The life Ivan lived had never been gentle to him. Moving from one gig to another, he rarely had the luxury to slow down, to breathe, or to enjoy anything that resembled a normal life.
"Ivan, it's going to rain. Are you sure you'll be alright?" the old woman from the shop called out, concern softening her voice.
Ivan glanced up at the sky — heavy, gray, familiar.
Will I be alright? he wondered.
He turned back to her with a small, practiced smile. "Yeah… I'll be fine."
But the sky today looked exactly like it did six years ago.
Back then, life was even worse. Growing up with parents who fought constantly was its own storm — but what came after was a hurricane. Ivan's father, whose temper had always terrified them, became more violent. His mother, exhausted and hopeless, took her own life.
The police arrested his father soon after, suspecting he had driven her to it… or worse. The house became a crime scene, and everything familiar turned into chaos. Ivan, just sixteen, was left to pick up the pieces. And beside him was his little brother, Ian, only five, clutching his hand with all the strength Ian's small fingers could give.
From that day on, the sky had never felt innocent again.