The Parallel Realm

"Come with us," his father said, his tone heavy, devoid of warmth.

Kai swallowed hard, feeling a cold knot twist in his stomach. He dared not question. The air between them buzzed with silent command. His lips quivered as he muttered,

"Y-Yes, sir."

"Move it,"

his father barked, slamming the door behind him with a resounding thud.

Heart pounding, Kai staggered back into his room. He fumbled into a plain white shirt and black shorts, each movement slow, mechanical, as if time itself had thickened. A long, shaky sigh escaped his lips. His eyes flitted to the door as he pulled on his red slippers, his mind spinning with dark, unspoken fears.

In the living room, he found no one waiting. A suffocating silence hung in the air. His pulse quickened.

They're outside… waiting.

He stepped out into the night. The vast sky loomed above him, a dark sea scattered with stars. The moon hung full and heavy, its pale glow casting eerie shadows across the ground. He stared up, lost for a fleeting moment, letting the serenity lull his frayed nerves

"KAI!"

His father's voice shattered the night, a booming thunderclap that jolted Kai from his daydream.

"Coming!"

he stammered, his heart leaping into his throat. He hurried to the car, slipping into the back seat. His mother sat silently in the passenger seat, her face turned away. His father's grip tightened around the steering wheel as he stared straight ahead.

No one spoke.

The engine roared to life.

And the car sped into the unknown.

The silence inside the car pressed against Kai's chest like a vice. Each passing second felt heavier than the last.

He stared at his hands, then at the blur of trees flashing past the window. His thoughts spiraled into dark corners, twisting and turning with unanswered questions. Where are we going? Why does this feel… wrong?

The car rumbled down a desolate road, the world outside growing darker. Shadows swallowed the trees. The wind whispered through the forest like a cruel secret.

Finally, the car slowed to a stop.

"Get out,"

his father said coldly.

Kai's mouth opened, a weak "but" forming on his lips—

"I SAID GET OUT!"

His father's voice cracked like a whip, thunderous and final.

"DON'T MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF!"

Trembling, Kai pushed open the door. His feet hit the dirt with a soft crunch.

The night swallowed him whole.

His father stepped out after him. The man's footsteps were slow, deliberate. He loomed behind Kai, a shadow of power and disdain.

"Walk."

They moved together, silent but for the rustling leaves. The edge of a steep hill loomed ahead, the forest stretching endlessly below.

Kai's breath quickened. Fear clawed at his chest.

"Dad?"

he whispered.

The man's hand gripped his shoulder.

"You've been nothing but a waste to us, Kai."

The words hit harder than any fist.

Kai gasped. "What?" He turned, his eyes wide, his voice trembling with disbelief. "I… I'm your son—"

"STOP SAYING THAT!" His father's eyes were cold, empty. "You're a mistake."

The push came without warning.

Kai's body jerked backward. His feet left the ground.

"NO!" he screamed.

He tumbled down the hill, his arms flailing. Rocks and branches tore at his skin as he hit the ground—rolling, crashing—until he landed with a sickening thud.

Pain seared through his side.

Above, his father stood at the top of the hill, staring down at him.

"Stay there,"

he spat.

"Where you belong."

"Please…"

Kai's voice broke.

"Don't leave me… I'll do better—"

His father turned his back.

Kai scrambled, his hands clawing at the dirt, trying to climb—his feet slipped, and he fell again.

The car door slammed.

The engine roared.

The headlights disappeared into the distance.

Kai lay at the bottom of the hill, gasping for breath. His chest heaved as the truth bore down on him, a crushing, inescapable weight.

"They left me,"

he whispered, tears streaming down his face. His voice cracked into a sob. "They abandoned me… like trash."

The wind howled through the trees, a mocking lullaby.

"Why?"

His voice rose, strangled with despair.

"Why would they do this to me?"

The forest swallowed his cries.

Darkness pressed in on all sides. The forest seemed endless, a labyrinth of shadows and cold whispers.

Kai staggered to his feet, shivering. His hands clutched his head as voices filled his mind.

"Failure."

"Loser."

"Trash."

"Just die already."

"Useless."

"You don't deserve freedom."

"Your a mistake."

"Pathetic."

"Die."

"No…"

He gritted his teeth, shaking his head violently.

"Stop! Stop! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

He stumbled forward, his legs weak, his breath shallow. Each step felt heavier than the last. The cold bit into his skin, and his thin shirt offered no warmth.

But he kept walking.

And then—

A light.

It flickered in the distance, a beacon cutting through the dark.

Kai's heart leapt.

A car.

He broke into a run, his feet slipping on the damp ground. His eyes burned with hope and desperation.

"Please…"

The headlights grew brighter.

The car slowed.

A man stepped out. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with blonde hair and a sharp, worried gaze. His suit jacket clung to his frame. He knelt, his eyes scanning Kai with alarm.

"Kid…"

The man's voice was firm, urgent.

"Where are your parents? Why are you out here alone?"

Kai trembled.

"They… They left me."

His voice cracked. Tears poured down his cheeks.

"I don't understand why… I don't know why…"

The man's expression darkened. He took off his jacket, draping it over Kai's shivering shoulders.

"Come with me,"

he said. His hand was warm, steady.

He led Kai to the car, opening the door.

For the first time in hours, warmth filled the night.

And Kai might find another chance at life.,

By better people.

TO BE CONTINUED…