The room was dim, the curtains drawn tightly as if they were shielding her from the world outside. After barely an hour of sleep, Anaya stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, heavy and dull. She opened her laptop.The glow of her laptop was casting a faint light across the sheets, a silent witness to the binge she had surrendered to.
She didn't move for a while.
Just lay there, eyes tracing the ceiling, heart oddly calm. She started watching the remaining show. The show, every episode had been devoured by her within the span of one long morning. From the ship's arrival to the honey-shaped shelter, from laughter to courage and strange robotic parrot, she had followed every moment with silent wonder. She still laughing remembering those things in the show.
It was already close to noon.
Dragging herself from the warmth of the bed, Anaya reached out and pulled the curtains aside. Light spilled into the room in quiet streams. 11:30 a.m. The sun outside was bright and shameless, in sharp contrast to her foggy, worn-out self.
She brushed her teeth slowly, splashed water on her face, and tied her hair back with tired fingers. Her reflection stared back at her with drooping eyes and faint dark circles.
Sleep had not been kind.
But hunger hadn't come either. Still, she knew if she skipped lunch, he would notice.
"Her boss."
With a sigh, Anaya made her way to the downstairs. The familiar aroma of food did nothing to excite her senses, but she sat down anyway, lifting the spoon without much will.
"Anaya?" Her boss called out.
Anaya froze mid-bite. His voice had that concerned tone again.
She turned to look at him.
He had stopped halfway through his plate, eyes narrowing slightly behind his glasses. "What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well? You didn't come for breakfast either. What have you been doing all morning?"
Her heart fluttered uneasily.
"What should I say?" Anaya whispered herself.
"Or Should I tell him to that I had been watching a fantasy world unfold on screen? That I'd been chasing laughter and imagination instead of sleep?" That even now, her chest felt oddly full, because of a boy who didn't know her, but who had once made her believe in the idea of safe love?
"…I just didn't feel well," she mumbled finally, pushing the rest of the food away.
Her boss didn't press further. He gave a short nod, his concern softening into a quiet sigh.
"I'll go rest for a while," she added before standing up. "Thank you."
Upstairs, the bed welcomed her like a friend. She collapsed into it, curled up on her side, and whispered to herself, "No matter what, I'll sleep properly from now on. Nothing will disturb me."
And this time, she did sleep.
The world outside turned slowly from gold to grey. Evening light cast gentle shadows across her floor as the birds began returning to their nests. When she finally opened her eyes, the sky had changed color.
She rose again, refreshed this time. A little lighter.
She washed her face, changed into her dress, and went downstairs to begin her work.
Anaya, as she finished her work. Anaya leaned back against the headboard, ahe relaxed herself that her work finally behind her for the day. The night was quiet, she returned to her room,the room lit only by the faint glow of her phone screen. She sighed and pulled the blanket over her legs, scrolling through YouTube again with fingers that moved more from habit than thought.
There he was again.
Yu Chen.
Her safe place in a distant world.
She clicked on a performance, one she had probably watched before. but tonight, it felt different. Maybe it was the silence of the room, or the way her heart felt oddly hollow after trying to forget. She watched him sing, his expressions soft yet powerful. His eyes held emotions that words could never reach, and for a while, she just lay there, letting the music pour over her.
But she didn't want to ruin her sleep again. She knew the consequences. Her body had already shown her how it breaks under exhaustion.
She put her phone down.
Turned off the screen.
Closed her eyes.
But sleep wouldn't come.
She tossed...
Turned over and over on her bed.
Counted the seconds between the blinking lights outside her window.
The clock ticked on over and over, approaching midnight.
In frustration, Anaya sat up and crossed her legs, trying a few slow breathing exercises she had once seen online. She moved into light yoga asanas, stretching her arms, bending forward, focusing on her breath.
Still, nothing.
Sleep danced just out of reach.
Finally, giving in, she picked up her phone again.
She opened YouTube and, without knowing what she was looking for, typed: Yu Chen songs.
There weren't many.
But there was one with a soft title: "Good Night."
She tapped it.
The video opened with a dimly lit set, a guitar softly playing in the background. His voice entered, low, slow, gentle, like someone whispering a lullaby just for her.
She looped it.
Placed her phone beside her pillow.
And curled under the blanket once more.
The melody washed over her like ocean waves.
And this time, sleep did come.
Without struggle.
Without effort.
By the time the sun began to peek through her curtains, the song was still playing softly in the background.
Anaya stirred, her eyes blinking slowly open. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head. There was a lightness in her body, a rare calmness in her chest.
She smiled to herself. "Hmm… I really got a good sleep."
Sliding her feet to the floor, she stood and walked toward the window. The morning air was crisp. The world outside felt quiet, alive, and peaceful.
With a small decision made quietly in her heart, Anaya changed into a simple dress and packed her sling bag. She tied her hair in a loose braid, picked up her library card, and stepped out of the house.
Today, as she decided to go to the library.