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The sun shines even under water. Except in Pasetons room. He wakes up dizzy, his head spinning. He hasn't slept at all yet a brand new day is calling for him. He needs to go to school.
He gets ready with minimal energy with the help of his servants and eats breakfast with his family. Lately they've been very dry.
"Good morning, brother. " says his sister while yawning. She's destined to be the new queen so her training is very intense, especially now that she's older.
Pasetons stomach cringes at the thought that he won't be able to see his sister that much anymore because she'll be queen while he will waste his days rotting away in a house.
"Good morning!" He smiles shyly as he waves. No matter how much he hates the fact that she won't be here with him anymore he never mentioned it. "How has your training been sis?"
"Ha, tiring as ever. I swear everything I hear from that tutor is gibberish." She complains, obviously joking. Paseton knows that she takes her classes very seriously.
He finishes breakfast and reads his lesson from yesterday on the road. No matter how much he hates school he still learns his topics and does his homework. Maybe he'll actually get a job.
'Heh' he giggles at the fact that the stupid half-blood price will work at some commoners job.
He arrives at school and hesitantly enters his classroom. He feels everyone staring at him with those judging eyes.
They also talk about him. He hates it. They make fun of his weak appearance and his mother. Every time he wants to retaliate he gets punched in the guts.
He sits down and waits for the teacher to start the lesson about the benefits of corals and ways to protect them.
"Hey it's that new jacket that Merlyn put out this weekend?"
Paseton's blood freezes as he turns around to see Kai, the worst bully of them all.
"Yes, it is" he smiles 'warmly' at him.
'Go away, go away, GO AWAY' he screams internally.
"Can I take a look at it after class?" Kai says happily putting a hand on his shoulder.
Paseton's hand trembles. He's scared. Why did his father have to gift him this ugly jacket yesterday?
He nods unwillingly and class starts. All throughout the lesson he thinks of ways to escape their threats and beatings. He fidgets with his hand nervously waiting for it to end.
The bell rings and the teacher finishes the lesson. Without a warning Paseton rises up from his chair and makes a run for it.
Kai and his lackeys curse him and start running after him.
He runs through the school like a maniac that just escaped from an asylum. He reaches the last floor and panicked he enters one of the bathrooms. He locks the door behind him.
He caches his breath and realizes that he was in the girls bathroom. He freezes seeing a girl washing her bloody hands at the sink.
"Are you ok?" He asks worryingly seeing the wound.
"I think I should be the one asking you that. You look like you've just seen a ghost. " she responds coldly.
There's a warm tone in her voice that proves her kindness.
'Either way I have nothing to lose if I tell her.'
"I was running from-" he tries but the words get stuck in his throat something blocking him from continuing.
There's a silence following his statement.
"A bully?" The girl response somehow knowing what he wanted to say.
"Yeah it's because I'm a half-blood" he sighs, sitting down on the bathroom floor.
"Paseton, right? Everybody talks about you. My name is Cordelia."
Paseton face saddens at the information that everyone knows that he's the 'stupid half-blood'.
"Don't worry, I don't really care about the whole blood thingy. "
Paseton smiles sadly. He wishes everyone could say the same. He voices his thoughts:
"If only everybody could think that way."
"Have told your parents yet? " she responded.
"No, I mean it's not like they can do much"
"Why do you think that way? Did you forget that your father is the emperor? I think this whole bullying thing has made you think that you're powerless. "
He stops for a moment. Maybe she's right.
'Since when did I start being so negative about everything?' He doesn't want to know. He doesn't want to admit it.
But it's the truth. He's been bad mouthing his dad and sister this whole time.
He buries his head into his knees. How could be fuck up so badly?
He stays like that a long time thinking about how he could've easily stopped this whole thing if he'd have just told his father.
And Witiria, his sister. Why did he always shut himself in his room and ignored her wanting to start a conversation? How could he ever make up for his bad temper?
"Don't blame yourself, there's still time to fix everything. " Cordelia looks at him through the mirror.
"But how can I make it up to them?" He had no idea what to do.
"Think of what they like and maybe something they're proud of. And spend some more time with them"
"But how am I supposed to do that, I always want to shut myself in my room" he frowns.
"Start by telling them about the bullies, I'm sure they care a lot about you to move you to a different school or hire a private tutor. "
Paseton thinks about how bring it up to his family and slaps himself in the face for not doing this earlier.
Cordelia finished bandaging her wrist and leaves the bathroom past the flabbergasted Paseton.
The merman realizes way too late that she left.
