Kartasura, 1980

Heavy rain drummed relentlessly on the tin roof, creating a monotonous rhythm that soothed. Each drop that struck the metal produced a sound that subdued the noise within the shabby house in a corner of Kartasura. A young boy sat huddled in a corner of the room. His name was not important. He was only seven years old, yet his life was already immersed in deep darkness.

"You're always daydreaming, huh?" his mother's voice pierced the silence sharply.

Sari often looked at him with undisguised resentment, her eyes narrowed in deep disgust.

"Who do you think you are? You're just a burden in this house."

The boy didn't reply, only bowed his head deeper, feeling the coldness of the earthen floor beneath him. His rapid heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears, blending with the thunderous rain outside. His father, Budi, seldom came home, and when he did, he brought with him an anger that always found its target.

One night, everything changed. Budi staggered home drunk, carrying more rage than usual. The smell of alcohol stung the air, churning the boy's stomach. Budi's footsteps were heavy and unstable, slamming loudly on the wooden floorboards. Harsh words shot from Budi's mouth like bullets, piercing the boy's ears accustomed to verbal violence.

"You useless brat!" Budi yelled, his face flushed with alcohol and fury.

His eyes gleamed angrily under the dim light of an oil lamp.

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"Why were you even born, huh? You're just a burden to us!"

The boy remained silent, his eyes staring straight at his father, unafraid. His heart was cold, like the floor beneath him.

"I didn't ask to be born," he whispered, barely audible amidst the rain's roar.

Budi grabbed the boy's collar roughly, pulling him close until his breath felt suffocated.

"What did you say?" he hissed, his breath reeking of sharp alcohol.

"Don't... I can't... breathe..." the boy gasped, trying to loosen his father's grip.

His eyes widened, searching for air that suddenly felt scarce.

Sari, standing in the corner of the room, watched the scene without emotion, as if she were already bored with the same show every day.

"Budi, that's enough!," she finally said, her voice flat and cold, almost like a whisper. "I can't take it anymore. He has to go."

Budi pushed the boy until he fell to the floor, feeling the pain spread through his back.

"You hear that, you useless child? Even your mother doesn't want you."

The boy pleaded with Sari through his eyes, seeking a glimmer of hope in her cold expression.

"Mother, please... I have nowhere else to go..."

"Go and never come back," Sari said coldly.

Her voice was like a sharp knife that pierced the boy's heart. "You're not my child."

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Enveloped in Darkness

The rain continued to pour heavily as the boy stood outside the house, his small body trembling with cold and fear. Every raindrop that touched his skin felt like icy needles piercing his bones. Budi and Sari stared at him emotionlessly. With a small bag containing a few clothes and leftover food, the boy was expelled from the home that should have been his sanctuary.

The boy looked at them one last time before turning away and walking off, his head bowed. The rain blurred his vision, but he didn't care. Beneath his fear, something else began to grow—cold anger and bitterness. Each step he took created barely audible splashes in the midst of the rain's roar.

His steps felt heavy, each footfall into puddles sending cold seeping into his worn-out shoes. He shivered, but there was no choice but to keep walking. The dim streetlights only added to the oppressive sense of loneliness.

Under a large tree, the boy stopped for a moment. He looked up, letting the rain soak his face. Tears mixed with rainwater, flowing endlessly.

"Why me?" he whispered, barely audible. "What did I do wrong?"

There was no answer, only the relentless sound of the rain, as if mocking him.