At the start of summer, everyone has a goal.Some pursue self-development, while others learn new languages or expand their social circles.Could you tell me what I think?I was honing my skills in something far more "relaxing": eating… and sleeping. Nothing else seemed to break my boring routine except gym time, where I'd pour out all my negative energy and feel, if only briefly, like I was doing something useful.And there, amidst the noise of gym machines and loud music, I found myself… and I found them.The ones who were the secret to my happiness: my friends.Closest to me was Raylene, the girl I hid nothing from. I used to think she knew me better than I knew myself… or at least, that's what I believed.Then there was Karla, whose name alone reflected her spirit: free, wild, able to read me with a glance, knowing when my smile was real… and when I was wearing a mask.As for the rest? We laughed, we had a good time, but our bond wasn't that deep. You could call us "companions of temporary happiness"—we shared jokes and spread joy… then each returned to their world.We weren't just girls—there was a strong presence of boys too.Larine, Karla, and I formed a tight trio. But with the addition of Oliver, Oscar, Martin, and finally Louis, we became a unique team… one unlike any other.Oliver, whose name means "olive tree," was our symbol of peace and calm. He had a wise mind and a serenity like the stillness before a storm. We turned to him when things got complicated, as if he were an open book that read us and quieted our chaos.Oscar, meaning "warrior," was a ball of energy, restless and unstoppable. His cheerful nature and adventurous spirit brought joy to our hearts. He could turn any dull moment into an unforgettable memory.Martin, whose name means "lover of war," was quite the opposite. He was the most sensitive of us all, noticing the small details and feeling everything deeply. His silence often spoke louder than words, and his gaze told many stories.And then there was Louis… a special case. The eldest son of our coach, Edgar, and the oldest among us, with a maturity that exceeded his years. Despite the age gap, we shared a strong friendship built on respect and mutual admiration.Yet, despite always being with us during workouts, he wasn't the closest among us. Maybe because his eyes were always focused on a future he was shaping in Europe, where he studied sports training. He was present… but belonged somewhere else.Among all these characters… I was discovering myself more. Each one of them reflected a part of me or revealed a side of myself I didn't know.And then there was my first world… my family.Seven members, each with their tone that formed the symphony of my daily life.My mother, Marceline, was the beating heart of our home. Her name, meaning "strong woman," suited her perfectly. She wasn't just a mom—she was a warm embrace, a refuge in the storm. Patient beyond belief, she read our emotions without words and gave us strength without asking for anything in return.My father, Luther, whose name means "warrior army," was the pillar of our family. Strong, firm, but with a hidden tenderness. Between him and my mother was a delicate balance that kept our home steady, no matter how wild the days became.My eldest brother, Ulrich, is the first heir to my father's dreams. His name means "noble leader," and he truly embodied the dignity and sometimes terrifying silence of leaders. He was the type to protect without speaking, believing actions meant more than words.Next came Kazimir, whose name means "bringer of peace." The opposite of Ulrich, he was always joking, cheerful, and not taking life too seriously. But in serious moments, he surprised everyone with his wisdom and sincerity.Then came I, Anastasia. The link between chaos and order, between madness and reason. As the middle child, I learned to observe everything… and survive.After me was my sister Lara, the little flower that grew up too fast. Her name means "the shining one," and she was. Her spontaneity, laughter, and even her stubbornness made her like sunshine on a cloudy day.And finally, Theoderic, the youngest, whose name means "ruler of the people." Despite his young age, he had a captivating personality and a mind beyond his years. His eyes always sparkled with endless questions, as if a whole world was forming inside him.That's my family… full of noise, full of love.But above all, my unshakable world, despite all my storms.
But behind that external world, there was another world hidden deep within Anastasia — a world of childhood that she never told, but one narrated by time and the stories that shaped who she is today.
Her childhood was a harsh mirror, filled with challenges and restrictions imposed upon her by her parents with relentless strictness. Her mother, Marceline, despite her apparent warmth, controlled every little detail of Anastasia's life, enforcing a rigid system where there was no room for error or hesitation. Her father, Luther, was even stricter, demanding perfection and absolute discipline, never accepting excuses or compromises.
In that house, where silence was often the language of conversation, there was no space for the feelings of the little girl Anastasia. Every mistake meant yelling or punishment, and every attempt to express herself was met with a wall of rejection and severity. That harshness, though intended to build a strong and disciplined personality, left deep scars in her heart, planting seeds of fear, doubt, and isolation.
In those early years, Anastasia became a quiet, even withdrawn girl, preferring to distance herself from others for fear of criticism or disappointment. She had only her inner worlds, where she collected fragments of her dreams and carefully hid them away from the eyes of her family. The psychological shocks accumulated — from the shouting that filled every corner of the house to the constant pressure to be perfect — turning her into a girl who suffered in silence, hiding her pain behind a mask of calm.
Yet, despite all of this, that wasn't the whole story. During this darkness, a small flame of inner rebellion began to flicker in Anastasia's heart — a hidden desire for freedom, for finding her voice, her true self that no one wanted to see emerge.
And thus, that childhood — harsh and burdened with psychological pressure — was what shaped Anastasia's character: a person who would face the world with confidence and strength, but who carried within her invisible wounds only seen by those who know how to look deeply.
But a person is not born strong... strength is forged through experience.
And so, when Anastasia reached adolescence, every painful moment she had endured became like a stone laid to build a fortress within her. She began asking herself:Why am I afraid? Why do I hide my true self? Why do I let the past define my future?
Little by little, she started to see her isolation not as a weakness, but as a space for growth. Her silence was no longer an escape — it became awareness. She realized that the traumas she had experienced were not a curse, but a gateway to understanding herself and the people around her.
She chose to rewrite her equation:If my family shaped me into a perfect mold that doesn't reflect who I truly am, then I will reshape myself in a mold of my own making.
She began taking her first steps toward change with the smallest details: she stopped smiling when she didn't feel like it, and she no longer stayed silent when something hurt her. She started saying "no" without fear and set boundaries, even with the people closest to her.
Gradually, she transformed from the girl who feared confrontation into someone others respected for her honesty and admired for her boldness. She wrote in her journal every night, pouring out everything she carried inside, crying, raging, and then smiling.
And each time she broke down, she rose again — stronger. Her psychological wounds were no longer her weakness; they became her fuel… her hidden strength.She learned that strength does not mean being free from pain, but rather turning pain into a shield, sadness into a sword, and betrayal into a step forward.
At the gym, Anastasia wasn't just a girl working out — she was fighting, purifying herself from the remnants of weakness. Every movement, every drop of sweat, was a new promise she made to herself:I will never be just a version of what others wanted me to be.
To those around her, Anastasia had become strong… but they didn't know that her strength didn't come from the outside — it came from a long battle within.Today, she is no longer that frightened little girl. She has become a woman who sees life with sharp eyes, knows what she wants, and walks toward it without flinching — a woman forged by pain, molded by fire… and stronger than anyone.
And so, Anastasia was no longer just a girl searching for herself… she became a woman shaping her destiny with her own hands, rewriting her story far from the shadows of the past.
But does the story end at the moment of rising?Never.
For life, as we all know, never stays calm for long…