Journey (PONDPHUWIN)

Chapter 6: The Daily Routine

The morning after another grueling night with Pond, Phuwin awoke to the harsh light of day seeping through the curtains. His body ached in ways he had never imagined, a constant reminder of the control Pond had over him. He felt a heaviness in his chest, a weight that seemed to grow with each passing day. But there was no time to dwell on it. He had to keep up appearances, maintain the facade that had become his shield against the world.

Phuwin moved through his morning routine with mechanical precision, each step carefully executed to ensure he looked as perfect as always. He showered, shaved, and dressed in the designer clothes that had become his armor. The mirror reflected the image of a young man who had everything—looks, confidence, and the trappings of wealth. But beneath that image, Phuwin knew the truth. He was a puppet, his strings pulled by a man who reveled in his control.

As he left his apartment, Phuwin forced himself to focus on the day ahead. University was his escape, the one place where he could still pretend to be normal, even if that pretense was becoming harder to maintain. He walked through the campus with his usual confidence, nodding to acquaintances, flashing a polite smile at familiar faces. On the surface, nothing had changed. But inside, Phuwin felt like he was unraveling, his carefully constructed life coming apart at the seams.

In class, Phuwin struggled to concentrate. The lectures that had once held his interest now seemed distant, as though they were happening in another world. His mind kept drifting back to Pond, to the fear and humiliation that had become his constant companions. He couldn't shake the feeling that everyone around him could see right through his facade, that they knew the truth about what he had become. But when he looked up, all he saw were the same indifferent faces, the same oblivious stares. No one knew. No one cared.

As the day wore on, Phuwin felt the tension in his chest grow. Every time his phone buzzed, his heart skipped a beat, fearing it was another command from Pond. Each notification was like a jolt to his system, a reminder that he was no longer in control of his own life. When he finally checked his messages, he was met with silence. No word from Pond, but the lack of communication was almost worse than the demands. It left Phuwin in a constant state of anticipation, never knowing when Pond would strike next.

By the time his classes ended, Phuwin was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse, but he knew that wasn't an option. His life had become a balancing act, one that required him to constantly maintain the illusion of normalcy, even as he was crumbling inside.

Phuwin forced himself to attend a social event that evening—a small gathering of classmates at a nearby café. He needed to keep up appearances, to show that he was still the same confident, carefree young man they all thought he was. As he entered the café, he plastered a smile on his face, joining the group with his usual charm.

But as the evening wore on, Phuwin found it increasingly difficult to maintain the act. The laughter and conversation around him felt hollow, the topics trivial compared to the storm raging inside him. His friends talked about their plans for the future, their ambitions, and their dreams, while Phuwin sat there, nodding along, feeling like an imposter in his own life. How could he talk about the future when his present was suffocating him? How could he share his dreams when his reality was a nightmare?

At one point, someone mentioned Pond, and Phuwin's heart skipped a beat. They spoke of him in passing, just another name in a sea of privileged students, but to Phuwin, the mention was like a knife to the gut. He forced a laugh, making a casual comment, but inside, he was screaming. The fear that Pond could somehow ruin him, expose him, was always there, lurking in the back of his mind.

When the evening finally ended, Phuwin made his way back to his apartment, feeling more drained than ever. The walls seemed to close in on him as he stepped inside, the silence of the room almost deafening. He dropped his bag by the door and collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his mind racing.

Phuwin knew he couldn't keep going like this. The constant pressure, the fear, the humiliation—it was all taking a toll on him. He was losing himself, bit by bit, and he didn't know how to stop it. Every day felt like a battle, a fight to maintain the life he had built, even as it slipped further and further out of his grasp.

But what choice did he have? Pond had him trapped, and there was no way out. If he tried to escape, to defy Pond, the consequences would be catastrophic. His secret would be exposed, his life ruined, and everything he had worked so hard for would be destroyed.

As Phuwin lay there, staring into the darkness, he felt a sense of despair wash over him. He was trapped in a life he no longer recognized, a life that had become a prison. And the worst part was, he had no one to turn to, no one who could help him. He was alone, suffocating under the weight of his own choices, and there was no escape.

Eventually, sleep claimed him, but even in his dreams, there was no respite. Pond's voice echoed in his mind, a constant reminder of the control he had lost, the life that was no longer his own.

When Phuwin awoke the next morning, the cycle began anew. He dressed, he smiled, he played the part. But with each passing day, the act became harder to maintain, the weight of his submission heavier on his shoulders. Phuwin knew he was on the edge, teetering on the brink of something dark and irreversible. And as he walked out of his apartment, ready to face another day, he couldn't shake the feeling that his time was running out.

The routine that had once been his salvation was now his curse, a reminder that he was living a life that wasn't his own. And as the days blurred together, Phuwin felt himself slipping further and further into the darkness that Pond had brought into his life, unsure if he would ever find his way out.