This is the story of a boy who was labeled the black sheep of the family.
Once upon a time, in a small town in Odnot, there was a boy named Biboy. He was a late bloomer, often lost in his own world of imagination.
He loved to draw and play with toys, especially with his brother when they were still young.
He grew up in a loving family at first, but due to poverty, his mom had to sacrifice and go abroad to provide for their needs. His father, on the other hand, became too lonely because he didn't have the means to support the family. He became sad and depressed, often drowning his sorrows in alcohol, neglecting his four children.
One day, the day of reckoning came when all of his vices caught up with him. Biboy's father fell seriously ill and died of cardiac arrest and multiple organ failure.
At just 9 years old, Biboy was too young to understand what was happening. He couldn't comprehend why his loving father had become like that, and no one explained it to him.
The happy Biboy became so sad. He sat beside his father's casket, staring at his face, trying to memorize it. Deep down, he knew he would never see his dad again.
Biboy picked up his dad's guitar and strummed it aimlessly to cope with his loss.
Biboy's father's side of the family wasn't on good terms with his mom, and she couldn't come home in time for his dad's interment due to the short notice. Biboy endured the pain until his mom came a week later, after his father had been laid to rest. Biboy saw his mom's grief as well. She cried for an entire week, and Biboy knew that his mom had loved his dad.
After a few more weeks, Biboy would face more sadness. His mom had to go back abroad because things hadn't changed. They still needed to study, still needed to eat, and she still had to provide for them. Although Biboy understood why his mom had to go, he still wished she could stay.
Losing a father has a huge impact on everyone's life, but for Biboy, this would mark the start of a turning point. Remember that he liked to draw? This was because his father was an artist and a book illustrator, and Biboy idolized him.
However, after his father's sudden death, Biboy started to lose interest in art and in other things he once loved. His father had shown him love by teaching him how to paint and draw, and even making cool school projects for him when he was still around.
No one was really there to help Biboy understand what he was going through. His siblings were also busy with their own lives, doing their best to cope with their own losses.
Years have passed. Biboy graduated and moved on to high school, where things were about to get messy.
Biboy was smaller than most high school students, and his appearance was far from intimidating. In short, he was an easy target for bullies.
He did everything he could to get through each day without a confrontation, knowing he couldn't fight back and had no idea how to handle them. But avoiding trouble was impossible. He became the bullies' favorite target, and they would do anything to humiliate him in front of other students.
They laughed at him, stole his lunch, kicked him when he was down, and no one stood up for him.
This torment continued until, one day, Biboy found himself skipping classes just to escape the humiliation. But avoiding school took a toll on his studies.
He barely made it through his first year, but now he had to face the consequences of his absences. In his second year, he had to retake the subjects he had missed. However, Biboy's mind was no longer on his academics - his focus had shifted entirely to the bullies. He was determined to get revenge.
At first, he tried confronting the smallest member of the group, assuming he would be the weakest. But he had miscalculated. The smallest one was actually the leader. Before Biboy even had a chance to react, he took a punch to the face.
The black eye he received became a painful lesson - it was clear he needed to study his enemies carefully and come up with a real plan.
Biboy had no intention of staying in school to continue his studies after learning that his brother had also become a victim of violence. A gang member had pushed his brother, breaking his arm.
Biboy knew his brother couldn't protect him anymore, and if no one else would stand up for their family, then he had to become the man of the house.
He made a decision - he would protect his family at all costs. "Enough is enough," he told himself.
One day, Biboy witnessed another student being bullied by the same group that had tormented him. But what the bullies didn't realize was that this student had an older brother - a real gang member outside of school. This time, the bullies were about to get what they deserved.
The boy sought help from his brother, and within moments, the entire gang was waiting outside the school for the bullies to come out.
Things escalated quickly, and the bullies found themselves unable to leave without calling their parents for help.
That same day, I learned why the leader of the school bullies was always so confident - his family had strong connections in the local government.
Because of this, the gang outside had no choice but to back off. Once again, it seemed like evil had won.
But in Biboy's mind, one thing became clear - they weren't invincible. It wasn't true that they feared no one. He had seen it with his own eyes - when the situation turned against them, they nearly wet their pants.
Their borrowed courage instantly turned into cowardice.
Biboy decided to find a gang and join them. He knew this wouldn't be easy - every gang had its own initiation.
Determined, Biboy managed to get into a gang, unaware that this would be the beginning of even bigger problems.
He successfully completed every initiation task assigned by the gang leader, proving his commitment. Though his true intention was revenge, he kept it to himself. He didn't want the leader to think he had only joined for that purpose and would leave once he got what he wanted.
The gang demanded loyalty - once you were in, there was no turning back.
Biboy was now fully committed to the gang - to the point that he hardly thought about the bullies anymore. He was too busy fighting in gang wars, and for him, this was far more exciting and dangerous.
He had become someone else entirely.
Now, he was the one hurting others - punching, kicking, showing no hesitation. The gang leader gave him the name "The Fire Starter," and Biboy loved it. The longer he stayed, the higher he climbed in the ranks.
What he once saw as his weakness - his inability to fight back - had now turned into power-tripping.
He didn't even realize how much he had changed.
Their gang had grown stronger, merging with rival gangs after defeating them in battle. Gang wars often came at a deadly cost, and the opposing side had nearly lost their leader.
Realizing they couldn't win, they agreed to merge in the name of peace.
For Biboy's gang, this was a victory that fueled their confidence. To them, they weren't just surviving - they were thriving. Getting away with their crimes only made them feel untouchable, as if the law had no power over them.
And for individuals like Biboy, this wasn't just survival.
This was power.
