Perception

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In the hospital room, where the lights were dim, Aurelius was sitting on the sofa, wearing clothes that now seemed filled with conflicting emotions. His mother was sitting beside him, trying to offer him medicine, while his father stood by the window, staring outside as if his mind was occupied with other matters.

Aurelius took a deep breath, then began to recount what had happened, with each word breaking his heart further.

— "Dad... Mom... Vitus... his father hit him. He hit him in front of me, and that... was painful. I couldn't believe my eyes. He always thought his dad loved him, but what happened today made me realize that everything is not as it seems."

He paused for a moment, and his mother exchanged a look of confusion with her husband, then he continued.

— "When his father entered the room, there was immense anger in his eyes, and he was acting as if he couldn't control himself. He started shouting at Vitus, then... he hit him. I never expected that. Vitus... Vitus didn't respond, he just stood there, his eyes on the ground."

Aurelius said quietly, wiping an invisible tear from his cheek.

— "I couldn't stop him. I felt helpless. I wanted to scream at him, but I couldn't. I had this strange feeling that... I couldn't intervene. I don't know why, but... there's something inside us that makes us endure this pain."

The mother was silent for a moment, then she moved closer to him and hugged him gently.

— "Aurelius, life isn't always easy, and sometimes people make mistakes. Not everyone has the understanding or the desire to change. But you can't blame yourself for what happened."

Aurelius looked at his mother and shook his head.

— "But, Mom, why does he hit him? Why can't his father be more forgiving?"

His father answered quietly, but his voice was heavy with weight.

— "Aurelius, everyone has their problems, but we can't interfere between a father and his son. In the end, it's his responsibility to teach him and guide him. We have to be there for them, offering support, but ultimately, change doesn't come through force."

The mother said tenderly, patting his shoulder.

— "Let's be honest with ourselves, Aurelius, we don't know all the details. Maybe he's going through a tough time, and we don't know it."

Aurelius smiled bitterly, then muttered.

— "I wish Vitus were my brother. If he had parents like you, his life wouldn't be filled with so much suffering."

He paused before saying:

— "I just want to see Vitus happy. I want to see him away from this pain."

His father took a deep breath and said, "Yes, we all want the best, but life forces us to go through tough experiences sometimes, and that's part of growing. You can't change everything in others' lives, but you can be a good friend to them."

---

In Vitus' house, in a quiet place, the silence in the room was only broken by the heavy breaths of Vitus' father, who stood in front of him, angrily waving his hand. Vitus was sitting on the couch, his eyes lowered, his whole body trembling with fear. No one in the house could alleviate the tense situation.

— "What were you thinking? Why? Where did your mind go?"

Vitus' father said angrily, his eyes flashing with rage. But the mother tried to calm things down, even though her heart was heavy with worries.

— "Dear, you know well that he was at the hospital, and we were told by Aurelius' father. Let's just talk calmly."

But the father didn't stay silent; he looked at his wife with increasing anger and spoke loudly.

— "But he left without asking! He didn't tell me anything! How can that be acceptable?"

— "It's okay, dear, let's take it easy. After all, he was concerned about his friend, and that's what matters. He's going through a lot of things; let's be kind during these times."

But the father wouldn't listen. He started breathing heavily, then exhaled sharply and answered:

— "You don't understand! He doesn't care about his future! He left his books out in the rain. He only cares about Aurelius. This isn't the right way! He should just focus on his studies. He needs to stop hanging out with these rich kids who know nothing about life."

Anger burned in the father's heart. He looked at Vitus with a stern gaze and said:

— "These people don't acknowledge you! Aurelius and his family live in a different world. You won't get anything from them. Forget about these feelings, and just study hard! Don't care about what others laugh at. Focus on your future."

But Vitus couldn't take it anymore. He burst into tears, his emotions exploding in a moment of helplessness, as if all the harsh words had drowned his heart. He tried to breathe, but the crying choked him. He felt like the whole world was against him.

The father was startled and moved closer to strike him, saying men don't cry, but the mother intervened quickly and grabbed him firmly.

— "No, don't hit him! Let's handle this calmly."

She then told Vitus angrily:

— "Go to your room, now."

Vitus went to his room, his heart broken. He didn't know where to go or who could be by his side. He felt so much pain inside, but deep down, he knew he had to move past this.

---

In his small room, Vitus was sitting on his bed, his eyes drowning in a sea of tears. Nothing around him could ease the weight of the words he had heard. His father's words echoed in his head, repeating and invading his mind, while his heart oscillated between guilt and deep sorrow.

He could still hear his mother's voice in his ear, ordering him to go to his room, as if she wanted to pull him away from the circle of pain he was in. But how could he escape from such a feeling? How could he ignore the truth and reassure himself again?

He looked at the glass on the table in front of him. His reflection in the mirror barely showed anything other than swollen eyes and a puffy eyelid from crying, but in that moment, Vitus felt something else. He felt the harsh loneliness, as if everything that once mattered to him in life had vanished. He used to feel that life was full of hope, but now he didn't see any light at the end of the road.

Suddenly, he felt something strange. The wind was howling through the open window, and the rain was pouring heavily, as if nature itself was crying with him. He looked at his study books that he had left outside, drenched by the rain, and stood up. He felt a different kind of weight. It wasn't the weight of the books themselves, but the weight of the decisions he had made, and the pain he felt.

He wondered whether he should really distance himself from Aurelius as his father had told him. Would being friends with someone so different from his life and his family's life put him in a completely different place? Should he be like his father, chasing money and credentials? Could he have a future without losing himself?

In that moment, he felt something stir in his heart. He needed one thing, something to guide him.

But he had to stop pretending that he didn't feel anything. He had to face the truth that the world doesn't acknowledge simple people the way it acknowledges the children of wealthy families.

The sounds of his father's friends laughing returned to his memory. "They'll go to higher places, and we'll stay here," echoed in his mind, and he couldn't stop these dark thoughts from creeping into his head. He felt deep sorrow, a hatred for the life he was living, and regret for the time he had spent with Aurelius.

Then he heard footsteps coming from downstairs, and he immediately knew his father was approaching his room. The atmosphere in the house was filled with anger, worry, and confusion.

Vitus stood up, not knowing how to face what was going to happen next.

His father entered the room and slammed the door behind him