Venom

Venom by Berns Pen is a haunting allegorical novel about corruption, redemption, and the quiet heroism of truth.

After faking his death to escape prosecution, disgraced government official Leandro Aguas hides in a coastal village poisoned by the very corruption he helped spread. As he witnesses the suffering caused by ghost projects and stolen billions, he begins a secret confession-a digital ledger of betrayal implicating the nation's most powerful, including the President.

Guided by the wisdom of Mang Mateo, a former civil servant who knew Leandro's identity all along, and inspired by Carlo, a teenage boy who becomes the keeper of his truth, Leandro attempts to heal the village with stolen wealth. But redemption demands more than restitution-it demands truth.

When a serpent's bite seals Leandro's fate, Carlo inherits both a confession and a promise: to finish his education, serve his town with dignity, and never become rotten. As whispers of resistance stir and the serpent in the palace remains unchallenged, Venom ends with an open question-will truth strike, or will silence prevail?