‘Today is one heck of a day.’

Luke came home, restless and tired, expecting to spend a quiet evening with his family, a big feast, and laughter around the dinner table.

He might look tough on the outside, harsh even, but family mattered the most to him. People whispered behind his back that doesn’t love his children, but that wasn’t true.

Sure, many parents dislike their kids, or worse.

But the majority was the type who had a different way of showing their love to their children.

Luke was one of them. He was the kind who always had a hard time telling his children his appreciation, or his love.

With time, he overcame that, and despite his ego, apologized to Lily.

But what he expected wasn’t even close to what was happening in his house right now.

Apparently, Lily told him that she was home because she wanted them to suffer, and feel the way she felt.

She blamed them for having her childhood taken away from her.

Luke asked her why she was here, and her answer was to take Noah with her.

He asked her to forget the bitter past, and to come live with them, as a family.

But her response?

.

.

“Do you think it’s okay now that you apologized? Well, it isn’t. You never understood that anyway.”

.

.

Luke felt his heart break at that moment.

He had failed. Not as a father who provided, but as a father who should have understood.

“Lily…I’m sorry, okay? Just…stop this mess-”

“Mess?” Lily let out a bitter chuckle, and then spat, “You call this mess? And the way you treated me wasn't a mess? The way you want everyone under your thumb isn't a mess?”

Lily was currently sitting on the couch, her voice bitter with hatred and anger.

Noah was silently sitting on his mother’s lap, who weren’t talking, yet listening to every line filled with malice spitted out of Lily’s mouth, and his dad’s silent regret.

They were all so caught up in that very moment, none of them wondered where Ash was.

And Luke was sitting on the other side of the couch, watching his first-born cursing and blaming her parents for every misdeed that happened.

His face was a mix of regret, guilt and shock.

“Lily, I know I made mistakes. I know I was too hard on you, but can’t we just… move past it? Can’t we just start over?” Luke pleaded, his voice breaking.

Lily’s eyes were cold. “Start over? You think it’s that easy? You were too busy controlling everything, too busy with your perfect little world, to ever care about what I wanted.”

Luke ran a hand over his face, trying to steady his trembling hands.

Noah shifted uncomfortably on his mother’s lap, his wide eyes darting between his sister and his father. He was too young to understand the full extent of what was happening, but he could sense something was wrong.

And it scared him.

“Lily,” Luke tried again, his voice softer now. “I’m not asking you to forgive me overnight. I just… I just want a chance to make things right. For you and Ash. For Noah. We can be a family again.”

Lily scoffed, shaking her head. “A family? You’re joking, right? Do you even hear yourself?”

Luke flinched at her words, the truth of them hurting him more than he wanted to admit. He had always been strict, always demanding, because he thought he was preparing her for the harsh realities of the world.

“I just wanted the best for you,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

“The best?” Lily’s voice rose, her hands clenched into fists. “The best for who, Dad? For you? For your damn image? Because it sure as hell wasn’t for me. I didn’t need perfection. I needed a father. I needed a family.”

Her mom said, her eyes showing hurt. “Lily, we were trying our best… We didn’t know it would hurt you this much-”

“You didn’t want to know!” Lily snapped, cutting her mother off. “You both were so damn wrapped up in your own world, you never bothered to ask what I wanted!”

Luke sighed, then said, “Lily, now we do understand. We know it hurts you, we know you’re alone. We never wanted you to leave our family. You went out of your own accord. So, just, stop it. Let’s just move on, like a family.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Shut your damn mouth!” Lily hissed.

Noah’s small voice broke through the tension. “… Please stop. I don’t like this.” His innocent eyes were filled with confusion and fear.

But it was brief. No one looked at him. She turned to Luke. “I’m not staying here. I’m taking Noah with me, away from this toxic place. You can keep your apologies, Dad. They mean nothing to me.”

Luke’s heart sank. He had lost her. Truly lost her. And now, he was at risk of losing Noah too.

“Lily, you can’t just take him away,” he said, his voice laced with desperation. “He’s our son too. Don’t punish him because of us.”

Lily stood up. “I’m doing what I should’ve done a long time ago. Protecting him from becoming like you. Cold, unfeeling, and obsessed with control.”

Luke’s shoulders slumped, defeated. “Is there nothing I can do? Nothing I can say to make you stay?”

“No, and save your crap. I’m taking him right now.” She said, as she made her mind and moved over to Noah.

Luke stood up, and grabbed her wrist from behind.

“Well, in that case, I’m not letting you take him.”

Lily looked back, and came face-to-face with her dad, his face showing fierce determination.

“I’ll love to see you damn try.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Where am…I?’

Black ceiling.

Hard, cold floor.

Everything felt unreal, as if he were floating.

Bloodied.

Bruised.

Defeated.

‘What…time is it?’

