Tomás stood slowly, his eyes meeting the rat’s for the first time. There was no fear, no anger, only a serene determination that caught the rat off guard. The bullies expected a cowering response, not this calm defiance.

When the rat lunged, fists swinging with the weight of someone who had never faced real resistance, it was as if time slowed down for Tomás. Every muscle, every movement he had ever learned came back to him in a flash. He sidestepped deftly, his motions fluid and precise. A single, well-placed kick sent the rat sprawling to the dirt, gasping for air.