The sun never felt warm. Even when it rose, the world seemed cold, gray, and unkind. People feared what they could not understand. And I… I was different.
From the first day of school, I noticed their eyes. Whispers followed me like shadows, harsh and constant. Devil… monster… freak. The words clung to me heavier than any stone. I tried to vanish into the walls of my own mind. But no matter where I went, they followed.
I hated the face in the mirror. Sharp features. Eyes too dark. An expression that frightened even me. Children laughed; adults avoided me; teachers looked the other way. Every day became a battle—not with them, but with the fear growing inside me, the fear that maybe… I was as terrible as they said.
Days blurred together. Hallways, classrooms, streets—all one long stretch of stares and whispers. I walked with my head low, hands buried deep in my pockets, the weight of every insult pressing down. I longed for a place to vanish, somewhere no one could reach me.
The sun had already dipped behind the massive wall that loomed over the city, casting streets in long, muted shadows. The playground lay still, swings swaying faintly in the wind. Beyond, narrow streets twisted like veins, lined with gray, leaning buildings.
I passed my home, quiet and familiar, and the small church beside it. Its stone walls were plain, its tiny wooden doors worn with age. From a single stained-glass window, a soft glow spilled onto the cobblestones. I paused, staring through the glass at my father kneeling inside.
He prayed every evening without fail. His head bowed, hands folded, lips moving silently. The faint scent of incense wrapped around him, but I hardly noticed it.
I watched him and wondered: Why does he pray all the time? Who is this God he talks to?
Questions I had never dared to ask formed in my chest. I felt the weight of the world pressing down, and yet… I could not turn away.
The church smelled of incense and quiet. The light from the window spilled across his black robe like a pale shadow. He did not notice me. Perhaps he never would.
I lingered there a moment longer, thinking. The world beyond the walls would not be easy, but here, at least, I could observe. And I would think. And maybe one day, I would understand.
But for now… I only watched.