The sun had set by the time Sarah left his room so that Kael could rest. She hadn't offered much in terms of commentary, but just having someone listen to his story was enough. Just a few weeks ago, he had told Barbara most of the same facts but kept it objective. Maybe it was the way she interacted with him or came about as a consequence of his near-death experience. But now, as he lay here, somehow, that approach felt too shallow, incomplete. So he spoke. Watching the sun set in the distance, he narrated the story of his life. Not once had he looked at his audience in the process. As he spoke, memories returned to him, transformed by time and emotional distance. He told Sarah about his life as a small child, how he had been sad and angry at his parents for getting another child, feeling their attention slipping away from him and concentrating on his smaller sibling. Slowly, he had grown accustomed to the changed circumstances and accepted the addition to the family, going so far as to take responsibility for his tiny sister. Their days had been good, at least, until it wasn't.
The terror, fear, anger, pain, and helplessness from those first days after their parents had gone missing were still present in his memories when he spoke of them. He had quickly passed through the stages of grief, as the counselors called it, he had to. Who would take care of the only remaining member of his family if he didn't? So he dealt with it and stayed strong for Lucy. Life was hard for him in the group home.
Considered old enough to be self-sufficient by the underfunded staff but too young to have any meaningful control over his circumstances, he fell through the cracks of the system. What little time he had left with his sister was spent avoiding beatings from the older kids and getting punished for tiny infractions by the staff. Then it all came to a head when learned that Lucy alone would be adopted. At this point, he had no illusions about his chances of finding a permanent home, but hearing one of the staff congratulate Lucy on getting adopted brought his world crashing down once more. No one had deemed it necessary to inform him. Just how little did his existence matter?
A few days later, his sister, the only person that cared about him, was gone to who knew where, and Kael had no more incentive to remain in the group home.
Life on the streets was not that different from life in the group home. There were still bullies that tried to hurt and abuse him, only that their fists were sometimes replaced by broken bottles or knives. Police had replaced the staff, and detention now happened in jail. But for his independence, not much had changed for Kael.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
He told Sarah about his difficulties finding work. He spoke of the time a strange old man calling himself an Archmage crashed into his roof and proceeded to, somehow, give Kael magic. Happy for the first time in years, those were his words when he described how he felt when he realized that maybe, just maybe, his life would turn around. The first meeting with Jason and Martin, their fight, and becoming friends with Martin. Experimenting with magic and finding out about the hidden world that existed alongside the one he knew. Going to the feathery delight and meeting Barbara. Choosing to put his trust in the older woman and finally finding a place to call home and work he enjoyed. Failing spectacularly in the fight against the Thrizon. Causing the heavy injury of Andrea and his subsequent arrest. Feeling so incredibly useless and helpless. Fighting with Martin and, ultimately, fleeing from the restaurant and his failures. The nightmares. He told Sarah about everything.
After everything was said and done, Sarah left while wishing him a peaceful rest. Kael was alone again. He hadn't cried during the telling, hadn't felt much emotion at all. Even now, he still could not feel much of anything. Weight fell off of his soul with every word he spoke, but that only left him feeling somehow more empty. What was he supposed to do now? Was there even a point to having survived? Well, thinking can be left for when there is a point to it, I guess, Kael decided. Speaking for so long had exhausted him more than he had expected, and now that he was alone, sleep found him easily. Head still turned to the window, his eyelids closed. A dreamless night passed.
He awoke to his empty room the next day. He couldn't see the sun from his bed, making it impossible to tell the time, but with how bright and warm it was, he would speculate on midday. Kael watched the forest below his window, and he felt at peace when he observed nature. Small animals, going about their business. Plants stretch their leaves towards the sun. At some point during the day, a meal had appeared on the small table next to his bed. Slowly, he ate, more out of habit than anything else. Time passed, and soon it became evening again. A small part of him was expecting, maybe even hoping, for Sarah to show up again. She did not. The next day progressed much the same, only interrupted by the visit of a doctor that took some of his blood and asked him a few questions. He saw Sarah again the next day. They exchanged a few pleasantries, and she told him a little of her day. Apparently, the school had started again for the students of year four.
Kael setteled into a routine. His body recovered much quicker than he felt it should, but some seven days after waking up, he was declared healthy enough to walk around.