Chapter 5: Kairus’ World

“Kairus!”

A loud voice echoed through his apartment, sharp and demanding. He heard it loud and clear. Letting out a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, already feeling exhausted before even turning around.

He had just finished studying with Avyanna—or rather, they had barely covered two cases before she abruptly stood up and bid him goodbye, claiming there was an urgent emergency. He didn't ask for details, nor did she offer any. Just like that, she was gone, leaving the rest of the readings unfinished.

And now, instead of getting a moment of peace, he was greeted by the sight of his mother standing in the middle of his living room, her arms crossed, eyes burning with irritation.

“You visited without notice—” he started, but his words were cut off.

“I’m your mother! And you call this an ill-mannered thing?” she snapped, her expression growing even more frustrated.

Kairus let out another sigh, already knowing that this conversation wasn’t going to end anytime soon. His mother’s persistence was exhausting, and at this point, he didn’t expect anything less.

“What is it now? It’s already late in the evening,” he muttered, glancing at the wall clock. His voice carried the weight of his frustration, his exhaustion evident in the way he rubbed his temples.

His mother, however, remained unfazed. Instead, she stood by the door with a composed expression, her arms crossed as she looked at him expectantly.

“Why not enter first before we talk? Isn’t that a great idea?” she suggested with a firm yet seemingly patient tone.

Kairus knew better than to argue about something so trivial. With another exasperated sigh, he stepped aside, allowing her to enter. He closed the door behind them, bracing himself for whatever was coming next.

She didn’t waste time.

“Zhen wants to stay here for a bit at least—”

“No,” Kairus interrupted without hesitation. His tone was clipped, sharp. “No one is going to stay here with me.”

His mother’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her voice remained steady, carrying that familiar note of authority. “Kairus, she is your soon-to-be fiancée. Why are you treating her like that?”

“Did I say yes?” he shot back, his jaw tightening.

His mother’s lips pressed into a thin line, her patience visibly waning. “It doesn’t matter if you say yes or not. We’ve already decided,” she said, her voice firm and resolute.

By “we,” she meant her and his father. The decision had been made without him, as if his own life was a mere chess piece in their grand strategy.

“Really—”

Before he could even finish his sentence, a sharp, stinging pain exploded across his cheek. The impact was sudden, making his head slightly snap to the side. His skin burned where her palm had landed, a lingering heat spreading across his face. For a moment, he was too stunned to react.

“If I say yes, it’s yes. And if I say no, it’s still a yes,” his mother declared coldly. “Even if you refuse, it doesn’t change anything. This is for your own good.”

Kairus let out a bitter chuckle, his hand slowly coming up to his cheek as he turned back to face her. His eyes were dark, burning with restrained anger. “Let me correct you,” he said, his voice low but firm. “This is for your own good, not mine.”

His mother’s expression didn’t waver, but the flicker of irritation in her eyes was undeniable.

Kairus clenched his fists at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. The sting on his cheek was nothing compared to the frustration boiling inside him. He inhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay calm despite the storm raging within.

“This again?” he muttered, his voice laced with barely contained resentment. He met his mother’s sharp gaze, refusing to back down.

“Kairus, this isn’t up for discussion,” she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Zhen is the perfect match for you. She comes from a good family, and this marriage will secure your future.”

“My future?” Kairus let out a hollow, humorless laugh. “You mean your business connections. Don’t twist this into something about my well-being.”

His mother’s expression darkened, her patience finally beginning to crack. “You’re being ungrateful. Do you really think you can run your life however you want? This is how the world works, Kairus. You can’t always follow your childish dreams.”

Kairus exhaled sharply through his nose, shaking his head. “I don’t care how the world works in your eyes. I’m not a pawn for you to move around.”

His mother scoffed, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. “You always think you know best, but one day, you’ll see that I was right. You’ll regret this stubbornness.”

Kairus squared his shoulders, his eyes burning with defiance. “Then let me regret it on my own terms,” he shot back. “Because I’m done living by yours.”

The tension in the room was suffocating. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. His mother held his gaze, her expression unreadable. Then, without another word, she turned toward the door.

“Fine,” she said icily. “But don’t come crawling back when you realize your mistake.”

With that, she stormed out, leaving behind a heavy silence.

Kairus let out a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. His cheek still stung, but the pain was nothing compared to the weight pressing down on his chest.

"Crawling back?" He scoffed under his breath. "Or maybe it’ll be you who comes crawling back."

Kairus knew the truth—his mother couldn’t just cut him off. No matter how much she tried to control his life, she wouldn’t simply throw him away. He was too important to their carefully laid-out plans. That thought alone gave him little comfort, but it was enough to keep his anger from boiling over.

Shaking his head, he turned away from the door, his jaw still tight with frustration. He shut the door with a firm click before trudging towards the sofa. The weight of the conversation, of expectations he never agreed to, pressed down on him like an unseen force.

With a tired sigh, he slumped onto the couch, his body sinking into the cushions as exhaustion settled in. He ran a hand down his face, fingers brushing over the lingering heat on his cheek. The pain was dull now, but the sting of betrayal burned deeper.

“Fuck everything,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Then, he let out a deep sigh—a sigh that felt as if he carried the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. His body sank further into the couch, exhaustion wrapping around him like an inescapable fog.

His gaze drifted to the ceiling, his mind clouded with thoughts of a future he had no control over. The walls of his apartment felt smaller, suffocating, as if they were closing in on him—just like his mother’s expectations.

“I hope that in the future, it’s me who gets to decide my own path,” he murmured, his voice laced with quiet defiance.

With that, he closed his eyes, allowing the weight of everything to momentarily fade into the darkness.