The sky outside the Brown residence was grey, heavy with clouds that threatened rain. The world seemed to hold its breath, as if it knew that inside this house, something was about to break.
The morning had just begun. The clinking of cutlery, the faint murmur of voices, the usual hum of a household waking up. Yet beneath it all, there was an unease that lingered like a shadow.
And then she appeared.
Aira descended the stairs slowly, one hand gripping the handle of her small suitcase. The wheels rolled softly against the wooden steps, the sound oddly final. Her posture was straight, her chin slightly raised, but her eyes—once warm, once filled with life—were hollow now.
She entered the living room. Her presence silenced the room. She wasn't the same girl anymore.
"Where do you think you're going?" Thomas asked, his voice rough with authority, though a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face.
Aira stopped mid-step. Slowly, her head turned toward him. When she spoke, her voice was cold, sharp, as though each word had been carved in ice."I'm leaving."
Thomas's brows furrowed. "Leaving?"
Her tone was steady. "I've applied to a university abroad. I've been accepted. I'll be continuing my studies there."
There was no tremor in her voice. No hesitation.
Sana scoffed, arms folded tightly against her chest. Her words came laced with contempt, but her voice cracked just faintly."Oh, how convenient. Creating drama again. You're not even ashamed, are you?"
Aira turned to face her. Slowly. With a gaze that pierced deeper than words."I don't need to create drama," she said, voice like a blade. "This place is already full of it."
For the first time, Sana flinched. She felt it—the chill that radiated off her sister, the way her eyes no longer reflected any trace of fear. Aira was unreadable, untouchable.
Lily stepped forward, wringing her hands. "Abroad? Just like that? Why are you speaking like a stranger?"
Aira looked at her mother—once her safe place, now just another betrayer. Her lips pressed into a thin line."Because I am a stranger here. And I don't want to pretend anymore."
Rayen let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "So now you're the victim again?"
Aira walked closer to him, each step measured. She stood just inches away, her voice quiet but cutting."No. I stopped being a victim when I stopped expecting anything from you."
Rayen's smirk faltered. He shifted his weight, unable to hold her gaze.
Mira stepped forward, her eyes glistening with tears. "Aira… can we talk? Just us?" Her voice trembled with desperation.
But Aira didn't even glance her way. Her answer was final."You had your chance. Talking now won't change anything."
Thomas dragged a hand across his forehead, exhaling heavily. His tone was stern, but his eyes betrayed exhaustion."Fine. You want to go? Go. We already have a guest house in the city you're moving to. You can stay there. I'll arrange everything. We'll send money for your expenses."
Aira gave the smallest nod. But there was no gratitude, no softness in it—just acknowledgment."Alright." But I won't be staying there long.
Rayen's voice broke the silence again, frustration seeping through. "You're really going through with this? Like it's just another normal day?"
Aira's eyes lifted to his, unblinking."Every day here felt like dying. So this is the closest I've come to living."
The words landed like a stone in the room.
Sana tried to laugh, her lips twitching. But no sound came out. The way Aira looked at her now—like she was nothing but a shadow—made her chest tighten.
"You've really changed…" Lily whispered, her voice weak, almost pleading.
Aira's gaze slid to her mother, the woman who once braided her hair, sang to her at night. Her expression didn't soften."You changed me."
Mira's tears spilled over. "I miss the girl who used to run to me with good news. Who cried in my arms when she was hurt."
Aira's voice was low, but it held the weight of finality."She died. In that basement. I watched her fade, and no one noticed."
The silence that followed was unbearable. Even the ticking clock seemed too loud.
Thomas clenched his jaw. "If you walk out that door, don't expect to come back the same."
Aira's lips curled—not into a smile, but into something sharper, sadder."I'm not the same. I never will be again."
Sana rolled her eyes, trying to regain control. "You're so dramatic."
Aira's gaze snapped to her. Her words cut clean and merciless."And you're so proud of destroying someone who only wanted to love you."
Sana froze. Her throat tightened. For the first time, she had nothing to say.
Aira turned, suitcase in hand. She walked toward the front door.
"You'll regret this," Rayen called after her, but his voice lacked conviction.
Aira paused, hand resting on the doorknob. She didn't turn. She just whispered, so soft it was almost lost in the silence:"I already regret not leaving sooner."
She pulled the door open. Morning light spilled across her face, but it couldn't touch the frost in her expression. She stepped outside, suitcase rolling behind her, and with each step, the silence inside the house grew louder.
Thomas sank into the couch, shoulders heavy as if years had suddenly been added to his age. Lily sat stiff, pale, lips trembling. Rayen stared at the floor, jaw clenched but eyes uncertain. Mira wiped her tears, broken. And Sana… Sana stood frozen, her arms still crossed, though her hands shook faintly.
For the first time, none of them had anything left to say.
Because they all knew it.
Aira wasn't just walking out of the house.She was walking out of their lives.