The world was a ruthless place, ruled by the powerful, the talented, the liars, and the rich. In the midst of so much falsehood, truth was a luxury, and genuine friendship, a nearly extinct treasure. But in this hostile setting, four teenagers were about to cross paths with someone who would change their lives forever, for better or for worse.
We find ourselves in Duly, a city forgotten on the map, home to just over 150,000 souls. In one of its high schools, a group of friends was preparing for another ordinary afternoon. At the forefront was Tyron, a Latino boy with brown hair and curious eyes, always accompanied by his three companions, who, despite being only 13 years old, seemed much older. That day, like so many others, they decided to go to the nearest mall. The journey was filled with laughter, silly jokes, and sodas they shared as if they were the elixir of youth.
But normality vanished in a matter of seconds.
Just as the group was about to leave the place, a piercing scream echoed through the air. Then another, and another. Suddenly, the mall turned into chaos. People ran in all directions, pushing, stumbling, screaming. The friends froze, paralyzed by confusion. What was happening?
Tyron was the first to realize. A group of heavily armed men had stormed the place, shooting left and right. Bullets whistled through the air, hitting walls, storefronts, and, most terrifyingly, people. Those who tried to act like heroes fell instantly, victims of the attackers' brutality. The smell of gunpowder and the sound of gunfire filled the air, turning the mall into a nightmare.
Tyron's friends didn't think twice. They ran toward the exit, pushing through the crowd, not looking back. But Tyron stood still, his eyes fixed on the killers. He couldn't look away. It was as if something inside him forced him to stay, to face the fear consuming him.
"Tyron, run!" one of his friends shouted, but the boy didn't obey. Instead, he forced a nervous smile, as if trying to convince himself that everything would be okay. And then, in an impulsive act of bravery, he ran toward the danger.
He took refuge in a sports store, hiding behind a stack of shoeboxes. With trembling hands, he grabbed a tennis racket and a baseball helmet. They weren't much, but it was all he had. He peeked out to assess the situation. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts: What do I do? Should I run? Can I do something?
That's when he saw them. A grown man, desperately clutching two little girls, probably his daughters. Beside them, the lifeless body of a woman lay on the floor, a pool of blood slowly spreading. The soldiers were approaching them, laughing, reveling in the terror they caused.
Tyron felt a tear roll down his cheek. He couldn't just stand by. With his heart pounding, he stepped out of his hiding place and stood in front of the killers. The soldiers saw him and laughed. He was just a kid, a skinny boy with a tennis racket and a ridiculous helmet. What did he think he was going to do?
One of the soldiers stepped forward and, with a quick motion, kicked him in the stomach. Tyron fell to the ground, breathless, powerless. The racket rolled out of his reach. The soldier looked down at him with disdain, aiming his rifle. The others laughed, as if it were all some macabre joke.
Tyron closed his eyes. This is the end, he thought. I'm dead. Is this how I'm supposed to die? At least I tried to do something good.
The gunshot rang out.
But the impact never came.
When Tyron opened his eyes, he saw a man standing in front of him. He looked to be in his 30s, with disheveled hair and an intense gaze. In his hand, he held a kitchen knife, likely taken from one of the mall's restaurants. How was this possible? How had he stopped the bullet?
The man didn't say a word, but his presence was enough to convey a clear message: Tyron wasn't going to die today.
In that moment, the boy knew his life would never be the same. Something big, something impossible, had begun. And though he didn't know it yet, this encounter would be just the start of a story that would challenge everything he thought he knew about the world.