“Why is it like this?” These were Ethan's words when he was being bullied at school.

Ethan, a freshman in high school, is an orphan. He grew up without knowing his father. He was raised solely by his mother, who has been his faithful companion since childhood. His best friend is Oliver, whom he met in kindergarten, and they share the hardships of life. However, Oliver was not spared from bullying and humiliation.

With his slender body, blue eyes, black hair, and pale skin, Ethan has been the target of bullying since his freshman year of middle school. James, Lucas, and Monica tormented him daily.

Heavy school hours pass, and as the sun sets, Ethan returns home, trying to hide his festering heart scars. He opens the door quietly, careful not to wake his mother, but the loud creak of the door alerts her:

“Dear son, are you home? Come on, mommy missed you.”

Ethan put down his bag, kicked off his shoes, and entered his mother's room with a slight smile. He approached her and hugged her like a warrior returning from an arduous battle. A tear unknowingly glistened on his cheek and he quickly wiped it away.

“How was your day, my skinny little gazelle?” I asked.

Ethan smiled as he scratched his head: "It was a great day. Oliver and I had a great time with our new friends."

Noticing his subtle sadness, she chose not to press him further.

“I'm glad to hear that, son.”

Ethan stood up, smiling slightly: "Relax, Mom. I'll clean the house and make dinner."

Two hours later, Ethan fed his mother until she was full, after which he got up, excused himself, and walked out of the house. As his mother stared at the wall, she said in a voice heavy with sadness:

"Son, I know you are struggling at school. Your lies don't fool me; you scratch your head every time you lie. Forgive me, son... I don't have the power to change this situation. Louis, why did you let me endure this alone? Your son and I need you..."

Outside, Ethan reaches a dense forest bathed in silver moonlight. Memories of the bullies and their mocking laughter echoed in his mind.

The dark corners of the forest were silent as if there was no life there, but inside Ethan was loud

screaming angrily:

Why? Why is my life like this? Patience has its limits! I am a fool, a useless coward!

He punched a tree with all his might, screaming backwards in pain, only to trip over a tree trunk and fall into a deep hole.

He whispered:

"Is this the end? Yes... Mom, forgive me, this is my fate; I'm going to meet my father."

He hits his head on something and loses consciousness.

Hours later, he woke up with a throbbing head

groaning in pain:

Ouch, it hurts...where am I. It's so dark

. A red glow fills the room, and he stands up and stumbles forward, looking for its source. After a few minutes in the tunnel-like space, a Roman-style stone column, topped with a chess piece in the shape of a bull, appears in front of him.

Ethan stepped towards it, hesitantly trying to touch it, but curiosity kept him going. The closer Ethan's hand got to the piece, the hotter the room became, but he didn't notice because he was focused on the light that emanated from it in a bright red color. A sharp pain suddenly pierces his arm, and he screams in pain. The ground suddenly shook violently as if it was about to collapse.

Ethan runs between rocks and roots toward a moonlit exit and narrowly escapes. The opening closed behind him with stones. Ethan threw his body to the ground, trying to catch his breath, then looked down at his arm, which was throbbing with mild pain, to see something strange on it.

"What's that? A tattoo?"

Message from the author:

Hello, dear readers,

This is the beginning of my new novel "Saga of Souls". I hope you enjoy the mystery and excitement I have prepared for you. 🖋️📖

Thank you KiKi

If you enjoyed this chapter, please feel free to leave a comment! Your feedback is very important to me and will help me improve the story. Thank you for your support! ✨✨

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