EMBERS OF RESISTANCE

eya

collections. I lost them after an accident, or so my foster parents told me. They never went in

eague of my grandmother's at Alexander Hospital hospit

loss. She explained that the trauma I might have endured at such a young age cou

oo painful for a five-ye

e I met my grandparents at age 18, those early memories were still buried deep, and after all those years, I didn't believe I'd ever recover th

needed help, and Madam Edwina's sessions became a lifeline, addressing not only the forgotten fragments of my childhood but

orld, love didn't just bloom. It was fought for. Mike Luan, my father, was the youngest in a family of five. A tra

come under some cosmic schedule. But love doesn't wait. Their love whispered about under starlit skies, was like a forbidden fru

bless their gentle hearts, wrapped me in love, a warm and constant shield against the whispers

kies and filled with the sound of her playful grumbling about my mother's not-so-great cooking. It was a home full of warmth and laughter, where I al

p knives cutting through the air:

I didn't understand. What did "abandoned" even mean? Why were they s

n, with its bright colors and the soft sound of leaves in the wind, everything felt simple and safe. Though our home was just across the street from m

n Liam, who was three years older than me, reflected that bitterness. He never gave me answers when I asked why things were the way they were. He'd just shrug as if the anger and re

ole world hates you as long as your mum

in my heart. They became my shield, protecting me from the c

olated. It was like a shadow that followed me everywhere, making the world around me fee

nding to the plants. Surrounded by the bright colors, the gentle rustling of leaves, and the fresh air, I felt free. The garden was a place where the weight of the outside world disappeared, and I could just be. It was a simple kind of p

ed me like a shadow. It wasn't just my uncle's family who spat venom in my direction, the whole town had turned its back on us, poison

an unwelcome guest that followed my every step. It lingered in the silence of our home, in the echo of empty rooms, and in the way people turned their backs whenever they saw me coming. But I wasn't one to crumble eas

ver was my sanctuary, a place where I could let my thoughts drift with the current. Scovia, for all its hostility, was still beautiful in places untouched by people's bitterne

elegance that seemed out of place against the backdrop of the gloomy water. Her jungle green eyes, wide and filled with a kind of raw, untamed emotion, flickered with pain. Someth

ice slicing through the st

ng onto mine for a moment before she quickly looked away. Her face, t

apped, her voice cracking und

leave. I

id softly

's wrong. May

edge and collapsed onto the grassy bank. I sat down beside her, not saying a word, just waiting. T

r face with the back of her hand,

nd broken. "I'm tired of being bullied. Everyo

ore heartbreaking than the last. Two years ago, her father had abandoned them, leaving behind a trail of debts in their old town of Bravia. Unable to pay off what he owed, Darcy's mother had packed up their lives and moved to Scovia,

ing in a place that treated her like a curse. Though her aunt and her husband were kind to her. Now, at just six years old, Darcy was practically an orphan. And as if that wasn't eno

lation, my pain. I understood, perhaps better than anyone, what it

ike," I said quietl

ainst you. To have no one. But you

lot of childhood traumas caused by people

s for something, perhaps. I didn't know if I cou

aid, offering he

l people can be in this town.

passed through her eyes. It was small and fragile, but it was

gave way to night, I realized that amid the cruelty of Scovia, I had found something precious friend, someone who under

breakable. We explored every hidden corner of Scovia together, our little feet c

ace where we could be utterly, unapologetically ourselves. Free from the eyes of a town that judged too quickly and

rcy and I fe

and dreaming up fantastical realms where we were the fearless heroes. The forest, with its towering trees and hidden

it as our own, transforming it into a haven of color and light. We painted the walls with the brightest hues we could find, hung lanterns that cast a soft, golden glow at

loved tales of warriors and legends, and I leaned toward fairytales, tales of lost princesses, and magical lands. On lazy afternoons, we'd brin

that never quite accepted us. We stood side by side against the bullies, the nasty rumors, and the ever-present shadows of our painful pasts.

resses, experimenting with fabrics, and imagining a world where my creations would one day grace the runways of the biggest cities. Darcy, ever the sharp, analytical mind

pieces that reflected my inner creativity. We cheered each other on, each triumph feeling like a shared victory. Every achievement, no matter how big or small, was

d leave this town that had tried so hard to stifle us. Darcy's ambition was to conquer the world of financ

ing us, and we wer

y our beloved river one last time, its waters

Darcy said, her jungle-green e

e found each other."I nodded, the famil

ng in my heart that our bond was unbreakable, no matte

e challenges ahead felt less intimidating with Darcy by my side. We were ready to conquer the world togeth