That night, the sky seemed to collapse. Rain fell in torrents, creating a monotonous melody that hammered against the roof. Inside his room, Kenzo—now stepping into adulthood—sat pensively at his desk. His gaze was vacant, but his ears caught a sound that had become all too familiar.
Thud... thud... thud...
The sound of an impact echoed softly from downstairs, coming from the direction of his father's room. Kenzo let out a long sigh, his face etched with a mixture of exhaustion and disgust. He quickly covered his ears with both hands, trying to muffle the noise that always disturbed his peace. "Again," he whispered before finally choosing to lie down and close his eyes, forcing himself to sleep.
The next morning, the atmosphere at the dining table felt warm—at least on the surface. Kenzo sat eating breakfast with Samuel and Maria.
"You need to eat a lot, Ken. So you can grow big and strong," Maria said, flashing a sweet smile that always appeared sincere.
"I will, Ma," Kenzo replied shortly while taking a bite of his sandwich.
However, as Maria moved to pour some milk, the collar of her shirt slipped slightly. Kenzo froze. There, on the pale skin of his mother's shoulder, was a large, purplish bruise. Seemingly aware of her son's sharp gaze, Maria quickly adjusted her clothes, hiding the dark mark once more.
"Want to head out with Papa, Ken?" Samuel asked, breaking the silence with his heavy, authoritative voice.
Kenzo flinched, his mind racing. "Y-yes, Pa," he answered nervously while grabbing his school bag.
At school, Kenzo was a ghost. He rarely spoke, had no friends, and always hid behind piles of books. That day, he couldn't focus on his lessons. His fingers moved nimbly across his phone screen, researching the injury he had seen that morning.
Injuries caused by blunt force trauma, his mind read from one of the articles. His breath hitched. "A strike wound," he muttered, his voice trembling.
In the afternoon, after showering and changing, Kenzo gathered his courage to sit beside his mother. He looked at Maria's face, which remained beautiful despite the secrets hidden behind her smile. He found it hard to believe that his father—a man who appeared so harmonious with his mother—could be capable of violence.
"What is it, Ken? Is there something you want to talk about?" Maria asked gently.
Kenzo took a deep breath. "Ma... I want to ask. That bruise on your shoulder, what happened?"
Maria went silent for a moment. Her smile didn't fade, but her eyes betrayed something difficult to read. "Oh, this? I accidentally hit the edge of the bed frame yesterday, honey," she said lightly, as if it were nothing. Kenzo could only nod, trying to believe the neatly packaged lie.
In the following nights, the sound returned. This time, it was louder. Unable to take it anymore, Kenzo decided to go downstairs and approach his parents' bedroom door. He pressed his ear against the wood.
"Ah... ah... Honey, it hurts... please, go slow," Maria moaned, her voice sounding like a whimper of pain.
Kenzo, in all his innocence, stood frozen in the living room. He sat on the sofa, trying to process what was actually happening behind those closed doors. But suddenly...
CRASH!
The sound of something shattering echoed from inside the room. Kenzo panicked. His fear reached its peak. Without a second thought, he pounded loudly on his father's door.
"Ma! Mama, what's going happened in there?! Open up!" he screamed, filled with dread.
The door swung open. Samuel stood there, slightly breathless, adjusting his clothes. "What is it, Ken? This is adult business. Go back to your room," Samuel said coldly, his sharp gaze warning anyone against entering his world.
Kenzo peeked inside and saw his mother still lying on the bed. Maria turned and gave him a thin smile. "Go to sleep, Ken. It's late," she said calmly. With a heart still heavy with questions, Kenzo returned to his room.
***
The final weeks of school became an incredibly busy time for Kenzo. He focused entirely on his final exams, striving for the best grades for his future. One evening, Samuel had guests over, one of whom was a business associate named Bramantya.
"Kenzo, wow... you've really grown up, haven't you?" Bram said with a meaningful chuckle as Kenzo walked by. Kenzo simply gave a polite smile, performed a respectful salim, and immediately excused himself to his room to study.
The last day of exams passed. Kenzo achieved the highest scores, and the school held a farewell event out of town. For two days, Kenzo could finally breathe free air, far away from the strange noises of his home.
However, his return that night was met with a horrific sight. When he opened the front door, the house was in total chaos. Flower vases were shattered into pieces, chairs were shoved aside haphazardly, and most heart-stopping of all: there were splashes of fresh blood on the floor.
"Mama? Papa?" he whispered, trembling.
The commotion erupted again, wilder than usual. And this time, his father's bedroom door was not tightly shut; it was slightly ajar, leaving a small, fatal gap. Kenzo stepped forward slowly, his breath catching in his throat.
As he pushed the door slightly wider, his world collapsed. There, under the dim glow of the lamp, he saw Samuel performing an act that should have been based on love, yet was being carried out with utter cruelty. Maria's poor body was not just covered in sweat, but bruised with fresh welts, scratch marks, and the horrific remnants of violence.
Kenzo slumped to the floor behind the door. The Great Secret was now laid bare before his eyes, tearing away every shred of his innocence in an instant.