Back when Callum was little, he believed his dad was a god. Unlike other fathers; Kasumi didn't have a boring job where he was cooped up in a little cubical in front of a screen- or out pouring buckets in the sweltering sun.

Nope.

His dad was a gambler and Callum grew up hearing stories about how his dad would get flown out to tournaments for free and how he always booked the largest hotel suites.

Callum had even been told that his dad at one point-fell in love with the most beautiful woman he'd met, which was how he came to be. He wasn't sure if he'd wanted any details but Kasumi's friends at the time did not disappoint-though looking back now-Callum was positive he'd been scarred. 

Any day now, Callum hoped beyond hope that his dad's glory days would return. It'd be nice to have a roof over their heads for more than a couple of weeks.

Maybe then his mom would return and be sorry she left. But now at thirteen, Callum knew better than to believe in fairytales.

He kicked the door open to their ratty apartment, causing the hinges to squeal.

Callum hobbled inside weighed down by grocery bags. He dumped everything in the tiny kitchen and his eyes slid to the tiny living room where his dad was slumped on the couch.

His hair was a mess of dark curled on his head that was long overdue for a cut, there was stubble on his chin that he usually wouldn't allow, and his skin had a yellowish hue to it.

Kasumi's arm was hanging off the couch- a bottle of beer held in his hand.

Averting his gaze from the sight he made quick work of storing away the food before checking the fridge for leftovers. He pulled out a to-go dish from a couple of weeks ago that he'd been saving, Callum popped the container in the microwave.

Soon the smell of curried goat and rice filled his nose causing him to drool and hop from foot to foot in anticipation. 

Kasumi shifted on the couch and Callum stopped to glance in his direction-he'd rolled over onto his side, dropping the beer bottle on the floor, and spilling the foul-smelling stuff everywhere.

Callum stifled a groan. He'd just mopped.

The microwave beeped alerting him that his food was heated. He padded over-fork in hand -and pulled the container from the microwave. 

Licking his lips he dug in and had finished half of the food before his dad woke and shuffled into the kitchen. Callum jumped and a layer of ice covered the fork he'd been holding. He stuffed it into his pocket and plastered what he hoped was a believable smile on his face.

Kasumi flicked the light on momentarily blinding Callum. His dad snatched the container from him and began stuffing his face.

"Mmm. This good." he slurred, "Took care of the rent, yeah? I can always count on you."

Callum said nothing but watched as his meal was slowly reduced to a greasy puddle and a few pieces of soggy rice. The meal had been given to him from Mr. Stan who owned a restaurant a little ways into town.

He was careful to keep his emotions in check so his power didn't flare again.

In the city of Ashton on planet Adoni, people with any magical abilities were considered good luck. Kasumi on the other hand had expressed how he felt about those freaks. Completely unaware that his son was one of them.

"Gonna get out of this soon, Cal. You'll see."

Kasumi dumped the container on the counter before he left the apartment, hinges squealing as he closed the door.

Callum sat up in the apartment's only bedroom, flipping through a history book he had managed to find. Though many of the pages had holes in them and were yellowed at the edges, the book was like a jewel to him. 

They had moved around too much for his dad to sign him up for school - so Callum took every opportunity that presented itself for him to learn something new. 

He loved reading because it distracted him from the horrors he experienced on the daily.

He shifted his position in the beanbag chair and began reading: "Old Earth was a planet designated for all. Humans, animals big and small, and everything in between. Until scientists discovered that Old Earth was dying. So they went to work to look for a new home. They were successful in locating seven.

-Adoni

-Zell

-Dolz

-Nova

-Tithus

-Bastelliar

-Alom

Callum went on like this for an hour. "Our planet, Adoni is the new home for humans but then Tithus declared war-killing thousands, destroying cities and killing superhumans." Callum paused, eyebrows curled then continued. "Government leaders decided to keep the surviving superhumans safe, they'd send them to Dolz who became an ally and has been an enemy to Tithus for decades-"

The squealing hinges caught him off guard and a thin layer of ice covered the page he'd been reading. Callum tossed the book in a nearby crate and slumped down just as his dad entered the room.

"H-Hey ol' sport-" his voice sounded worse when he'd left an hour and a half ago. Kasumi tripped over something and giggled.

Callum peeled his eyes open and tried not to throw up. Kasumi looked like a haggled mess. Sweat beaded his forehead, his hair sticking to it in clumps, his cheeks were bright red; Callum sincerely doubted his dad ran here, he could hardly stand. If anything he looked demented.

Blinking back tears, Callum pushed to his feet and helped his dad get to the only bathroom where he undressed him and gave him a bath.

Kasumi had been in a daze as though he'd never seen a bathtub before.He splashed water dousing Callum multiple times, when Callum had dried him off and given him fresh clothes; he led him to the bed and helped him climb in.

Moments-maybe seconds later- his dad had fallen asleep. Callum went to mop up the puddles of water and let out the murky water in the tub. He washed his hands then changed his shirt before plopping down in the beanbag chair in the corner.

A nasty dark feeling washed over him as he father's wet snores filled the room, Callum made sure to turn on the AC on high but it didn't help.

He tried covering his head with a banket to muffle the sound, but it was nearly impossible. His blanket grew cold and stiff, he pushed it aside where it clattered to the floor. The snoring got louder and Callum gave up on sleep altogether.

He needed to get out before his head explodes.