Neizan's relationship with his dog, Rudy, a loyal companion he had rescued from the street, was one of the few things that truly brought him peace. However, when Rudy fell seriously ill, despite Marck helping him cover the treatment costs, it wasn't enough to save him. Losing Rudy plunged Neizan into deep sadness and a feeling of guilt, thinking he could have done more for him if he hadn't spent money on other things. Nevertheless, his friends, especially Joel and Marck, helped him understand that he had done everything within his power.
At 15, Neizan and Elena began a relationship. She was his first love, and for him, being with her represented a connection that gave him the strength to overcome his daily struggles. However, his happiness wouldn't last long. During one of their dates, as they were walking through the neighborhood, unknown men intercepted the couple and kidnapped Elena right before his eyes. Neizan, helpless, watched as they took her away, unable to defend her.
Losing Elena filled Neizan's heart with hatred and bitterness. Seeking revenge, he turned to Marck, asking him for a gun and ammunition, determined to track down those responsible and make them pay. However, Marck refused outright. He warned him that going down that path would only lead to ruin and that he needed to learn to control his anger. Enraged by his refusal, Neizan lashed out, starting a fight with Marck in which he was ultimately defeated. Marck, through punches and words, made him reconsider, reminding him that hatred would only turn him into a version of himself he wouldn't recognize.
From then on, Neizan understood that he had to transform that pain and rage into something more, something that would give him a reason to be better and find a purpose. However, the wounds left by the loss of Elena and Rudy marked his life, hardening his character even more and leading him to question whom he could truly trust.
『Mark: You can't even handle me alone; how do you expect to take on those people by yourself? You're asking me to risk your life by giving you a weapon! Kid, don't throw your life away for this. I wouldn't be able to look your mother in the eye if I gave you what you want only for you not to come home. 』
That same year, Neizan also lost Marck. His friend had tried to resolve Elena's kidnapping by getting involved in a dangerous dispute between gangs, but he didn't survive. For Neizan, Marck's loss was another devastating blow; his mentor and only figure of trust in the neighborhood was gone forever. At 16, already burdened by bitterness and grief, Neizan was expelled from high school after a violent fight against three classmates. Two were 16 and 18 years old, and the third was 15. Neizan couldn't find solace in anything anymore; his life was marked by pain and anger, and his only relief was to punch the boxing bag until his hands burned or to cry in his mother's arms—the last person he truly felt close to.
But the worst was still to come. One night, his mother, Jessica, didn't return from work for two days. Though it wasn't unusual for her to stay out for a day, she had never been gone this long without letting him know, and Neizan began to worry. Desperate, he called the police to search for her. That same night, while watching the news on TV, he learned the tragic truth: Jessica had been murdered. The word "desperation" fell short of describing what he felt at that moment. He spent hours crying in his solitude, until his frustration turned into a destructive rage. In a fit of anger, he broke the television, destroyed furniture, and threw everything he could find. He was left alone in the silence of his home, immersed in pain and emptiness, with no contact with the outside world.
Days later, some officers visited Neizan to talk to him about his mother's murder, but instead of receiving them, he decided to go out and seek answers on his own. Without thinking, he bought a gun and returned to the streets. That same night, he crossed paths with Marcos, the guy who had repeatedly harassed Elena. Marcos was with two others, one of whom Neizan had already fought with once in high school.
In the heat of the moment, as the four exchanged tense looks and provocative words, Neizan pulled out his gun. One of them quickly ran away, while the other two dropped to the ground.
『Neizan: You don't belong here! Get out! 』
He let the boy run and stayed alone with Marcos. Putting away the gun, Neizan looked at him with a cold fury and said:
『Marcos: What are you doing? 』
『Neizan: I'm going to kill you with my own hands, u are son of a bitch. 』
Marcos replied with an arrogant laugh.
『Marcos: Hah, you know, this time it won't be as easy for you as it was last time. I also joined boxing classes. 』
Some time ago, Neizan and Marcos had already fought in the street. Back then, even though Neizan took punches and ended up with a bloody nose, he left Marcos with a face full of bruises. But now, none of that mattered to him.
『Neizan: I don't give a shit. 』
What followed was a brutal fight. It barely lasted five minutes, but in that time, they both hit each other mercilessly. Finally, Neizan managed to knock Marcos down and threw himself on top of him, punching his face repeatedly until Marcos was completely bruised and unconscious. Neizan kept hitting, unable to stop, until he heard the sound of sirens and noticed the police arriving. It was only then that he stopped, his hands stained with blood, and the weight of his anger beginning to fade.
That day, Neizan was arrested and taken into preventive detention, immersed in a mix of pain, hatred, and emptiness.
In prison, Neizan met Owen, a former police officer who continued privately investigating murder cases similar to Neizan's mother's. Thanks to Owen, Neizan was released in less than a month, as his sentence was only two months for assaulting someone and carrying an unregistered weapon (which is possible under the jurisdiction of certain states in the country). Owen told Neizan that he had known his mother and had been in contact with her in recent months. She had been helping him by providing information on specific cases related to his work.