**_TW: SUICIDE_**

Amadi finally escaped Kaso, the kingdom of death.

That’s what the Kasons call it.

Kaso has the nickname for a reason. Everywhere you go, there is death. It’s all you ever see. It’s all you ever know. It’s all Amadi has ever known.

When Amadi was ten, his mother got killed by Kaso guards. Six months later, his dad took Amadi and his littler brother, Jabari, to the green pond to kill himself.

The pond is basically what it’s called. The pond is a sap green of bubbling mess. If the bubbles pop on you, it feels like you’re getting burnt alive. If you drink it, of course you die. It burns your stomach. No-one knows how the pond came to be, some say it’s natural, others say it’s another way of the royals to kill us.

People often drink from pure desperation from being dehydrated for so long. They know the consequences, but they wanted to feel the liquid going down their throats, they wanted to get rid of the feeling of a dry mouth and throat.

Desperation changes people.

It changed Amadi’s father.

His father explained to him that they can’t survive like this anymore. No water, no food, no life. He told him that the only way to get out of here was suicide.

Then, he dropped the baby into the pond.

Jabri screamed for a whole five seconds before the noises stopped.

Amadi had to watch his brother die that day in silence. If he was to scream for him, it would draw attention. Attention in Kaso is bad.

Then, his father took out a single cup, Amadi didn’t know where his father was able to find one but he didn’t question it, and placed it inside the green liquid to drink. He looked at his son and said, "After I drink this, it’ll be your turn, okay?"

Amadi’s eyes widened. "_Tita_?"

His father nodded. "_Symfi_. You heard me."

"_Tiska arni!_" the boy shook his head, stepping back. "_Arni!_"

His dad set the blue cup down on the ground and kneeled down in front of him. "Amadi, _blief_. We can’t live like this anymore."

Amadi considered protesting more but he knew his father wouldn’t budge. So, he sighed and nodded. "_Symfi_."

He nodded and stood up. "Gid." He grabbed the cup and looked down at his son. "I’ll see you in the _nolashi_."

He brought the cup to his lips.

Amadi watched him swallow. A minute after, his dad screamed.

He grabbed a stick and put it inside between his dad’s mouth for him to bite down on.

Two minutes, his father died.

Amadi looked down at him. He grabbed the cup and looked down at it.

His gripped tightened around it.

_ How could his own dad tell him to kill himself? How could he kill his own baby son?_

_ _Amadi grunted and threw the cup into the green pond.

He walked away.

He will find a way to get out of here, he swore to himself.

He will escape.

Five years later, he did.

(Based off of my War of Survival Manuscript)