Beyond The Veil Of Dreams

1. Envy And Death

His hair cascaded like silk, voluminous and as light as clouds, shimmering with a subtle blue hue.

His eyes, a captivating shade of brown tinged with hints of orange, held a magnetic allure. His porcelain-pale skin exuded flawless perfection under the light.

Everything about the figure a few paces away from me emanated perfection.

A flawless visage, an impeccable personality, top grades-everything about him was flawless. He was the center of attention, adored by everyone. Strangely, envy did not touch anyone around him, except me.

Who was I in the presence of this paragon? Nobody. I felt insignificant compared to him. Despite my efforts, I could never reach his level.

I watched him animatedly conversing with his friends, my fists clenched with jealousy, my eyes burning. I craved what he effortlessly possessed-top academic standing, recognition on school posters, excellence in every endeavor-but it remained out of reach.

RING!!!

The abrupt ringing of the bell snapped me out of my reverie; the school day had ended.

As I strolled down the familiar street, my thoughts swirled with a mix of contemplation and distraction.

Unconsciously, I stuck out my thumb like a hitchhiker. My parents had warned me about this street, rumored to be haunted by a notorious serial killer who preyed on hitchhikers. Despite knowing better, the gesture made me feel as if the specter of that killer could materialize at any moment.

Days turned into weeks, yet my routine remained unchanged. Always second to the perfect boy, perpetually hitchhiking with a ghost, and routinely jogging past his home on the evenings. It felt like a relentless cycle, until...

I was on my evening run, getting closer to the house the boy lived in and I noticed that the lights were on in the house.

Strange, his lights were never on... The only noticable thing that happened in his house was the calming sound of piano playing beautifully.

I didn't hear the piano that night. Out of curiosity, I strained my eyes to see if I could see any movement.

"..." Nothing. I was about to continue my run when I heard voices. Voices so loud that I could hear it clearly from where I stood.

"An A-? A-?!! Do you think you get to stay here for an A-?"

The voice pierced through the air, echoing with fury. From where I stood, I could discern the silhouette of a person recoiling, hands raised in a futile defense.

"M-mom, I can explain..." The voice faltered, quieter now, tinged with desperation. It was unmistakably the perfect boy's voice. "I-I was feeling a bit ill-"

SLAP.

The sound reverberated sharply as his head snapped to the side from the force of the blow. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and though he seemed to mutter something, it was lost in the distance between us.

I was taken aback. Here was a dent in his perfect life.