Chapter 1: — “Shattered Home"

Kael laid on his bed, bruises darkening his skin, every muscle aching from the latest punishment. The sting of their hands, their shouts, the words that cut deeper than any weapon, they stayed with him, never letting go.

He stared at the cracked ceiling, tracing the lines as if they could show him a way out of all this pain.

The room smelled of sweat and fear. His heart pounded with exhaustion, but beneath it, a darker thought started to form, whispering about escape, about ending it all.

His eyes landed on the rope on the floor. Its rough fibers seemed to call to him, a promise of release from everything that hurt.

For a moment, Kael reached toward it, fingers trembling, his chest tight with hopelessness. 

"Maybe this is the only way…" He whispered to himself, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.

A soft sound shattered the moment. A stifled sob, then another.

The door creaked open. Yui, clutching her tiny voodoo doll, her eyes wide and red from crying, stepped into the room. Behind her, Hina held her own doll like a shield, trembling, silent tears tracking down her face. Sakura, older and trying to hold herself together, followed, her own tears slipping despite her attempts to stay strong.

Kael froze. The rope slipped from his hands. The idea of ending it all faded, leaving only a sharp, panicked fear. His heart ached seeing them like this, helpless, scared, innocent.

He swung his legs off the bed, his movements sudden but gentle. “C’mon,” he murmured, voice rough and breaking slightly. “Let’s lay down together.”

Yui climbed onto the bed first, curling tightly against him, her small body shaking. Hina pressed close next, burying her face into his shoulder, clutching her doll like it could absorb some of the pain. Sakura, older yet fragile, leaned on him last, letting herself be open for the first time that day.

“Kael pulled them close, his own despair softening as he focused on protecting them.

He leaned closer, whispering softly, “It’s okay… I’m here. Nothing’s going to hurt you now… I’ve got you.” 

Yui buried her face in his chest, trembling, and he added, “Shh… it’s just us now. You don’t have to be scared.” 

Even Sakura, trying to stay strong, let a tear slip down her cheek. She whispered, her voice trembling, “I… I don’t want to be scared anymore…”'

Kael pressed a kiss to her forehead, whispering, “I’m right here. We’ll get through this together.”

Kael felt his sisters’ small hands holding on to him. Their touch kept him steady, their warmth wrapping around him like a thin blanket. For a little while, he let himself forget the rope, the pain, and the heavy weight inside him. In that small circle of comfort, it was just him and his sisters, holding on together.

The house was quiet. Only the soft sound of his sisters breathing broke the silence. Moonlight stretched across the floor in pale lines, showing the bruises spread over Kael’s body. Every move sent a sharp ache through him, reminders of what his parents had done that night, and so many nights before. Sleep had come in short bursts, never deep, until a sharp pain in his arm forced his eyes open.

He pushed his legs off the bed and stood, teeth tight as the pain shot up to his shoulder. Each step toward the bathroom felt like walking on broken glass. When he switched on the light, he froze. The bandages on his arm were soaked through. The cuts were worse than he had thought, rough and still bleeding.

Kael pressed his palm to the wound, the sting running through him. He sank down onto the cold floor tiles and let the tears fall. Not for the pain, he had learned how to take that, but for the anger, the helplessness, the years of being trapped. His voice broke as he whispered to himself:

“I… I hate them… I hate them so much… I just want us to be safe… just us…”

His fingers trembled as he traced the line of the wound, wishing there were some way to erase the scars, the pain, the fear. He wanted to run, to escape, but he couldn’t leave his sisters behind. They depended on him. They always had. And yet, he had never been able to truly protect them.

A soft shuffle interrupted his thoughts. A tiny figure appeared in the doorway, silhouetted against the moonlight, Yui, her hair tangled and eyes heavy with sleep. 

“Kael… I… I have to pee-pee,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. 

The innocence in her words made his chest tighten, and guilt stabbed through him. He hastily pressed his arm to his chest, hiding the bleeding wound as best he could. 

