The Broken Abyss

The air inside the mansion felt suffocating. Every breath I took carried the weight of betrayal, pressing down on me like a chain I couldn't break. My hands clenched into fists as I stood at the edge of the estate's grand hall, staring at the ornate chandeliers that once seemed so beautiful to me.

Not anymore.

Everything felt like a cruel illusion.

My parents sat across the room, their backs straight, their gazes distant. They hadn't spoken a single word to me since Alric arrived. To them, I had already become a shadow—something that no longer mattered.

Alric stood nearby, arms crossed, watching me with a quiet amusement. He hadn't attacked me again after last night's humiliation, but I could feel his presence, like a predator waiting for its prey to make the first move.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. My voice came out quieter than I expected. "I want the truth."

Lord Varian barely glanced at me. "The truth?" He repeated, his tone empty.

I took a step closer. "Who am I?"

A part of me already knew the answer, but hearing it from them… it would make it real.

Lady Seraphina set down her teacup, her delicate fingers not even trembling. "You are Tanver Raye. The boy we took in."

Took in.

Not their son.

Not family.

Alric smirked. "They didn't tell you, did they?" He stepped forward, his golden eyes gleaming with something dark. "You were a nobody. A child with no past. They needed a temporary heir, so they picked you up. Simple."

I felt my chest tighten, but I refused to let them see my weakness. "Why?"

Lord Varian sighed, finally looking at me fully. "Because we had no choice. You were… convenient."

Convenient.

That single word shattered something inside me.

For eleven years, I had done everything—everything—to make them proud. I had studied harder than anyone, learned politics, upheld the family name, and carried the weight of responsibility no child should bear.

And now, I was being discarded.

I wanted to scream, to demand answers, but what would that change? They had already made their decision.

I turned to Alric, my voice cold. "Why are you here now? Why didn't they bring you back earlier?"

Alric's smirk widened. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He stepped closer, just inches away. "You should be grateful. You got to live as a noble for a while. But your role is over now."

I didn't move. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"You think I'll just disappear?" My voice was steady, despite the storm inside me.

Alric's amusement faded. "I don't care what you do. But this house?" He gestured around. "It's mine."

Silence filled the room.

I had my answer.

There was no place for me here.

The realization was like ice in my veins. I thought back to the years I had spent trying to prove myself. All the sleepless nights, the moments I had desperately sought approval, the small victories that had meant the world to me.

None of it mattered.

I turned toward the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lord Varian's voice was calm, but I could hear the command beneath it.

I didn't stop walking. "I'm leaving."

A ripple of tension spread through the room.

Lady Seraphina finally spoke again. "And where will you go, Tanver?"

I hesitated for only a moment before answering. "Away from here."

I didn't have a plan. Not yet. But I knew one thing—I would never stay where I wasn't wanted.

I stepped into the hall, my footsteps echoing against the polished floor.

Servants were gathered nearby, whispering among themselves. Some looked relieved, others confused. But one person stepped forward—her.

The old lady who had raised me.

Her name was Mara, and for as long as I could remember, she had been the only warmth in this house.

She placed a wrinkled hand on my arm, her voice trembling. "Tanver, my boy… you don't have to do this."

For the first time that day, my resolve wavered.

Mara had been there when no one else had. She had tended to my wounds when I trained too hard, snuck me treats when I had bad days, and held me when I cried as a child.

She was the closest thing I had to a mother.

I looked down at her, my throat tightening. "Mara… I—"

She shook her head. "No. You don't understand, child. There's more to your past than they told you."

I froze.

"What?"

Her grip tightened. "I don't know everything. But I know you weren't just some abandoned child. There was something… unnatural about the way you came to this house."

A chill ran down my spine. "What do you mean?"

Mara hesitated. "There was a night—before you were adopted. A night filled with fire and screams. And then… you appeared."

I tried to remember. Tried to reach back into my past.

But there was nothing.

Just darkness.

I swallowed. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

She looked away, guilt flashing in her eyes. "Because I thought it was safer for you not to know."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "And now?"

Mara's eyes filled with tears. "Now, I see that keeping you in this house was the real mistake."

Her words hit me harder than I expected.

For years, I had tried to belong here. And now, the only person who had ever truly cared about me was saying I shouldn't have stayed.

Mara took my hand, pressing something into my palm.

A small pendant. Old, worn—but familiar.

My heart pounded.

"This was with you the night you came here," she whispered. "I don't know what it means. But I hope… it leads you to the truth."

I curled my fingers around the pendant.

My decision was final.

I was leaving.

I looked at Mara one last time. "Thank you."

Tears slipped down her wrinkled cheeks. "Be safe, my boy."

I turned away.

As I walked past the servants, they stepped aside, their gazes filled with uncertainty. Some of them had treated me kindly over the years, others had ignored me.

But now, they all watched as I left—as if I were already a ghost.

I reached the grand entrance.

And then, just before I stepped out, I heard Alric's voice behind me.

"Leaving already?"

I stopped, my hand on the door. "What do you want?"

Alric chuckled. "Just wanted to say one last thing."

I turned, meeting his golden gaze.

He smirked. "You're nothing without this family. You'll come crawling back."

I exhaled slowly, pushing down the anger burning in my chest.

And then, I smiled. "We'll see."

Without another word, I stepped into the night.

And for the first time in eleven years—

I was free.