'Huh? Where is she? Did leave?'
He quickly gets up from the floor and looks around.
'She really did. I didn't even say goodbye'
He sighs and exists the bathroom and checks to see if the corridor is empty. He should be in class but he really wants to go home and tell his parents.
He leaves school running home hoping to meet one of his family members. After all it was still early in the day.
He arrives home panting realizing he basically just ran a marathon. His breathing is very slow and he's tired like never before but he feels refreshed that he's one step closer to being free from the bullies that tormented him.
"Young Mater?! " a guard at the entrance of the palace screamed. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in school! "
"Bring me my sister and father. " he replies coldly.
"But-"
"It's an order" and he couldn't let this opportunity pass.
The guard shuts up. Young master never talked to him like that. It must be important.
Paseton entered the palace and went straight to the dining room.
"Tell them to meet me here, understand? "
His tone is serious as he informs his butler. The said butler leaves a bit shocked.
Paseton pats himself on the back. He never really talked back to anybody.
He waits patiently for them and tries to think about what to say when they enter. How is he even going to explain the situation to them? Are they going to ask him why he didn't ask for help earlier?
"BROTHER!" he hears a scream as his sister enters the room, concern all over her face. "What happened? Are you ok?"
"Yes, don't worry sister." He responds and cusses himself out. 'What do you mean you're ok? You're not! How are they going to react knowing that you called them for nothing!'
His father enters the doors of the dining room. All of them calm down after a while and Witiria asks:
"What happened? "
Paseton froze. 'Shit, why now! Talk you stupid idiot!'
The silence is loud as Paseton starts panicking. He needs to calm down!
"Son, you can tell us anything."
Paseton opens his mouth, scared.
"I'm being bullied."
It's like everybody stopped breathing. Nobody spoke. Maybe it was because they were shocked or disappointed but no one dared to do anything.
His sister was the first to move.
She got out of her chair and moved forward to her brother, frowning
Paseton flinched out of reflexes gained from the past years of bullying.
His sisters frown only grew bigger. Once she was next to him she did something unexpected.
She hugged her little brother. It was so powerful that Paseton had trouble breathing.
"Stop-" he breathed out.
The grip on him loosened but his sister still didn't move from the hug.
"For how long." His father finally said.
"For about a year" he responded, surprised at his willingness to answer.
The two members of the family froze. They were both saddened by the fact that their youngest was bullied for so long but also because he didn't tell them.
After a while of them asking more questions and hugs, his father asked what he wanted to do.
"If it isn't too much of a hustle I would like to have a private tutor. "
"Of course we'll get you one" Witiria smiled fondly.
"We should first get your stuff from school back." His father added.
"I'll go. " Paseton said, now excited that thing's were turning out for good.
"Why do you want to go brother?"
"I have to thank someone. " he grinned.
He arrived at school at the last hour of the day. The sun was setting and students were falling asleep in their benches.
"Shall I come with you young master?" His butler asked as they entered the campus.
"No, it's fine. "
The first thing Paseton did when he entered was work his way up the stairs to the last floor where he met Cordelia.
On his way there he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"Where do you think your going freak?"
Paseton trembled as he turned around. It was Kai. His smile was sickly sweet and his eyes were filled with rage and killing intent.
"Let's talk, shall we?" He continued with that same smile.
"I need to go find Cordelia-" he muttered.
"Oh that slut? She's dead." Kai started laughing.
"WHAT!" he screamed, shocked. 'It must be a joke, right? '
"What, you were friends with her? Of course the two freaks are friends!" He rolled his eyes mockingly.
"She's not dead, STOP JOKING!" Paseton continued to deny.
"Stop shouting like a banshee!" The frustrated bully said. "Do you really want to join her? "
"That is a crime-"
Paseton wanted to continue but was stopped by a fist hitting his stomach.
He was thrown back and hit the floor with his head.
"Get him boys. " Kai laughed.
His lackeys who were in his shadow moved forward.
The first one with a moustache hit him in his balls and dragged him by the hair all around the floor like a ragdoll.
All the others laughed at his misery.
They all took turns hitting him everywhere possible.
Head, stomach, legs, any body part they could find.
Paseton couldn't move. He felt powerless. All that talk just so he can be beat again. Was there really no end to his suffering?
His vision was blurry and he felt the blood reaching his head. The word was slowly growing darker and darker.
The last thing he said was:
"I'm sorry dad, sis and Cordelia.... "
This is how Paseton spent his young teenage years. Being beaten. But today they went too far.
He ended up in a hospital and went into a coma for months.