Eighteen years had passed since that day.
In a small, dimly lit apartment, a fat man sat slumped on his couch, his swollen eye proof of a recent beating.
He barely paid attention to the TV in front of him, his focus lost between the cold food he was eating and the overwhelming misery weighing him down.
Tears streamed down his face as he thought about how pathetic his life had become.
His fingers clutched the green crystal necklace hanging around his neck—the last thing his father had given him before he passed away.
Pressing it against his lips, he closed his eyes, and his father's words echoed in his mind:
"Son, there's always a reason why we suffer. What I need you to do is be a good man… and always listen to your brother."
His chest tightened as a bitter laugh escaped his lips. Listen to his brother?
That so-called brother was the reason their family had fallen apart. After their father's death, their once-successful business collapsed—not because of bad luck, but because of his brother's reckless decisions.
He wasted years gambling, chasing women, and throwing away their money until nothing was left.
Even now, he hadn't changed. Drowning in debt, he resorted to illegal dealings just to survive.
The fat man wiped his tears, but the sadness in his eyes started to fade. A new feeling took its place—one colder, sharper.
Was this really what his father wanted? Was suffering really necessary? Or was it just an excuse for people too weak to fight back?
[Morning came]
Amir ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his heavy frame shaking with every step.
He turned the corner of the school building, frantically searching for a hiding spot. Behind him, the bullies were gaining.
"Amir!" one of them yelled, laughing.
"You better slow down, you look like a running piggy bank!"
The group erupted in laughter, their voices echoing through the empty hallway.
Gasping for air, Amir spotted a pile of garbage bags near the back of the building.
Without a second thought, he threw himself into the trash, pulling the bags over his body, trying to disappear within the filth.
His heart pounded against his ribs as he forced himself to stay still, barely breathing.
The sound of footsteps grew louder. One of the bullies had wandered dangerously close.
Amir clenched his fists, trying not to tremble. If they find me, it's over…
The bully stood just inches away. Amir shut his eyes tight, praying that he would leave.
And for a moment, it seemed like luck was on his side—the footsteps began to fade, the bully turning away.
Then, disaster struck.
A loud, unmistakable fart escaped from Amir's trembling body.
Silence.
Then—
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Found yaaaaaaa!" The bully's voice rang through the air. "What was that noise? Did you just poop your pants?!"
The rest of the group rushed over, their laughter filling the space like a cruel chorus.
Amir barely had time to react before the first punch landed. Then another. And another.
He curled up on the ground as fists and kicks rained down on him. The garbage bags ripped apart, scattering trash everywhere, but the real filth was in the people standing over him.
By the time they were done, he was left lying there, battered and broken. His body ached, his face was swollen, and his vision blurred with tears.
He wanted to scream, to call for help—but what was the point? No one would listen. If he told the teachers, the bullies would only make things worse.
This wasn't bullying, this was torture.
Alone, humiliated, and hopeless, Amir could do nothing but cry.
After the beating, Amir stumbled into the school bathroom.
He locked himself in a stall, trying to clean himself up as best as he could. The routine was becoming all too familiar.
Always bringing an extra uniform, always knowing the pain would come—it was a part of his life now.
His skin stung as he wiped away the blood and dirt, but it was nothing compared to what he endured every day.
Once he was cleaned up, he slipped into a fresh uniform and dragged himself back to class, as if nothing had happened.
In the classroom, Amir sat at his desk, his mind far from the lesson. The words the teacher spoke felt like they were bouncing off of him, never sticking.
He had trouble grasping the material, and even if he managed to understand something, it was quickly forgotten.
He was an idiot, or so he thought, but it didn't matter. The bullying was always a constant—he'd never truly be able to escape the cycle.
But there was one person who made it slightly more bearable: Eirene.
She was everything Amir wasn't—intelligent, focused, and admired by everyone.
He knew people whispered about their relationship, but he didn't care. Eirene was kind to him, never mocking his lack of intellect.
That small act of kindness meant more than he could express.
After class, Amir and Eirene decided to take a stroll down the dike, away from the noise of the school.
They sat down on the edge, looking out at the sea. Fishermen were scattered along the shore, casting their nets into the water while the waves gently crashed against the rocks.
"So, did they beat you again?" Eirene asked, her tone soft but understanding.
"Yeah," Amir replied with a bitter laugh, "I'm kinda used to it by now."
He shrugged, trying to play it off, but the sarcasm in his voice didn't hide the exhaustion.
Eirene reached into her bag and pulled out some cotton and alcohol.
Gently, she began cleaning the bruises and cuts on Amir's body. As she applied the alcohol, Amir winced, but it wasn't from the sting.
"The pain from this alcohol... it's nothing to me," he said quietly. "I've had worse every day. The beatings—they're worse than anything you could ever do with that."
Eirene paused, looking at him. She knew he was used to it, but hearing him say it out loud felt like a punch to the gut.
Amir wiped his eyes, and for a moment, he seemed lost in thought. "But you're here, Eirene. You make me feel like I matter, like I actually exist in this world."
Eirene rolled her eyes but smiled lightly, giving his back a playful slap. "You're such an idiot, you know that?"
Amir managed a small smile despite himself. Her teasing was the only thing that kept him grounded, reminding him that even though the world seemed hell-bent on breaking him, there was still something worth holding onto.
The moment of quiet calm between Amir and Eirene was shattered when a loud fart escaped from Amir, echoing across the dike.
His face turned red, and he awkwardly shifted in place, clutching his stomach.
Eirene burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. "I know that wasn't a regular fart, Hahahahaha!" she teased, wiping tears from her eyes.
Amir, embarrassed but unable to stop his own laughter, grinned sheepishly.
"Well, you know," Amir chuckled weakly,
"not every fart is a masterpiece."
Despite the awkwardness, they both got up and began heading back to their respective homes, the moment of relief now gone.
Later that evening, Amir sat in the cramped bathroom, clutching his stomach.
He was struggling again, the pressure building inside him as he sat on the toilet, his body straining with every attempt.
"Fvckk, even pooping is too hard for me," he muttered under his breath.
"Why can't it just go out easily?"
He gritted his teeth and groaned, his body pushing with all the force it could muster. "Aghhh... Arghh!"
But just as the pain and frustration reached their peak, something strange happened.
The green crystal necklace he had worn for years suddenly began to glow. Its eerie green light pulsed brightly, casting a strange glow in the dim bathroom.
Amir froze, his hand instinctively reaching for the necklace, but before he could even touch it, the necklace seemed to jerk from his neck. In a shocking moment of force, the necklace ripped itself free and flew across the room, landing in the corner with a faint clink.
Amir, still in disbelief, reached for his phone, completely forgetting about the struggle of pooping. He quickly began to record, his mind racing with confusion and wonder.
"Is this... actually happening?" he muttered as he filmed the glowing necklace in the corner.
The light continued to pulse, its strange energy filling the room, casting shadows that seemed to shift unnaturally.
And then... something weird happened.