“Okay… you can go use the potty. I… I’ll step out,” he whispered, forcing a calmness he didn’t feel. His voice cracked despite his effort, betraying the storm of pain and anger inside him.

Yui padded closer on small, bare feet, then stopped. Her eyes, still heavy with sleep, met his, and her tiny hand reached for him. 

“Kael… stay with me,” she pleaded, voice trembling, almost tearing up. “You’re… my hero… You’re helping me… by facing the demons, Kael…”

Kael’s chest tightened so hard he could barely breathe. He wanted to break down, to cry, to scream that he wasn’t strong, that he wasn’t a hero, that he had already failed them too many times. He hadn’t stopped the beatings, hadn’t protected them, and now he sat bleeding in the dark, as powerless as ever.

But when he looked at her, so small, so trusting, something inside him held firm. A weak spark lit in his chest. He turned away, hiding the tears burning in his eyes, and forced a shaky smile. Quietly, he led her to the potty, moving slowly, careful not to hurt her. Blood still ran down his arm, hot and sticky, but he pushed it aside and kept his focus on Yui, not the pain, not the anger.

“Here… I’ll help,” he said softly, steadying her as she sat down. Yui clung to his fingers, gripping tight as if he was the only thing holding her safe in the dark. In that grip, Kael felt both the weight of his failures and the faint spark of purpose. Their home was broken, their lives shattered, but in small moments like this, he could still protect them.

He stayed there, kneeling beside her, listening to her soft breathing, feeling the gentle grip of her tiny hands. Every minute stretched, a delicate balance between hope and despair. He could feel the anger bubbling under his skin, the hatred for the parents who had hurt them, for the helplessness that had defined his own life. His words slipped out again, quiet as a breath.

“I’ll get us out… I’ll get us away… just you wait… I won’t let them hurt you anymore…”

Yui’s sleepy voice broke through again. “Kael… don’t go… please…”

Kael swallowed hard, his throat tight. His pride, his exhaustion, his self-loathing, all of it pooled together. He had no solutions, no magic fix, no plan to make things right. He could only be here, in this tiny bathroom, with his sister who looked up at him with unshakable faith he didn’t feel he deserved.

For a long while, they remained like that, Kael kneeling, blood running down his arm, and Yui clutching his fingers, trusting him completely. He wanted to cry, to scream, to fall apart, but he forced himself to stay still, to be the brother she believed him to be.

He helped her finish, guiding her small hands as she cleaned. In the dim light, her quiet “thank you” reached him, so soft it felt unreal. In that moment, Kael understood, he might be hurt, he might be weak, he might bleed without end, but for these fragile moments, he could still be strong. For them, he could carry anything.

He stepped back, watching her crawl into bed. Drawing a shaky breath, he pushed past the pain, the anger, the crushing weight pressing on him. His sisters needed him, even in ways they couldn’t yet say. And he would stay, for them, no matter the cost.

So in the cold bathroom, blood running down his arm and tears close to falling, Kael found a small piece of purpose in the storm of his life. It wasn’t victory, it wasn’t freedom, but it was something. It was hope.

Dawn spread across the horizon, pale gold touching the sea. Kael sat on the old bench, eyes on the waves. Their steady rhythm felt both soothing and cruel. This beach had once been his safe place, a spot where laughter had hidden fear. Now, it only carried his grief.

Sota came and sat beside him, the sand cold beneath him. He glanced at Kael’s arm, the dried blood and dark scars stark against his pale skin. His throat went dry, his voice trembling.

“W-What… what the hell happened, Kael?” Sota’s words were nearly a shout, raw with panic. “TELL ME!”

Kael didn’t immediately respond. He slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing the wound in full. Sota gasped, recoiling as if the sight itself might harm him.

"O-Oh god... No… K-Kael... I… I want to help,” Sota stammered after a moment, his fists clenching. “I can call someone... please, let me call the police or… or someone!”

Kael shook his head, his expression tight, eyes never leaving the horizon. “It doesn’t work, Sota. It never does.”

