says softly, her voice full of emotion, "But you were so busy watching the crown on my head that you did not realize I was chasing you the whole time"
Stacey is silent as she stares at Aiah, the realization of the truth finally clicking for her.
Her mind wanders off to their four-year journey together - the water bottle given to her on the day of the competition while her feet bled, the bandages on her feet, the tight grip of Aiah’s hand at the Top 2, where Aiah had won the crown, and the short, ever-present phrase of "See you on the next pageant, Stacey."
It was all a way of Aiah of saying to Stacey that she wanted her to be there so that she would never have to look back at her life and wonder if she had ever fought for what she truly wanted.
"Aiah..." Stacey whispers, tears streaming down her face. Aiah only shakes her head and gives a sad smile.
"Forget I said anything. Just focus on your Q&As tomorrow. You are going to win this year as well, Staks" With that, Aiah turns around and walks away quickly, her heels clicking as she disappears into the ballroom’s double doors, leaving a speechless Stacey in the middle of the room.
---
Coronation night of the Miss Universe PH 2026 pageant.
Crowds of people scream and shout as the music booms throughout the arena. Stacey looks at her reflection in the ballroom’s long mirror, wearing a crimson-colored dress that flares at the bottom like flames.
"Five minutes to the opening production, Stacey!" A runner announces outside her dressing room, knocking on the door.
Stacey looks back at her reflection, her lips painted with the glossiest shade of red. She recalls the words that Aiah told her before everything happened. Where is the girl who fought me till her feet were bleeding?
She takes a deep breath and gently takes out two bobby pins that secure her hair in a neat wave, allowing a few strands to frame her face. She also takes out the overly shiny lipstick and replaces it with a subtle one. Stacey wanted to be beautiful but not in the traditional pageant way.
The competition began, and Stacey displayed her finest moves, including a flawless and confident swimwear presentation that had the audience roaring. Striding down the runway in a striking two-piece that highlighted every sculpted line, she owned every inch of the stage. Mid-turn, as the light caught the shimmering fabric, Stacey’s gaze cut straight through the blinding arena spotlights and locked onto the judge's table…directly into Aiah’s dark, unwavering eyes.
For a split second, the deafening screams of the crowd melted into background noise. Stacey held her posture, a bold, knowing smirk playing on her lips, while Aiah slightly leaned back in her chair, her breath catching as she watched Stacey effortlessly command the room.
"Perfect" she whispered under her breath.
Then came the crucial Final Q&A segment. The arena quieted to a dramatic hush as Stacey stepped up to the center mic, her crimson gown glistening under the spotlights.
Aiah, dressed in a black tuxedo, watched Stacey’s every step from the judges’ center. Throughout the night, whenever Stacey was on the field, Aiah would not look at her scoring table and instead at Stacey, an unreadable expression on her face.
Aiah adjusted her microphone, her eyes locked onto Stacey as she read the question chosen for her.
"Candidate Number 7, Stacey Sevilleja of Nueva Vizcaya" Aiah’s calm, velvet voice echoed over the venue sound system. "For years, women in this industry are taught that to win, they must conquer their rivals. My question for you tonight is: What is the true difference between competing against someone... and fighting alongside them?"
The crowd held its breath. Stacey looked directly at Aiah, feeling the unspoken weight of four long years behind those brown eyes. She gripped the microphone, taking a steadying breath before delivering a passionate answer that captured the judges’ and VIPs’ hearts.
"For a long time, I believed that my biggest competitor was the person standing next to me on stage," Stacey began, her voice steady and echoing with raw sincerity. "I thought strength was measured by who stood tallest when the dust settled. But true empowerment isn't about pushing someone else down so you can wear a crown. Competing against someone drives you out of fear. But fighting alongside them? It inspires you out of love. A true queen doesn't just hold her ground; she makes space on the throne for the people who elevated her to get there."
The crowd erupted in a deafening roar of applause and cheers. Aiah’s lips twitched with a soft, almost invisible smile as she marked her final tally on her judge's tablet, her gaze never leaving Stacey.
The Top 2 round commenced, and the two most competitive and fierce beauty queens were announced. The arena’s roof shook as the music crescendo. The two girls stood in the middle of the arena, waiting for their turn. Stacey’s heart pounded in her chest, but this time, it was not with fear; it was with excitement. She did not need to prove anything to anyone, not even herself.
"And the new Miss Universe PH 2026 is..." The emcee announced, making the whole arena erupt in deafening cheers and screams. Stacey closed her eyes for a moment as the lights flashed.
"Contestant Number 7, STACEY SEVILLEJA - NUEVA VIZCAYA!"
The arena erupted as the ceiling opened, revealing a shower of silver and gold-colored confetti that danced in the air like stars falling from the sky.
