Annisa was a cheerful and energetic girl. She loved dancing and dreamed of becoming a famous dancer. But as she grew up, her body didn't develop the way she had hoped. She started gaining weight until she was nearly obese. Since high school, she had always felt like she wasn't good enough. The mocking comments from her classmates about her body became thorns that pierced her heart.
"Fat like an elephant,"
"Such a pretty face, too bad about the body."
Those words echoed in her mind again and again—even when no one said them anymore. They followed her into adulthood.
Every morning, Annisa stood in front of the mirror, turning her body side to side.
"If I were thinner, everyone would like me," she muttered, staring at a reflection she found terrifying.
But the reflection seemed to reply,
"You have to try harder. Look at you now. Who would ever want you? Fat and ugly like an elephant!"
"Ahhhhhhh!" she screamed in frustration.
Annisa started trying everything to get her dream body—slim and beautiful like a K-Pop idol. She began a harsh diet, eating only once a day with tiny portions. She also started taking unregulated diet pills she bought online—all without any professional guidance. The thought of surgery even crossed her mind, but that was out of reach. She wasn't rich, and her current job barely kept her afloat.
Even after all her efforts, the strict diet brought no real results. Growing more desperate, she turned to more extreme measures. She stopped eating entirely, surviving only on infused water she made herself. Days passed, her body weakened, but she stubbornly continued.
Eventually, her body could take no more. She collapsed at work and was rushed to the hospital by a colleague. When she regained consciousness, one of her coworkers was still by her side, but soon left as night fell. As she sat on the hospital bed, a handsome man with gentle eyes walked toward her. He smiled and introduced himself as Serafim.
"You're here alone? I was just passing by. Are you okay?" he asked.
Annisa nodded. "I'm okay."
"What brought you to the hospital?" Serafim asked.
"I was on a diet," she said weakly. "The doctor said it was too extreme."
Serafim sat beside her.
"What are you really looking for through all this? Why are you hurting your own body?"
"I just want to be thin! If I stay like this, no one will ever want me!" Annisa stared at him intensely. "If I'm not pretty or thin, people just make fun of me!"
Serafim sighed deeply.
"If you keep doing this, your body won't survive. You won't become thin—you'll lose your life, Annisa."
She said nothing. Her eyes were blank, ignoring his words. The next day, the doctor allowed her to go home, advising her not to continue the extreme diet. But her obsession had taken over. She ignored both the doctor and Serafim, thinking they were just strangers who didn't understand.
Less than a week later, Annisa collapsed again—this time at home, alone. Her condition was far worse. Serafim, somehow aware of it, helped rush her back to the hospital. On the way, something terrifying happened—Annisa's heart stopped for several seconds before the doctors managed to stabilize her.
In a half-conscious state, Annisa found herself in a room filled with mirrors. Each reflection showed a perfect version of herself—ideal body, flawless face. But then the reflections began to speak, their voices harsh and cruel:
"You're weak. You failed to become one of us. Look at you—fat. No one will ever love you."
Annisa fell to her knees, sobbing in fear. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind one of the mirrors. She looked up—it was Serafim, now glowing with a radiant light, wings spreading brilliantly from his back.
"Annisa, stand up," he said gently.
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
"I can't. I'm too ugly. I don't deserve to."
Serafim gently helped her to her feet and led her to one mirror that looked different from the others. In it, she saw her former self—the joyful, hopeful Annisa she used to be. She saw how that girl slowly transformed into someone full of wounds.
"You've been torturing your own body, Annisa. This body is a gift. But you forced it to meet standards that aren't real. Do you really want your life to end like this?"
Annisa wept loudly, realizing all the pain she felt came from her own obsession.
"But... I just want to be accepted. I want to be loved."
"Do you think being thin will guarantee love? You don't have to change who you are for that. Those who truly love you won't care about your body shape," said Serafim. "Start by loving yourself."
Annisa cried even harder, and as her tears fell, the mirrors began to shatter. Serafim's wings wrapped around her, shielding her from the flying shards.
She slowly opened her eyes. She was back in the hospital, tears still wet on her cheeks.
Months passed. Annisa began learning to love herself. She stopped listening to the voices in the mirror and started enjoying life more. She began exercising regularly, eating healthy food, and working toward the dream she had nearly forgotten. She stepped into the world of dance again, becoming a choreographer—still not famous, but finally on her way.
One morning, while practicing in front of a mirror, she felt the presence of Serafim nearby. She smiled, holding the memory of him close in her heart.
***