Burnt Out

♤Prologue♤

Ray

From the earliest moments of my existence, I've felt like a solitary vessel adrift in an unending sea, lost without anyone to rescue me. Though I was often encircled by the people, laughter, and the vibrant bustle of everyday existence, the gnawing solitude persisted. I felt trapped in a bubble of loneliness. It was a paradox I couldn't escape.

It was as if I'd been cast into a never-ending, pitch-black tunnel, devoid of escape routes or hope. The darkness was oppressive, suffocating, and the air grew thick with my unspoken burdens. Each step was a blind stumble, my senses dulled by the inky abyss.

But then, a light, faint but unwavering, pierced through the impenetrable darkness. It was him. He emerged as if he'd heard the silent plea of my soul, a beacon of hope that cut through my darkness. With an uncanny ability, he saw beyond the carefully crafted mask that I wore, recognizing the feeble flame that flickered within me, teetering on the edge of extinction.

He pulled me out of the darkness. His light illuminated my own, casting out the shadows that had long shrouded my soul. In that moment, the course of my existence shifted. He became my anchor in the maelstrom of my life, a pillar of strength I never knew I needed. His presence brought warmth to the coldest corners of my heart and a glimmer of hope to my darkest hours. With him by my side, the journey through the unending sea, the suffocating tunnel, and the endless solitude no longer felt impossible.

Yet, deep within, I knew that ultimately, I would have to stoke my own flame. He made me feel better, he made me happy, but when his presence receded, I found myself slipping back into the same dark hole that had haunted me for so long. His flame was his own, and despite how much I longed for it to become mine, it remained a separate entity. No matter how desperately he wished to merge our lights, the path to self-renewal remained one I had to walk alone.

The problem was that I didn't know if I had the strength left within me. I was weary, exhausted from the relentless struggle. I was burnt out. The fire that once burned so brightly was now a mere ember, threatening to flicker out with each passing moment. The future was uncertain, and the darkness still loomed, waiting to engulf me once more.