Sota froze, confusion and disbelief mixing on his face. “What… what do you mean? They… they can’t just—”

Kael closed his eyes, and the memory came unbidden... a memory he could never escape.

The first time he had called the police, he had been trembling with hope, imagining freedom for him and his sisters. The doorbell rang, and his heart leapt. Officers appeared, polite and serious. Kael’s parents opened the door, their faces bright and innocent.

“Officers! Thank you for coming. There must be some misunderstanding,” his father said smoothly, voice full of practiced warmth. “Everything is fine here, I assure you. We’re a loving family.”

His mother nodded, eyes glimmering with false sincerity. “We take very good care of our children. You must have received some… mistaken report.”

The officers glanced at Kael and the girls. “Are you… alright?” one asked hesitantly.

Kael opened his mouth to speak, to finally tell someone the truth, but his mother cut him off with a soft, almost Sweetened laugh. “Oh, he’s just shy, don’t worry. We all have little disagreements sometimes, but everything is normal here.”

The officers exchanged a glance and seemed reassured. "Alright. You guys have a good night."

The officer then left. The door clicked shut behind them.

The calm shattered instantly.

“Do you think I’m weak?!” Kael’s father roared, his voice like thunder. He grabbed a whip from the coat rack, swinging it hard. “Do you think anyone would believe your lies over us?!”

Pain exploded across Kael’s back and shoulders. He tried to shield himself, but each strike tore at his skin.

“You think calling them would save you?!” his mother shrieked, joining in. “You’re pathetic! You’re worthless!”

Kael fell to the floor, gasping as the whip struck again. “Stop… stop, please!” he tried to say, but they drowned out his voice.

“Cry all you want!” his father yelled, each crack of the whip a punctuation to the rage. “It won’t change anything! You’ll never protect them!”

His mother sneered down at him. “Look at them!” She gestured at the three small figures huddled in the corner. “Do you even understand what you’ve put them through? You worthless child!”

Yui clutched her tiny voodoo doll, Hina’s body shook as she pressed her face into her pillow, and Sakura’s eyes were wide, tears streaking down her cheeks. Kael’s heart twisted as he glanced at them, helpless. He wanted to scream, to stop the pain, to protect them, but he couldn’t.

The last whip fell. He collapsed onto the floor, bruised, bloodied, broken. His chest heaved, and all around him was the quiet sobbing of his sisters. He didn’t move. He felt numb, crushed under the weight of his own failure.

Back on the bench, Kael let out a slow breath. The memory faded, but the pain stayed. Sota’s hand rested on his shoulder, unsure, unsteady. He said nothing, there were no words that fit.

Kael finally met his friend’s gaze. “I can’t trust anyone… calling the police only made it worse. They just… pretend everything’s fine, and it never stops.”

Sota swallowed hard, gripping Kael’s shoulder tighter. “You… you don’t deserve this,” he whispered, voice cracking. “I wish I could… I wish I could stop it, Kael. I—”

Kael managed a faint, bittersweet smile. “I know. You’re here. That’s enough, Sota. Sometimes… that’s all we can have.”

The waves kept coming, steady and uncaring, like the memories Kael couldn’t shake. But in the quiet between them, he let himself rest for a moment, sitting beside the only person who understood even a part of his pain.

The afternoon sun pressed down on the streets, warm and glaring, as Sota gestured for Kael to walk with him. “Come on,” Sota said, forcing a grin. “Let’s get out of that gloom for a bit. Some fresh air will do you good.”

Kael nodded, following, though every step felt heavy. They wandered from store to store, Sota chatting and laughing easily, pointing out little trinkets and silly things that caught his eye. 

Kael responded with hollow chuckles, masking the heaviness in his chest, trying desperately to blend in. But Sota’s sharp eyes caught the cracks beneath the surface. “Kael… you’re not enjoying this, are you?”

Kael shook his head subtly, forcing a small, almost invisible smile. “I’m… fine,” he muttered.

They continued walking, the hum of the city surrounding them. Finally, Kael’s voice, low and hesitant, cut through the air. “Sota… where are your parents?”

