Sunlight hits the beachy Island of Torova as seagulls fly gracefully overhead. The sun's rays hit people's homes as they, some disgruntly whilst others joyfully wake up to start their day.
And some..
..prepare to depart this world.
Chapter 2: Nine Years, Departure
Hiacho loads his final bundle on a small boat, the base of which was already starting to waver in agony as the weight of all 20 bundles and Hiacho's own body weight were more than what it could carry. As Hiacho got on the Golden Boy (the nickname that he had assigned to the small boat) he looked back one last time. This was bittersweet. After all, this was his home, the place where he had lived for over 16 years of his life. This was the place where he had first learnt how to ride a bicycle, how to brush his hair, wear clothes properly, tie his shoelaces, y'know, the usual.
And to think that he was finally going to leave this place, most probably forever, was surprisingly heartbreaking. He stared at the beach no more than a hundred feet away. The crabs moving onshore. The seagulls annoying the locals. The dogs barking at the unfortunate cats. He's seen it all a million times already, and yet he still ached to leave it. He hadn't even left yet, and his heart was already yearning for Torova. This was truly..
..the saddest moment of his life.
"Okay, Ma, I'm gonna head out now.", Hiacho said grinning, his eyes being constantly whipped by his long stripey hair that the wind was fueling. The sun was at its peak now - the palm trees in the distance started swaying unusually fast. Could be cause for trouble, but oh well. Doesn't concern him anymore.
"Are you sure you'll be okay? You are leaving for a few months, maybe even a few years, after all, and you haven't packed that much stuff. Are you sure you'll be fine?"
Hiacho gulped uncomfortably through his semi-fake smile. The thing is that he had lied to his mom - scratch that. He had lied to literally everyone he knew about the not-so-short 'trip' he was going to go on. His family thought that the days of 'I'm gonna be King!' for Hiacho were long gone as he had not mentioned it in years - nine to be exact. Ever since the incident, he had made a decision to never speak about his dreams out loud ever again, even if it meant that he died with them. No way was he going to be vulnerable and get his heart destroyed by a shithead who couldn't keep his hands to himself ever again.
"Y-yeah, a few months. Hopefully." He shuffled his feet a bit, his palms getting a bit sweaty as his cortisol levels increased. This was bad. Worse that it was his mom, who could sense bullshit from a mile away when it came to him. What kind of superhuman motherly sense she possessed he did not know, but he knew that he needed to leave right then and there, or things could get worse.
She stared at me for a few moments. Her lips twitched. Then, they curved into a loving smile.
"Well, Hiacho, take care. I know I haven't been the best mother, but I tried. Definitely..definitely tried, for sure. And even though Marcus wasn't present that much in both of our lives, just know that he loves you. A lot."
Hiacho's eyes widened. He couldn't believe that his mother had genuinely just mentioned his name - Marcus, his father. Or at least, somewhat his father. Hiacho didn't know what happened to his real father as his mother and step-father never talked about him, and the thing is - he didn't really care. Sure, he did sort of care about his biological father but it wasn't to the point of actually caring. As long as he had his real biological mother and a incompetent stepdad who at least had the decency to provide financially, he was good.
He was..good..
A tear rolled down his cheek.
This. This is what he had been dreading. All along, the fear of leaving Torova had been settling deep in his gut, like a thorn to his side that he wanted to be there, for a long time. A long time as in years. Years of dreading this day. Years of wishing that he had a friend to go on this voyage with, this lifelong pursuit for a dream so dead and buried before it even began to formulate into a actual pursuit for it.
He wished..that he had a father figure.
The wind blew Hiacho's hair behind him as his eyes got blurrier and blurrier because of the uncontrollable tears that had overcome him.
He had never had a friend, a real one, a good one, a die-hard one, ever in his life. Forget friends, he didn't even have someone to talk to about his feelings, like, ever. Loneliness had been a huge part of his life for a huge portion of it, but standing on that small, pitiful and overloaded boat that would most probably sink within the next day, he had a realization.
This wasn't just loneliness anymore. This was..
This was suicidal depression.
The real reason why he wanted to go on this 'lifelong' voyage. The reason why he wanted to become someone who he could never be. It wasn't because he actually wanted to be it. Or, at least, not just because. It was because..
..he had nothing to live for. Nobody to live for. Nothing to yearn except the graceful hands of death or the courageous dance of life. A real one. A beautiful one. A life where, if he looked back on it, he wouldn't feel shame or agony or depressed.
He wanted a life where he could be happy. Proud. Glad that he was alive.
He lied. He wasn't some jolly kid who just wanted an adventure. He was gambling. Gambling with the tangible whisky of life and the thin, tightrope deadend of death. If he died, he died. If he survived..he survived.
That was life to him. That was all he ever knew.
"Stop crying baby, or you're gonna make me cry."
Hiacho eyes slowly focused back into this world. He stared at the view in front of him - gorgeous Torova - before gently wiping away the tears of sorrow and awakening, before calmly walking off the Golden Boy and wrapping his trembling arms around his mother.
"Thank you, ma."
The whisper of love hit his mother's ears like a song from Cupid's playlist. Her semi-old, somewhat wrinkled hands started to shake as her 35-year-old self began to weep, sob and tremble uncontrollably as locals and pedestrians ran up to the woman, concerned. Her son just held her there, silent tears streaming down his cheeks, his eyes as dull with fantasies as bright as the dawning sun.
This would be a gamble that his mother would not know of. A gamble between life and death. A race between his luck and fate and fortune. A battle between resilience and strength. A tale as old as time. Yet as fresh and dangerous as a newborn baby.
Either Hiacho would find the King in Yellow and defeat him, or he would be dethroned from the throne of a bloody duel.
NEXT CHAPTER HITS ON THE 19th of April!