The cult system Ezra grew up in was a very tight-knit community. Nobody left. If someone managed to join, everybody knew about them, and the most vacation you'd ever take would be to visit other branches of the community living around the country. Everybody knew everybody, and that's how they liked it.
Ezra grew up more disconnected from his community. He was "special" and treated as such. Specific education plan (though he still had it within their school building), people would speak to him if they had issues, though he wasn't allowed to really give advice or tell them to talk to someone else. The main people he talked to were his parents and a small group of people his age he was permitted to speak with, that he was encouraged to make bonds with.
There was one boy in particular he got friendly with. Isaac. They were the same age, and though not many similarities, rather than seeing Ezra as a "higher being" or something to be feared, Isaac just saw him for who he was. He let him speak about his interests and showed him things inside the town he never would have seen otherwise. They were inseparable during the school day and were together as often as possible outside of school aswell.
Some nights, the pair would sneak out of their homes. They had one spot they would always meet; a large, hollowed out tree on the outskirts of the forest. It hid them away, let them just talk as they pleased and let the hours of the night drift by. As the years went on of doing this, they discussed running away together a lot. Starting a new life somewhere else. But they couldn't do that. Neither could imagine leaving their families nor had the survival skills to run away. It wasn't worth it.
At around age 12, Isaac's family relocated. There was another cult branch a couple states away, his parents had decided it was better suited to their lifestyle and left. The night before that, Isaac and Ezra had their last meeting. Last considerations of running away, last gift exchange, last goodbyes. They fell asleep together in that old, hollowed out log, and Ezra woke up alone. Isaac's family had left early that morning. It was a long drive, and they'd need the time to settle in.
Ezra was prepared to never see him again, and he accepted it, no matter how bitter he felt. Two years later, Ezra left, ran off to live on his own, only visiting a couple of times as time went on. A few times at 16, a couple at 17, and the last was at 19. His last visit was also the last time he would ever see Isaac.
