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CHAPTER 27.5 – Bravo and Sonia. Part 2.
Two years earlier.
During the day, the city only breathed sadness and fear. Streets that were once vibrant had become shadowy passageways where citizens walked with their heads down, avoiding eye contact. The air smelled of fear and resignation, mixed with the putrid stench of the huge garbage containers—whose contents everyone knew were not exactly trash.
That was daily life: a sad city, yet always full of pedestrians and cars. Everyone was afraid to go out, yes, but they were forced to. If they didn't work, they starved. Plus, by law, you had to leave the house for at least one hour a day. Why? Just because. Because the dictator wanted it that way, and his word was law.
Bravo walked along the cracked sidewalk, carrying two worn plastic bags that held his meager groceries. His slumped shoulders betrayed the weight of his worries more than the bags themselves.
"That's all I could afford…"
He muttered to himself, looking at the contents with a mix of resignation and concern.
"One pack of noodles, half a kilo of rice, and…"
He didn't finish counting and let out a bitter sigh.
"This is supposed to last me the whole week?"
His savings had vanished after the factory where he worked cut wages "by government order." Now every coin was counted, every bite rationed. The sound of his empty stomach seemed to join the chorus of complaints from the oppressed city.
As he turned the corner, he almost walked past a huddled figure pressed against a building wall. It was the faint movement, the nearly inaudible whisper, that caught his attention.
"P-please… a coin…" she said, stretching out her hand.
The voice was fragile as glass, but enough to make him stop dead in his tracks. When he turned, Bravo saw a young woman who looked no older than twenty, covered in grime. A dirty gray dress clung to her body, its stench making Bravo's eyes water. Her skin was tanned, probably from spending all day under the sun. Her bare feet were covered in cuts and bruises, and her short pink hair was tangled.
Her expression wasn't one of sadness, but of pain from hunger. Cracked lips from dehydration. A dangerously thin body.
A homeless girl—and in this place, that was a death sentence. It was already a miracle she had survived this long, but Bravo knew it was only a matter of time before she was killed, and sadly, there was nothing he could do about it.
"I'm sorry, I don't have any," Bravo said, showing his empty pocket.
The young woman lowered her head without reproach, used to rejection.
"I-it's okay."
Something about that resigned submission twisted Bravo's heart. Before his rational side could stop him, he was already opening one of his precious bags.
"She must be starving," he thought.
A little kindness before her cruel fate arrived would make her end a little less sad.
"Wait… Here. A little is better than nothing, right?" Bravo said with a smile, trying to convey kindness and make her feel a bit better.
He pulled out a small bag containing five red apples he had bought as a special treat. They had a specific purpose, but to make someone happy, he sacrificed them. Maybe it was a sign—or at least that's how he saw it.
"It's all I can give you."
The young woman's eyes lit up like headlights when she looked up at the sound of the fruit moving. Her thin hands took the bag with a mix of reverence and urgency.
"Thank you!" she said as she opened it.
Her first bite into the apple was so eager she nearly choked.
"It's delicious!"
Bravo couldn't help but smile at her genuine enthusiasm. His earlier smile had been forced, trying to cheer her up, but this one was natural.
"I'm glad… I have to go. Bye."
"Thank you so much, sir! Bye!"
The young woman's voice followed him as he walked away, as sweet as if he had given her treasure instead of simple fruit.
Bravo continued on his way, feeling an unusual warmth in his chest.
"Well… now I'm out of apples," he thought, but the smile didn't leave his face.
A bit of context about the girl's situation. Why was she living on the streets?
Obviously, she hadn't always lived on the streets. Until two months ago, she had been the daughter of a middle-class family that managed to survive under the regime without drawing too much attention. They lived comfortably, without hardship. They didn't go hungry, didn't count every coin, she had her own room, and they ate three times a day. Compared to most people, they were very fortunate.
But that didn't save them from the cruelty.
Everything changed when Froulen's son set his eyes on her mother and chose her as his girlfriend.
When her father stood in the way, hitting him in an act of desperation, the sentence was immediate and brutal.
Sonia learned of her parents' execution through social media, where the regime posted the images as a warning. The family home was confiscated that same day, and she barely managed to escape with the clothes on her back.
Since then, she had been changing her appearance to avoid being killed too. What her father did to the dictator's son was humiliating, and she knew the revenge wasn't just against her parents but the entire family—she confirmed it when she learned of the deaths of her uncles, cousins, and grandparents.
She hid, dyeing her hair (which used to be long and black), letting the sun tan her skin, surviving however she could on the streets. She begged, sometimes stole food, but she had drawn a red line: she would never sell her body, even if it meant going hungry or cold—it would be a point of no return.
•
•
The next day.
The sun was just starting to set when Bravo walked down the same street again, but this time his steps were heavier, his shoulders more slumped. The bags he carried were noticeably emptier than the day before.
"Fired…"
He muttered to himself, repeating the words that still echoed in his head.
"What am I going to do now? How will I pay rent?"
His life had never been easy. Raised in orphanages, jumping from job to job, always on the edge of extreme poverty. But this… this was new. For the second time in his thirty years, he had no idea how he was going to move forward.
He had always been a social outcast. Never had friends. Never had a girlfriend… He had nothing in life.
He had always had terrible luck. Nothing in life had ever gone right for him. And now his luck had gotten even worse—he had lost his job.
"A coin, please."
