It was seven years ago, on a certain nostalgic day back on Earth.
The two young siblings burst through their front door the moment they reached the driveway. Ernie and Eyvonne Neswitt have just come back from a particularly special day of school.
The day they were handed their report cards.
On both their reports, they've passed all subjects with more than flying colors. Perfect scores were even dotted here and there. Nobody else in their respective year ever topped them before.
For Ernie, this was his first exam after entering his first year of primary school. He was only five at that time. On that unnaturally sunny day during late fall, he was eager to show his parents the results he was so proud of. He'd gotten two perfect scores, along with four other high marks. It was his first exam, and he was incredibly happy to have gotten such good results.
His teachers and peers came praising him for his ability. It was once in a blue moon when such a bright student would appear in their school — and Ernie was one of them.
The other oddity was of course, his sister. Eyvonne Neswitt, five years older than her younger brother, was already accustomed to these high praises. She had been consecutively scoring unimaginably high marks in each exam, topping every leaderboard in her year. She was a prodigy among prodigies. A phenomenon unseen before.
And her talents weren't just restricted to academics. She excelled at literally everything — sports, competitions, communication, and even charming boys — they were only naïve ten-year-olds at the time, though. No matter how one sees it, Eyvonne is a perfect being. Smart, athletic, capable, social — she's got it all.
As Eyvonne's brother, Ernie would naturally be expected to be as good, or even better than her. It was only normal that a relative would have the amount of talent she had. But how could he possibly do so? How could Ernie possibly pass that hurdle? A hurdle so high it seems impossible for even upperclassmen to begin to tackle?
He wanted to prove himself. Ernie took on the challenge, so innocently, and worked day and night to bring out his full potential. He had the foundations — the genes in his body were hers, no way could they be inferior, right? — and he built upon them diligently. Like a slave working restlessly under harsh conditions, he ploughed through every single free period he had to study. He memorized information to the point where he could recite entire chapters of textbooks; he researched further into the subjects where the curriculum didn't even begin to touch until his next year.
Ernie was dedicated to his work. He didn't falter. That burning desire to accomplish something has consumed his heart and mind, making him hypnotized to the yearning of success. He had naught but one motivation — to prove his worth. To prove he is just as talented as his sister.
And right now, at this instance, that hard work might just pay off. No — it will pay off. Held high in his merrily waving hand, was the beige-colored report card where all his results lie. He had not been disappointed when he first saw his results — they were beyond spectacular. Even his teachers and classmates said so. He was the top of the year by a longshot.
Those kind words of his peers and seniors gave him so much happiness. It had been so long since anyone has ever complimented him on his work. Beyond ecstatic, and possibly blinded by the wanting to gain more, he called for his mum and dad excitedly.
"Mum, dad! Look what I've got," he bellowed through the house. His mother, who had been preparing lunch in the kitchen, came rushing into the living room; similarly, his father, who had been watching the news, turned to look at his hyper son.
"You mean what we've got." A small piece of paper hit the top of his head; it was his sister, Eyvonne, humorously slapping his head with her own report card. She was an elegant young girl — short and straight black hair, much like her brother's, but much less messy; sharp eyes with a glint of crimson; a fair face with a sharp and defined chin; average height of a normal ten-year-old girl. She looks ordinarily beautiful in every aspect.
Ernie groaned, scratching his head where his sister had hit him. He didn't dislike her — no, he hadn't grown that kind of animosity toward his superior yet. Perhaps he was just young and innocent, though he felt annoyed whenever his sister was in the spotlight, and not him. She had always been rewarded for her achievements — Ernie did as well, but not to that extent — and was always sung praises to like a masterpiece of an artwork. Ernie felt convulsed towards that.
But he didn't hate her as a person — not yet, at least. His life had been nice prior to his unknown traumas. The comparisons between him and his sister did push a button or two, yes — but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. At most, he'd just be regarded as 'not good enough' or 'doesn't live up to his sister.'
It was partly due to his still early life. After all, he was only five — how much can a five-year-old do with that short amount of time? It was those people who are stupid — they can't see that Eyvonne has gotten a five-year headstart. They were all blinded by the fact that Ernie is her brother — and that one fact has driven home in them that this boy must be just as good as his elder sister.
"Ah, it's that time again, isn't it?" The father bellowed, turning off the television with a remote. He stood up and looked expectantly at his two children — more particularly at Eyvonne. "Yes — how about we do youngest to oldest? Ernie, let me see yours."
Without a hint of hesitation, Ernie more than eagerly handed his report card to his father. His mother came by her husband's side as well to see. Their eyes widened in surprise, contempt and satisfaction filling up their eyes, as if to say, "just as we expected!"
