The party was slowly winding down. Farewell greetings echoed through the house as guests left one by one. Sudais stood silently beside his father. Forced smiles and polite words meant nothing to him.
After seeing off the last guest, they got into the car and drove home in silence.
Minutes passed before his father finally broke the quiet.
"Khalid truly brought honor to the family. He's the future of our lineage."
Sudais stared out the car window, the streetlights passing by one after another.
He only murmured softly,
"Yes… truly."
His father continued, his tone a mix of pride and subtle sting:
"Good for him. He earned it."
Sudais said nothing.
The car stopped in front of their home. Without a word, Sudais stepped out and walked straight to his room.
He closed the door behind him, but the silence in the house was far from peaceful.
From behind the door, he could hear his father talking to his mother. And again, the name that echoed everywhere these days…
Khalid .
"Did you see how everyone praised him today? He really made the Rashidzada family proud."
A few moments of silence passed, then a sigh escaped his father.
"Unlike our own son…"
Sudais could no longer bear it.
He opened the door and stepped into the hall.
His father glanced at him briefly, as if his presence changed nothing, and continued:
"He became the strength of the family… but this one…"
His mother shot a warning glance, signaling him to stop.
But his father, impatient, said,
"What good has Sudais ever done?"
Sudais stood there in silence. His head hung low, but his eyes… they looked more exhausted than ever, as if years of weight had settled upon them.
Suddenly, he lifted his head.
"What kind of father are you?"
Everyone fell silent.
His voice trembled, yet it was full of rage:
"When I didn't bring you honor, why even want me?"
His father said nothing.
Sudais drew a deep breath.
"I'm not staying in this house anymore. Stay with that beloved nephew of yours."
His mother and sister rushed to stop him, but Sudis walked out firmly.
The door closed behind him.
It was past midnight.
The street was empty and quiet, the yellow streetlights casting a cold glow over the asphalt
Sudais walked slowly.
In his mind, only one thought repeated:
"The weak always bully others. Always."
And here… it was no different.
"What have you done?"
"What became of you?"
"What good are you?"
His father's words stabbed at him like knives.
A tear slid down his cheek
He muttered under his breath, barely audible,
"If my existence changes nothing… then my absence is better."
His steps slowed.
"Damn the day I was born…"
At that moment, the silence of the street was shattered by the roar of motorcycle engines.
Two motorcycles screeched to a halt in front of him.
Sudais froze.
Two men, faces hidden beneath helmets, dismounted.
One of them stepped forward and drew a knife. The streetlight glinted off its blade.
"Boy… hand over everything you've got."
Sudais stiffened.
The thief stepped closer, pressing the knife against his throat.
The cold steel touched his skin.
"Don't move, if you want to get back to your mother alive."
Sudais hands trembled slightly.
But suddenly, a thought sparked in his mind.
.
They always oppress the weak, always.
And here… it was no different.
The thief pressed the knife harder.
"I said—don't move—"
But his sentence never finished.
Sudais instantly grabbed his wrist and twisted it sharply.
A sickening crack echoed through the alley.
"AAAH—!"
The thief screamed.
Sudais ' face turned cold and expressionless as he delivered a solid punch to the man's face.
The man flew backward.
But at that very moment…
The sound of a trigger being pulled reached Sudais ears.
He turned.
The second thief stood there, a gun aimed straight at him.
Time froze for a moment.
Bang!
Sudais fell to the ground.
Blood slowly spread across the asphalt.
The gunman, smoke curling from his weapon, stepped closer and loomed over him.
"Thought this was your father's training ground?"
Sudais ' vision blurred.
The last thing he heard was the fading sound of the motorcycles.
The cold asphalt pressed against his cheek, smelling of dust and old rain. The warmth of his own blood was the only thing he felt before the darkness swallowed him.
And then…
Everything went black.