Chapter 1: Shadows and Solitude

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The flickering streetlights cast shifting shadows across the cracked pavement as YN trudged homeward

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The flickering streetlights cast shifting shadows across the cracked pavement as YN trudged homeward. Each step echoed the weight in her heart, a silent burden she'd grown accustomed to carrying. The college workload hadn't relented, and the financial strains pressed heavier each passing day.

Entering their cramped apartment, YN's eyes swept over the familiar surroundings. The dimly lit living room bore the marks of a hurried morning, remnants of breakfast hastily abandoned. Her mother's absence lingered in the quietude, a constant reminder of her tireless work hours.A faint scent of lavender lingered in the air-a remnant of her mother's perfume. YN's fingers traced the edges of a fading photograph displayed on the mantelpiece. It captured a happier time, a distant memory when laughter resonated within these walls.

As she settled into her routine, textbooks opened, laptop humming to life, YN struggled to focus. Her mind, however, wandered down the trodden paths of her past. A younger version of herself, innocent and carefree, haunted the corridors of her thoughts. Yet, those blissful memories were intertwined with the darkness she longed to forget.

"YN, are you okay?" The gentle voice of her mother startled her, pulling YN from the clutches of her memories. She managed a half-hearted smile, concealing the storm raging within.

"Just tired from classes," she muttered, offering a weak excuse.

Her mother's weary eyes held a silent plea, an unspoken understanding they had cultivated over the years. Work consumed her, a necessity to keep their fragile world afloat. Their conversations had dwindled to passing ships, exchanging greetings in the night, never truly connecting.

"I made some dinner," her mother offered, disappearing into the kitchen, leaving YN alone with her thoughts once more.

The clinking of utensils and the distant hum of the television formed a backdrop to YN's internal turmoil. Her phone buzzed-a text from a friend inviting her out. Tempting as it was, the shadows of her past confined her, whispering tales of caution and fear.

Hours passed, the apartment draped in a blanket of silence, broken only by the occasional sound of footsteps from the neighbors above. YN's gaze drifted out of the window, observing the city skyline twinkling in the distance. Her reflection stared back-a portrait of resilience and solitude, a facade she wore to brave each day.

As the night deepened, exhaustion dulled the edges of her emotions. YN retired to her room, enveloped in the embrace of darkness and the haunting memories that lingered in the corners of her mind. Sleep, an elusive visitor, teased her, dancing on the periphery of her consciousness.

"Tomorrow will be better," she whispered into the abyss, a fragile promise to herself.










I'm sorry guys, I'm not going to put lots of pictures or videos for now. Maybe if I have more time

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