The king of everything

Chapter twenty- Unraveling at the seams

The glow of the laptop screen flickered in the dimly lit room as I sat in front of it, nervously waiting for the Skype call to connect. My stomach churned with an uneasy mixture of anxiety and guilt. I hadn't spoken to my dad in weeks—maybe months—especially since things had started spiraling out of control. And now, with exam week looming over me like a dark cloud, I wasn't sure how much I had left to give.

The familiar ringtone sounded, and then, after a few moments of static, my dad's face appeared on the screen. He looked a bit more worn than I remembered, but his smile was the same—warm and full of love. Seeing him made the ache in my chest deepen.

"Hey, kiddo," he said, his voice crackling slightly through the connection. "It's been a while. How's school treating you?"

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. "Hey, Dad," I replied, my voice softer than I intended. "Yeah, it's... been a lot."

He raised an eyebrow, sensing the weight behind my words. "You okay? You don't look too great, son."

I hesitated, not knowing where to start. How could I explain everything that had happened without sounding insane? How could I tell him about Sam's death, the demon, and the fear that gripped me every day without breaking down?

"I've just been... stressed, I guess," I finally said, choosing my words carefully. "Exams are coming up, and it's been a rough semester."

Dad nodded, his expression sympathetic. "I get that. But you know, you don't have to handle everything on your own. It's okay to ask for help when you need it."

Help. I wanted to laugh bitterly at that. How could anyone help me now? The kind of help I needed wasn't something my dad—or anyone—could give.

"I know," I said quietly, forcing a smile. "I'll be fine, though. Just need to get through this week."

Dad studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he could see through the facade I was trying to maintain. "You sure everything's okay, son? You seem... different. I've had this gut feeling lately that something's off."

For a split second, I considered telling him everything. The truth about the demon, the nightmares, the way it had taken Sam. But then I thought about his health, about how fragile he was now with his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He didn't need more to worry about.

"I'm okay," I lied, offering another forced smile. "Just the usual college stress. I've got it under control."

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't push further. "Well, just remember, you can always talk to me. About anything. I'm proud of you, Aaron."

The weight of his words pressed down on me, and I had to look away from the screen for a moment, blinking back the moisture that had gathered in my eyes. *Proud.* I didn't feel worthy of that right now. I felt like I was barely holding it together.

"I'll call you after exams," I said, clearing my throat. "I'll let you know how everything went."

Dad smiled, though there was still concern in his eyes. "Take care of yourself, kiddo. And good luck."

I ended the call, the silence in the room feeling even heavier than before. The conversation with my dad had been short, but it left me with a knot in my stomach. I couldn't shake the guilt, the sense that I was failing him in more ways than one.

---

The next morning, exam week officially began. I sat in the lecture hall with dozens of other students, the tension palpable in the air. Everyone around me seemed to be hunched over their desks, frantically flipping through notes or reviewing flashcards. I, on the other hand, stared blankly at the desk in front of me, feeling like I was staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. I was so cooked.

I hadn't been able to study—not really. The weight of everything that had happened, the constant fear of the demon lurking in the shadows, had made it impossible to focus on anything else. Every time I sat down to study, my mind would drift back to that night in the church, to the way Sam had died in my arms. The words in the textbooks blurred together, meaningless in the face of what I was going through.
The exam papers were handed out, and I stared down at the first page, my heart sinking as I read the questions. It was like they were written in a foreign language. None of it made sense. I had studied this material once—before everything went to hell—but now, it was like my brain had been wiped clean.
The clock on the wall ticked mercilessly, counting down the minutes I didn't have. I tried to write something, anything, but every answer felt wrong, like I was grasping at straws. Panic clawed at my chest, tightening my throat. This wasn't just about exams. This was about everything. About my future, about the promises I'd made to myself and to Sam. And I was blowing it.

I glanced around the room, watching as other students scribbled away confidently, their pens moving quickly over the paper. Meanwhile, my hand shook as I struggled to even form coherent sentences. The demon's presence was still hanging over me, taunting me, reminding me that no matter what I did here, it didn't matter. I couldn't outrun the darkness.

---

After the exam, I stumbled out of the lecture hall feeling like I had been hit by a truck. Hope was waiting for me outside, her eyes searching my face for any sign of how it had gone.

"How did it go?" she asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.

I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a long, frustrated sigh. "It was a disaster. I couldn't focus. Everything I studied just... disappeared."

She gave me a sympathetic smile, reaching out to squeeze my arm. "You've been through so much, Aaron. No one expects you to be perfect right now."

"I'm failing," I muttered. "Not just at exams, but at everything. I'm losing control."

Hope shook her head, stepping closer. "You're not failing. You're surviving. And that's enough right now."

I wanted to believe her, but the looming darkness—the feeling that I was losing my grip—was suffocating. I had to get through these exams. I had to find a way to stop the demon. But right now, it felt like I was drowning in all of it.

And the worst part? There was no one to pull me out. Not even Sam.