Chapter 1: Dinner Came Late
"Mom, please… I'm sorry. I really am. Please forgive me."
The boy's voice cracked with desperation, each word breaking as it left his lips. His small body trembled—not only from the beating his so-called mother had inflicted, but from the cold fear that crawled beneath his skin. Tears streamed freely down his cheeks, burning his eyes as they mixed with the metallic taste of blood from the cut on his forehead.
The room felt heavy, suffocating. The coppery scent of blood hung in the air as his cries echoed weakly through the house.
"Don't you dare call me Mom," the woman spat, her voice dripping with disgust. "I never gave birth to a useless, worthless child like you."
She looked down at him with nothing but contempt.
Ariel lay curled on the floor, sobbing softly, his body shaking with every shallow breath. His wide eyes reflected a fear far too big for someone his age.
"Mommy, brother is sorry!" a small voice cried.
The younger child clung to her arm, his face wet with tears. He had watched everything.
"Please stop," Finn begged.
The woman's expression softened instantly as she turned to him. "Poor child," she said gently. "Finn, go watch your cartoons. Leave this place."
"No, Mommy! Please," Finn cried harder. "Brother is sorry!"
She sighed, forcing a smile. "Alright, sweetheart. Go pick up your toys. We'll leave together."
Without another glance at Ariel's bruised body, she led Finn away.
"Oh my goodness, darling, you startled me!" she exclaimed suddenly, her voice changing completely as her husband walked in. "How long have you been standing there?"
"I just got in," the man replied calmly. His eyes flicked briefly to Ariel before settling back on his wife.
"What did he do this time? I told you not to treat him that way. He's your child too."
His tone sounded gentle, but his gaze lingered on
Ariel longer than necessary. A strange glint flashed in his eyes.
"I couldn't help it," she said defensively. "He made me so angry. He deserved it."
She patted Finn's back as he sniffled.
"Hm. What did he do?" the man asked, his eyes still fixed on Ariel.
"I sent him to the store, and he took forever," she snapped. "When I went to look for him, he was outside flirting with some boy! Right in front of our house. Disgusting."
She stormed out, the man following shortly after.
"He's just a kid," he said quietly as they sat for dinner. "Sixteen isn't an adult. Boys need friends too."
She scoffed. "Have you seen the way he acts? Too soft. Too girly."
He chuckled lightly. "You used to dress him like a girl yourself. What changed?"
The conversation ended there.
Ariel was sent straight to bed—no dinner, no questions. He didn't understand the look his father had given him earlier. It unsettled him, but exhaustion dragged him into sleep before he could think too deeply about it.
"I'm going to bed," Pauline said later.
"Go ahead," her husband replied. "I still have work."
When the house finally fell silent, he rose from his seat. He went to the kitchen, prepared a plate of food, and walked quietly toward Ariel's room.
He unlocked the door.
Ariel lay asleep, curled beneath his blanket, pale and defenseless in the dim light.
"Wake up," the man whispered softly. "You need to eat."
Ariel stirred, blinking sleepily. "Dad?"
"You didn't get dinner," he said gently, setting the plate on the bed. "You must be hungry."
Ariel stared at the food. Something felt wrong.
"I'm not hungry," he murmured. "Can I eat later?"
"No," his father said firmly. "Eat now."
Reluctantly, Ariel picked up the fork and took a bite.
"This tastes strange," he said, frowning. "What's in it?"
"Just herbs," his father replied calmly. "Eat."
Ariel swallowed another bite. His head began to spin.
"I don't feel good," he whispered, pushing the plate away. "What did you put in this?"
"Relax," his father said quietly. "It's only to help you calm down."
Fear flooded Ariel's chest. His limbs felt heavy. His vision blurred.
"What's happening to me?" he cried weakly.
"Don't worry," his father murmured. "It'll be over soon."
Ariel tried to move, to scream, to escape—but his body refused to obey. Tears slid down his cheeks as panic consumed him.
"Please… don't."
His pleas faded into silence as darkness swallowed him whole.