The Novel
Chapter One: The Beginning of the Disaster
Novica, a small, faded city on the edge of the map, mirrored the pale and muted life Nicholas had always known. On a seemingly ordinary autumn day, he discovered that turning thirteen was not a gateway to maturity and freedom but the start of a descent into a spiral of pain.
It all began with makeup. Nicholas saw beauty in himself that others couldn't see. Perhaps he didn't fully grasp what it meant to be different, but he embraced that difference boldly. One day, his glowing appearance caught the attention of his schoolmates. What began as intrigue soon turned into bitter cruelty. They harassed him, mocked him, and there was no one to protect him. Even his closest friends abandoned him, too afraid to share in the bullying he endured.
Chapter Two: Alone in the Storm
Bullying wasn't the worst of it. After a fight with one of the tormentors, his cousin, who happened to be the school's deputy principal, intervened, pinning all the blame on him. This incident made its way back to his family, devoutly religious and rigidly conservative. Discussions turned into arguments, and arguments evolved into a cold, suffocating silence. Nicholas overheard their hurtful whispers, their harsh words cutting into him like daggers. But he didn't have the courage to respond or defend himself.
Chapter Three: The War Within the War
When war broke out in Novica, the pain in Nicholas's soul seemed to materialize around him, engulfing his entire world. His family insisted on staying at his grandfather's house despite the danger. The conflicts within the family escalated, even turning physical at times. The violence at home forced Nicholas to undertake a perilous journey through gunfire, returning to their old home. There, he realized that the sound of gunfire was less terrifying than the echoes of the cruel words that had haunted him throughout his life.
Chapter Four: Ashes
After the war ended, the first piece of news to fill Nicholas's heart with an odd sense of joy was the burning of his old school. It wasn't the destruction that pleased him but the justice he saw in it. For the first time, he felt that the ashes left by the war were far better than the memories the school had etched into his soul.
Final Chapter: The Mask of Life
Nicholas resolved to wear a mask that would shield him from a world unkind to those who were different. He began to act with deliberate coldness, spoke sharply, and projected strength. But he knew it was all an act. Deep inside, he was waiting for the right moment to escape to the "Land of Freedom," where he could live authentically, free from fear and the need for a mask.
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