Hero Leander's legs went limp, his knees buckled and he fell on the floor while sweating like a pig. He stared at the ceiling of the room where he had been living with his father until he was now a sixteen years old boy. He knew this house like the back of his hand.

He exhaled and sat up before bringing out the note that he found on the floor, so that he could read it again. Hero couldn't believe what he was reading. He had read this note twice and he was now going to read it for the third time.

On the note, there were only a few simple words which were written by his father.

[You are now a man my son. The day has come for you to rely on yourself. Stop being a baby and survive. Don't try to look for me because you won't find me. I love you son.]

After reading the words from the note for the third time with an expressionless face, Hero exhaled ones again before ripping the piece of paper into pieces. He left the pieces of paper to scatter on the floor and then took another peek at the room where he was seated.

Clearly, Hero's father had all the time to take everything that was in the house with him and Hero didn't have any household appliances or inheritance to start a new life with. The house was entirely empty with only Hero's dirty clothes left scattered on the floor.

Before coming to this room, Hero had looked around the whole house and found nothing left for him, it was only in this room that he found his scattered clothes and a note.

Anyway, the house was not that big, it only had a single bedroom, a kitchen and a small living room. Hero's father was poor and they couldn't afford to live in a better house in the capital, but the struggle in life could only make them afford a house in the slums.

One might be asking as to where Hero's mother was but Hero himself didn't even saw his mother's face. After all, Hero's mother left his dad when Hero was still a baby and his father had never talked about her or even mentioned her name. He would always get angry when Hero brought up the matter about his mum.

However, Hero knew his father's character very well. After all, he had been living with his father until he was now a sixteen years old boy.

Hero's father liked women than anything else. He liked parties, liquors, hanging around rich women, telling lies to women, pretending to be rich and changing girlfriends as if he was changing clothes.

His father liked to be a free man without restraint and Hero had never hated his dad for being what he was. Hero loved him and he usually followed his dad's advice without question.

"Why did father say that to me? His words had to have a hidden meaning, it can't be literal right?" Hero asked himself with a disoriented expression.

Hero could remember clearly the last words that his father told him:

[Remember son, the world is coming to an end, but you don't have to be scared. Instead, have fun, stop being grumpy all the time. You know, your cold personality always reminds me of her...oooh nevermind. Son, remember, no one should manipulate you into doing things, always be the one in control... These girls... fuck them, but don't let them be in control, always be the one in control, use them. You know, girls become foolish when they start showing interest in you and as you know... I don't have to tell or show you how to do everything. You are now a grown-up and in a year or two, your facial hair would be out so, stop being a baby and be a man.]

[Well, with your personality... I am pretty sure that you have never fucked a girl, right? Don't fear these girls... They are there for us men to use them, they are nothing but usable items for us so, a woman should not dare to point a finger on you or see you as an insignificant creature that is not worth her time, dominate their hearts and they will come grovelling towards you. Fuck these girls, party all day and have fun and I can assure you that you will not die with regrets.]

Hero's father said these words in an intoxicated state but Hero memorised them because even if his father was intoxicated, he was serious about what he was telling Hero. From his father's words, he felt like they might be the last words that he would be hearing from his dad and just like his mom, his father had finally disappeared.

Hero was left with nothing but an empty house with only his dirty clothes that had not been washed since last month.

Actually, Hero was certain that his father had already sold all the household items that were in the house and eloped with a rich woman that he had always been talking about everyday. His father had finally find a woman who would take care of him. So, he couldn't worry about his duties as a father which were getting on his way as a party person.

But as for the name of this woman, his father had never divulged it to Hero even if he was in his drunk state.

Truthfully, Hero was panicked as he didn't knew where to start or where to go. Just as usual, Hero had gone out there to look for a job because his dad had always repeatedly told him to be a man, but no one took Hero in because he didn't have any qualifications and he was still small to do any menial work. When Hero came back home in disappointment, that was when he found out that his father was gone.

Hero sprawled on the floor as he realized that everything had changed, with his father out of the picture, he would now have to toil out there so that he could survive.

He stared at the ceiling with a detached expression as he thought of what he was going to do. The reality had changed, his dad was gone and so was his security, someone who brought him food, someone who took care of him and someone to look up to. He had no girlfriends himself but he would usually hang around a group of bad friends. After all, these kind of friends were the only ones that the slums could offer.

Clearly, Hero had nothing now, he will not see his dad again and he would have to seek ways to survive.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

While Hero was still thinking, he heard the sound of someone knocking on the door.