Chapter 6: — "Bruised Hearts"

Kael woke up later than usual, the sunlight creeping through the thin curtains. For once, there was no rush. The Iron Lotus didn’t open on weekends, something he’d only found out yesterday.

He pushed himself up slowly, wincing when the scab on his back pulled against his shirt. The memory of his father’s whip burned in his head, and for a moment he sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands.

A soft knock came at the door.

“…Kael?” It was Sakura’s voice, weak and uncertain.

Kael didn’t answer right away. He knew what she wanted to talk about. When she finally peeked inside, her eyes immediately darted to him. She bit her lip and whispered, “I’m sorry. I... I shouldn’t have told them you weren’t home.”

Kael stayed quiet. His chest tightened. He wanted to forgive her right away, but the memory of being beaten still stung. He lowered his head, hiding his expression.

Sakura stepped inside and hugged her arms around herself. “If I didn’t say anything, all of us would have been hurt… I just… I didn’t know what else to do.”

Kael finally looked up, his eyes heavy. “Sakura…” He sighed. “I know why you did it. You were protecting them. But… it hurt. It really hurt.”

Her eyes watered. “I feel like the worst sister in the world.”

That broke him. He stood up and pulled her into his chest. She started crying immediately, burying her face against him.

“You’re not the worst,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “You’re my sister. And you did what you thought would keep them safe. I can’t hate you for that. I just… I don’t want you to rat me out again. Promise me.”

“I-I promise,” she sobbed.

Kael tightened his hold. “It’s okay. I’ll take it. That’s what big brothers do.”

For a long time, they stayed like that, Sakura trembling in his arms, Kael holding her tighter than ever.

The day passed quietly until evening. The smell of food drifted through the small apartment as their mother finished cooking.

“Dinner’s ready,” she called.

Kael got up with his sisters, but before he could sit, his father’s voice stopped him.

“Not you,” he said firmly, pointing at Kael.

Kael froze. “…What?”

“You’re old enough to cook your own meals. From now on, you’ll make your own food. We won’t be wasting our time feeding a lazy boy.”

Kael clenched his fists. He knew it was an excuse, just another way to punish him. “That’s bullsh*t. Yesterday I was allowed to eat. Why the sudden rule today?”

His father’s glare sharpened. “Watch your mouth.”

Kael opened his, ready to argue more, but Sakura gave his sleeve a small tug, shaking her head desperately. He swallowed his anger and sat back in silence, watching his sisters eat while his stomach growled.

When they finished, Kael went to the fridge. Empty. Not even leftovers. He slammed it shut, muttering, “Figures…”

He went back to his room, his stomach twisting painfully.

Kael lay on his bed, hunger gnawing at him. His stomach growled loudly, echoing in the small room. He sighed, pressing his hand against it.

A soft knock came, followed by Hina’s whisper: “Onii-chan…?”

The door creaked open, and Sakura, Hina, and Yui stepped in. Their little hands clutched food—bread, small bits of meat, rice, hidden under their shirts.

Kael sat up, eyes wide. “W-What are you three doing?”

Sakura placed the food on his bed, her eyes filled with guilt. “We saved it for you. Please eat.”

Kael’s throat tightened. He shook his head, tears pricking his eyes. “No… if they find out, you’ll all get in trouble. I can’t—”

“Onii-chan!” Yui shouted suddenly, her tiny voice cracking. “You have to eat! You’re always protecting us… now it’s our turn!”

Kael’s vision blurred. Sakura pushed the food toward him. “Please. For us. If you don’t eat, we’ll feel even worse.”

He wiped his eyes, finally letting out a shaky laugh. “You guys… You’re too much.”

With trembling hands, he picked up the bread and took a bite. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he chewed slowly. “Thank you… thank you so much.”

The girls sat around him, smiling through their own tears as Kael ate. For the first time in a long while, he felt loved.

The apartment felt too quiet that night, the kind of silence that always made Kael uneasy. He sat on his bed, staring at the faint stain of blood still marking his shirt from the few nights before. His back ached, his forehead throbbed, but it wasn’t the pain that kept him frozen, it was the dread of what the day might bring.

A sudden shriek tore through the walls.

“YUI!” Their mother’s voice. Sharp. Furious.

Kael’s head snapped up. He rushed to the door, peeking down the hall. Yui stood trembling near the bathroom, her tiny hands twisted into her shirt. A puddle glistened on the floor tiles, spreading from the bathroom doorway.

“D-Don’t be mad, Mama—I-I didn’t mean—” Yui’s voice cracked as she backed away.

“You disgusting child!” their mother spat, pointing at the mess. “You’re too old for this! Can’t even use the bathroom properly?”

Sakura and Hina darted forward from the living room, their small frames blocking part of their mother’s path.

“Please, Mom,” Sakura begged, her voice shaking. “She didn’t mean it—she just—”

“Move!” their mother snapped, her hand swinging dangerously close. Hina flinched, pulling Sakura back.

Kael’s chest tightened as he stepped out. His fists balled. He hated this. The trembling of his sisters, Yui’s wide eyes shimmering with tears, their mother’s raised hand, it was the same cycle, over and over again.

Their father emerged from the kitchen, his heavy steps making the floor creak. He frowned at the sight.

“What now?” he muttered.

“She pissed all over the damn floor,” their mother snarled. “She’s useless!”

The father’s eyes darkened. Without hesitation, he grabbed Yui by the arm. She squealed in pain, her legs kicking as he dragged her toward the center of the room.

“Stop it!” Sakura cried, rushing forward, only for Hina to yank her back with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Kael’s breath caught. His knuckles ached from how hard he clenched his fists. He knew what would happen next if he didn’t move, he’d hear Yui scream, see her bruises later, and once again, he’d do nothing.

