A Choice Without a Choice

Nirosh narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Fromund.

"Come on, tell me, we don't have much time left. We have to announce our fighter within the next twenty minutes."

Fromund smiled bitterly.

"Well, that will be enough since there's not much left."

He squared his shoulders, settled into his armchair, and looked up at the ceiling, at the lone lamp.

"Year after year went by, our mother still worked as a whore and was a drug addict, our father didn't seem to mind because from what I understand he'd been dealing with women like that for a long time. But, when I turned 15, our mother's drug addiction had reached its limit."

Fromund continued in a monotone voice as if he were reading from a page of a book telling a tragic story.

"She was short of money, her earnings weren't enough to buy the new, more powerful drug she recently became addicted to. Sure, she got our father to help her with money, but it wasn't sufficient."