❝ 𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ❞ ʲᵃˢᵖᵉʳ ʰᵃˡᵉ ( EN )

☇ 𝟭𝟵

The day after her exchange with Rosalie, Théodora felt different, but she couldn't tell if it was a good or a bad thing. Rosalie's words still echoed within her, turning in her mind like a persistent melody. It wasn't a feeling of relief, but rather a kind of clarity, as if something she hadn't yet fully understood had just been unveiled.

A veil has lifted, but the light it reveals is both gentle and cruel.

Putting on her sneakers, fitted jeans, and a loose sweater, she let her hair fall freely over her shoulders before leaving the house, the cool Forks wind brushing against her skin without bothering her.

The wind whispers, but it brings me no answers. Everything feels both familiar and strange.

Arriving at school, Théodora joined her friends, trying to blend into the energy of the day. The sky remained covered with clouds, barely pierced by a few timid rays of sunlight, but the familiar bustle of the hallways, the laughter, and the noisy conversations had something comforting about them. Without thinking too much, she slipped into their usual table in the cafeteria.

Nothing changes here, and yet, everything inside me is different.

"Hi everyone!" she called out, her gaze sweeping over her friends as the buzz of the cafeteria surrounded her, the clatter of trays and the smell of warm meals filling the air.

Thomas looked up at her, surprised, then a smirk spread across his lips. "Well, you seem to be in a good mood," he remarked. "Did you win the lottery or what?"

Théodora laughed, a clear and joyful sound that made a few heads turn around them. "No, better than that," she replied, her eyes sparkling with a new light. "I had a revelation."

Revelations are not always answers; sometimes they are questions in disguise.

Eleanor, always on the lookout for a juicy story, leaned in towards her, her hair falling in a cascade over her shoulder. "A revelation? Oh, that sounds like it's going to be interesting," she said, her eyes shining with curiosity. "Come on, spill the beans!"

Théodora shook her head, amused by her friends' enthusiasm. "Let's just say I understood something important. Something that concerns me."

There are things we understand but can't put into words.

Chloé, who was sipping her fruit juice, set her cup down and fixed her with a playful smile. "Ooh, this smells like a deep and mysterious story. But hey, we'll wait until you're ready to tell us everything."

Friendship is what keeps us grounded when everything around us floats into the void.

Théodora felt a surge of gratitude towards her friends. They didn't pressure her, didn't try to make her speak more than she wanted to. "Thank you," she murmured, her eyes shining with appreciation. She realized just how much she cherished these moments, these friendships that remained constant despite everything she was going through.

The rest of the day went by in good spirits. Every burst of laughter, every small, casual gesture from her friends brought her back to reality, back to who she was before everything changed. When she sat down in history class, she watched the sun's rays filter through the window, illuminating the dust suspended in the air, and she found herself smiling, feeling more at peace than ever.

Simple things... they are the most beautiful because they don't try to be anything else.

For the first time in a long while, Théodora felt light, as if she was slowly rediscovering the person she was before all this, and it comforted her.

But can we truly become who we were, after changing so much?

That evening, Théodora sat on her bed, a bit tense, her legs crossed, her gaze fixed on the window. Wrapped in a soft sweater, she pretended to read a novel, but every word seemed blurry, her mind unable to focus. She was waiting for Jasper, determined this time to tell him everything she had on her mind.