When I was four, my parents vanished.
No note. No bodies. Just an empty house and a social worker's too-tight grip on my wrist.
The orphanage was hell served in three flavors: hunger, humiliation, and hope.
Hunger was easy—you fought for scraps or licked mold off the floor.
Humiliation? That took creativity. The older boys dunked my head in icy bathwater until I forgot my own name. "Say thank you," they'd laugh. "We're helping you forget."
But hope… hope was the cruelest.
Every month, shiny couples would pass through the gates, looking at us like we were stray puppies. I'd press my palms flat against my chest to keep my heart from bursting.
Pick me. See me.
They never did.
Until the day the mirrors lied.
Honey! They're all so precious! The woman Arina glowed like a stained-glass saint.
Her husband Robert adjusted his cufflinks, his smile a scalpel's edge.
Remember, dear. We only needone.
Something about them was… wrong.
But when Arina reached for me, her fingers smelled like my mother's perfume.
So I let myself believe.
***
15 years later
I'm so late for college. Kael while holding a bread in his mouth and rushes towards the shoe rack.
Sweetie!! Eat normally, college is not goin anywhere. Arina says while holding a delicious looking omelet on her hand.
Mom!! I am so late, I even got mathematics exam today.
Fuckkkk!!! I shouldn't have stayed up all night playing League of Heroes. I should have realised earlier that cursing kids in a game won't bring any good to me. Kael says in his mind while scrubbing his hairs with hand.
Kael you are a grown up teen now. You need to know how to mange things even from this age.
Robert ask Kael to bring his ears near so he can whisper something to him.
Here's a hack. If you want to get good grades then you can just bribe your professor. You know college professors nowadays earn less. Both Robert and Kael with mischievous look on their face.
I can hear you guys!!!! Robert why you are teaching our son the wrong wayssss!!! Arina says while holding Robert's ears.
Mom and Dad, I am off to college now. Bye and I love you guys.
Yeah! See you later Kael. Robert hands Kael money while waving back.
You won't get better right??????? Arina while ass whooping Robert.
Kael starts running and saw his neighbors bicycle. He did what any late student would do.
He started running even faster while eating his bread. Remember, even the bike looks fast but that doesn't guarantee that it will take you to the destination in time. Stealing is bad!
Man shit! I hate college while exams are going on. Says Kael while running.
He was tired and exhausted but not from running but from his dreams.
Recently he'd been getting really weird dreams of his beloved one saying him lies and and his childhood bullies telling him truth.
Unfortunately he never remembers the actual words. But he has a distinct sense of telling who is lying and who is telling the truth.
Caretakers from orphanage says the he might have inherited this trait from his real parents.
Sometimes, he wondered if his dreams were memories or warnings.
These dreams were also one of the reasons why Kael did not sleep last night.
Kael reached his college. Standing in the front gate.
Locked?? If I had came 5 minutes earlier.
Anyways!!! Kael sighs while taking out a coin from his pocket and tossed.
Head then I am heading back, tails then I guess to need to enter this shitty place.
It is not the first time you are late, right? A mysterious voice came from behind.
What da fuckkk! Oh its youBenja. Benja is his friend from college and they both are late.
So you are late too? Says Kael while tossing the coin again.
Yeah. I got a tummy ache last night. Benja shares embrassly.
Why are u tossing the coin? Benja asked with confused look on his face.
Oh well I am too poor in making decisions myself, so I usually toss the coin and let it decide what I will do next.
Why are u letting a metal coin decide your fate? You are a Shade not a slot. Benja tosses the coin and it stood upright in the pavement.
... (Silence)
Since when did Benjamin 'I-skip-class-to-nap' turn into Yoda? And what the fuck is the Shade corny shit? Are you up late night reading those fantasy novels while being in toilet? Kael laughs and rolls in the ground.
What are you two bastards doing at the front gate? Someone shouts from inside.
...(Silence)
kiiikkkk--- Professor Parleyyyyy?????
They both shout in horror as their most strict professor came to front gate to especially escort them to director's office.
We are dead. Benja says while remembering his life and homework he has to do in toilet.
