CHAPTER 6. Trapped in Darkness: A Path Without Direction

The day of Ben's middle school graduation arrived without much celebration. Everything went on as usual. As before, he remained one of the top-ranking students in school. However, there was no party or special moment that made him feel proud. For Ben, academic achievements were merely a tool to prove to the world that he could be better than what the villagers thought of him. But that happiness did not last long.

When the time came for him to enter high school, Ben continued his routine as usual. He still worked hard, collecting coconuts, helping with the harvest in the fields, and working at the workshop after school. However, fate once again tested him. One day, Saddam, the only friend he had left after Akhir's departure, came with a gloomy face. "Ben, I have to move. I will continue my studies out of town with my brother," he said in a heavy tone.

For the second time, Ben had to experience parting with someone who truly understood and appreciated him. His heart shattered, but he knew this was an inevitable reality. Sooner or later, everyone would leave, and he had to endure.

After Saddam's departure, Ben became even busier with his work. His days were spent outside the village, working and studying. However, something new appeared in his life: the internet. The first internet café in the district where he worked caught his attention. With great curiosity, Ben began exploring the internet for the first time. Initially, he just wanted to understand how the internet worked, but his curiosity led him further into the virtual world.

Unknowingly, the internet became the beginning of his downfall. His initial interest, which was merely exploration, turned into an obsession. He started spending more time at the internet café than at school or work. He discovered online gaming, and Point Blank became an addiction that destroyed his focus. His once hardworking and studious days drastically changed. Instead of going home to rest after work, he stayed up all night at the internet café until morning. The next day, he was too tired to attend school and began skipping classes frequently.

Day by day, his addiction worsened. He met many new friends at the internet café, all of whom were gaming addicts like him. Gradually, he began to forget his dreams and the promises he made to his grandmother. He no longer visited her grave to share stories as he used to. The real world no longer interested him; only the computer screen and the game that made him lose track of time mattered.

Eventually, the first semester ended, and Ben received a warning letter from school due to his poor attendance. The school even sent a summons for his parents. However, Ben didn't care. Instead of giving the letter to his father, he tore it up and threw it away. He felt that school no longer mattered. All he wanted was to work, play games, and live as freely as possible.

At the internet café, he met someone named Eddi. Eddi was a street kid with a dark past. No one knew exactly who his parents were, but he was known as someone respected and feared. Ben was intrigued by Eddi's free and daring lifestyle. They quickly became close friends. However, this friendship was not good for Ben. With Eddi, he started to enter an even darker world. He began smoking, something he had never even considered before. Over time, he became embarrassed by his previous work as a coconut harvester and farm laborer. The only job he still kept was working at the workshop, just to earn money that he immediately spent on gaming and cigarettes.

Not only that, but his relationship with his family also worsened. He rarely went home and even started daring to defy his father. One day, when his father tried to reprimand him and asked him to return to the right path, Ben exploded. Overcome with uncontrollable anger, he unintentionally punched his father. With a voice full of hatred, he shouted, "I'm grown up! I can earn my own money! I don't need your advice!"

Silence filled the room. His father looked at him with teary eyes, unable to believe that the son he had raised had now turned into someone so unrecognizable. Ben saw his father's tears fall, but he felt no guilt. With a heart full of resentment, he grabbed his bag and left home, abandoning his family without looking back.

Not long after, Ben's parents came to visit him at the workshop where he worked. This time, they begged him in every way possible to change. His father spoke with hope, "Son, please come home. If you want to go back to school, we will transfer you anywhere you want. To the best school, wherever it is. We just want you to stop living like this."

But instead of being touched, Ben was filled with anger. He felt that his parents were trying to control his life again. With a harsh tone, he snapped at his father in front of everyone at the workshop. "I don't need school! I can earn my own money! Stop interfering in my life!" he shouted furiously.

His father fell silent once again, this time truly at a loss for words. With a shattered heart, he could only nod slowly and walk away from the workshop with heavy steps. Everyone there could only watch in silence, witnessing how much Ben had changed into a completely different person.

Shortly after that incident, Ben felt that the workshop was no longer the right place for him. He no longer wanted to work there after his parents visited. So, he quit his job and returned to the streets with Eddi. His life spiraled further out of control. Alongside Eddi and his gang, he started engaging in small crimes. At first, they only picked pockets at the market or stole small items. However, over time, their crimes escalated. They began robbing houses in the village to get money to support their lifestyle.

Night after night, Ben lived a life that grew darker. He no longer cared about school, his family, or his childhood dreams. Every day, he was trapped in the same cycle: stealing, getting money, gaming at the internet café, and sleeping wherever he could. He felt free, unburdened, and increasingly lost in his dark world.

The Ben who once was, no longer existed. What remained was a young man who drifted further from the light, sinking deeper into the abyss of darkness with no desire to return.