When Kade was born, his biological mother left him in the hospital, never claiming him as her son. After he turned three, they sent him to an orphanage. Despite that, he was happy. He had lots of brothers and sisters, and his caretaker genuinely cared for him.
A week later, disaster struck his orphanage burning it down to the ground. Kade and a few others were the only ones who could successfully get out alive.
A family nearby witnessed the event and felt sorry for the little boy crying in the arms of a fireman. They petitioned for his adoption, and so Kade joined a new family. As soon as he began settling in, the mother and breadwinner of the family lost her business. They could no longer afford an extra mouth to feed, and so just like that; they sent him to another orphanage at the age of four.
At his new orphanage, he learnt very quickly; he was just a mouth to feed. He should not expect to be loved by any of the adults. If they told him they loved him, it was just to keep him in line, so he didn't rebel.
Kade lived in the orphanage for another four years until a woman looked into his eyes and said, "I want him."
At eight years old, Kade agreed to foster care. He thought that even if they didn't love him, it still beat the orphanage any day of the week.
Kade walked into the mansion of the Fullbring household. The father owned a mining company in Athra. Needless to say, he was wealthy.
Kade walked around with his mouth agape. He had never seen so much green before. In the lower district of the city, maintenance was seldom delivered, whether it be a pothole in the road or a wall at the public school.
The mother, a curvaceous escaiyan beauty with pale skin, black hair and blue eyes as deep as the ocean, held Kade's small hand, "Do you like what you see? Well, it's your new home now." She said in her warm sing-song voice.
Kade looked at her, then looked at the mansion. It had to be too good to be true. He was waiting for the cameras to roll out and tell him it was a prank, but it never happened. Instead, she bathed him and then dressed him in the new clothes they had bought for him.
Then she showed him to his room which was bigger than his shared room at the orphanage. He looked around, and there was an actual bed, not a thin mattress. He actually had a closet and not just any but a walk-in cabinet. The Fullbrings filled it with more clothes than he had ever seen in his lifetime. Kade let go of her hand and walked to the mirror in his room.
He looked at himself dressed in upper echelon clothes, smelling like cologne. His shoulder-length black hair slicked back and dirt out of his face.
For the first time, he actively looked at himself in the mirror, 'This is what I look like.'
Kade looked past himself at the room in the reflection and couldn't believe this was happening to him. His heart released a short burst of excitement before his mind shut it down, 'They are just going to dump me anyway.'
After a week, he went to the best school that money could buy: Strera Academy. He had difficulty adjusting to their level, but he wasn't trying either. What was the point? He was just going to get sent back to the orphanage once they found out that there was nothing special about him or he was too much trouble.
Half a year went by without incident until September 16 2278. Kade was just about to leave when a brown-haired esciayan boy slapped his books out of his hand.
Pah!
They splattered all over the floor. The boy sneered at Kade, scurrying to pick up the books, "Filth will always be filth no matter how pretty the dustbin."
Kade ignored him like he always did. It was nothing new to him. He had experienced far worse at the orphanage.
The boy saw he got no rise out of Kade, "Oh, I heard from my dad. You know, the founder of Strera Media. He said your supposed mother and father are having marital issues. They adopted you as a project for your mom so that she can spend her energy nursing a broken you instead of fighting."
Kade clicked his tongue and continued to pick up the books.
"Huh, you don't believe me. Go ask your "mother" the real reason she adopted you and see what she says."
Kade closed his bag and thought for a while. He had asked Mrs Fullbring many times why they had adopted him, but she never answered, always finding a convenient way to change the subject. Once this realization kicked in, Kade's eyes bulged, 'Why am I denying the truth?'
Kade revealed a pained expression that didn't go unnoticed. For the first time, Brad had drawn blood. Brad had tried many methods to get under Kade's skin, he even played the race card, but nothing worked. Brad had always been able to manipulate people's emotions. It was a skill his father had taught him and told him to master if he wanted to be valid.
Besides his father, Kade was the only person he couldn't get to, but that changed today. Brad smelt the blood, and like an animal, he pounced, "Did you actually think they loved you?" He laughed from the bottom of his cold soul, "As if anyone could love a reffak!"
Kade pinched his lips together. How could he be so naïve? How could he fall for the same trap over and over again? That somehow, he was capable of being loved. Kade clenched his fists, his fingernails biting into his palms. He looked at Brad's smug face, then without a second thought, he marched up to him and swung his fist straight into his nose.
Blood dripped out of his red nose, "Ah! What the hell, man!?"
Hearing his voice pissed him off even more. It was the same voice that woke him up to a reality he didn't want to live in. Kade's eyes tightened, focusing on the boy in front of him and swung again, this time on the other side of his nose. He didn't stop there as a barrage of punches befell the boy's body. No part spared from his wrath.
Kade kept punching him. He knew by now the situation was irreparable. He had just beat a media tycoons' son. The amount of trouble he had just caused the Fullbrings couldn't be stated in a sentence.
'If they are going to discard me anyway, then I'll do it myself.' Kade, lost in anger, kept punching. He only stopped when a teacher yanked him off Brad's unconscious body bringing Kade back to reality.
Kade looked at the mess he had made. There was blood splattered everywhere. He sucked in a cold breath and jerked his head away from the scene, turned around and ran. He didn't know where he was going. He just ran.
As he ran, clouds formed in the sky, then it began pouring. Kade kept running. He had just blown up his life completely. Any prospect he once had, gone. Any dreams he once had, gone. He was going to end up picking up trash and cleaning gardens for the rest of his life. That was if he was lucky, 'The police are probably looking for me right now. Why did I do that!? I could have had it all. Who cares if they don't love me! I could've used them like they used me... It's too late now.'
When Kade exited his thoughts, he saw a small park in front of him. There where swings, a monkey bar and a massive enclosed jungle gym. Kade entered the jungle gym and sat inside, where it was dry.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw a bunch of messages.
{Where are you}
{Are you safe}
{Please tell me you are safe!?}
I am skipping the rest of the backstory. The story comes to a dead stop so we can learn about his troubled childhood? I would prefer getting back to exploring his powers and the beta world.
It is your prerogative as a reader to skip it and I understand that but it more than just a troubled backstory.
I agree that this was a bit ham fisted and jarring. It is a very abrupt cut for no apparent reason. It would have been much better told in the context of the main story. Such as a intimate conversation with someone down the line, even better if interwoven in parts exposing small facets of personality.
You could have had some reminiscence about being bounced around while he was looking for a more permanent home for example. A brief flashback watching some drunkards getting into a fist fight or getting into one himself. This kind exposition dump is not really the best way imo.
@fishsandwich Jarring and cutting the story, I can understand, but for no apparent reason, I don't. I explained that he had to recall painful memories, hence the backstory, for the mc to use his darkness. Not only that, but I have been building this part since the beginning of the story already.
We are on the wrong chapter to explain the linking elements without spoiling new readers to discover them themselves. All I'm saying is the way he handled the first fight with the blapahu was not by chance.
So, all in all, I don't think I'm wrong, but I do believe my execution was flawed. That is something that will come with time. I am a first-time writer, after all. I never intended it to be perfect, but I am grateful that you pointed out my mistakes.
Anyway, I'm most likely going to continue to make them much to my dissatisfaction. Whether you have decided to drop or continue to read, like always, thank you for reading.