Stacey fell to her knees, placing her hands over her face and crying. It all came down to this moment, the culmination of a four-year journey that had tested her spirit and stretched her limits. She shed tears of joy at that very moment, hearing the roaring crowd chanting and screaming her name. Aiah had just placed a glittering crown on her head when the world around her faded away.
The former queen gently placed the multi-carat crown on Stacey’s head and a heavy sash over her shoulder. Dozens of flowers were stuffed into her arms as the host announced the arrival of the judges for the official group picture. VIPs, sponsors, and judges flooded the arena, congratulating the new queen and taking pictures. Stacey stood in the middle of it all, smiling, taking photos with fans, and answering their questions.
But her eyes were fixed on one particular individual.
Through the throng of people in designer gowns and suits, Stacey spotted Aiah’s tall and slim figure. She was standing near the edge of the stage, her hands folded in the pockets of her suit trousers, watching Stacey with a proud smile. She gave Stacey a respectful nod and then turned on her heel, walking away toward the wing doors, ready to disappear into the night.
No.
Stacey did not think about it. She thrust the massive bouquet of blossoms into the bewildered hands of a handler and scooped up the train of her crimson gown with one hand while clutching the glittering crown with the other. Stacey dashed across the ballroom with the grace and speed of a horse, narrowly avoiding the press and sponsors.
"Stacey? Where are you going?!" Dan yelled, but she didn't hear him.
Stacey reached the side stage, her five-inch heels clinking against the concrete floor behind the curtain. Aiah turned around when she heard someone approaching.
"Aiah!" Stacey shouted into the hallway. Aiah stopped dead in her tracks and turned around slowly, her beautifully angled brows raised in surprise. There stood Stacey, the new Miss Universe PH 2026, her long gown flying over the dusty floor and her big crown askew.
"Stacey?" Aiah asked, stepping forward out of instinct, "What are you doing? The press is waiting for your victory walk..."
Stacey didn't let her finish. She crossed the distance between them fast and grabbed Aiah by her tuxedo’s lapels. Stacey buried her face in Aiah's neck and gave her a fierce hug with all her might. Aiah was taken aback for a moment before pulling Stacey close, her hands gripping the fabric of Stacey's gown at the waist.
"Stacey... you won," Aiah whispered against her hair, resting her forehead on the top of her head. "You got your crown. Bakit ka nandito?"
Stacey pulled back just enough to meet Aiah’s eyes. Her eyeliner was smudged, and tears streamed down her cheeks, but Stacey didn’t seem to care in the least.
"You're an idiot, Maraiah Arceta," Stacey sobbed, laughing through her tears and tightening her grip around Aiah’s jacket, "You're a complete, absolute idiot."
Aiah smiled sadly. "Alam ko. Nasabi ko na’to kahapon, Staks."
"No, hear me out," Stacey continued, her grip on Aiah’s face softening as her hands moved to cup her cheeks, "Four years. Four years kita kitang tinitignan. I thought I was looking at my rival. I thought I was looking at the person standing between me and my dreams."
Aiah was silent as she listened to Stacey's words and looked into her eyes.
"It took me four years, a broken heart, and a stupid crown to realize..." Stacey’s voice wavered as a few more tears fell, "that every time I stood on that runway, I wasn't trying to beat you. I was looking for you. Kasi kapag wala ka dun... the stage felt empty, Aiah."
Aiah’s heart skipped a beat at Stacey’s words, and her hands gently tightened around Stacey’s waist, giving her a gentle squeeze.
"Stacey..."
"I don’t care about the next pageant," Stacey said, looking right into Aiah’s eyes, "I don’t care about international competitions, and the crowns, and the sashes, and everything else if you're not there. So, don't you dare walk away into the dark and act like you didn't just change my life."
Aiah stared at her for a moment, the sadness behind her tears dissolving into something else entirely. The weight in her chest, the ache that had plagued her for the last four years, simply evaporated with Stacey's words.
"Ayaw ko nang mag-'see you next pageant', Aiah. Stay with me," Stacey murmured, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "Now. Here."
Aiah closed her eyes for a heartbeat, her fingers gently brushing against Stacey’s cheek before she finally responded.
"Matagal na akong nakatayo dito. I was just waiting for you to notice," Aiah whispered against her skin, leaning down until their foreheads were pressed together, "That's all I wanted, Stacey."
Aiah’s long fingers gently combed through the tiny diamond-encrusted crown atop Stacey’s head, smoothing it back into place. She leaned in close until her lips hovered over Stacey’s cheekbone, her skin warm and soft as it grazed the delicate bone, skimming over to the corner of her mouth.
"Congratulations, my Queen," Aiah whispered to her lips.
Stacey smiled, closing her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Aiah’s neck and pulled her into a tight embrace. The cameras were clicking, the press was waiting, and the world was watching, but in this moment, with Aiah’s heart beating in her hands, Stacey knew she had finally found the one thing that mattered most.