"It's not what happens to you, but how you respond to it that defines your destiny." — Epictetus
The rumor spread faster than wildfire:
Ailín had rejected Dylan.
No one dared say it out loud in front of him. Laughter became forced, jokes short. Dylan—the one who could light up a room—moved like he was carrying invisible weights.
He trained without spark, smiled without conviction, and even his laughter sounded hollow, as if trying to laugh hurt too much.
Vivian stepped into the silence Ailín left behind.
She became the "kind shadow": always nearby, offering drinks, sweet smiles, unsolicited comfort.
And Dylan, tired of the emptiness, let her.
But one afternoon, while Vivian talked non-stop, he glanced toward the volleyball court.
There was Ailín—laughing with Andrea, sunlight tangled in her hair.
Vivian followed his gaze. Her smile faltered.
She muttered an excuse and left, wiping a tear before anyone could notice.
…
Ailín, meanwhile, felt something new: a quiet lightness.
Acting from her truth brought her peace. She studied, trained, wrote, breathed.
Of course, Oscurita wasn't happy.
"So… pretending you don't miss him now?"
"I'm not pretending," Ailín whispered.
"Oh, come on," the shadow hissed. "You lie so well I almost believe you. Then why do you still write his name?"
Ailín closed her notebook.
No answer came.
…
The holidays arrived. Dylan traveled with his family, hoping distance could heal what pride couldn't.
Days passed with laughter, garden races, and games with his siblings.
"Dylan, come play!"
"Look at my drawing!"
He smiled, genuinely. For a few hours, he was just their older brother again.
One night, under a starry sky, his little sister asked,
"Are you sad about something?"
He paused.
"Just a little tired," he said—and distracted her with tickles until both were laughing.
The ache remained, but it hurt less now.
…
Ailín spent her evenings walking and writing on the balcony, whispering thoughts to the wind.
Her mother found her one night.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing. Just trying to organize my thoughts."
"Thoughts… or feelings?"
Ailín smiled faintly.
Later, she tore out a page from her notebook—the one with Dylan's name—and hid it in her desk drawer.
"You keep it but pretend to let it go," Oscurita whispered. "Why hide it if you don't care?"
"Because I don't want to forget him. But I don't want to live in him either."
The shadow shrank back, hurt.
"You don't need me to protect you anymore, huh?"
"I still need you," Ailín murmured. "But not to run away."
…
Before school started again, Andrea visited. They sat on the porch, ice cream melting between their fingers.
"Are you okay?"
"Think so."
"Does that include Dylan?"
Ailín looked down.
"I don't know. I think I did the right thing… but I'm afraid I ruined it."
"Afraid or guilty?"
"Afraid," she admitted. "Afraid he won't look at me the same way."
Oscurita curled inside her chest, whispering bitterly:
"What if he never looks at you again? Or worse… already found someone else?"
That question cut deeper than any reproach.
…
When classes resumed, Dylan was different.
Alive again. Confident. Laughing with teammates, accepting compliments, smiling like the past had never happened.
Ailín watched him—and something twisted inside.
Jealousy. Fear. Maybe both.
"See?" Oscurita purred. "It's not indifference. It's fear of losing him."
"No…"
"Yes. And that knot in your stomach? That's me. You don't know how to love without fear."
"I don't want to hear you anymore."
"Too late, love," she said. "I live where your heartbeat does."
…
Andrea noticed the change.
"She's not as fine as she pretends. I think she regrets not having tried something with you," she told Dylan one day.
That was all it took.
He found Ailín at the volleyball court one afternoon.
Time seemed to stop when she saw him.
"Can we talk?"
She nodded.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you. And if you feel even a little of what I feel… can we try?"
"Nooo!" Oscurita screamed inside her chest. "If you say yes, he'll fill you with light—and I'll disappear!"
Ailín smiled softly.
"Yes… but not because you sought me. Because I want to try too."
Dylan stepped closer, careful, gentle.
He pulled her into a tight, emotional hug, as if trying to say with that embrace everything he couldn't put into words.
Ailín returned the hug, letting herself be wrapped in the warmth and intensity of the moment.
From deep inside, Oscurita watched.
Silent. Resigned.
"Fine… this time, I'll let you shine," she murmured.
Even as she faded, a small smile lingered in the dark.
Because even light… needs its shadow.