But this time, something in him snapped.

“Let her go.”

Kael’s voice was low, trembling, but loud enough for the room to freeze.

His father’s head turned, slowly, like he couldn’t believe what he just heard. “What did you say?”

Kael took a shaky step forward. His whole body screamed at him to shut up, to sit down, to survive, but he couldn’t. Not this time.

“I said let her go,” he repeated, louder now, his voice cracking but filled with defiance.

The father dropped Yui onto the floor like she weighed nothing. She scurried behind Sakura and Hina, who shielded her protectively. Their father walked toward Kael, each step heavy, like thunder before a storm. “You’re telling me what to do, boy?”

Kael’s knees wanted to buckle, but he forced himself to stand tall. His heart raced so fast it hurt.

“You’ve beaten us enough. I’m done watching.” His words tumbled out before he could stop them. “You want someone to hit? Hit me. Leave them alone.”

The father’s lips curved into a mocking grin. “Oh? Big man now, huh? Think you’re strong enough?” He leaned close, his breath hot and rancid. “Go on, then. Do something. Prove it.”

The room was dead silent. Sakura’s hands covered her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. Hina clung to Yui, whispering for her not to watch. 

Kael’s fists shook at his sides. He was terrified. His father’s towering presence swallowed him whole. Every instinct screamed he’d regret this, that he’d be beaten worse than ever. But something louder than fear surged inside him, the image of Yui’s tears, Sakura’s trembling voice, Hina’s desperate hands.

Kael’s fist snapped forward before he even realized it. The punch connected with his father’s cheek. A sharp crack echoed through the room.

Gasps filled the air. Sakura screamed. Hina’s grip on Yui tightened. Even their mother froze mid-step, her jaw dropping in shock. Kael stood there, chest heaving, his fist still raised, his knuckles stinging. For one brief second, he felt proud. He had done it, he stood up.

Then everything shattered.

The father’s face twisted, not in pain, but in rage, pure and wild. His cheek reddened, but his eyes blazed.

“You little bastard,” he growled. His voice shook the walls.

Kael’s pride drained, replaced with an icy terror.

“You dare lay a hand on me?” His father’s roar rattled the entire house.

He reached for the counter, grabbed the nearest glass cup, and with a swift, furious motion—hurled it straight at Kael.

The glass struck his forehead with a sickening crack. Kael screamed. The world tilted as he collapsed to the floor. Shards dug into his skin, crimson pouring down his face. The sting was unbearable, sharp like fire spreading across his skull.

He clawed at his forehead, trying to pull the shards free, but each touch only deepened the agony. His screams echoed through the apartment, raw and blood-curdling.

Sakura rushed forward, her hands trembling as she reached for him. “Onii-chan!” she sobbed.

Hina dragged Yui away from the blood pooling across the floor, shielding her eyes. Yui cried hysterically, her tiny voice breaking, “I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Onii-chan! I didn’t mean it!”

Their mother stared at Kael’s bleeding body for a split second, but instead of helping, she turned to her husband. “Are you hurt? Did he really hit you?”

He rubbed his cheek, still glaring at Kael, his chest heaving with fury. “That boy thinks he’s a man. I’ll show him what a man gets.”

Kael couldn’t even hear the words properly anymore. His ears rang, his vision blurred. Warm blood trickled down his nose, into his eyes, onto the floor. He tried to breathe, but each gasp felt heavier, weaker.

His screams turned into broken whimpers. The parents finally left the room, their argument fading into the kitchen. The slam of a door shook the walls. The silence left behind was filled with sobbing.

Sakura dropped to her knees beside Kael, pressing her hands to his forehead. Blood seeped through her small fingers instantly. “N-No, no, no, please... it won’t stop—” she cried, her tears falling onto his face.

“Onii-chan, don’t close your eyes! Please, please stay awake!”

Kael groaned, too weak to answer. His body twitched as he tried to lift a hand, but it fell limply.

Hina grabbed a rag from the bathroom and rushed back, pressing it against the wound. “It’s not enough!” she sobbed. “There’s too much blood!”

Yui stumbled forward, her tiny frame shaking violently. “It’s my fault,” she wailed. “If I didn’t… if I didn’t pee-pee on the floor, he wouldn’t... he wouldn’t be like this!”

“Yui, stop!” Sakura screamed through tears. “This isn’t your fault!”

But Kael, barely conscious, heard her words. His lips trembled, wanting to tell Yui it wasn’t her fault. That she was just a child. That he chose this.

But all that came out was a broken groan, muffled by blood in his throat.

His vision dimmed, the world spinning in and out of focus. All he saw last was the three of them, his sisters, crying over him, their small hands desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

And for the first time, Kael wondered… if he could survive long enough to truly protect them.

His vision dimmed, the world spinning in and out of focus. All he saw last was the three of them... his sisters, crying over him, their small hands desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

The burning pain in his forehead grew unbearable, every heartbeat pounding through the shards of glass lodged in his skin. His body trembled violently, then grew heavy, weaker, as though the blood loss was dragging him down into darkness.

“Onii-chan, please!” Sakura’s scream cracked as she shook his shoulders.
“Don’t leave us!” Hina sobbed, pressing harder on the wound.
“It’s all my fault!” Yui wailed, collapsing against his arm.

Kael tried to hold on for them, just for one more moment. But the pain, the blood, and the exhaustion swallowed him whole.

With a final, broken gasp, Kael’s eyes shut. His body went limp in their arms.

The girls cried even harder, their desperate voices filling the apartment, not knowing what to do as their brother slipped into unconsciousness.