Narine
The ball.
The word itself had circled in my head for days, weaving itself through every quiet hour and moment of stillness. And now that the day had finally arrived, it settled on my skin like a second heartbeat, persistent, loud, and impossible to ignore.
From the moment I opened my eyes, I'd felt it. A slow, creeping anxiety that coiled in my stomach and tightened with every breath I took. It was almost maddening, how much effort I'd poured into pretending to be unaffected these past weeks, when deep down, everything in me trembled.
Because tonight was a leap into the unknown that could either break me all over again or set something inside me free.
And I was terrified.
It felt like walking toward a cliff with no guarantee of wings.
Yet, I didn't want to be afraid anymore.
