Truth doesn't always triumph, but tyranny never lasts. No matter how long the night is, it must crumble at the first thread of dawn.
On a remote island called Nova, surrounded by water on all sides, the people suffered under the rule of a tyrant named Francesco Altieri. Every Thursday, he would send his soldiers to seize what the workers and townspeople had earned throughout the week.
With the sunrise of a new day, an eighteen year old boy named Matteo De Rossi woke up to the yelling of his landlord demanding rent, and as usual, Matteo pleaded for more time.
The landlord shouted: "How long will you keep saying 'tomorrow,' boy? If you don't have the money, go find another room!"
Matteo replied: "I'm really sorry. I promise I'll pay you tomorrow, but I don't have the money now."
The landlord snapped: "You say that every day, Matteo. If you don't pay tomorrow, you're out."
Once the landlord left, Matteo shut the door and stood in silence, then let out a deep sigh at the life he'd ended up with since the death of his parents. They had passed when he was very young, and he barely remembered their faces. Since then, he'd been an orphan, homeless, struggling to survive in a harsh world.
He paused to stare at the cracked ceiling above him, then slowly sighed again and made his way to the small kitchen. He grabbed what was left of some stale bread and ate quickly there was no time to reflect. The day had begun. He changed clothes and left the room, heading for the market, where he worked at a local store.
When he arrived late, as usual the store manager said: "Come on, Matteo. Why are you late again?"
Matteo replied: "I don't know what to say. The landlord came asking for rent again, and like always, I asked for more time. But this time, he was serious. He said if I don't pay him tomorrow, I'm out."
The manager asked: "How long has he been asking for rent, Matteo?"
Matteo looked down in shame: "Since... a week ago."
The manager looked surprised: "A week?! Why didn't you say anything?"
Matteo said: "There wasn't a good time. I'm always late anyway..."
The manager let out a soft laugh: "You say that like it's something to be proud of."
Matteo gave a faint smile. The manager opened the store's safe, pulled out some coins, and asked: "How much do you need?"
Matteo replied: "One hundred coins,"
The manager handed him the amount with the warmth of a father. He had always treated Matteo like a son, knowing what the boy had been through an orphan with no family.
Matteo accepted the money joyfully and thanked him, then returned to his work, where he met his closest and only friend: Leonardo.
Leonardo oversaw the store owned by his father. He was from a wealthy family that lived in Nova's noble district. His father was a minister, appointed personally by Francesco Altieri despite once having been one of the poor, suffering under tyranny.
When work ended, Matteo gathered his things to head back to his room, unaware that someone had been watching him closely, studying his features, confirming his identity. The mysterious figure thought to himself: "Could it really be him?"
Matteo hurried home, excited to hand the rent to the landlord this man meant a lot to him. He had taken him in when he was homeless and lost.
He opened the door, entered, and set his things on the table, only to remember he'd left something by the door. As he turned back to get it...
He caught a glimpse of a shadow slipping away.
Matteo ran after it, but found nothing.
He returned to his room, picked up what he'd forgotten, and just as he was about to shut the door, he heard a familiar voice call out: "Matteo…"
Turning, he saw his landlord. Matteo smiled and said: "Come in!"
The landlord spoke sternly: "All the other tenants paid days ago. You're the only one still making excuses!"
Matteo replied calmly: "I'm not making excuses. I really didn't have the money... but now things are different."
The landlord asked: "You mean… you have it now?"
Matteo pulled out the coins the manager had given him: "Yes. Here you go."
The landlord hesitated, then muttered: "I don't know whether to thank you or not. It's what you owed from the start... but thanks anyway."
As Matteo closed the door, he felt as if a boulder had been lifted from his chest. He sat down, mind still fixated on that shadow this wasn't the first time. It had appeared multiple times in the past few days. Who was it? Why was he being followed?
He shuffled into his crumbling little kitchen to find some food. There wasn't much left. With a weary sigh, he grabbed the remaining stale bread and a few basic sides. It wasn't enough to fill him, but it was all he had.
Meanwhile, in a more luxurious part of the island the noble district, where only the rich were allowed Leonardo was lounging on an elegant sofa inside a grand palace, when a deep voice called from the lower floor:
"Leonardo... Leonardo..."
Leonardo descended quietly: "Yes, Father?"
Antonio, his father, said: "Tomorrow is Thursday. Are we sending the soldiers to that shop you manage? Or will you be stubborn again?"
Leonardo, unlike his father, lacked the same thirst for control or cruelty. He tried to reason with him: "Father, there's no need for this. There are other shops that can satisfy you."
Antonio sat upright, his tone sharper: "Looks like your time among those lowlifes is rubbing off on you. Don't forget we're above them. We have what they never will. We have wealth. They can't even feed themselves."
Leonardo tried to fight the idea, but gave in with a weary sigh: "Do as you wish, Father. I won't stop you this time."
Antonio smiled triumphantly, then left, leaving his son sitting helplessly, worried about what tomorrow would bring… Worried about Matteo, and whether he would get hurt.
Leonardo went up to his room, collapsed onto his bed, and closed his eyes with a heart heavy with sorrow.
To be continued...