Chapter 1-The girl who held everything together

Chapter 1

Everyone in Lyria City knew Elise Rowan as the girl who ran everywhere.

People assumed she was late, or maybe she was just naturally high-energy.

They didn’t know she ran because if she slowed down for even a moment, her whole life might collapse.

The Rowan apartment sat on the ninth floor of a grey high-rise overlooking East Lyria. Elise woke there every morning before the sun even considered rising.

At 5 AM, her alarm buzzed. She didn’t hit snooze; she never had that luxury.

The hallway was cold as she stepped out of her room and tied her hair into a messy ponytail. She tiptoed into the kitchen, careful not to wake the others. The floor tiles were cracked, the air stale, but Elise moved with practiced familiarity.

She heated water.

She sliced bread.

She fried eggs in the pan with burnt edges.

She set the table with precision, aligning the plates because it made her feel like at least something in her life was balanced.

By 6 AM, the Rowan family trickled in.

Her mother entered first, dressed for work in a wrinkled blouse and a stressed expression.

She didn’t look at the food.

She didn’t look at Elise.

Mom: “Hurry up, Elise. I’m late.”

Elise: “Yes, Mom.”

Not “thank you.”

Not even “good morning.”

Just instruction.

Her father appeared next, reading the news on his cracked phone. He sat without meeting Elise’s eyes.

Dad: “Don’t forget to pay the bills.”

Elise: “I will.”

Dad: “And check the mailbox. I’m expecting documents.”

Elise nodded again.

Nodding was easy.

Living wasn’t.

Leo, her little brother, shuffled in barefoot and pouting. He plopped into his chair and leaned against Elise’s shoulder.

Leo: “Ate… you never play with me.”

Elise’s chest pinched.

She stroked his hair gently.

Elise: “I’ll try next time. I promise.”

But she knew she wouldn’t.

Not because she didn’t want to, but because her life was already a battlefield of responsibilities.

Leo frowned at her soft, tired smile.

Leo: “You always say that.”

And he wasn’t wrong.

When everyone finished eating, they left their plates for her to clean. Elise washed dishes while the building vibrated with the morning rush of trains below.

She glanced at the clock.

6:48 AM.

She was late for work.

Again.

So she ran.

Down the hallway.

Down the stairs when the elevator was too slow.

Across the pedestrian bridge with the cold wind slapping her cheeks.

People always stared as she darted past them, shoes hitting the pavement like a heartbeat.

If I slow down… I’ll fall behind.

If I fall behind… everything falls apart.

That was the truth Elise carried alone.