Mira followed the glowing thread through the strange version of her school. The world around her pulsed softly, like it was breathing.
She passed her locker—it whispered, "Not everything locked should stay closed." She hesitated, then opened it.
Inside wasn't her books… but a small mirror. Written in dust across the glass:
"Your courage looks like you."
Mira smiled. Just a little.
She picked up the mirror, and the thread glowed brighter, pulling her onward.
At the end of the hallway stood a tall, wooden door with no handle. The thread slipped underneath. Mira pressed her hand against it—and it opened.
Inside: a wide, starry field under an open sky. The air shimmered with possibilities.
And there, waiting by a quiet fire, was... another version of her—confident, calm, glowing faintly like a dream come true.
"You found me," said the other Mira. "The part of you you've always had. The one that stands up, even when your voice shakes."
They sat by the fire. The stars above blinked gently.
"Your story doesn't have to be perfect," the other Mira said. "It just has to be yours."
And when Mira blinked next, she was back in her room.
The book lay on her bed.
The last page read:
"You are not lost. You are unfolding."
(Fun stories by Gabrielle Ehi).