Kyle lay in the bed, blankly staring at his phone screen. He was watching an anime that was quite popular among teens, but his eyes were strangely unfocused, it seemed like he was lost in deep thought.
He came out of his reverie when he felt the familiar coldness creeping underneath his skin.
He was thin, his skin was pale like a vampire, and his black hair fluttered in the breeze coming through the cracked window. The room was quiet—too quiet. The faint sounds of the wind, the hum of cars, and the muffled chatter of people were the only sounds accompanying him. It was as if life was moving on without him.
The disease, a rare and unnamed curse of the body, had consumed him for years. No doctor could cure it, no medication could touch it. He could feel its grip tightening each day, slowly but surely sucking his life force away. At sixteen, he had already accepted that his days were limited.
A small breeze stirred the thin curtains, allowing a sliver of sunlight to spill onto the floor, casting a golden hue. Kyle turned his head to the side, his gaze falling on the window. The sun was setting again. He'd seen so many sunsets recently, each one feeling like it might be his last. He used to love watching them with the little children at the orphanage.
Yes, he was an orphan. He knew nothing about his parents or their identities. He had lived at the orphanage with the other children and a nanny who acted as a caretaker.
Kyle's chest rose slowly as he took a shallow breath, wincing at the familiar ache with each inhale. His lungs felt heavy, as if the air had grown thicker and harder to grasp.
His thoughts wandered back to the children, his only source of light in this dark, crumbling world.
They had been by his side through it all. The orphanage was nearby, so they often visited him.
The nanny, too, took care of him. She was like a motherly figure to Kyle, who had never seen his parent's faces.
She had been with him since he was a child, watching him grow, seeing him at his best and now at his worst.
The bond between them was deep, even though they were not related by blood.
She treated him as her own child, giving him the love his parents were never able to provide.
Footsteps echoed softly outside his room, and a moment later, the door creaked open. An elderly woman entered the room with slow, steady steps. Her face was wrinkled, her expression hard to read, though her eyes betrayed the sadness she tried so hard to hide.
She came and sat on a chair beside Kyle. She touched Kyle's hand and motivated him with a shaky voice, her voice filled with emotion.
"Kyle," her voice trembled, "you are strong. You've always been. You've fought so hard."
Kyle tried to smile, but the effort was too much. "I'm tired, Nanny. I don't think I can fight anymore." His voice trembled, unable to contain his emotions. It was too much for him.
Nanny's heart clenched at his words. "Don't say that, Kyle. You have to keep fighting—for yourself, for your future, for—"
"For what?" he interrupted, his voice shaking with intense emotion. "There's nothing left for me. The doctors… they said it's only a matter of time."
She couldn't argue. The truth was too painful.
"Nanny, can you bring the children tomorrow? I want to see them one last time," Kyle requested.
Her face paled at his request, and she froze, clutching the blanket in her hands.
"Don't say that, dear. You're not going anywhere. You've fought so hard, and you'll fight through this, too. You have to believe in yourself!"
Kyle gave her a weak but knowing smile, his voice just above a whisper but resolute.
"Nanny …you know as well as I do that I don't have much time left. I-I just want to see them for last time"
Tears threatened to come out of her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly. "The children don't need to see you like this; you're their strength, their hope"
"They deserve to say goodbye nanny, Please just bring them" Kyle pleaded his gaze soft.
Nanny stared at him for a long moment, her heart breaking as she realized he truly meant it. With a deep breath, she nodded her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'll bring them…but promise me that you will not give up"
Kyle can only smile at her words.
She left the room shortly after, giving him some fruit to eat.
Kyle was once again left alone in the quiet room. His mind wandered, and memories flooded in—memories of the time he spent with the children at the orphanage.
A smile bloomed on his face as he remembered their innocent, joyful faces.
He wished for the night to pass quickly so he could see the children the next day, Time was not on his side after all.
As night deepened, Kyle's room was cloaked in a still darkness that seemed to press against him. The steady ticking of a clock on the wall became a reminder of the relentless passage of time. He lay in bed, unable to shake the anticipation of seeing the children again. In his dreams, he found himself in the warm, colorful halls of the orphanage, surrounded by laughter and the light-hearted chaos that had once been his world.
