They say the first day of university is supposed to be exciting.
A fresh start. A new chapter.
But to me, it felt like walking into a room full of strangers and carrying a secret no one could see — one that pressed on my ribs every time someone got too close.
It's been two years since the day everything changed.
Two years since I packed my life into a single suitcase and moved countries.
Two years of learning how to breathe again without choking on the past.
Mom calls it "healing."
I call it "pretending."
She says I'm stronger now. That I'm ready.
Maybe she's right. Maybe she's not.
But as I step into Thaliski University, my cap pulled low and my walls pulled high, I decide one thing—
Whatever happens next, I'll face it.
Even if it's bittersweet.