The sound of coarse laughter filled Jack's ears as two men dragged his limp body through the underbrush. He couldn't see them, but their hands were rough, gripping his arms tightly, pulling him over stones and roots that jabbed into his already broken body. His senses had dulled after the horrific ordeal in the white room. The pain of losing his eyes was unbearable, but worse still was the realization that his life, once so full of promise, was no longer his own. The world was now a mass of endless darkness.
"We don't need to go too far," one of the men grunted, his voice rough like gravel. "The river will take care of him."
"Let's just get this over with. I don't like carrying dead weight," the other man replied, his tone flat and cold.
Jack could hear the steady rush of water nearby, a faint yet ominous whisper that grew louder as they approached the edge of the city. The air was damp, heavy with the scent of earth and rot. The pain surged through him with every jarring step they took, his body a broken vessel, but his mind refused to succumb entirely. The men stopped suddenly, their boots scuffling on the rocks by the riverbank.
"Alright, let's dump him here," the first man said.
Jack tried to resist, to muster some strength to struggle against his captors, but his limbs refused to obey. He was too weak, too disoriented. His world was darkness, a void where nothing existed but the echoes of his own pain. Before he could make any noise, he felt their hands loosen and the cold slap of water envelop him as they threw him into the river.
The icy water swallowed him whole, dragging him under as he gasped for air. The current was strong, tugging at his clothes and pulling his body into its depths. For a moment, he thought it might be better to give in, to let the river carry him away into the abyss. What was left for him now? No eyes to see the world, no future to grasp, and no hope of understanding why this had happened.
His body bobbed to the surface, his head breaking through the water, but he could barely breathe, the cold seeping into his bones. Every part of him ached, his muscles screaming for relief, his chest burning as the river twisted and turned him like a rag doll. All he could feel was the dull throb of where his eyes had once been, now empty sockets that leaked blood into the river.
It would be easier to die here.
The thought gnawed at his mind, tugging at the edges of his willpower. What did he have to live for now? A future of endless darkness? A life where he would be forever broken, unable to fend for himself?
He drifted, his body floating aimlessly through the current. The pain was so overwhelming that the temptation to just let go was almost irresistible.
But then, a flicker of something familiar broke through the suffocating numbness—a memory.
His parents. His father's rough hands, calloused from years of working the fields, gently ruffling Jack's hair when he'd come home with good grades. His mother's soft, encouraging voice, urging him to do better in school so he wouldn't have to break his back in the fields like they did. He remembered the sacrifices they made, how his father worked long hours under the sweltering sun, and how his mother did the accounts late into the night to stretch every penny so they could afford to send him to school in the city.
He thought of his little sister, Ella. She had given up her own dreams of studying to help out at the farm, taking on the labor alongside their parents so Jack could focus on his studies. She never complained, always smiling, always so proud of him. She had so much potential, but she had sacrificed it all for him.
The weight of their sacrifices hit him like a blow to the chest, cutting through the haze of despair. Jack's heart pounded, not from fear, but from the sheer realization of how much his family had given up for him. How could he let it all end like this?
No. He couldn't die here. Not like this. Not after everything they'd done for him. They had put their faith in him, believed in him, and sacrificed for him. He couldn't throw all of that away.
Gritting his teeth, Jack willed his arms to move, his muscles screaming in protest as he fought against the current. His body was weak, battered and bruised, and he couldn't see anything in the black void that had become his reality, but the thought of his family pushed him forward.
He thrashed in the water, blindly reaching out for anything—anything that could keep him afloat. His hands found nothing but water, but he refused to stop. His breath came in ragged gasps as he pushed through the pain, the cold river biting into his skin, but his mind was locked onto one thought: survive.
After what felt like an eternity, his fingers brushed against something solid—mud. He clung to it desperately, pulling himself toward the shore with what little strength he had left. His knees scraped against rocks as he dragged himself onto the riverbank, collapsing onto the wet ground. His chest heaved as he gulped in air, his body shuddering with exhaustion and pain. The cold air stung his skin, but he was alive. Against all odds, he had survived.
Jack lay there for a moment, his body trembling, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened. He could hear the river rushing beside him, but all he could focus on was the pounding of his heart, the rhythmic beat reminding him that he was still here, still breathing.
His family's faces flashed through his mind once more—his father's stern but loving gaze, his mother's warm smile, his sister's bright eyes full of admiration. They had given everything for him. They believed in him. How could he ever repay that if he gave up now?
With great effort, Jack rolled onto his back, his chest heaving as he took deep, steadying breaths. He couldn't see the sky, but he could feel the cool wind brushing against his face, a reminder that he was still part of this world, no matter how broken he felt. His hands clenched into fists, the rough earth grounding him as he lay there, battered but alive.
"I won't give up," Jack whispered to the empty air, his voice barely audible over the sound of the river. "I won't let them win."
Tears welled up in his empty sockets, not from pain, but from the overwhelming emotion that flooded his chest. He had been stripped of everything, but he still had one thing left—his will to live. He would find a way to survive. He would find a way to fight back, for himself, for his family, and for everything they had sacrificed for him.
Jack stayed on the riverbank for what felt like hours, gathering his strength. He knew he couldn't stay there forever. Eventually, he would have to move, to find help, to figure out how to live in this new, dark world. But for now, he allowed himself a moment of peace, lying on the cold ground, his body aching, but his spirit unbroken.