She watched them from the sidelinesβpale imitations draped in her colours, wearing her skin like it was theirs to claim. They mimicked her walk, stole her words, watered down her fire and called it brilliance. And the world? The world clapped. Flocked like crows to a corpse, mistaking rot for beauty because it smiled sweetly and told them what they wanted to hear.
She let out a bitter laugh, one that caught in her throat and tasted like salt and smoke. It wasn't funnyβnot really. But what else was left? They wanted the echo, not the source. The copy, not the creation. And maybeβjust maybeβthat was her fault. Maybe she should have dulled her edges, worn a prettier mask, learned how to bend like they did.
But she didn't. She couldn't. She knew her worth. Knew she was so much more than them. A thousand times brighter, deeper, realer. And yet, it didn't matter. They chose the fakes. Every time.
And there she sat, in the shadows that felt more like home with each passing day. Watching. Wounded. Wondering if the world would ever see her. Not everyone. Just someone. Just one. But no one looked. No one ever looked.
Her heart cracked again in the silenceβloud and sharp like a scream no one heard. And the ache of it, the weight of always being unseen, of being too much or not enough, pressed on her lungs until breathing felt like a chore.
Maybe they were right. Maybe she wasn't enough. Maybe she should just⦠walk away. Let them have their plastic queens and sugar-coated lies. Let the spotlight rot in their palms.
The darkness waitedβcool, quiet, honest. There, at least, she didn't have to pretend. There, the pain wouldn't echo so loud in her ribs. Maybe the end wasn't a tragedy after all. Maybe it was a release.
She was tired. So tired. And all she'd ever wanted was to be seenβnot loved by the masses, not worshipped. Just seen. By someone. Anyone.
But no one cared to look.
No one ever does.