"Incredible!" cried his father, "Absolutely incredible! Very well done, Ernie!"
"Yes, such amazing scores—!" his mother exclaimed next. "With two perfect scores, no less! How wonderful!"
Ernie was so happy at that moment he couldn't suppress the humungous grin on his face. Reaching ear to ear and showing clearly his front teeth, the amount of happiness seeping through his face was more than evident. He wanted to jump around and yell "I did it! I did it!", all the while flailing around his report card.
"As expected of our little Ernie — such a bright mind! I think you just might be able to beat your sister this time!" His mother continued to congratulate him. The joy that brought in Ernie's head made it dizzy. The endorphins rushed through his mind like ocean waves crashing furiously at the cliff in a stormy sea.
"What about you, Eyvonne?" His father turned his full attention to the other child in the room now. Ernie had been completely shut aside this time around. He merely observed the next few minutes of his parents shouting about praises and compliments to his sister.
"Oh, it's even better than last year!"
"This is unbelievable!"
"How wonderful—!"
"Eyvonne, you're such a genius!"
"Hans — Eyvonne — you know what this calls for?"
"A celebration?" Eyvonne asked intriguingly, though she already knew the answer.
"Absolutely! Come — I'll cook up the best lunch you'll ever have!"
"I'll set up the plates!" Hans exclaimed joyously.
Ernie stood there, dumbstruck, at the sight in front of him. He couldn't feel anything in his heart. It was stone cold, emotionless, like a lifeless doll. His soulless eyes staring into space could prove that.
He didn't know why this feeling rested inside him. To see his sister get so much more praise than him; to see her be the pivoting point where his own parents would go and crack open a party; to see himself shunned away like he never existed, only to serve as comparison fodder to his sister. It was... sad. He felt empty. What were those praises for? What's the point of all those 'kind' words? Did his parents even mean them?
He stood, affixed and still, unmoving and empty. The grin on his face was long gone. He felt confused — why is he feeling this way? Shouldn't he be happy? After all, he was given so much congratulatory words. So much congratulatory words, yet it was only a fraction to what his sister got.
It was miserable. His sister would always get everything. So there was a point in letting him show off his report card first. They were saving the best for last. Does that mean I'm not good enough...? Those thoughts scarred Ernie's heart, like thorns plucking mercilessly at every point it can touch.
"What are you standing there for?" A single voice came clearly into his mind amidst the fuzzy background noises — his sister was talking to him. "We've got a party to celebrate!"
"O-Oh," Ernie muttered. "Oh, yeah. Yeah. A party. Woo-hoo...!"
That happiness was fake. That joy he felt when his parents complimented him was fake. Not one single word they uttered meant anything. All of that congratulatory stuff they spewed out of their mouth is undoubtedly, and utterly fake.
Ernie realized this. He realized this in his daydream. That's why he felt so cold when they praised his sister. That's why he never got anything else other than half-heartedly thought-out gifts. That's why he was always compared to his sister.
Nobody cared for his success. Expectations of him were already long gone. They were replaced by unreasonable requests and annoying competitions against his sister. People only said nice things to him for formality — behind his back, they were laughing. Laughing at him. Ernie was sure of it.
Everyone was just wearing masks to conceal their disgust. Yeah... that's right, Ernie thought. I'm useless. I'm no match for that sister of mine. I'm just a piece second-hand junk that can't begin to compare to her.
But somewhere, in his heart, he didn't want to yield to those thoughts. He didn't want to lose all hope and instead choose to dwell inside his sister's shadow. He had better things to do, he was sure of it. He knew better than to just cry out his eyes and complain that it's not fair. No — nothing's ever fair for me. I've been living an unfair life the moment I was born. This was my fate. This was my destiny. To wallow in her shadow, like a useless brat...
—But I'll show her who I am. I'll show my parents, my peers, my teachers — I'll show them all what I'm made of. I'll work to the core of my body just to surpass her. I will escape the fate that has dictated my life. I will beat even the flow of fate itself — I'll create a different future for myself. I'll show them — who I am.
With a single blink of his eyes, he came back to his senses. "Mmph, yeah, let's have a nice party," he said emptily. He walked on into the kitchen, in tow of his sister.
That day was when he realized all this. That day was the start of his miserable and traumatic life, full of comparisons and thorny words and hateful sneers.
But that day also gave birth to a burning desire deep within his heart — a desire to defeat and surpass his sister. This will be his goal for the rest of his life. This will be his newly built future, a future where he chose to forge in order to break away from the unfair one fate has bestowed upon him. Because it's only fair, right? It's only fair that I get to unchain myself from this miserable life I'll have.