Prologue

                                    

                                          
Solitude - M83
───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───
Felix fumbled with his keys, trying to steady himself as he stumbled into the house. All he wanted was to kick off his shoes and crash in bed, his body heavy with exhaustion and the dull throb of a headache pounding in his temples. But just as he was about to slip upstairs, he heard his mother's voice from the kitchen.
"Felix, can you come here, please?"
He stopped, eyes closing in frustration. The last thing he needed right now was a conversation. "Mom, I've had a really long day. Can we talk later?" His voice was tight with agitation, doing little to hide his annoyance.
"No. We need to talk now," she called back, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Felix sighed deeply, dragging himself into the kitchen. The moment he stepped inside, the air felt tense, he could feel something was off. His mom was standing by the table, her hands resting on it, her eyes filled with something that made his stomach churn. 
"Please, sit down," she said quietly, motioning to the chair across from her.
Reluctantly, Felix sat down, his mind racing with possibilities. Why does she look so upset? What's going on? His heart started to pick up pace, anxiety creeping in.
Before he could finish his thought, she reached behind her and grabbed something, something Felix immediately recognized. His heart stopped.
She flipped the bag over and dumped its contents onto the table. There it was: his stash. Weed, cigarettes, pills, blades, everything he had hidden from her. Laid out in the open. It felt like the air was sucked out of the room.
Felix's eyes darted from the table to his mom, then back again. His mouth went dry. "Mom, it's not..." He swallowed hard, trying to find the words. "It's not what it looks like."
The silence hung in the air like a thick fog. His mother's face was pale, her eyes wet with unshed tears. Finally, she spoke.
"When did this start?"
Felix opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn't think straight, couldn't figure out how to explain it. He stammered, "I—I—"
His mom's voice suddenly cracked, and she slammed her hands on the table, making him jump. "When did this start?!" Tears spilled down her cheeks as she stared at him, demanding an answer.
Felix felt like he was crumbling inside. "Mom, please... don't. I'm sorry, okay? I'm so, so sorry." His own tears were brimming now, falling into his lap as he looked down, unable to meet her eyes.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her voice breaking as she spoke again. "Felix, I'm only going to ask you once more. "When did this start?"
˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
*Six months earlier...*
˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
The funeral was a blur. People's voices sounded muffled, as if he was underwater. Some guy named Sonwoo offered his condolences to his mom, but Felix barely registered the words. He was too lost, curled up on the floor near his father's casket, unable to comprehend any of it.
"D-Dad, no... this can't be real. Wake up. Please, wake up," Felix whispered, his voice breaking, pleading with the universe to undo what had happened. 
"Lixie, stand up, baby," his mother said softly, kneeling beside him and trying to lift him from the floor.
"But, Mom... he can't just leave us like this," Felix choked out between sobs, looking up at her with tear-streaked eyes.
"I know, Lixie, I know," she whispered, her voice steady despite the pain written all over her face. She finally managed to pull him to his feet, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
Felix buried his face in her shoulder, shaking as the tears kept coming. He didn't stop crying for the rest of the ceremony, his heart breaking more with each passing moment. But it was when he watched two strangers bury his father that he truly lost it, sobbing so hard he thought his chest would collapse in on itself.
˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
Back in the kitchen, Felix stared at the table, his mother's tear-streaked face blurring in his vision. He could feel the weight of everything crashing down on him, the grief, the anger, the guilt. Six months of running, hiding from the pain. And now, it was all laid bare
───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───
a/n: and that's a bit of what's going to go down :) please enjoy! Criticism is wanted as this is my first story.