Sota stopped, frowning. “What do you mean? My… parents?”

Kael’s eyes hardened, his voice sharp and almost bitter. “You know what I mean.”

Sota’s breath hitched slightly. He looked down, gripping the straps of his backpack. After a long pause, he drew in a deep, shuddering breath and forced himself to speak, trying to keep his voice steady. “After I was born… my mother… she died. And my father… he just… put me in the system.”

"W-What?" Kael’s steps faltered. “You… you never told me…”

Sota’s lips twitched, but he kept going. “I went from foster home to foster home. Most of the people who took me in… they didn’t care about me. They only wanted the money.” His voice cracked slightly, but he swallowed the sob. 

“When I was eleven, I tried to visit my father… to… maybe… fix things. I don’t know. But…” He shook his head, the memory searing. 

“What I saw… it… broke me. He had moved on with a new woman. They had two daughters, maybe four years old. And when I asked who I was… he told them I was just some kid selling cookies on the street.”

Kael’s chest tightened, a lump forming in his throat.

“I tried to tell them the truth… tried to explain that I was his son,” Sota whispered, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. 

“But he… he didn’t want to know. Didn’t want anyone to know I existed. I left… heartbroken.” His voice trailed off, lost in a mixture of pain and resignation.

Kael stopped walking and looked at Sota, really looked. He had been beside this boy for over a year, but never truly understood the depth of his suffering. 

His own pain seemed to pale slightly in comparison, but it also felt like a mirror. “Sota…” Kael’s voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. “I… I had no idea…”

Sota shook his head faintly, forcing a small, bitter smile. “It’s fine… I never really told anyone. Not even my foster parents. They wouldn’t care. And I learned… it’s easier to just deal with it alone.”

Kael’s hands twitched. He wished he could take away even a little of Sota’s pain, but he knew he couldn’t. All he could do was stand beside his friend, carrying the weight of their scars together, quiet in the kind of understanding that didn’t need words.

The city buzzed around them, yet for a moment it felt like time had stopped. Two hurt boys walking streets that didn’t care, holding on to the fragile bond they had found.

Their talk wandered as they walked. Kael forced out a laugh, but it sounded empty even to him. Sota caught it right away, concern on his face. Before he could say anything, Kael’s phone lit up, his home number on the screen.

A cold knot formed in Kael’s stomach. He swallowed his fear and answered anyway. “Hello?”

A whimpering voice came through the line. Hina. “Kael… Kael, please… hurry… Sakura… they’re… they’re hurting her…” Her voice trembled, a mix of sobs and panic.

Kael’s heart slammed. “Where are you?!” he demanded, gripping the phone tight.

“Living room… they’re… they’re hitting her, it’s because she… she broke the vase…” Hina’s voice broke completely, her small sobs echoing through the line.

“I’m coming! Stay calm!” Kael shouted, ending the call. His hands shook. He turned to Sota. “I… I have to go. Now.”

Sota’s face went pale, eyes wide. “Kael… what... what happened?” He could barely breathe, but he nodded, stepping aside, letting Kael run.

When Kael burst into his home, the sight hit him like a freight train. Sakura was on the floor, her body trembling as his parents beat her up with their bare hands. Hina and Yui sat on the couch, clutching each other, sobbing uncontrollably.

The moment Kael entered, his parents froze mid-motion, glaring at him as if his arrival had disrupted some cruel performance. “Late,” his father sneered. “Had to come watch the punishment?”

Kael’s chest tightened. He swallowed the fear and fury, his voice shaking but firm. “Stop. Please… just stop.”

His mother smirked, stepping back just slightly. “After we finish her, then you’ll have your turn,” she hissed. “Don’t interfere.”

Kael’s mind raced. Panic took over him. His little sister, barely eleven, trembling, crying out, every whimper tearing at him. He couldn’t do nothing. He couldn’t let this happen again.

And in that instant, a decision formed in his mind.

He shouted, every ounce of rage spilling out, words sharp and endless, a rush of shouts and anger at the ones who had made his life a nightmare. 

