Halcyon Days (English Version)

Chapter 6: The Almighty

BoBoiBoy (c) Monsta

Halcyon Days (c) Roux Marlet

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For #BBBFangBirthMonth2023

[Day 27: Space]

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[Chapter 6: The Almighty]

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Chapter warning: LGBT discrimination

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Falling in love at the age of twelve? Solar had that experience. Anyone at the beginning of puberty usually feels that way, right? Your heart flutters every time you see him, you do everything with his face in mind, and the whole world seems to stop spinning when you hear him talk and laugh.

That was exactly how Solar felt about his twin older brother, Thorn.

Thorn was so sweet and kind, and loving to the plants in the backyard. Solar also craved his smiles and caresses, and Thorn was always smiling at everyone. But Solar wanted more. So one night, during school vacation, he did something that crossed the line in the bed he shared with his brother.

Solar had never heard Thorn scream so loudly. He had never been pushed so roughly by his sweet brother, let alone glared at with such a vivid expression of fear even through the tears that were ready to spill. Solar belatedly realized his mistake until he was dragged into the bathroom and had his head splashed repeatedly with cold water by Thunderstorm, his eldest brother.

"What were you doing?!"

Solar was having trouble catching his breath due to sudden hypothermia in the middle of the night. He was being showered with his sleeping clothes still on. Thunderstorm stood towering over him, pausing the action for a moment to give Solar a chance to answer.

"What were you doing Thorn, huh?!"

Solar felt his eyes sting, he was on the verge of tears himself, or maybe he already had and he didn't realize it because his face was wet. From Thunderstorm's fury, it seemed the eldest sibling could actually guess what had happened earlier. Why was it like this?

"Solar, answer me or I'll make you sleep outside tonight!" threatened the eldest brother. "What did you do to Thorn?!"

Trembling from the cold, Solar opened his mouth to answer honestly about what perverted thing he had done earlier.

That same night, Solar's name was removed from the family register. That same night, all of Solar's suffering started. Thunderstorm locked him up in the warehouse at the back of the house where the lights had long been broken while the rest of the house tried to calm Thorn, who was still hysterical. In the pitch darkness, feeling cold and still able to hear his brother's cries, Solar cried alone.

When it was morning, with his clothes still half wet, Solar was taken outside and laid in front of an Ustaz with a Quran. The prayers being recited sounded so distant to Solar's ears, which were ringing with dizziness. It was even more dizzying when the Ustaz held his forehead and read even louder. Solar remained silent throughout the ceremony, as did his six siblings. He dared not seek Thorn's gaze even though he could see through the corner of his eye that his brother was standing the farthest away.