Chasing Sparks

Second Chapter

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Nieve awoke to the sharp sound of her alarm. She lay there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, her mind heavy with thoughts.

"Why did it have to be like this? This is not the life I imagined," she wondered.

Transferring to a new university, leaving her friends behind, everything familiar-college, school, shared memories-it all felt too much. But her parents insisted, believing this new university would open better doors, and that she could help them here.

But as she lay there, a knot tightened in her chest. She took a deep breath, eyes closed, then finally swung her legs out of bed.

"You can do this," she told herself.

She opened her closet and chose a beautiful white top and jeans. As she brushed her long hair, it fell perfectly into place. Slowly, she headed downstairs, still feeling gloomy.

Her footsteps were slow as she entered the kitchen and grabbed a piece of toast, sinking into a chair.

Her parents were already there. Her parents exchanged glances, sensing that she was clouded by sadness. Yes, they knew the reason too.

After a moment, her father softly spoke.

"Nieve, we know how you're feeling, but this is best for both you and us."

Her mother added, "You will adjust, dear. Just give it some time."

Nieve nodded, though the weight of their words still pressed on her. She consoled herself, telling that they meant well.

Pushing her chair back, she stood up, slowly grabbing her bag. Before stepping outside, she forced a small smile toward her parents.

The fresh morning air hit her as she closed the door behind her. She looked up at the sky and told herself-

"Let's go, Nieve. Maybe today will be different."

Alvin's Morning

After celebrating their victory with Felix and their friends, Alvin barely got two hours of sleep. Exhausted, he forced himself out of bed, took a quick shower, and dressed sharply as usual.

Downstairs, his father was already seated at the dining table, his face set in a familiar look of disappointment. His mother, warm and cheerful as always, smiled at him.

"Come have some breakfast, Alvin."

He walked over and reached for the glass of juice, but just as his hand wrapped around it, his father's voice cut through the air.

"What time did you come home last night?"

Alvin sighed, his eyes flicking to his mother, silently hoping she would intervene. She didn't.

His father pressed on, this time louder.

"And you're still wasting your time with that nonsense? I told you to come to the office and meet my business partners, but instead, you ran off to play basketball!"

Upstairs, Avelia quickly abandoned folding her yoga mat and rushed to the top of the stairs, peeking down at the scene. Her heart sank for her brother. She knew how much basketball meant to him, how hard he was trying to juggle everything. It wasn't fair.

Alvin's grip tightened around the glass. He kept his tone calm, though frustration burned inside him.

"Basketball is more important than meeting your clients."

His father's face turned red with anger.

"More important?! I'll make sure you quit basketball if this keeps up!"

Alvin set the glass down a little too firmly, the sound echoing through the room. Without saying anything else, he stormed out of the house, his father's expectations still weighing heavily on him.

Avelia and her mother's eyes met, silent. They shared the same look-if only they could step in for Alvin. But neither dared to speak up in front of Dad.