The unknown: orb world

Chapter 2: Before the curse

Ten years ago.

Bjorn sat in the back seat of the car, knees drawn up, staring out the window as trees blurred past. Up front, his mother's voice broke the silence.

"Where are we traveling to this time, dear?"

His father chuckled. "It's a surpri—"

WEEE-WONK!

BOOM!!

The crash came out of nowhere. Metal twisted. Glass shattered. The world flipped sideways.

And as it did, through the chaos and screaming tires, Bjorn saw something that would haunt him forever—

A woman. Standing by a flickering roadside light. Watching.

Still. Silent. Unblinking.

> They said it was an accident. A freak crash. But I remember… someone watching.

---

When he woke up, everything was different.

He lay in a cold hospital bed, face bruised, stitched at the lip. Machines beeped rhythmically. A nurse moved in the background, more shadow than person.

> I survived. Barely.

---

After the hospital, there was no reunion. No home.

Just rain.

A small, gloomy house waited at the end of a gravel road.

> After the hospital, I was sent to live with my uncle.

They gave him the room nobody wanted. Just a thin mattress. Peeling walls. Dust.

> They gave me the room no one wanted.

At the dinner table, everyone ate. Except him.

"You're too late. No food left," his aunt said.

> I wasn't family. I was the crash they didn't ask for.

---

Time passed. The storm inside him grew.

He sat by the cracked window, watching. Thinking. Burning.

> He stopped hoping. He started planning.

He knew the layout of the house now. Knew where his uncle kept the cash—hidden deep in the drawer.

> He knew exactly where the money was.

One night, while the rain poured and thunder grumbled in the distance, he packed his things.

He didn't look back.

> He didn't vanish. He escaped.

By morning, his uncle's shouts echoed through the house as he discovered the empty drawer.

> They never saw him again.

---

Out in the rain, a boy walked alone.

From the shadows, unseen by him, the silhouette of the old woman appeared again.

This time, she was smiling.

Dear friends and readers,

I hope this message finds you well. I’m reaching out to share something deeply personal and important to me — I’ve recently completed my novel, a story that has taken months of passion, sleepless nights, and relentless creativity. Writing this book has been more than just storytelling; it has been a journey of self-discovery, healing, and expression.

Now that the words are on the page, I need your help to bring this story to life and into the hands of readers. Whether you're an avid book lover or someone who believes in supporting growing creatives, your support — in any form — would mean the world to me.

You can support my novel by sharing it with others, offering feedback, purchasing a copy once it’s released, or even just spreading the word on social media. Every small action adds up and helps more than you might think.

This novel represents a piece of me — the struggles I’ve faced, the emotions I’ve poured into each character, and the hope that my words might resonate with someone out there. If you’ve ever believed in me, or in the power of stories to move and connect people, I humbly ask for your support now.