THE ARCANE: Birth of Revenge

Chapter 11

“Kael? Kael?”

Whitney called out from the kitchen downstairs, her voice rising as the smell of fried eggs filled the air, warm and inviting, yet completely ignored by the one person she was calling.

She paused briefly, listening for any sign of movement upstairs, but the silence that followed only deepened her frustration, forcing out a quiet hiss under her breath.

“I can’t believe this kid is still in bed,” she muttered, already wiping her hands as she turned away from the stove and made her way toward the stairs.

By the time she reached his door, she didn’t bother knocking. She pushed it open and stood there for a moment, taking in the sight of Kael still lying on his bed, completely lost in sleep, his body relaxed in a way that almost made it seem like the world had no weight on him at all.

“For f**k’s sake" she murmured inaudibly, "Kael... you gotta get ready for school!” she snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through whatever peace he had found in that sleep.

Kael stirred almost immediately, his face tightening as he forced his eyes open, clearly unwilling to leave the comfort of his bed.

“I don’t wanna go to school…” he dragged the words out slowly, turning slightly as if hoping that would somehow end the conversation.

Whitney didn’t entertain it, not even for a second. “Downstairs. Now.” she said firmly, her tone leaving no space for argument as she turned and walked out, already done with the discussion.

A few minutes passed before Kael finally came downstairs, already dressed for school, his backpack hanging loosely over his shoulder, his movements slow and heavy as he dragged himself to the dining spot, clearly not wanting to go after the bullying from his classmates.

Whitney glanced at him and gave a small nod. “That’s the spirit,” she said, though the words didn’t quite match what she saw on his face, because there was nothing spirited about him today.

There was no excitement, no anticipation—just a quiet resistance sitting behind his eyes. She noticed it immediately and let out a soft breath.

“Kael, I know it hasn’t been easy on you, but you need to go to school…”

“But why?” he asked, cutting in with frustration that had clearly been building. “I don’t wanna go to school. I can stay here, and do the laundry, and clean…”

“No, Kael,” Whitney interrupted, her tone firm but not harsh, as she shook her head. “That’s not up to you to do. You need an education, you need to finish high school.”

He hesitated, his expression tightening as the real reason slipped out. “Those bullies…”

Whitney’s face changed slightly, not in anger toward him, but in quiet understanding of what he was dealing with.

“Those bullies are worthless, okay? They’re not worth your time,” she said, pausing just long enough to let the words settle before continuing. “You know what? I’ll tell you a short story. When I was a little girl, I used to get bullied in school.”

Kael looked up at her, surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah,” she replied with a small nod.

“So... what happened?” he asked curiously.

Whitney leaned lightly against the counter, her expression softening as she looked back on it. “Believe me, it wasn’t easy. I used to cry myself to sleep every day, feeling like there was no escape from it, but you know what I kept telling myself? No matter what they did, I was still the better person, and I refused to let them take that from me.”

She held his gaze, making sure he was listening. “I treated them like they didn’t exist, and eventually… they stopped bothering me.”

Kael looked down, thinking it over, though doubt still lingered. “Yeah… Reggie’s an asshole. I bet he won’t stop bothering me even if I ignore him.”

“Bullies like Reggie look for reactions...” Whitney said, “the moment they see it gets to you, they hold on to that... and they keep coming back for more.”

Keal stood firm, listening.

"So don’t react emotionally in front of them... don’t give them your anger, don’t give them your fear… don’t give them anything they can hold on to... and when they stop getting something from you?" She added softly, “they don’t have a reason to keep coming at you like that… and slowly, they begin to fade out.”

"I hope so..." Kael murmured, his voice low and uncertain.

Whitney crouched slightly, her hand brushing his cheek before she lifted his chin. “Listen, the next time he bothers you, make sure you tell me, okay? I’ll handle it myself.”

Kael looked up at her and nodded slowly, the reassurance settling into him, even if it didn’t completely erase his fear.

“Now eat,” Whitney said, turning back toward the kitchen as she plated the food. “Your uncle is already out for work, so it’s just the two of us. I’ll be driving you to school before I head to work.”

Whitney turned back toward the stove, then paused as she remembered something. "Either way Kael, you broke a school rule, your principal said you'll be serving some punishment later on, just... be a good boy, okay?"

Kael didn't respond, he moved toward the dining table and sat down, the earlier tension still there but lighter now, softened by the conversation they had just shared.

As he began to eat, the warmth of the food and the quiet presence of Whitney created a small sense of comfort, something he didn’t fully realize he needed until that moment.

Whitney watched him for a second from where she stood, her expression thoughtful and concerning, not knowing that the real challenge wasn’t getting him out of bed or into his school outfit—it was what waited for him once he stepped into that school.