8th Apr 2025
In the noisy city, people move like shadows. Layan, a girl with big dreams, often felt invisible. "What do you want to be?" her friend asked. "I dream of colors and laughter," Layan whispered, but she didn't feel free. Every day she visited a café, watching people with different faces and stories. One day, a girl named Ruba sat down. "You look lost!" she smiled brightly. Layan, surprised, replied, "I’m just looking for my way." They talked, and Ruba invited her to join a group that promised fun and joy, but Layan felt a little scared inside. Could she trust Ruba?
The days passed, and Layan visited the group often, where every face looked happy. But something felt strange. Some girls changed. They smiled less and laughed differently. Late one evening, she saw Ruba looking hollow, her eyes vacant. “It's time to release your soul!” Ruba cried, but Layan felt a chill. Just then, a stranger in a raincoat grabbed her arm. “Don’t go back there!” he warned. Layan’s heart raced. Why had she trusted Ruba? But she also knew something else — she had to find her own light and strength to fight back.
Layan decided to follow the stranger's advice, though uncertainty bubbled inside her like a shaken soda can. She wandered the city's winding alleys, each turn revealing more masked faces. Her heart ached for her friends, especially Ruba. Would they recognize the danger? As she journeyed deeper into the city, she stumbled upon an old bookshop with a sign that read "Unlock Your Light." Curiosity pulled her inside, where an elderly woman with twinkling eyes greeted her warmly.
The woman seemed to know Layan's troubles without a word spoken. "The city of masks can be deceiving," she said, handing Layan a tiny lantern that glowed with a gentle light. "This will show you the truth." Layan thanked her, clutching the lantern tightly. As she walked back, the light revealed the shadows hiding behind the masks, the sadness beneath the smiles. With newfound clarity, Layan knew she had to return to the group and help her friends see the truth too.
Back at the gathering, Layan lifted the lantern high, its glow brightening the room. Gasps echoed as the masks fell away, revealing true faces, tired and lost. "We don't need the masks," Layan said, her voice strong. "We can find our laughter and colors without them." One by one, her friends joined her, including Ruba, who blinked as if awakening from a long sleep. Together, they stepped into the city's night, ready to fill it with genuine joy and light.
