Kain

The authorities had grown deeply resentful of the people due to the numerous protests, and from then on, every rally was brutally and ruthlessly suppressed by the OMON riot police. The officers could harm people with total impunity; in a massive crowd, it was impossible to prove you had been struck, and the courts were unlikely to believe anyone protesting against the government anyway.

Cain is an acquaintance of yours whom you rarely speak with, but whenever you do meet, he tells you something new about himself. These stories usually drag on for a very long time, but you enjoy it. Now, you've met him at his home on a weekday, early in the morning, which was strange. Cain worked for the OMON and was at work every day, but you assumed he was on vacation. The guy let you in and immediately sat you down in the kitchen with a cup of tea. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, nervously fidgeting with his fingers until he finally dared to speak:
—I quit the OMON… These protests, they're too cruel, and my former colleagues are like animals..—you interrupted him, realizing there was something he couldn't bring himself to say:
—Cain, tell me the truth. I can see this is troubling you.—the guy clenched his fists and jumped up from the table, walking closer to the window.

You could see his tense back, and his trembling voice rang out in the silence of the room:
—I won't go against the people. I can't go against myself. It's easier for me to go against the government and against the deaths of innocent people.
For the first time, Cain wasn't cheerful; he was bewildered, afraid, and holding back. Now it was clear why he had quit the OMON..