Chapter 2: Yup, I killed my little brother
Ezekiel's mind was in turmoil as he struggled to comprehend how he had ended up in this enigmatic place.
"Yes, I did it. I, Ezekiel Cooper, killed my own little brother," he admitted, his voice strained with regret.
As he plummeted towards the ground at an alarming speed, the force pulling him down was so intense that it felt like he was being devoured by it. Despite the danger he was in, Ezekiel was mesmerized by the sensation, wondering what it could possibly signify.
Suddenly, memories of his past flooded his mind. He recalled his mother's voice scolding him, "Sometimes, I feel like you're not putting in the effort you should be. Perhaps you're just deceiving us. If you studied harder, your results would reflect it."
Ezekiel had always struggled to meet his parents' lofty expectations. They relentlessly pushed him to excel in every facet of life, from sports to academics. However, the only thing he was truly skilled at was studying, and his disdain for sports severely impacted his grades.
" Ezekiel, this is not enough, not enough, Mark Christopher ranked number one in his math test for the second time, number two ! Again! Sometimes I feel like you are not even studying as you should"
As the eldest child in the family, Ezekiel was the focal point of attention. His parents wanted him to be as successful as they were, and despite their constant pressure, he couldn't seem to satisfy their expectations.
"I was wrong. My entire life was built on falsehood," he murmured before a brilliant light enveloped him.
Ezekiel's mind then drifted back to the day of his brother Nathan's funeral. Clad in a black suit that was too large for his thin frame, he felt the weight of the world crushing him.
His heart was heavy with grief and guilt, which he carried within him. Nathan had been his responsibility, entrusted to him by their parents who were perpetually occupied by their demanding careers.
They were seldom around, leaving Ezekiel to navigate life's challenges and care for his younger brother as best he could.
Ezekiel had always strived to do his best, but the burden of his parents' expectations was overwhelming. They wanted him to excel at everything, to be the exemplary child who would make them proud.
The constant pressure to perform exceptionally in his studies, sports, and other activities took a toll on him, and he struggled to keep up. However, he willingly took on the responsibility of caring for Nathan, believing that he could handle it all.
The tragedy that unfolded was something Ezekiel could never forget.
Since that day he just closed the door of his room and stayed away from his parents.
His father couldn't stand looking at him, he was the first one who got contacted by the hospital and he was the first one to know that he lost his kid in that tragic way .
His brother drowned in the bathtub when he fell asleep on the table in front of him in the living room while he was studying for the final exam.
His parents were not there that day, they had been busy at the hospital, and that is why he had to keep an eye on him.
It was not even the first time they stayed together, he was so used to doing that but this time, he was so exhausted.
His parents kept beating him after every tiny regression in his grades wanting him to do more effort, and he didn't say a thing, he always thought they were right and that if he pushed himself more he was going to achieve what he wanted, he slept for 3 hours at night, drunk a lot of coffee and spent all his days studying.
He thought that pushing himself each time was making him stronger, however, he didn't notice that his body was collapsing one day after another.
A few days ago, he fell on the ground and broke his arm because he felt dizzy. The doctor told him to take good care of himself and even asked his parents to be more careful with him and to watch out if he was having stress or something because his blood test was showing normal results.
But because he was their friend he just assumed that Ezekiel was having a lot of parties at night, and spending his nights doing useless things.
It was just a normal day, just like any other day. He woke up early and started studying right away after taking a quick shower. He spent the whole day that way. His parents were not there in the morning.
He cooked potato chips because Nathan loved them so much then he sat in the living room surrounded by his books and notebooks .
He switched on the tv to a cartoon channel that his brother really liked, then he started to focus on the subject he was about to have a test on it tomorrow, his brother was playing with his dolls and cars while waving his small hands in the air cheering for the cat in that cartoon each time he saw him.
He was not a quiet kid, Nathan loved that show a lot and whenever it was aired he started to jump or sing along with the opening even with the most random words .
He had no idea that his brother was going to fill the bathtub with water and impersonate him in it.
Since he was tired, Ezekiel' eyes naturally closed for a moment.
" It is my fault … it is my fault "
The guilt and grief that consumed Ezekiel were almost unbearable. He blamed himself for not being there, for failing to save his little brother. His parents, who had always been absent, were now consumed by their grief, unable to console him or help him cope with his own emotions.
It was then that Ezekiel realized he had been pushed too far, that his parents had failed him by not recognizing the toll their expectations were taking on him.
He withdrew from the world, locking himself away in his room, unable to face the reality of what had happened. He felt lost, alone, and abandoned, struggling to make sense of the tragedy that had befallen his family.
With trembling hands, Ezekiel approached the bathtub and recognized the horrifying truth: it was his brother, lifeless and still. The scene before him was like a nightmare come to life, the kind that would haunt him for the rest of his days.
He knelt beside the tub, his eyes transfixed on his brother's lifeless body. Nathan's skin was cold and pale, his eyes closed, and his lips slightly parted. Ezekiel could feel his heart shattering into a million pieces, his mind struggling to process the reality of what had happened.
"Nathan, wake up," he whispered, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper, tears streaming down his face. He gently reached out and touched his brother's cheek, hoping against hope that he would somehow come back to life.
"What happened? Why did you leave me like this?" The weight of the loss hit him like a ton of bricks, and he collapsed to his knees, unable to bear the pain of losing his beloved brother.
For what seemed like an eternity, Ezekiel stayed there beside the bathtub, lost in his grief and despair. He felt like he had failed Nathan, that he had let him down in the worst possible way.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone