SHORT STORY
THE RIVER BEHIND THE LIBRARY Most students at Northbridge University didn’t know that a narrow path behind the old library led to a hidden river. The path was shaded by tall bamboo, their stalks clattering softly whenever the wind passed through as if applauding anyone brave enough to wander there. To most people, the river didn’t matter. But to Mara, it was the only place where her thoughts didn’t feel like tangled wires. Her days were always packed: lectures from morning to afternoon, club meetings in the evening, and assignments that seemed to multiply every time she blinked. She often felt like a lantern glowing too brightly, burning itself out from the inside. But the moment she stepped onto the riverbank, all that heaviness melted into the cool air. The river wasn’t just water. It was a living mirror reflecting the sky, her worries, and sometimes the answers she didn’t know she needed. One late afternoon, after a draining presentation, Mara walked to the river as usual. The...