“You sons of b*tches! How dare you! You have no right! Leave her alone! I swear… I will never, NEVER let you get away with this! You think… think you’re gods?! You’re nothing but monsters! No... DEMONS! And I… I’m done taking your abuse!”

The room froze. His parents stopped mid-swing, staring at him like predators at a rival, their expressions dark, twisted with fury. They said nothing, but their eyes promised nothing good.

Then the punishment came.

Kael’s parents attacked with everything they had, fists, kicks, pure anger unleashed on his body. The girls screamed, their voices cutting through the air, “Stop! No! Kael, please!” But no one heard them.

Kael hit the floor, every blow sending fire through him. Blood ran from his lips, nose, and arms. His vision blurred. Still, his thoughts were on his sisters. He forced himself to breathe, to take it, to keep himself between them and the violence.

The beating lasted ten long minutes, measured in punches and kicks. When it finally ended, Kael lay gasping, coughing blood, broken and bruised, but alive. His parents moved past him to the couch, shoving the girls aside.

All three sisters rushed to him without thinking. Hina, Yui, and Sakura clung to his battered body, crying hard. “Kael! Please! Don’t leave me! You’re hurt!” Sakura sobbed, anger and fear mixing as she shook him gently.

Kael barely lifted his head. Pain and love collided in his chest. He wrapped his arms around them, murmuring soft reassurances through gritted teeth, even though the words felt empty to himself. “I’m okay… I’m okay… it’s fine… I’ve got you… I’ve got you…”

Sakura’s sobs turned into a cry of frustration and anger, her small fists clinging to his shirt. “No! Kael! Stop saying that! You’re NOT okay! Don’t lie to us!” 

Her tears streamed down her face as she shook him gently but desperately, her voice breaking.

Hina and Yui pressed close, their crying blending with Sakura’s. Kael’s heart ached at their cries, and he finally let himself collapse a little against them, allowing his own sobs to escape, feeling every ounce of pain, fear, and love all at once.

The four clung to each other on the floor, crying and trembling, yet finding a sense of comfort under the chaos.

Kael laid sprawled on his bed, every inch of his body screaming in pain, bruised and battered from the beating. His energy had drained to zero, and for a moment, the weight of it all made him feel like he might never get up again.

His phone ringing, broke the silence across the room. Groaning, he reached over, his hand trembling, and saw Sota’s name flashing across the screen. Hesitating for a second, he answered.

“Kael… are you free tomorrow?” Sota’s voice was sharp, urgent.

Kael tried to sit up, wincing, pushing himself against the pain. “Maybe… if I’m feeling better,” he muttered, barely able to keep his voice steady.

“Good,” Sota said, and there was a strange weight behind his tone. “Because this is important. I have a plan… a way you can defend yourself… maybe even escape with your sisters.”

Kael’s eyes widened, a spark of desperation flaring in his chest. “What plan? Tell me now! I… I can’t wait... my sisters… we can’t wait!” His voice cracked, raw with urgency.

Sota sighed, calm but firm. “It’s long. I’ll explain everything tomorrow, at my place. You need to hear it properly.”

“Tomorrow? No! I need to know now! I can’t just sit here while they... while they hurt my sisters!” Kael yelled, his voice echoing through the small room, ragged and desperate.

Sota’s tone softened slightly, but it was still icy, unyielding. “Kael… calm down. I know you want to save them, but panicking won’t help. Trust me. Tomorrow, everything will make sense.”

Kael gritted his teeth, struggling to control his shaking hands, his body still screaming in pain. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and finally whispered, “Fine… tomorrow… but I can’t lose them… I won’t…”

Sota’s next words cut through the night like a blade, chilling and cold, and Kael felt a shiver crawl up his spine. “Then be ready. Because once we start… there’s no going back.”

Kael’s heart pounded. He clutched the phone tighter, every emotion, fear, anger, desperation, hope, clashing violently in his chest. Outside his window, the wind howled against the glass, and for the first time that night, Kael felt the dangerous weight of what tomorrow might bring.