Chapter One: The Walls of Havens
The sky over the city of "Havens" was overcast with heavy gray clouds, perfectly mirroring Peter's mood as he dragged his feet toward the front door. It wasn't just a boring day; it was suffocating. The math exam hadn't been just numbers; it was a lingering sense of failure haunting him at every corner.
Peter (whispering in a hoarse voice): "Damn it... it seems I didn't do well today. But it's fine, I'll make up for it next time. What matters now is that Amanda will turn the house upside down with her loud party. I must prepare to hide in my room, far from the noise of the pretenders."
He pushed the door open and was greeted by a strong scent of food—but it wasn't the scent of a "warm home." It was a smell that always reminded him of duties and restrictions.
Amanda's voice (from the kitchen, in a sharp tone): "Peter? Are you finally back, you math genius?"
Peter entered the kitchen, his eyes glistening with a hunger—not just for food, but for safety.
Peter: "Yeah... I'm starving. What's for lunch?"
Amanda suddenly stopped stirring the pot. She turned to him with a look that pierced his soul, a gaze that made his throat go dry.
Amanda: "Wait... don't change the subject with your big stomach! Leave the food for now, you gluttonous boy, and tell me... how were your disasters in the exam?"
Peter (trying to keep his voice steady): "It was hard... but I'll get a good grade, I promise."
Amanda (approaching him with slow steps, brushing his face coldly): "Fine... I won't settle for anything less than excellence, you know that. Go change your clothes and I'll bring you your favorite food... maybe it will calm your nerves."
Peter (moving quickly toward the stairs): "I'll change, I'm in a hurry. The party starts soon."
Amanda (with a mysterious laugh): "Ah... the party! Will you be bringing a special 'friend' with you this time? Or will you stay alone as usual? :)"
Peter (stopping for a moment, without turning around): "No... I don't want a girlfriend. You know I don't trust girls... they only cause headaches."
Amanda: "Haha, alright then, off you go, my little misogynist."
Peter climbed the stairs, his heart pounding... he was trying to convince himself that everything was normal. He shouted from the upper floor: "It doesn't matter! What matters is that I'm meeting Mike. He promised me 'revenge' in FIFA today. I'll make him regret every round he won against me!"
As Peter was taking off his shirt, the door burst open violently... it was her.
Peter (in a panic, covering his chest): "Mom! I'm changing! Didn't we agree on knocking?"
Amanda (standing in the doorway, her eyes scanning the corners of the room with a terrifying coldness): "Hey... I'm your mother, what are you ashamed of? Your body isn't a secret from me. I'll knock next time, don't be dramatic. Now hurry up, the food is getting cold and the guests are arriving."
She left and closed the door behind her. Peter breathed a sigh of relief, but the room remained heavy. In the far corner, under the faint light of the lamp, the picture of his "deceased" father stared back at him.
His father died in an "unfortunate" accident in 2011. A cold night, a drunk man, and a collision that turned their lives into a silent hell. Peter approached the picture, touching his father's face behind the glass, feeling a strange coldness seep through his fingers.
Peter (in a trembling voice): "Hey Dad... it was a terrible day. It's like I'm living in a prison with no walls. There's a lump in my throat that kills me every day, and one question I don't have the courage to ask aloud: When will I see you? And when will I know the truth?"
Peter... this boy who smiles in his friends' faces and competes with them in games, carried in his chest a black hole that swallowed all his joys. There was a great "suffocation," a deep secret the world knew nothing about... a secret that would soon lead him to discover that the "house" he lives in is nothing but a grand play, and that "Amanda," who calls him her son, hides a poisoned dagger beneath her red robe.
