Other World 13

Third Person's POV

Alex looked at him with a mix of love and sorrow. "Because I wanted you to be honest with yourself, without the burden of trying to please me or live up to my expectations. I wanted you to see that it's okay to question your path, to doubt, to wonder if you're doing the right thing."

The young lad's shoulders slumped, the weight of his father's words pressing down on him. "I just… I wanted to do something that mattered," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to make a difference, to prove that I could be like you."

Alex placed a hand on the young lad's shoulder, his grip firm but gentle. "You don't have to prove anything to me, Rai. You've already made a difference, just by being who you are. But you also need to know when to take a step back, to take care of yourself. You can't carry the weight of the world alone."