Under the stars

Chapter 2: A Turning Point.

Victor entered his third year of middle school with a determination he had never felt before. After years of taunts, insults, and daily beatings, he had had enough. He had endured the mockery and violence, tried to disappear in the school hallways, but this time, something had changed inside him. Resignation had given way to a quiet rage, an inner strength that begged to be released.

It all began after yet another altercation in the courtyard. A group of boys, accustomed to tormenting him, had cornered him against a wall. They kicked and punched him, hurling insults like they always did. “You’re nothing, Victor! Always hiding, huh?” one of them sneered before hitting him hard in the ribs. Curled up on the ground, Victor closed his eyes as usual, waiting for it to end. But this time, something inside him snapped. It wasn’t a rib, nor was it physical pain—something clicked in his mind. He couldn’t keep enduring this without doing anything.

That night, as he returned home, Victor made a decision. He was going to change, not just mentally but physically as well. He was going to prepare, become stronger, capable of defending himself and silencing those who had tormented him for so many years, once and for all.

Every morning, before the sun even rose, he would lace up his running shoes and head out. He ran until his legs shook, until his lungs burned. He ran to feel alive, to push his limits. Each stride was a scream of rebellion against everything he had endured. He would do pull-ups on the door frame until his arms were on fire. In the evening, after school, he repeated the same routine, his muscles gradually gaining strength and definition.

For months, this routine became his lifeline. The physical pain he imposed on himself allowed him to forget, if only for a few moments, the emotional wounds he had accumulated. Each day, he looked at himself in the mirror, observing the changes in his body. His arms were more muscular, his shoulders broader, and a spark of defiance now shone in his eyes. He was no longer the same Victor. He had decided to take control.

A few months later, on a gray morning, things came to a head. In the courtyard, a group of boys once again surrounded him, but this time, there was something different in the air. Victor stood taller, his muscles tense under his school uniform. One of the boys, particularly vicious, kicked him in the knee, but Victor didn’t flinch. “What’s he waiting for to cry?” mocked another. The blows rained down, but this time, Victor wasn’t going to take them passively.

He felt his anger rise like a wave, unstoppable. In an instant, he stood up suddenly, grabbing one of his attackers by the collar. Without hesitation, he delivered a brutal blow to the boy’s knee, and a sickening crack echoed in the courtyard. The boy screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground. The others froze, their faces filled with shock. They had never seen Victor fight back, let alone with such violence.

One of them, bolder or perhaps more foolish than the others, decided to lunge at him. Victor dodged the punch and, with a swift move, tripped him. The boy fell hard onto the pavement. Furious, he got up, eyes red with anger, ready to strike again. But it was too late. Police officers were already on the scene, drawn by the commotion.

Victor saw the officers approaching and made a strategic decision. He let the boy lunge at him again, taking a few punches on purpose. The officers quickly intervened, restraining the attacker. “That’s enough! Let him go!” ordered one of them as they subdued the boy. Victor, bruised but calm, allowed himself to be taken away. He had succeeded in flipping the script. He was no longer the helpless victim.

At the station, Victor calmly explained the situation. The officers, already familiar with some of these bullying incidents, were surprisingly understanding. “We know what you’ve been through, Victor. We saw what happened,” the head officer said kindly. “You defended yourself, and honestly... it’s understandable.”

The broken knee was a trickier issue to handle. However, the officers pleaded his case. The boy, well-known to the police for his many acts of violence, wasn’t exactly a sympathetic figure in the eyes of the law. As Victor left the station, one of the officers approached him with a smirk. “You know, we saw the first punches fall. We were going to intervene, but when we saw you fight back, we decided to wait a bit.” He winked and patted Victor on the shoulder. “You’ve got potential, kid. Maybe the army could be a good option for you.”

Those words echoed in Victor’s head for days. The idea of joining the army had never crossed his mind before, but that encounter, those words, had planted a seed. The thought began to grow, slowly but surely, in his mind.

For months after that, Victor was no longer bothered. Although he still received some dirty looks in the hallways, no one dared to raise a hand against him. He walked through the courtyard with a new sense of confidence. His muscles, his stronger posture, and above all, the aura of danger he now carried, discouraged anyone from approaching him. He had gained a peace he had never known before.

Thus, Victor finished his third year of middle school without incident. The following months were marked by relative calm, and the idea of becoming a soldier started to replay over and over in his mind. It was no longer just a suggestion thrown out by a police officer, but a real ambition, a way to channel his anger and strength. Middle school ended, ushering in a new chapter in Victor’s life, but this time, he was ready to face the world with a new weapon: self-confidence.