In a small yet cozy house, a young man finished packing his belongings into his backpack. The table was set, and his uncle sat sipping a cup of coffee while watching his sister-in-law finish setting up the rest.
As he took the last sip of his coffee, he pushed the cup towards the woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties.
"Could you pour me a little more, Nina? And thank you for letting me stay for a few days; my house is undergoing renovations." Marco seemed to smile awkwardly, feeling a bit uncomfortable about imposing on his former sister-in-law.
She looked at Marco and then gave a small smile. "It's okay, you do a lot for Juan, and that's what matters to me. Although I know he can handle himself."
Nina looked around, searching for her son, and then slightly annoyed, she yelled, "Juan, mi hijo. Come have your breakfast."
It didn't take long for a young man with messy brown hair to appear. He had aggressive, dark eyes, as black as the darkness itself, someone who always seemed to be in a bad mood.
uan's uncle chuckled at Juan's groggy face. "Damn, you weren't lucky enough to be born as pretty as your mom. Look at her, smooth black hair, white skin. She looks like a doll. Doesn't even seem like she's the mother of a troublemaker like you."
Juan yawned as he sat down, scratching underneath his shirt.
"I'd say anything, but I'm too sleepy to argue. Why did you even wake me up? It's Saturday." His uncle got up slowly and then nudged the boy's head with his fist, not with force, just enough to wake him up. "It's your birthday today. We're going to train, and then I'll take you to buy a new pair of gloves. And your mom said she wants to make a cake to celebrate."
Juan closed his eyes reflexively, took a deep breath for a few seconds, glaring at his uncle defiantly. "First, show some respect for my mom, old man, or I'll break you in half. Second, as far as I know, if it's my birthday, shouldn't you do something I like, like letting me sleep in?"
His uncle raised an eyebrow and smiled. "If it were someone from the streets, they might be intimidated by that tough face of yours. But I know that barking dogs don't bite. Have your breakfast and get ready, or I'll drag you out in your pajamas or even on an empty stomach."
In a relaxed atmosphere, everyone finished their breakfast. It didn't take long before Juan and his uncle were on their way to the boxing gym where they trained. When they arrived, the boy went straight to the locker room, changed, and waited for his uncle to arrive. After a few minutes, Marco arrived with a wrapped box. "I know I said we would buy them, but I already bought them. In fact, I had them custom-made." He handed the box to Juan.
The young man quickly opened the gift to find a pair of new gloves made to measure. They were light blue, and on the side, it was written as if it were a lightning bolt: "Bolt."
Marco gave Juan a tight hug, which embarrassed the boy. His uncle pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I hope you understand that I hope you'll be better than I ever was, even though our family is chaotic. I don't want you to think there's only one destiny. I believe in you to play any role."
Juan felt touched, but he wasn't one to dwell on such feelings. He stepped away from his uncle and stared at him. "You're all emotional today; I'll beat you up to toughen you up."
The two enjoyed each other's company, did a boxing training session. For Juan, it was great to have those moments. He barely even remembered that he had an absent father. After training, they went to have lunch at a diner where they usually ate after a tough workout. They ordered a large sandwich with plenty of peppers and laughed as they talked about everyday things.
When they got home, Marco saw something that intrigued him: his brother Fernando's car parked outside Juan's house. "So, kid, I guess today you're going to meet your dad. Looks like he's shown up."
At that moment, Juan's expression darkened, and his uncle noticed that the boy wasn't very pleased with this information. For him, his father might as well be dead. He clenched his fists, and some veins appeared on his arm. "What's this deadbeat doing here?" He stared at his uncle.
Marco stepped back, looking at the boy, raising his hands. "I don't know anything, not even I, who am his brother, know what he's up to. In fact, since I got out of prison, I haven't had anything to do with the cartel guys. I promised you that."
Once again, Juan stared at his uncle and then sighed. "Alright then, I just want him to leave. I don't want to talk to that old man. He means nothing to me."
Both entered the house, where a pleasant smell of nachos and chili greeted them. This helped calm Juan's agitated spirits a bit. In the kitchen, he heard his mother laughing loudly; it seemed she was having a good time. At that moment, Juan thought, "Maybe he's changed. Maybe he's here to make amends? But hell no! Screw him! I won't be understanding."
That was his thought, but when he entered and saw his mother with a big smile on her face, he decided to hold back his anger for the time being.
The man who was his father smiled and walked up to him, giving him a tight hug. "My dear son, congratulations. I'm happy to see you."
He looked at Juan analytically and then glanced at his ex-wife. "Nina, mi carinõ, he looks so much like me."
Indeed, Fernando had the same hair color, the same hair shape, and even a similar hairstyle. This only infuriated Juan further,the way his father acted as if nothing had happened, as if fifteen years of absence meant nothing.
Fernando went to Nina, pulling her close, embracing her lovingly. She didn't seem to mind, maybe a slight apprehension, but she didn't grimace either. Finally, he turned to Juan again.
"So, tell me, my son, what do you want for your birthday? Daddy will give you whatever you ask for."
That was the last straw for the boy. Juan exploded with anger at the whole situation,how dare he? Disappear for fifteen years and come back as if nothing had happened. His uncle Marco noticed Juan's expression, but there was something strange about it, what was that bluish glow?
It was at that moment that, consumed by rage, Juan launched an attack at his father's abdomen. That strange glow, that strange energy,Marco had heard of it before; it was the so-called cosmos that often appeared on TV, newspapers, and the internet.
Marco quickly positioned himself in front of Fernando, changing the trajectory of Juan's punch, which would have severely injured his father, perhaps even killed him.
The energy dispersed at the point of impact, causing an explosion and leaving everyone stunned for a brief moment until they heard Marco's scream.
That reflexive action to prevent something worse had cost him his arm.
Marco had been raised on the streets with his older brother. Both learned from an early age to survive, and due to extreme poverty, they had no other choice but to take from others to survive. Being in the midst of crime only made you sink deeper and deeper, which led him to get involved in something heavy and eventually being arrested at a young age.
When he got out of prison, he found out he had a nephew, so he decided he would be a role model and do everything possible to help Juan have a different fate from his own. Marco had dreamed of becoming a professional boxer, but now that dream was shattered.
Juan stood still, even as the ambulance nurses arrived; he was still in shock.
But before being taken away, his uncle said a few words to him.
"Don't let the world corrupt you. I know you'll be the best of us."
This made Juan feel even worse. After that day, in the middle of the night, he packed his things and left home. He had seen on the internet about a school called Hail Saints that could teach him to master this strange power that had awakened in his emotions.