The world stopped tilting after a few seconds, but Suzzane is stood there with her palm flat against the wall, breathing carefully, waiting for her vision to settle. She was used to small headaches, short dizzy spells — she had learned to live around them.
But this one felt… different.
Sharper.
Quicker.
Like a sudden crack inside her mind.
"No," she whispered to herself. "Not today. Not now."
She straightened up slowly, brushed dust off her uniform, and forced her steps to be steady. The evening breeze cooled the heat rising in her cheeks. By the time she reached home, she had pushed the fear so deep inside that not even her breath trembled.
Her mother opened the door, surprised.
"You're late today, sweetheart."
"Sorry, Mom. We just… stayed back a little,"Suzanne replied, forcing a smile as she slipped inside.
Her mother didn't ask further. She simply kissed the top of Suzzane''s head — a habit she never let go of — and went back to the kitchen.
But someone else noticed.
Her father walked out of the living room, a newspaper still half-folded in his hand. His eyes traced her face quietly — too quietly.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
There it was.
Her father's instinct.
He always knew when her smile wasn't real.
Suzanne inhaled slowly and walked close enough to hug him.
"I'm okay, Dad. Just tired."
He didn't argue.
He didn't question.
He just held her tighter than usual.
The dining table felt unusually warm that evening — the kind of warmth that comes from family being together without even trying. Her younger brother, Liam, talked endlessly about how he scored a goal during football practice.
"Finally!" her father said proudly. "You've been practicing for months!"
Liam puffed his chest. "Coach said I improved."
"You did!" Suzanne added, ruffling his hair.
Liam grinned as if that compliment alone could make his whole night brighter.
Susan watched them — her little brother's excitement, her mother's tired but content smile, her father's calm presence — and something inside her chest softened.
This was home.
Her safe place.
The place she didn't want to hurt with her truth.
As they laughed and talked, she quietly promised herself:
"I will give them as many happy days as I can."
Even if the storm inside her had already begun.
Suzzane sat by her window, hugging her knees, watching the stars flicker in the quiet sky. She could still feel the faint ache in her head, but she refused to focus on it.
Instead, she thought about the rooftop.
The fairy lights.
Ryan's trembling hands while tying the blindfold.
His voice saying he wouldn't leave.
Ever.
She pressed her forehead against the cold windowpane.
"Not yet," she whispered, tears forming but not falling.
"I won't let anything ruin this yet."
Her phone buzzed.
Ryan: Did you reach home safe?
She smiled softly.
Suzzane: Yes.
Ryan: Don't lie. You look tired today.
Her heart thudded.
Suzzane: Just a long day. I promise I'm okay.
There was a pause.
Ryan: If you ever feel not-okay… even for one second… you know you can tell me, right?
She stared at the screen for a long time.
Susan: I know… and I will.
But she didn't.
Not tonight.
---
The Next Morning
Suzzane woke up to the smell of toast and butter. Her dad must've been in the kitchen again.
She walked out rubbing her eyes.
"You're up!" her father said cheerfully. "Sit. I made breakfast."
She laughed. "Dad, your toast is always half-burnt."
"Not today."
He raised a proud eyebrow.
She bit into the toast.
It was perfect.
He tapped his chest dramatically. "I told you."
They shared a warm smile — the kind that stays in the air long after.
But suddenly — very suddenly —
The same sharp pain flickered inside her head.
Short.
But intense.
She blinked hard and set the toast down.
Her father noticed instantly.
His smile faded.
"Suzanne…"
"I'm okay," she said quickly, standing up to avoid his eyes. "I'll be late for school."
She grabbed her bag and rushed into the hallway, heart pounding.
Behind her, her father's voice was quiet.
"God, please… keep my daughter safe."
Susan met Arhan at the gate first — sketchbook in hand, hair messy like he didn't even try to fix it.
"You look… dull," he observed bluntly.
"Wow. Thanks," she said, rolling her eyes.
"I meant tired," he said, adjusting his glasses. "Like you didn't sleep well."
"I slept fine," she lied.
Just then, Ryan walked up from behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder softly.
"You okay?" he asked.
She forced a bright smile.
"Perfect."
Arhan glanced at Ryan, then at Suzzane, then slightly frowned. He could sense something but didn't push.
During the last period, while everyone was packing their bags, Suzanne suddenly felt a small drop fall onto her notebook.
She frowned.
Another drop.
Then another.
She touched her forehead.
It wasn't sweat.
It was blood.
A nosebleed.
A sudden, hot one — running fast.
Her vision blurred — not slowly this time, but sharply.
And then she heard someone shout:
"SUZANNE!"
The room tilted.
And everything went dark.
---