The Man of My Prayers (Fitzmael 3) - COMPLETED

00: Thirteen And Lost

FRANCO DENROUN FITZMAEL

WHEN I WAS young—thirteen, to be exact—I started to realize that my parents were unfair. I was in denial back then, making up reasons to justify their behavior. Maybe they were overwhelmed, too caught up in their own lives to plan a birthday party for my sister and me. Perhaps exhaustion had drained them, leaving them too weary to read our favorite books. Or maybe, just maybe, hunger had gotten the best of them, and they couldn't bear to wait for Serene and me to get home—so they started eating without us.

But all the things they couldn't do with us, they could do with Marcus. They always organized Marcus' birthday party. Even when they had worked for more than twenty-four hours and were tired, they'd still find the energy to visit his room and read him a story. And when it came time for meals, they wouldn't take a single bite until Marcus was there with them.

I don't know their reasons, and I don't want to ask... because what if they don't have any reasons at all?

"I never asked you this, but why are you calling me 'Kuya'?" I asked Serene while I combed her hair. We were in the garden. I was a teenager, so I didn't play games anymore, but my sister didn't have anyone to play with. I didn't want her to feel alone.

"Because you're my older brother."

"And Marcus is not?" I replied with sarcasm.

She turned around, looked into my eyes, and forced a smile. "I don't think our family gives you enough credit as the firstborn. I want you to know that I respect and love you. I wasn't born until you were six, so you had no one to talk to about not being the favorite child." She sighed. "It must have been so difficult for you. You were just a child... but I'm here now. I see you."

I slowly shook my head. "How could you know all these things? You're only seven, Serene."

She shrugged. "They're not hiding it, Kuya. How can I look the other way when it's happening right in front of me?" She went back to changing her doll's clothes. "Are you mad at them?"

I continued combing her hair. "I don't want to be mad at them. I'm scared that if I despise our parents, I'll end up hating Marcus too. I love our brother as much as I love you."

"He's the reason you can't hate them?"

"Yes. What about you? Are you mad at them?"

She nodded. "Yes, there's a lot of hatred in my heart. Sometimes I think about running away, but then I think of you and Marcus. Both of you would be worried..." she paused, sighing. "I can't wait to grow up and leave home."

ADORN ZHARICK VALE

"ARE YOU ADORN Zharick Vale?" Dad asked. He was sitting across the table.

I was taking a lie detector test that my father asked us to do. I breathe deep, closing my eyes and calmed myself down because I was a little bit nervous. I had coffee earlier so I wasn't sure if I'd passed the test this time. "No..."

We've been doing this since I was ten— almost three years now. On my first year, I always fail. Every time the machine detected that I was tense, it would gave me a bit of an electric shock. It wouldn't kill a human, and I got used to it, but it was still painful.

"Who is Hunter Vale?"

"I don't know."

After a while, Dad invited some strange people to interrogate me. Most of them were scary, some even tried to hurt me or Hunter— desperately trying to make me feel anything other than being calm. They failed. I haven't felt the electric shock for a long time and I wanted to keep it that way.