CHAPTER – HOME, PAIN, AND PROMISES
Gorth pushed the door open and saw Berry on the couch, locked into a game on the old console Gorth bought years ago. Berry glanced at him once, then went back to playing.
Typical.
Gorth sighed, walked straight to the kitchen, and started cooking. He washed the pans, served the food, and handed a plate to Berry. They ate quietly. Afterward, Gorth unplugged the console so he could watch the news.
Berry groaned.
"Hay Gorth… it's been so long since u trained me. Can we train tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sure," Gorth said. "But after the house chores, okay?"
Berry slumped.
"😩 Okay…"
Gorth continued, "And listen—after you eat, don't throw leftovers in the bin. Someone gave me a puppy on the way home. I thought you'd like it… but if we keep it, it's your responsibility."
Berry froze.
"YESSSSS!"
Gorth pointed at his plate.
"Eat first, then go see it."
After they finished, Berry sprinted outside to the tiny yard. Gorth watched him play with the puppy, laughing for the first time in days.
"Let's name him Perry!" Berry shouted.
Gorth shrugged.
"Whatever makes you happy."
At 9 pm, they lay in bed. The room was small, the lights dim.
Gorth asked quietly, "Berry… if you had anything you wanted, what would you do?"
Berry answered without thinking,
"I'd help people who suffer… like us. I don't want anyone living like we do."
That hit Gorth deep.
"Yeah… I promise you our suffering will end someday. I don't know how, but… I feel it."
Berry rested his hand on Gorth's arm.
Gorth blinked.
"Is this his way of saying he believes me? Berry never talks about his feelings… damn, he's full of pride."
THE NEXT MORNING
When Gorth woke, Berry was already outside with Perry. Gorth washed up and stepped out into the cool morning breeze. He smirked.
"Good. With that puppy, he won't bother me about training…"
Berry suddenly stood in front of him.
"Don't think you're escaping. We're training."
Gorth groaned.
But they trained anyway.
Two hours of dodging, striking, correcting Berry's sloppy movements, pushing him to get faster.
Afterward, Gorth collapsed into his long-awaited nap.
But the TV ruined it.
News:
A mother and her three children found dead on the side of the road. Bodies mutilated and dumped.
Gorth sat up slowly, anger creeping in.
"Why do people do this?… We made plans to improve the world someday… I should've added security, something big. Not that it matters—I'm too broke to change anything."
His thoughts spiraled until he heard his friends calling at the gate.
He let Kenny, Sernny, and Nerth in and handed out oranges. They immediately noticed the puppy.
"Where you get that thing?" Sernny asked.
Gorth explained about the man who couldn't afford all the pups. Then he asked about the murders. All three boys went quiet—the news hit them too.
"What can we even do to stop crime?" Gorth muttered.
Sernny replied, "You're not the only one who feels like that. The law tries… but Banavurlan's crime rate is bad."
Gorth looked at Berry laughing in the grass with Perry.
"If anything happens to my brother…"
His voice cracked slightly.
"I don't know what I'd do."
Kenny placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Nothing's happening to him. Relax."
A WALK TO THE SPAZA
The four friends headed to the nearby spaza shop. Gorth reminded Berry to lock the door and stay inside, like always.
On the way, Gorth raised a brow.
"Why are we eating at THIS shop? There are better places near school."
Nerth winked.
Gorth smirked.
"Oh… because Sernny's crush works there. Linda, right?"
When they entered, Sernny immediately brightened. Linda was behind the counter, and even Gorth nearly stumbled—she was gorgeous. Soft voice, warm smile.
They ordered. Sernny chatted with her non-stop, and when the shop got quiet, Kenny and Sernny called her over.
She sat with them.
They joked, laughed, talked about everything. Gorth watched them and thought,
"She's even kinder up close… Sernny's lucky."
After eating, Kenny asked Nerth to take a photo with his phone. They all posed—five smiling faces, the type of happiness that feels rare.
Nerth sent copies to everyone.
As they left, Linda asked, "When are you guys coming again?"
Sernny grinned.
"Tomorrow."
Outside, he told Gorth and Kenny the truth:
"She needed that. She doesn't have a home. She sleeps here in the spaza. Her boss abuses her… so real friendship helps her stay safe. I… I really love her, guys. I want to marry her someday."
The three walked in silence for a bit, taking that in.
By the time the sun started to set, the boys had spent the whole day together—talking, laughing, forgetting their pain for once.
Then Gorth headed home.