The Unwritten Chapter

Cael was nearly finished packing when the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention. He turned to see James—the man who was now his adoptive father—enter the room. Beside him stood a woman with warm tan skin, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

She introduced herself as Kim, her voice gentle and trembling with emotion. She was what some might call a natural beauty, a "Morena," glowing with an elegance that seemed untouched by the grief etched into her features.

Kim stepped closer, her sadness pouring through her expression. "My poor boy," she said softly, her voice cracking as tears spilled freely down her face. She pulled Cael into an embrace, the weight of her sorrow pressing against him.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, stroking his hair in a comforting gesture. "Patricia… your mother… She was my sister. She was the only family to me as her sister in law, and I loved her dearly."

Her words struck a painful chord in Cael. He felt the sharp sting of guilt. Kim's comfort was genuine, but it wasn't meant for him—it was meant for the original Cael. The ache in his chest deepened as he realized just how foreign this world was to him. Everything felt wrong. Everything felt undeserved.

Silent tears began to roll down his cheeks as he held onto Kim. To anyone watching, he looked like a grieving son mourning his parents' loss. But the truth was far more complicated. He wasn't crying for Patricia and Clide Baker—strangers whose lives had been tragically cut short. He was crying for his own family, the one he'd left behind in his old life.

Will I ever see them again? he wondered bitterly. His older brothers, his sisters, his mother, and father… the warmth of their bond seemed impossibly distant now. For a fleeting moment, he allowed himself the fragile hope that maybe, someday, he could find a way back.

But another thought crept into his mind, a bitter truth that made his heart sink further: If the original Cael and I truly switched places, I can only hope he's living my life better than I did. I hope he's cherishing the family I took for granted.

The rest of the day passed in a haze of melancholy. James and Kim brought him to see Patricia and Clide one last time.

Cael hesitated as they entered the mortuary. The stillness in the room felt suffocating, yet he forced himself to step closer.

Patricia lay peacefully, her features so perfect they seemed almost ethereal. Her blonde hair fanned out around her like a golden halo, framing a face so beautiful it seemed touched by the divine. She looked like a sleeping princess, frozen in eternal slumber.

Beside her was Clide, a strikingly handsome man with sharp features softened only by the dark waves of his hair. Together, they looked almost unreal—like something out of a dream. And perhaps that's why the original Cael had been so breathtakingly beautiful.

Cael stared at them, his chest tightening with grief—not his own, but the grief he imagined the original Cael must have felt. These were his parents, the ones he had lost, leaving him utterly alone in the world.

In his mind, Cael whispered a silent vow: I will take care of Cael. Rest in peace, Patricia and Clide.

James and Kim quietly handled the paperwork in the corner of the room, giving him a moment to himself. He continued to stand there, gazing at the lifeless forms of two people he'd never known yet felt obligated to mourn.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, clasping his hands in front of him. If there's a God listening, please… guide me. I don't know how to live this life, but I'll try. Just don't leave me alone in this unfamiliar world.

The weight of his situation bore down on him, but as he opened his eyes, he resolved to take one step forward, even if he didn't know where it would lead.