The voice pulled him out of his negative thoughts. There she was again, the pink-haired girl, in the same spot, though today she looked even more worn down.
Bravo stopped and studied her. There was something about this young woman that reminded him too much of himself years ago, when he wandered aimlessly before landing his first stable job. When he turned 18, they kicked him out of the orphanage and he lived on the streets for a while. Luckily, he found work before it was too late.
"Of course."
He reached into his pocket where he kept a few coins.
"I guess I can share a little," he thought.
The young woman took the coins, but instead of being happy, her brows furrowed as she studied Bravo's clearly depressed face.
"Is something wrong?"
"Does it show that much?"
Bravo tried to laugh, but it came out more like a whimper. He couldn't even pretend to be okay.
"You look really sad… What happened?"
"No, it's nothing. It's just that… Well… I just got fired from my job."
"I see…"
She lowered her gaze to the coins. Even though he was going through a rough time, he was still able to help someone else. To others, that action would seem very kind and beautiful, but she also thought it was irresponsible—he was putting his own well-being at risk.
To Bravo's surprise, she took his hand and gave the coins back.
"I think you'll need these more than I will."
The unexpected gesture left him speechless for a moment.
"Huh…? No, don't worry, you need them more."
"You're not obligated to give me anything. You were already very generous yesterday."
"But I want to help you."
"You're not obligated to give me anything. Don't worry about me."
"Don't worry, take the coins."
"I can't accept them if you need them."
"I don't want them—I already gave them to you."
"Don't worry, take the coins!"
"No, I already gave them to you!"
"Take them!"
"I don't want them!"
"Silence, both of you!"
The argument was interrupted by a harsh voice.
"What's going on here?!"
Two men—members of Froulen's forces—were approaching, their boots echoing against the pavement like war drums. To any homeless person, that sound was a warning to run while they still could, but she couldn't. Why? Because they had already set their eyes on her. Running was pointless now.
"A homeless girl in our territory?!"
The taller one spat the words like venom, freezing her with fear. All she could do in that moment was pray her death would be quick.
"How disgusting. The rules are clear: street cleaning. I guess we have to get rid of her."
Sonia began to tremble visibly, her fingers instinctively clutching Bravo's arm like a lifeline. Bravo felt a wave of emotions he hadn't experienced in years.
He knew the rule: any homeless person was to be killed. And all of Froulen's members had to obey that rule.
Seeing her cry, clinging to his arm, made him feel needed. Useful.
"She's not homeless," he said quickly, stepping between Sonia and them.
What he felt was peace. He had always lived his life just because, with no real goal. Every day he worked himself to exhaustion just to stay alive. No friends to hang out with, no love, no family. He lived a lonely life. But feeling that Sonia needed him gave him a mix of relief and affection he hadn't felt in a long time.
What he needed most in life: to feel useful.
"She's my… wife. She just looks like that because… well, we had a fight and she ran out without her things, and…"
The lie was so obvious it was ridiculous. The taller member let out a mocking laugh.
"Don't try to fool us! We clearly heard you trying to give her coins!"
"She's obviously homeless!" the other added, drawing his baton.
Bravo felt Sonia grip his arm with desperate strength. He knew what awaited her if they took her: rape first, then death once they got bored.
In an act of desperation, Bravo pulled out his wallet and took out the bills from his severance pay—everything he had to survive the coming weeks.
"Here, take this."
He offered the money with a trembling hand.
"It's all I have. Just leave her alone."
The taller one snatched it from Bravo's hand in one swift motion.
They didn't actually need money, but they always found it amusing to take away the little people had.
"Now you're speaking our language, friend!" he said, quickly counting the bills.
"We won't kill her… today! But if we see her around here again…"
He made an obscene throat-slitting gesture.
Bravo nodded quickly, grabbing Sonia's hand.
"Thank you!"
As soon as they turned away, Bravo pulled Sonia along and they started running, turning corners and cutting through alleys until they were sure no one was following.
They stopped to catch their breath, and Bravo, trying to lighten the awkward mood, laughed and smiled.
"Hehe. That was close."
"Sir, why did you do that?!"
Sonia panted, tears streaming down her face. Seeing her like that filled his heart with sadness, but Bravo kept smiling and gave her a wink while raising his thumb.
"I couldn't let them do anything to you! Don't worry, everything's okay now!"
"But you gave them all your money!"
Bravo smiled even wider, looking at the young woman who now depended completely on him.
"Don't worry about that. Tell me… do you have anywhere to go? Any family?"
Sonia lowered her gaze, quickly making up a story.
"No… My parents and siblings were killed by a villain… And my house was forcibly taken by some of Froulen's men… I have nowhere to go."
The lie flowed easily from her lips. It was simpler than explaining the truth, which would reveal her real identity and put her in even greater danger.
Bravo took a deep breath, knowing what he was about to offer would change his life forever.
"Then… would you like to stay at my place? It's not much, but it's better than the streets."
Sonia's eyes widened in shock.
"W-what? Really?"
"I live alone. I don't want you staying out here where anyone could… you know."
Bravo made a vague gesture, avoiding mentioning the obvious horrors.
He knew what it felt like to be hungry and homeless. It felt awful, and he didn't want her to go through that anymore.
Without warning, Sonia threw herself at Bravo, hugging him with a strength that didn't seem possible from her frail body.
"Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you so much!"
Bravo, surprised at first, gradually relaxed his shoulders and gently stroked the young woman's messy pink hair.
"No problem."