"Why can't I have my peace for crying out loud!" He screamed in his mind.
Pablo trudged through the narrow streets of the old Nightshade town, his eyes downcast and his mind in turmoil.
He had come to this place seeking solace, but the constant chatter of the locals was beginning to wear on him.
As he walked, the town's inhabitants seemed to swarm around him, each one vying for his attention and trying to direct him to their own interests.
Street vendors were hawking their wares, beggars pleading for spare change, and gossipy neighbors speculating about his past and present.
Pablo tried to tune them out, but their voices continued to gnaw at him like a swarm of mosquitoes. He felt conflicted and annoyed, torn between his desire for peace and his sense of frustration.
He was frustrated about this town, his lost father, his unaccomplished dream, his ex-girlfriend, his so-called best friend, and the world itself. He was frustrated about everything.
To make matters worse, he was even more frustrated with himself. He wanted to commit suicide but didn't know what was holding him back. "I just wish this damned world would be destroyed."
"I know you... Why are you here?" a young man asked in a loud voice with an evil grin on his face. "You must be the son of the Legendary Fonte?" he added.
Hearing his loud voice, gathered the attention of the people in the surroundings while those that were skeptical about his background were now sure of their guesses.
Thus, various loud gossip filled the street, and more people came clamoring around Pablo.
Seeing this, a deep frown appeared on his face. "Why is he doing this...? It's not like I know him or have offended him before."
Even though he had various conflicting thoughts running through his mind, he knew it was not the time to dwell on it if he wanted to maintain his peace in this rundown town.
Thus, without further ado, he tried to escape the street with large strides. Unfortunately, he underestimated the zeal of the folks.
"Common, don't run. You must tell us your story," the young man shouted as he increased the pitch of his voice.
The turn of events shook Pablo to the core, as he could only wonder what this was all about. He knew none of these people, and the tale of his mysterious father had long been forgotten by most.
Thus, he didn't understand what this commotion was all about.
Unknown to him, to the people of Nightshade town, which was far from the capital, their news was outdated. In addition, the pride they had when they knew one of the greatest Robot Fighters ever came from their little town had no bounds.
Hence, when they knew Pablo was the son of the Legendary Robot Fighter, things were bound to go out of hand.
"Where is your robot?" a teen asked with his eyes shining brightly as he ran after the escaping Pablo.
"Robot!" The word "robot" sparked a fire in the hearts of the people as their eyes burned brightly in anticipation and fanaticism.
Robot Boxing was the greatest sport in the world, and only a few people could own one. And only a minuscule few could join the famous Robot Boxing League.
Hence, the thought of seeing Pablo's robot made their urge rise to another level.
Therefore, various shouts came from the crowd as they increased their speed of chasing.
"Let's catch him quickly. I can't wait for him to show us his robot."
"Yes!" The crowd shouted in unison.
"I don't have any robot," Pablo screamed when he looked back and saw the sea of people chasing after him.
"Are the people in the town turning insane?" he couldn't help but think when he saw their eyes burning with passion.
"You don't have a robot?"
The word rang in the ears of the crowd and they blinked their eyes twice while slowing down their speed. They stared at him for a moment, wondering if what he said was true.
However, when they saw the seriousness on his face, the crowd looked at each other and their faces turned to disbelief and disappointment.
"Are you telling us the truth?" asked a middle-aged man.
"Yes," Pablo nodded.
"How? Why?"
Part of the crowd couldn't believe that the son of the Legendary Fonte wouldn't have a robot, even if it was the lowest grade.
"Where is your father's robot?" another man asked.
"I don't know," Pablo's expression dropped a few degrees as he turned and left with heavy steps.
This time around, the crowd didn't choose to follow him as they were busy trying to process the sudden confirmation they had just received.
Previously, news of him being a failure had already circulated among the folks, but most of them chose to believe it was a lie.
That's why he had received various attention in the past couple of days; the people were trying to verify the rumors.
But now, it has been confirmed.
"So he's a failure," a voice said among the crowd.
"Yes," another person said angrily, hissing hatefully.
"Then why did he return here when he's such a failure?"
"To hide, of course."
"Such a shame."
"Why doesn't he kill himself instead of tarnishing such a prestigious name?"
"That would have been the best option for me if it were me."
Pablo was wallowing in sorrow as he dragged his heavy feet back to his old father's house. He began to remember how useless he was, which caused a deep cut in his heart.
"Why was I born as his son?"
Unknown to him, tears dripped from the corners of his eyes as he entered the old wooden house and slumped onto the old couch, creating a sound of how desperately the couch was trying to stand firm instead of breaking into pieces.
After a couple of days, the shocking news of Pablo being a failure had already died down, and the people had resumed their daily lives.
Besides, no one saw any trace of Pablo. It was as if he had turned into a ghost.
Meanwhile, when Pablo noticed the news about him had cooled off, he decided to venture to the nearby store to restock his supplies as he had been low on supplies for the past couple of days.
Pablo moved silently through the secluded path that led to the nearby store. The moon was partially covered by clouds, casting eerie shadows on the ground.
His eyes scanned the area, always alert to any possible threat. As he approached an old warehouse, he noticed a faint light flickering through the cracks of the boarded-up windows.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he silently made his way toward the source of the light. As he drew closer, he saw four people huddled around a shabby-looking robot.
They were tinkering with wires and circuit boards and seemed to be deeply engrossed in their work.
Pablo watched from the shadows, careful not to make any noise. He couldn't help but feel intrigued by the scene unfolding before him.
He wondered what these people were doing and what purpose the robot served.
In addition, the group of four people appeared to be rough and unkempt, dressed in ragged clothes and sporting scruffy beards.
They seemed to be a motley crew of misfits, but they worked together with an intense focus that spoke of a shared goal.
As Pablo watched, the group suddenly stopped their work and huddled together in a heated discussion.
He strained to hear what they were saying, but their voices were too low for him to make out any words.
Nevertheless, when he saw the robot and the parts they were working on, he could roughly guess what they were up to.
"Should I help them or not?" he mused as he squinted his brow.
"Since it won't cause me any harm to render some help, I should just lend them a hand anyway."
Besides, part of the reason he decided to render some help as he was curious about why they were working so seriously on such a robot, and also where they learned how to assemble a fighter robot.
Unknown to him, this slight curiosity and help would pave a path that he never once thought he could walk on.