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Whispers of Shadows and Melodies of Hope

"Mom? Are you there? Please, help me. I'm afraid. MOM!!MOOOM!!"

A dark room is filled with the howling cry of a little girl. She is scratching the walls of the room so helplessly as if she can dig the walls with that and get out of the room. She feels the room is becoming darker with every passing moment. She is having a hard time breathing. Her nails broke and her hands were bleeding. It seemed like she was standing in a circle of pure red which was filled with her blood. Her lips and eyes are very badly swollen because of continuous crying. Suddenly she stopped screaming and started to laugh crazily while pulling her hair as if she's gone crazy and finally, she passed out.

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A group of a young boy and 3 girls who were around 17 or 18 years old, were entering in hallway while laughing and talking. They are well-known at school since they consistently achieve flawless scores in nearly everything.

"Hey Aria! You smashed there, girl! Did you guys see how she prepared that awesome song at the very last time? How do you do this?!! tell me, darling.", said the girl with curly hair with puppy eyes.

"Shut up, Chloe. I think I'll throw up ".

"Oh really! Why is that? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror right now, Pete?" and that's it. It is the starting point of Peter and Chloe's everyday fight which is nothing but entertainment to all.

"Can you guys just stop it? It's becoming annoying day by day."

"Are you okay, Aria? I know it was hard for you to make such a song in such a rush. But, trust me babe you have done a great job. So don't overthink about it, okay?"

"Hmm, Lara. I am not overthinking anything. I'm okay. Let's go now. ", said Aria with a smile on her face.

" hmm", sighed Lara.

(Time skip-After class)

After lengthy and exhausting classes, the students are rushing to their home. Just like others, Aria and her friends said bye to each other for that day. Aria takes out her earphones, plays a song and begins to walk towards her home while smelling the fragrance of coffee filling the air coming from the roadside café. A lovely blanket of cotton-like white clouds filled the sky. The roads are not so crowded as the sun is at its highest point in the sky. She abruptly stopped and changed her direction to somewhere else.

"Mom, I'm home. Oh my God! I'm so hungry. Give me some food.

Do you know What happened today?! Today during a school event, a performance kid who was ready to sing unexpectedly became ill. So, I offered my help. I performed a song after barely 15 minutes of practice. Mom, I got compliments from everyone!" The joy in Aria's voice and the smile in her eyes could be seen.

"What time is your coaching?" asked the middle-aged lady.

The thrill and satisfaction in Aria's eyes immediately vanished as soon as she heard that.

"It's after 30 minutes," answered Aria with an irritated voice.

"So, quickly go and take a bath. Then have lunch & go. Don't waste time. Time is precious. It's not going to wait for you. Do you get it?"

"Yes, mom."

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The pain is unbearable for her. She is all crawled up like a ball.

"Wa-Water", a very vague sound is coming from her voice. The door creaks open, and a faint silhouette appears & and her eyes widen with a ray of hope. Slowly the shadow came close to her  and grabbed her by the hair. "AHHHHHHHHH."

"What have I done?! Please let me know. I-I -I can't ta-take it ANYMORE!!!" She screamed her lungs out.

"Oh, you know, sweetie. You dared to scream. And now, you must face the consequences." Said the figure with a devilish smile which was so very clear even in the dark.

"I won't scream again, I promise. Just don't hurt me."

"Look at you, clinging to hope even now. Pathetic. It was your fault for now & and you'll get a sweet punishment for this." The figure smirked looking at her painful  and tired eyes. Soon the little girl was lifted in the air by the figure and that person made her sit on a wooden chair.

"No, no more hoping. I'll do anything you say, just don't hurt me anymore."

"Weak girl. You are still hoping. Your begging is almost music to my ears. "

Desperately she said, "I've learned my lesson, truly. I won't make a sound or hope for anything ever again. Just give me a chance."

"Ah, sweet promises. But I'm afraid it's too late for that."

With a sinister swing of the bat, the person starts to hit her without listening to her more. She lets out a heart-wrenching scream, her resolve crumbling.

"Hope is engraved into your heart, girl. And hope is what will break you." said the figure laughing coldly and hitting again, and the little girl's anguished cries echo in the room, her shattered hopes becoming the melody of her torment.

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Aria enters, her shoulders slumped and her steps heavy. She looks around with a weary expression, her eyes reflecting the weight of her exhaustion. She drags herself towards her small room and drops her bag with a sigh. As she's about to sit on her bed, she freezes upon hearing loud, cheerful voices from the hall room. She changes her track to see what is happening. Peeking from the hall room, Aria's eyes filled up with joy. She whispered to herself "Sis!! My diary has finally come.". Her eyes turn glossy with a euphoric feeling. Slowly she enters the hall room. Her elder sister, Ashley has come from her university to spend her vacation with her family. As their eyes meet, Aria's tiredness seems to momentarily fade, replaced by a mixture of longing and joy.

"Here she comes."

Ashley said turning her attention to Aria.

"So, how was coaching? Is the syllabus covering up well? You know right, your exam is nearby?"

Aria's smile falters slightly. She nods softly.

Ashley reaches into her bag and pulls out a wrapped packet. She extends it towards Aria

"You have to get admitted to the best university. Here take this." She hands over a packet which contains a pair of earrings.

Aria's lips curl into a grateful smile as she accepts the packet, her fingers tracing the delicate wrapping.

"Let's eat. My daughter came from a long journey. Aria, prepare the table."

Aria's shoulders slump a bit, her moment of connection with her sister momentarily overshadowed by the routine of daily life.

Aria moves to prepare the table, her mind still filled with a mixture of emotions - the euphoria of her sister's return, the weight of her academic responsibilities, and the longing for something more.