CANVAS OF COURAGE [Ongoing]

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"Amid the roar of flames and shadows of the past, courage is not the absence of fear—it is the strength to take another step when fear threatens to consume you."

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SANVI POV

The hallway felt cooler as I stepped away from the crowded party. The voices and laughter behind me faded, replaced by the steady click of my heels against the polished floor. I hugged my arms tightly, trying to shake off the strange heaviness in my chest. Maybe it was the lighting in the corridor, or the eerie quiet, but something about the emptiness made my skin prickle.

I shook the feeling off as best as I could, turning the corner toward the door marked with a familiar sign.

The washroom was empty when I stepped inside, the overhead light casting a cold, artificial glow. I walked into one of the stalls, locking the door behind me with a metallic click. As I sat there, I allowed myself a moment to breathe, to let the noise of my thoughts settle. The party felt far away now, almost as if it had never existed.

When I finished, I opened the stall door and walked toward the sink. My steps were slow, my movements deliberate. My reflection greeted me, I let the faucet run for a second, staring at the steady stream of water before placing my hands under it.

The cold water felt refreshing against my skin as I rubbed my palms together, watching the soapy bubbles swirl down the drain.  My hands moved automatically, washing, rinsing, repeating, but my mind drifted. Why does it feel so quiet? Why does it feel so wrong? I let out another breath, trying to shake off the creeping unease.

That's when I smelled it. It was faint at first, a barely-there trace in the air, but it was enough to make my hands pause under the stream. I sniffed lightly, trying to place the scent. It was sharp and acrid, like something burnt. My brow furrowed as I straightened, the water still running.

"What is that smell?" I murmured under my breath, glancing over my shoulder toward the washroom door. The air felt heavier now, like an invisible weight pressing down on me. My chest tightened slightly as I turned off the faucet, the sudden silence amplifying the faint hum of the light above.

My eyes locked onto my reflection again, narrowing as I tried to shake the building dread clawing at my mind. Calm down, Sanvi. Don't let it take over. You're fine. I gripped the edge of the sink, my knuckles white as I steadied myself. My breathing wavered, the shallow rhythm threatening to spiral, but I closed my eyes and focused. Breathe. Just breathe. In... out... you can control this.

But just as I felt the tension ease, a sound broke through the quiet—a distant shout. My eyes snapped open, wide and fearful, as the noise grew louder. It was faint at first, muffled through the walls, but it sharpened quickly, joined by hurried footsteps and the crash of something shattering.

"What's happening?" I muttered under my breath, panic creeping into my voice. 

The smell turned suffocating, wrapping around me and burning my lungs. The thought hit me, unrelenting: Fire.