The turning point came one bleak afternoon in the prison yard. The sky was gray, threatening rain, enhancing the oppressive atmosphere. Tomás was doing push-ups in a corner when the rat and his cronies approached, encouraged by a larger audience than usual. The rat decided it was time to deliver a message, to establish once and for all who ruled the penitentiary.

“Today, you learn your place, monk,” the rat sneered, cracking his knuckles theatrically. The crowd, hungry for entertainment, formed a loose circle around them. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation.