The next three days passed faster than Kai expected—each one blurring into the next.

  School was still a nightmare, but now, at least, he had something to look forward to when he got home.

  His old routine—coming home, gaming until late—was gone.

  Now, as soon as he stepped through the door, dropped his bag, and locked himself in his room, there was only one thing on his mind:

  The practice.

  The candle.

  The darkness.

  The image of the pyramid.

  It became his new ritual, his escape.

  Not just from school, but from the anger, the shame, the helplessness that clung to him like a second skin.

  That first night after the vision, Kai was more determined than ever.

  Sitting in his closet, lit only by the flicker of the candle, he focused hard on the image of the pyramid, willing himself to hold it longer.

  The first time, he could barely manage 40 seconds, the same as before.

  But after trying again and again, something strange happened—he broke past a minute.

  1 minute and 10 seconds.

  By the end of that night, he was exhausted, but there was a flicker of pride warming his chest.

  For once, he didn’t feel like a failure.

  The second day, school was brutal as always. Evan had a new set of jokes. Someone had even printed out still images from the humiliating video and slipped them into Kai’s locker.

  He didn’t react. He just stuffed them into his bag and walked away.

  Because all day, he was thinking of only one thing—getting back to his room, back to the practice.

  That night, he sat down and got to work.

  The image of the pyramid came easier now, though his thoughts still tried to distract him—memories of Evan’s smirk, the sharp sting of betrayal from Emily—but Kai forced himself to refocus each time.

  1 minute and 30 seconds.

  Then 1 minute 50.

  And finally—just before giving in to sleep—a full 2 minutes without losing focus.

  A small victory.

  But to Kai, it felt like winning a battle in a war he thought he was losing.

  By the third day, something had changed.

  He still kept his head down at school, still felt the weight of all the stares, the whispers, the quiet laughs.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  But inside, where no one could see, a small fire was growing.

  A stubborn spark that refused to die.

  As soon as he got home, he locked himself away again, lit his candle, and sat in the closet.

  That night, the image of the pyramid felt sharper, brighter.

  He was able to hold it for 2 minutes with ease now.

  But that wasn’t enough.

  “Push further,” he thought.

  “Dad wouldn’t want me to give up here.”

  So he kept going.

  Again and again.

  The candle’s flame danced and flickered as he sat completely still, eyes closed, breathing slow and deep.

  3 minutes.

  His mind wavered, but he held on, gritting his teeth, sweat beading on his brow.

  Finally, 3 minutes and 40 seconds, before the image shattered and other thoughts swarmed in.

  Kai opened his eyes, panting, his head pounding from the effort.

  “One more time,” he whispered to himself.

  “I’m not done.”

  He closed his eyes again, bringing back the pyramid—this time holding it until he reached 4 minutes.

  When he finally let go, his body felt like he had been holding something heavy for hours. His hands trembled slightly, his breathing ragged.

  But he had done it.

  4 minutes.

  After blowing out the candle, Kai leaned against the closet wall, staring at the darkness.

  He still felt the pull of exhaustion, but also something else—a strange calm, as if, for the first time in his life, his mind was becoming sharper, more focused.

  Though nothing dramatic had happened—no visions like that first night, no weird sensations—he knew something was changing.

  And even if no one else saw it—he could feel it inside himself.

  As he crawled into bed, muscles sore from sitting so long, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

  Whatever was coming next—

  he wouldn’t be powerless for much longer.

  Kai woke up feeling… good.

  Better than he had in weeks, maybe months. His body felt lighter, his mind clearer than usual.

  For a moment, he allowed himself to smile.

  But then, like a dark cloud creeping in, the thought of school hit him—and along with it, the usual weight of dread and sadness.

  Another day of Evan. More humiliation. More whispers.

  But then—

  “Wait…”

  His eyes widened as he remembered—

  It was the weekend.

  No school. No Evan. No Emily.

  A breath of relief escaped his lips, and for the first time in days, Kai felt like he could breathe freely.

  He got up, pulling on a hoodie, and made his way to the kitchen where his mom was still finishing breakfast. The smell of toast and eggs filled the small space, and it felt… normal.

  “Morning,” he mumbled, a little more at ease than usual.

  She turned and smiled softly. “Good morning, Kai.”

  Sliding a plate in front of him, she raised an eyebrow. “Any plans for today?”

  Kai shrugged. “Not really.”

  His mom gave him a knowing look, but didn’t press further. She grabbed her purse and keys.

  “Alright, I’ll be late today. Try to get some air, okay?” she said, but her smile told him she wasn’t expecting much.

  “Yeah. Sure,” Kai said, though he already knew what his real plan was.

  Once she was out the door, he took his plate back to his room, ate quickly, and set the empty plate aside.

  His mind was already on the practice.

  He sat down in his closet, lighting the candle, watching its soft flame dance.

  Closing his eyes, he breathed deep—

  And brought the pyramid into his mind.

  Today, something was different.

  The image was sharper. Clearer.

  And for the first time, holding it for four minutes felt easy.

  Let’s push further, he thought.

  Five minutes passed.

  Six.

  Then, it began again—the spiraling sensation, like his whole body was turning in slow circles.

  The colors came next—swirling, pulsing—vivid and alive.

  But this time something new happened.

  His vision split, like double vision.

  Eyes still closed, Kai could see himself—sitting right there in the closet, legs crossed, eyes closed, perfectly still.

  He frowned.

  “Am I… dreaming?”

  But it didn’t feel like a dream. It felt real—too sharp, too clear.

  A cold thought crept in:

  “Am I dead?”

  Panic surged in his chest.

  And like a slingshot snapping back, he was suddenly sucked into his body, gasping as if coming up for air.

  His heart pounded wildly in his chest, sweat beading on his forehead.

  He sat there for a moment, catching his breath.

  “What the hell was that?”

  But something in him whispered: Try again.

  Lighting the candle again, Kai sat down and closed his eyes, focusing harder than before.

  The pyramid formed.

  His mind was steady.

  And soon, the spiraling returned.

  But this time, when he saw himself sitting in the closet, he didn’t panic.

  He stood—if it could even be called standing. His body felt light, weightless, as if he was made of smoke.

  Cautiously, he reached out to the closet door.

  His hand passed straight through it, like a ghost.

  Kai’s eyes widened in wonder.

  “I can move… I can move through things.”

  He reached again, this time walking straight through the door—his whole body slipping past as if the wall wasn’t there at all.

  Now he was standing in his room, but everything looked sharper, clearer, like he was seeing a deeper layer of reality.

  He walked to the window and, without thinking, passed right through it.

  Outside, the neighborhood was quiet.

  Cars were parked in their usual spots.

  A few kids played in the park nearby.

  Two women sat on a bench, talking softly.

  Everything looked exactly as it should—but Kai’s body felt like it was gliding over the ground.

  “This isn’t a dream… is it?”

  But then another, darker thought hit him:

  “If I’m here… who’s breathing for me? How is my body still alive?”

  Panic flared again in his chest.

  And as soon as fear took hold—

  He was yanked backward—fast.

  The neighborhood blurred around him, everything spinning, until—

  Snap!

  He slammed back into his body, his eyes flying open as he gasped for air.

  His heart was beating like a drum, chest rising and falling with sharp, shallow breaths.

  Kai let the blinds fall shut, his heart still racing.

  Something had changed in him. Something big.

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