Fear is the most ancient of human instincts. It is more than a warning against threats; it is a weight that makes people fear their own future. In a world of chaos and unpredictability, most people choose the path that feels safe and predictable, clinging to the familiar just to feel secure.
But there are always exceptions. There are those who refuse to be woven into the pattern.
She was one of those souls. From the moment she was born, her personality, her relationships, and her future were already constructed for her by society. She was permitted to do anything, provided it was what others expected. They promised her safety, comfort, and a stable, "normal" life if she only stayed within the lines.
As she grew, she tried to fit in. She mimicked the actions of the crowd because that is what was required. She acted the part they wrote for her. But as time passed, a hunger grew within her. She realized she did not want to spend her life chasing the satisfaction of others. She wanted a life that was truly her own.
She began to make choices born of her own will. She did the things they told her were forbidden. Slowly, the people who once looked at her with approval began to look at her as a stranger—with eyes of disgust and disbelief. Those she once knew turned their backs. A few still begged her to return to the pattern, warning her that her defiance would come at a terrible cost.
She refused them all. She told them she would rather die as someone who dared to break the pattern than live as a mindless flesh following the crowd.
Society could control her actions and her reputation, but they could never conquer her thoughts or her desires. Since she was a child, she had dreamed of one thing: to embrace the brightest star in the heavens. This dream stayed with her through every hardship.
After a lifetime of persistence and waiting, she finally reached it. The star stood before her, as radiant and magnificent as she had imagined. She reached out and embraced it with her whole being.
But the moment she held the star, she began to fall. She had climbed so high into the heavens that the fall was endless. Yet, she felt no fear. With the star lying warm in her hands, she knew she had lived to her fullest. She had chosen her own fate and was ready to pay the price for it. She had lived a life by her own rules—and to her, that was a life worth fighting for.