*****
The next day, the morning sun pierced through the curtains, casting a gentle light across the room. Kyle, who was sleeping peacefully, woke as the sun's rays fell on his face. 'Is it already time?' Kyle thought as he glanced at the clock. It was 7 o'clock in the morning. Not yet time, so Kyle picked up his phone and started watching a video. It was a recording of him celebrating his birthday last year with the children.
As he watched, he heard multiple footsteps approaching from outside his room, and a moment later, the door creaked open.
Nanny entered, followed by a group of twelve children, ranging in age from about 5 to 14 years old.
Seeing them, Kyle's emotionless face bloomed into a beautiful smile.
A cute little girl with black hair quickly ran toward Kyle, shouting, "Brother!" The girl, Emily, ran and hugged Kyle tightly.
She always used to play teacher-role-playing games with him; she played the teacher while Kyle played the student.
Emily looked up at him, her big eyes full of curiosity and innocence. She held her worn-out doll close to her chest, tilting her head slightly.
"Hi, Emily," Kyle said softly. He managed a faint smile as the children gathered around him. Their presence was a balm to his soul, a reminder of the love and connection he had cherished all these years.
"Why do you want to see us all, big brother?" she asked, her voice soft and pure, filled with curiosity.
Kyle forced a weak smile, trying to keep his tone light. "I just wanted to say goodbye to you all, that's all."
Her little brows furrowed in confusion. "Goodbye? Are you going somewhere, brother?"
He swallowed the lump in his throat, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Yeah… somewhere far away."
Her lip quivered, and she looked up at him with tearful eyes. "But you can't go! Who will play with me if you go? Please don't go anywhere, brother. I will give you my bunny, so don't go." Bunny was the doll she was holding.
His heart ached at her innocent words. "I wish I could stay, but I have to go."
The little girl shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks as she hugged him tightly. "Then… then I will come too."
"No! Emily, you cannot. You have to stay here… Promise me that you will not cry again, that you will always smile. Promise me," Kyle gently stroked her hair, holding her close.
"sob sob I promise, so please don't go… we need you," Emily sobbed.
Seeing that the situation was escalating, Nanny stepped forward and said to Emily, "Emily, brother will always be by your side. You'll be okay, so let's send him off peacefully. If you cry, brother will become sad, so stop crying."
Nanny wiped the tears from Emily's eyes. The other children were crying too, seeing Emily in distress.
Kyle was in a bad situation; he knew that if he saw the children like this any longer, he would not be able to hold back his tears.
"Cough Cough Nanny, take the kids outside," Kyle asked.
Seeing that Kyle was in a bad condition, Nanny quickly took the kids outside. Emily was quite reluctant to leave, but Nanny somehow managed to take her outside with effort. Kyle watched the children for the last time before they were out of sight.
The pain flared again, sharp and relentless and Kyle winced, his hand instinctively clutching his chest. Nanny, who was outside the room, heard his pained moans and quickly returned.
"KYLE!"
"I'm… I'm f-fine," he lied through gritted teeth, the words strained.
But he wasn't fine. The disease was eating at him faster now, like a fire that couldn't be contained. Each breath was a battle, and each beat of his heart felt like it might be the last. The world around him started to blur, his vision darkening at the edges. He knew he was nearing death.
"Nanny…" His voice was barely audible now.
"I'm… I'm nearing my e-end… pr-promise me that you will take care of the children."
"I promise," Nanny whispered, her grip on his hand tightening, her hands shaking.
Kyle never got to experience the things he wanted—the things they'd dreamed about. College, traveling,falling in love. It was all slipping away from his grasp.
Kyle's breaths became shallower, his chest rising and falling in uneven, ragged movements. He could feel his body stop functioning, the disease claiming its victory. But even in his last moments, he wasn't alone. Nanny was there, holding his hands, her voice a comforting anchor in the darkness.
"T-thank you for caring for me until the e-end" Kyle expressed his gratitude.
"We'll miss you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
With one last, shuddering breath, Kyle closed his eyes. The pain faded, replaced by a peaceful, quiet stillness. The world around him slipped away, and as the darkness claimed him, he found solace in the thought that he wasn't leaving alone.
Nanny sobbed, filling the empty space. Kyle was gone.
But even in her grief, she knew one thing: Kyle's journey wasn't over. Not yet.