"My name is Jasmine Evans, and I am a killer.
I could deceive you easily if I wanted to, with my chronic talent for lying, and you'd believe my words without question, just as you accept everything your masters so generously hand to you each day:
'A...
Jasmine walked slowly along the road leading from Celestial Bridge toward the center of Astral Heaven. The sun was gradually sinking, painting the sky with picturesque shades of orange and pink as a gentle breeze caressed her face. Each step took her farther from Crystal Lake, yet the memories of her past remained vividly etched in her mind.
As she crossed the bridge, she couldn't help but think of Greenfield Park. The peaceful days spent there with her family before everything changed were among her most cherished memories. The laughter of her little brother Gary, running happily along the trails near the lake, the quiet walks with her mother Josephine, and those moments of calm that now seemed to belong to another life altogether.
Her thoughts turned to Crystal Lake Middle School, and her hands clenched into fists. The Harpies, with their cutting laughter and cruel comments, had turned those years into a living hell, making every day a relentless battle against anxiety and self-doubt. She vividly recalled hours spent hiding in the library, trying to avoid the main hallway where their mocking voices echoed like a haunting refrain. But it was also in those years that she had found her strength, through the martial arts lessons at Powerhouse Dojo. Every punch, every grueling session had made her stronger, not just physically but mentally. With each obstacle she overcame, each precise strike she landed, she felt a growing determination to face whatever life might throw her way.
Passing by an old cinema, Jasmine remembered the Luna Theater. Those evenings watching classic films with her mother had been a refuge from the harshness of reality. Then there was Crystal Plaza, the mall where she had worked part-time as a waitress. Though the job paid little, it had unknowingly taught her the importance of responsibility and independence.
Finally, the thought of her father, Christopher, and of CrystalTech Industries made a painful lump rise in her throat. The man who had once been her invincible hero had become a complete stranger, broken by grief and alcohol. The factory, with its cold, imposing structures, stood as a symbol of his ceaseless battles and devastating losses.
As she neared the center of Astral Heaven, Jasmine felt a mix of nostalgia and resolve. She had left Crystal Lake, but the memories and lessons from there would stay with her always. The promise to keep in touch with Dana had given her a small yet important comfort, and she felt that, for the first time, she wouldn't be entirely alone in this new chapter of her life.
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