Sanctuary: In a Weight of The World

He woke to the sound of the alarm. His head ached terribly, but he still dragged himself to the bathroom.

After washing up, he went downstairs to cook breakfast and then walked to school alone.

It had become his routine every day since he was 15 years old. He had no one to serve him breakfast and no one to drive him to school.

His family was the renowned "Gunderson Family," the most influential and wealthiest in the city. His mom had been the richest investor before she married his father, the owner of Gunderson Corp. His brother was a successful actor, and another was a CEO.

His family had it all, but not him. He received the worst treatment from the servants, and his family ignored him. He had to work day and night to cover his expenses and provide for himself.

As he arrived at school, someone bumped into him.

"Uggh—I'm sorry..."

"Hey, look where you're going, nerd."

"I-I'm sorry... I... I’m—"

"Cut to the chase. Where's my homework?"

"I... I'm sorry... I-I forgot it yesterday."

"You should know the consequences of your actions, right?"

He trembled, the fear of what was coming next overtaking him. He spoke up, his voice shaky.

"Please, give me some time... I'll finish it now."

"You can't finish it now since I’ll be passing these out this morning. Do you understand?"

"Let me just take my frustration out on you, mmh?"

The bully smirked and dragged him by his shirt to the back of the classroom building, shoving him into the wall, punching and kicking him as hard as they could.

His pleading was useless, and his body started to lose all its strength. They left him lying on the cold floor, helpless and unable to stand, until his vision slowly faded into darkness.

He woke up, finding it was almost night, the dusk settling in. He struggled to sit up, the pain in his belly making it difficult. He stared into nothing for a moment, a hint of hopelessness and tears visible in his eyes. After a minute, he searched for his phone in his pocket, realizing he was almost late for his night shift.

Determined, he did his best to pull himself up and stand, pushing through the pain to make it to his night shift.

He should have walked to the café since bus fare was too expensive for him, but even walking was difficult. So, he took the bus, knowing his manager wouldn’t tolerate late workers.

When he arrived, as expected, his manager questioned him sternly.

"Why are you late?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I fell asleep. It won't happen again, I promise."

He answered, looking down, determined to keep his job. It was his second time being late, and he knew his manager didn’t tolerate excuses. He prayed he wouldn’t lose his job.

"Tell me, did you really just fall asleep, or is there another reason?"

"Yes, sir. I really fell asleep."

"Fine. Go to work. This is the last time I’ll allow it. There won’t be a next time, got it?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best!"

The manager gave Jaiden a dubious look as he passed by, noticing how he seemed to be struggling to walk, but he pushed the thought aside.

As Jaiden walked to the back door of the kitchen to grab his apron, he felt dizzy and stumbled into a locker. Still, he continued working, cleaning the tables, and serving the customers.

Jaiden didn’t interact with his coworkers, as he was an introvert, except for his manager, with whom he occasionally spoke. He had no friends in school or at work. He focused solely on his job and studies.

The clock ticked to 8 p.m., and Jaiden finished his night shift. He exited the café, saying goodbye to his manager.

After his shift, he walked 10 to 12 minutes to get to the "Doggie House," a home for stray and rescued dogs. He worked there, caring for the animals.

It wasn’t a burden or about the money; he loved the work more than anything in the world. He had a soft spot for animals, especially dogs.

After he arrived, he opened the gate and was immediately greeted by a bunch of dogs running toward him. He kneeled down, petting them as their tails wagged excitedly.

Then, the door opened, revealing Arnold.

Arnold treats Jaiden as his grandson, he alway give him food and takes care of him when he comes to his house.

Despite the sad and painful day, Jaiden felt a wave of relief upon seeing Arnold. He walked toward him and embraced him, and his hugged him back, offering a sense of comfort.

This place was special to Jaiden—a place where he could run to, a sanctuary where he could cry when he felt broken, and where the weight of the world seemed to lift. It was the one place he felt loved and comforted, something he hadn’t experienced in years.

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