Chapter 1:The silent fire in JJ.

When JJ returned from initiation school, people clapped their hands in pride. The elders nodded, the boys his age looked at him with respect, and his family ululated with joy. To them, JJ had crossed into manhood. But no one could see the storm he carried inside.

He had left as a playful, light-hearted boy, always joking with his girlfriend, Light. But when he came back, something in him was different. His laughter was short, his eyes distant, and his hands€”once gentle€”now trembled with a tension he could not explain.

At night, JJ lay awake, his mind racing. He replayed moments from initiation school he wished he could forget€”the harsh words, the unbearable pain, the fear of not showing weakness. The silence of those days followed him home. Now, he overthought everything: every word Light said, every look she gave, every time she laughed with someone else.

The anger would rise inside him like fire. Sometimes Lights small mistakes€”coming late to see him, forgetting to reply to his text€”felt like betrayals. His chest tightened, his jaw clenched, his hands itched to release the fury. But then he€™d see her smile. That gentle, patient smile that reminded him of the boy he used to be. And he would swallow the anger, hiding it deep in his chest, afraid to hurt the girl he loved most.

But silence has its own poison. JJ became distant. When Light asked what was wrong, he would force a smile and say, €œNothing, I€™m fine.€ Inside, he was burning. He wanted to protect her from his darkness, but in doing so, he was drowning alone.

Light noticed the change. One evening, she touched his hand softly and whispered, €œJJ€¦ you don€™t laugh the way you used to. You look at me, but it€™s like you€™re somewhere else. What€™s happening to you?€

JJ turned away, his eyes wet but his lips sealed. How could he explain? A man is not supposed to show weakness. A man is not supposed to cry. At initiation, he was taught silence. But here, in front of Light, the silence was breaking him.

The truth sat heavy on his tongue: €œI came back a man, but inside€¦ I feel broken.€

For the first time, he let her see his tears. Light held him close, her heartbeat steady against his storm. In that moment, JJ realized love was not about hiding pain. Real strength was in being vulnerable, in letting someone help carry the weight.

The journey of healing would be long. The anger would not disappear overnight. But JJ had found a reason to fight through the darkness€”because love, unlike silence, had the power to heal.