Betrayed.

Alone.

Hurt.

His thoughts were sluggish. His body screamed in pain with every shallow breath he took, but his mind refused to let go.

‘Why…am I here?’

The events started to flicker.

Blake’s laughter.

Lucas’s eyes filled with something cruel, something red.

The sharp noise of fists meeting flesh.

Tortured.

Beaten.

Silenced.

He forced his eyes open, only to be met with darkness. The room swirled around him, cold and unforgiving. He felt his chest rise and fall in uneven gasps, each one more painful than the last.

Then, it hit him- a memory.

Blake’s sneer. The way his hand had grabbed Ash by the throat, shoving him back down, the sound of Lucas bringing a stick down his leg, the blood he felt in his mouth and tricking down his eye when Blake had forcefully hit his head on the ground many times.

‘...Lucas.’

The words echoed in his mind.

His mind wandered to Lucas’ words before he went.

.

.

"You’re pathetic.”

.

.

His stomach twisted.

And maybe… maybe they were right. He should stop, and keep shut.

Ash blinked, he was fading again, slipping back into unconsciousness, but his mind wouldn’t stop racing.

‘Why…did I even try?’

‘I thought… I was doing the right thing.’

‘I thought…I could make a difference.’

But all he’d done was invite disaster. He had been the fool, walking into the trap, thinking he was clever enough to handle it. Thinking he could stop them.

His vision blurred again. Lucas’s voice rang louder now.

"This is what happens to the heroes, Asher. They fall. They always fall."

His heart ached. It wasn’t just his body that was broken. It was everything. His hope, his confidence, his belief in himself.

Useless.

Stupid.

Pathetic.

As he was slipping away, a face shone in his mind.

‘Noah…’

Right.

He had made a promise to always come back, and he didn’t even know what time it was.

‘Is dad back…? They must be…worried. I should go…back.’

Ash’s breath came in shallow gasps as he forced himself to move. His body screamed in protest, every muscle ached, his leg throbbed, and his head felt like it was splitting in two.

But he couldn’t stay here. It wasn’t like someone knew where he was. If that was the case, then he’d gladly stay put, and wait for someone.

Right now, no one knew. No one would come.

With trembling hands, he pushed himself up. His arms buckled once, twice, but he clenched his fists and forced himself to stand up, leaning against the wall for support.

His vision blurred, and his legs felt like jelly, but he stood. Somehow, he stood.

‘Just one step,’ he thought, swallowing hard. His breath hitched as he shifted his weight onto his throbbing leg, and his knees almost gave out.

But he couldn’t stop. Not now.

‘Noah’s waiting.’

Every step felt like burning hell. His ribs screamed, his leg dragged, and his head pounded, but he kept moving, he kept on urging forward.

He didn’t know how long it would take. He didn’t know if he’d make it.

But one thought burned brighter than the pain, stronger than the despair.

He had to go home. He would go home.

Because if he gave up now, if he let himself fall again, he wouldn’t just be useless or pathetic. He’d be a liar. And that was something Ash couldn’t accept.

One step. Then another.

He was going home. No matter what it took.

Everyone in the way stared at him, with concerned, worried glances.

A few people stopped entirely.

“Hey, kid, are you okay?” one man called out, stepping closer.

Ash ignored him, his feet dragging forward. He didn’t have time for this.

Another voice, softer this time. “Dear, you’re hurt,” an older woman said, stepping into his path. She had kind eyes, the kind that seemed to pull at a memory. “Let me help you. Should I call someone? Your parents, maybe?”

Ash stopped, his gaze lifting to meet hers. For a moment, he just stood there, his breath shallow.

‘...Mom.’

She reminded him of his mother- her warmth, her concern.

‘Mom must…be worried sick by now.’

Ash’s chest ached, the pain in his ribs suffocating, but he shook his head. “I’m fine,” he muttered hoarsely, forcing his legs to move past her.

He couldn’t stop.

The blood from his head wound had finally stopped trickling, but it had dried in sticky, dark streaks along his temple, while sticking strands of hair to his face.

He must’ve looked like a wreck- limping, bloodied, and pale, but he didn’t care.

He was almost there.

It felt like hours had passed since he’d left that hellhole, but the familiar sight of home was finally in front of him.

His breaths came faster as he reached the door.

‘They’re inside,’ he thought, his heart pounding. ‘Noah, Mom… Dad.’

He swallowed hard. As he moved closer, he heard his dad’s loud voice. He couldn’t make out what he was saying, but it seemed like he was at home.

‘Looks like dad…is back.’

Every ache in his body screamed for rest, but he had to keep on pushing a little longer.

With one last shaky breath, Ash knocked, three times. A sudden sound of exclaim was heard, and then someone- his mom opened the door.

“Ash! Oh my god, what happened?!”