"Cyril please." Six year old Calico pleaded, trying to fight the stinging tears that swelled in his eyes as Cyril practically squeezed the life out of his neck.
His older brother had him in a chokehold, Calico's hands tugging at the arm around his neck weakly as he ran out of oxygen.
"Shut up!" Cyril hissed in his ear. They both knew what they had to do. There was no other way the two knew how to get out of this.
So Calico held his breath, letting a temporary unconsciousness wash over him until dad said it was enough.
Cyril immediately released Calico, his body tumbling to the ground as Calico could finally breathe again, sputtering and coughing as he fought to sit up on his knees.
Their father didn't clap.
They all stood in a random room among many of his father's mansion. This one was lined with mats along the walls and floor, that they all called the sparring room.
The room where their father would pit two siblings at each other and have them fight until one was unconscious, or one gave up.
And giving up meant that there was a punishment.
"Calico I'm disappointed." Dad's voice rang through the room as both boys panted to regain their breaths.
At those words in particular, both Cyril and Calico winced, exchanging expressions of guilt.
If one of them had put on a better show, then this wouldn't have happened.
They knew what would happen if their father was disappointed.
Both of them would have to suffer punishment.
The two sat there, dreading a whipping, but in Calico's opinion, what they got in the end was a lot worse.
Mr. Choi beckoned for them to follow, and the two boys scrambled to their feet, exchanging subtly terrified glances as they fell in step behind their father.
The silence pressed in on all sides of Calico, making him feel like he was drowning in the suspense of the unknown of what was about to happen.
His eyes scanned the hall as they exited the sparring room, and just a couple doors down, Mr. Choi opened one, and paused, gesturing his hand so Cyril stepped inside alone, closing the door behind him.
And the door right next to that one, Mr. Choi waved Calico in, shutting him in like he did with Cyril in the other room.
There was absolutely nothing in the room, no doors, no windows, no light, no furniture. That was the glimpse Calico got of the small room before it went black and Calico couldn't see anything anymore.
It was like he was trapped in the void as even the doors were sealed so that no light came through underneath or along the sides.
"You will remain in there until I have deemed you have learned your lesson. I don't have you fight each other for no reason. I need to find an heir for my name, and I'm not going to do that if you boys are being stubborn and not giving it your all." Mr. Choi's voice was echoed through the hall, surely so both boys could hear him clearly. One thing was for sure, Calico could definitely hear, almost feel, the frustration and anger in his father's voice.
It made Calico want to disappear. He didn't want to disappoint his father. He wanted to please him. Calico wanted him to not regret bringing Calico in the world in the first place.
He didn't want to be a mistake.
But it seemed as though he would have to go as far as hurting his own siblings to even get an ounce of praise from his father. Nothing else was good enough for him.
Calico could have straight A's and have the cleanest room and have the best scores at sports- but none of that mattered to his father if the one thing he actually wanted from him wasn't fulfilled to his liking.