It was nice to meet you my friend. Kael says as he gets dragged towards directors office.
In Director's office
You guys are late even during exam time. Now go and give your exam. Director scolds furiously.
What about we set a after college extra class only for late students. Says professor parley while adjusting his specs in an anime style.
Both Kael and Benja are in big trouble now. This is what you get for being late. Says director mischievously.
While walking to exam room Kael hears a whisper. The whisper wasn't just sound, it was light, searing his left ear like a flashlight pressed against his eardrum
Eyes will bleed, truth will show reality.
Tention and sweat covered Kael's face indiacates that he have seen something that he shouldn't have. Eyes and teeth of Kael's clearly shows the sign of fear.
Kael gets snapped back to reality by Benja as they enter the exam room.
Kael is confused and total disbelieve as what happened?
What was that?
Was is a day dream? It was too tensed to be a day dream.
But now it's not the time to think this. I have to write my exam.
Bell rings
As all the students entered the exam room they say all the tables were already setup and question paper was already in the table.
They just need to sit in their sits and wait for professor to start the exam hours.
All the students set in their respective seat and Kael is preparing himself to write the exam which he haven't read a single word about.
Man this sucks! First the dreams and now the whisper then the exam. I guess its a very bad day.
Your exam starts NOW. And remember no cheating! Says professor Parley in a furious tone.
I hope I am not knocked down by the first question.
Mirror shatters where Lies are told.
Huh?
Where are other questions???
Only this sentenced is written in the paper??
What is happening? Kael is confused from top to bottom.
He don't know what is happening? He shifts his eye balls towards Benja and find out that-
Where is Benja?
Where is everyone? Professor Parley?
Other students?
Why am I alone in the room? A sheer tention rool over his body. His body became chill.
Confused and scared looked over his face showed his fear. Sudden sweat tried to calm and cool down his body.
Suddenly a whisper rolled over his right ear. It was not just a sound, it was dry ice, flowing through his right ear making it cold and numb.
Mirror shatters where Lies are told.
Kael's body temperature rose, he felt like burning then suddenly the temperature dropped, now he felt like he was naked walking over ice.
And another instace the whispers returned. Taking turns all over his ears.
Eyes will bleed, truth will show reality.
Making its entrance in the left ear like a ray of light in pitch black room.
Mirror shatters where Lies are told. Made the right ear chilling numb.
Suddenly room started collapsing. His Eyes started Bleeding. Mirrors started Falling all over the floor.
His head started exploding in pain. It was unbearable. Keal started crying out load for help, scratching his head in pain but there was no one to see nor hear.
Not only his environment but he was also collapsing from inside.
Suddenly. The mirrors froze in air, the bleeding stopped.
...
...
...(Silence)
@*!#&!)*&!#*&, !*!#*#&!)@
Suddenly the ears of Kael got filled with never heard mantras from a language which was unknown to mankind.
The mantras got louder and louder, like a truck was coming to him in full speed.
What is this?
I cannot bear it! Said Kael while covering his ears and crying.
Please stop! He begged it to stop. His eyes were filled with tears of blood. I can not see anything nor hear. All he could hear was Mantras that were making him go insane.
Ahhhhh!
Please stop! I am begging you!!
Suddenly ground beneath Kael got cracked. Kael while crying and screaming for help, fell into the suffocating freefall in the crack. His surrounding started collapsing, Mirrors that were frozen in air started bursting into pieces. The chairs in the room were turned into nothing but ashes.
Where am I?
I cannot feel the ground. I cannot feel anything.
Its empty.. And Dark
Like...
VOID
With that Kael feel into a depthless, massless void with nothing but his bleeding eyes and burning left ear and numb right ear.
What? A familiar sensation ran through his spine. In a distance he could see 2 figures. They looked like children.
But
One was emitting an aura felt like an angel. Other was producing odour like rotten eggs. But both of them were familiar.
What are those? He said while making his eyes big.
Then in the darkness of void two familiar voice made their entrance from the body of the figures
I Fed on Truth
I Lived on Lies