The vibrant orange of the evening sky painted a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within Marcell. At just 21, he sat bathed in the fading light, his black hair and eyes a deep contrast to his pale skin. From his apartment window, the city sprawled beneath him, a testament to his unexpected success. He had indeed carved a life for himself, a stable one with his own space, a far cry from the bleakness he had once known.
"I think I have done enough with my life," he murmured, a quiet satisfaction coloring his tone. "Now I need to think what to do next."
His journey hadn't been the conventional path of his peers, who were now navigating the halls of higher education. Marcell's post-high school years were marked by two years of unemployment, a stark divergence from the apparent ease his friends experienced. He had always felt like an outlier, mediocre in academics and physically and mentally weak in sports. Yet, despite these perceived shortcomings, a flicker of resilience kept him grounded, a quiet faith in the unfolding of his life.
The turning point, the deep fissure in his young heart, had occurred just two months shy of his twentieth birthday. The words his family had hurled at him still echoed with a painful clarity.
"You never give anything to this family."
"Just leave the house."
"Why did I even born you?"
"You are useless."
Each phrase, a sharp shard of glass piercing his soul, confirmed his deepest fears – he was the family's disappointment, a shadow cast by the achievements of his siblings. Unlike his successful older brother and sisters, and the promising younger one, he felt like an unwanted anomaly, perhaps a consequence of being the fourth child.
The weight of their words propelled him to leave. Trust in his family shattered, he sought refuge far away, severing ties with his past. He started anew with nothing – no money, no shelter, utterly alone.
"I'm hungry."
"I'm cold."
Only that phrases came from his mouth at that period.
Three months of homelessness stretched into an eternity, a period where survival felt like an improbable feat. Yet, even in the depths of despair, a spark of determination flickered. He found work, juggling five different jobs each day, a relentless pursuit of a lifeline. His perseverance finally yielded on July 19th of the following year, the day his arduous struggle began to recede. He secured his own apartment, achieved financial stability, and found his calling as a novelist.
"Thank you, God, for everything," he whispered, a genuine smile gracing his lips as he watched the sunset.
But the peaceful tableau of the evening sky was about to be violently disrupted. A brilliant streak of fire tore across the horizon, moving with alarming speed, hurtling towards the city that had become his sanctuary. In a fleeting moment, the fiery object plunged into the urban landscape.