Almost Forgot!

March 5, 2023, 9:45 PM - Vertis North, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines - Penthouse Unit 001

Daniel sat in bed, stealing a glance at the clock on his nightstand. It read 9:45 PM, and he had been trying to sleep for almost an hour. Despite his exhaustion, his excitement from his new workspace still pulsed through him, making it difficult to quiet his mind. Thoughts of the projects he could now work on and the prospect of working as a freelancer in advertising instead of being a full-time corporate slave brought a grin to his face. "Maybe having an iced coffee when I got home earlier wasn't such a great idea," he chuckled, still unable to drift off.

So, he decided to get up and do something about his restless energy. He changed into a comfortable jogger pants and a loose white shirt before heading down to the condominium gym. There, he hopped on the treadmill and ran for a bit, until his body started to relax.

After his workout, he returned to his unit and stepped out onto the balcony to get some fresh air. Taking a cue from a breathing exercise he learned on TikTok, he closed his eyes and took three deep breaths, letting the cool air fill his lungs and calm his mind.

Just as he finished his last breath, the robotic voice of Sampaguita sounded in his head.

*Ding!*

"Practice deep breathing exercises to reduce stress and anxiety, completed. The system has recorded your progress."

Daniel's heart skipped a beat, realizing he had almost forgotten about this part of the mission. "S@#t!" he muttered under his breath. That was a close call! He couldn't afford to slip up, not wanting to lose whatever reward the system has in store for him.

"System, can you remind me if I forget a part of the mission?" Daniel asked Sampaguita.

"Negative," Sampaguita responded promptly. "Organizing and keeping track of what must be done is part of improving one's well-being. The host is recommended to take precautions for his forgetfulness."

With this simple conversation, Daniel came to the realization that his outlook of what improving his own wellbeing was still too shallow. He now understood better that he needed to seek and delve deeper and further betterment of his wellbeing.

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March 6, 2023, 5:15 AM - Vertis North, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines - Penthouse Unit 001

Daniel's peaceful slumber was abruptly interrupted by the blaring of his alarm clock at 5:15 AM. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, feeling groggy from staying up later than usual the night before. Despite his temptation to sleep in, he knew he had a busy day ahead, so he dragged himself out of bed and trudged to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Daniel opened the fridge and retrieved eggs, bacon, avocado, and bread, then set them on the counter. He grabbed a frying pan and started cooking the bacon, relishing the sizzle and smell as the aroma filled the air. His stomach grumbled in anticipation.

Once the bacon was cooked to perfection, he set it aside and cracked two eggs into the pan. After a few minutes, he flipped them over to cook the other side. While the eggs were cooking, he toasted two slices of bread and sliced up the avocado.

With the eggs cooked to his satisfaction, Daniel assembled his sandwich by layering the eggs on top of the toast, followed by the bacon and avocado. He added a pinch of salt and pepper for flavor, then took a big bite. The combination of the ingredients danced on his taste buds, and he savored every bite.

After indulging in his delicious sandwich, Daniel plopped down onto the couch and took a few deep breaths, reveling in the peace and quiet of the early morning. He closed his eyes and allowed his body to sink into the cushions, enjoying the brief moment of relaxation before the day's hustle and bustle began.

With a quick glance at his phone, he realized he had a few minutes left before he needed to hit the gym. Daniel used this time to stretch his muscles and get his blood flowing. He stood up, stretched his arms over his head, and reached down to touch his toes, feeling the satisfying burn of his muscles as he did so.

After a few minutes of stretching, Daniel gathered his gym bag and headed out the door, ready to tackle the day ahead. As he walked through the penthouse's corridor, something strange caught his attention in his peripheral vision. He shook his head, thinking he might still be groggy from waking up, but the sight remained.

"Isn't that the clumsy neighbor I met when I moved in?" Daniel asked himself, perplexed. "Why the heck is she sleeping on the floor outside her unit?"

It was Ms. Ellie, whose name Daniel had momentarily forgotten. She was leaning on the wall beside her door, holding a canvas with an unfinished landscape painting on it. Despite its unfinished state, the painting had a soothing and calming effect, as if one were being transported to the middle of nature just by looking at the brush strokes on the canvas.

Daniel was in a dilemma, unsure of what to do in such an awkward situation. On one hand, leaving his neighbor to sleep on the floor seemed a bit heartless, but on the other hand, he was afraid of startling her if he woke her up. After all, they were not really close; they had only seen each other once before.

As he stood there contemplating his choices, Daniel noticed that Ms. Ellie was shivering in her slumber. He realized he couldn't leave her there as she might catch a cold if she stayed on the floor for too long. Daniel decided to call out to her from a distance, but he still couldn't recall her name. As he tried to remember it, he saw the letter "E" on her unit's door. "Ellie!" he exclaimed. "Her name is Ellie."

So, Daniel decided to call out to her from a distance, afraid of startling her if he got too close.

"Ms. Ellie, are you okay?" Daniel called out, but there was no response. He repeated her name several times, but she remained unresponsive. Fearing the worst, Daniel approached her slowly and with caution. He gently tapped her shoulder and asked, "Excuse me, are you okay?" in a soft tone, but still received no answer.

Daniel then attempted to check if her unit was unlocked, but unfortunately, it wasn't. Realizing he had no other choice, he decided to carry her and bring her to his unit. He led her to his guest room, where she could sleep without risk of catching a cold.

Daniel gently lifted Ms. Ellie from the floor, surprised at how light she felt. As he carried her to his unit, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her. Was she drunk or had she passed out for some other reason?

Once he got to his unit, he placed Ms. Ellie on the guest bed and covered her with a warm blanket.

Daniel then left his unit once more to head to the gym, but before he did so, he tore a page from his journal notebook to leave a note on the table beside the bed in the guest room, explaining the situation to prevent any misunderstandings later. Carefully, he also placed Ms. Ellie's unfinished painting safely on the table beside the bed, making sure it wouldn't get damaged. With a final glance at Ms. Ellie, he quietly closed the door and headed out, hoping that she would be alright when she wakes up.