The exam paper sat in front of Souta like a ticking time bomb. His hands trembled slightly as he stared at the questions. The numbers blurred together, symbols twisting into an incomprehensible mess.

  He had studied. But now, under the weight of the moment, everything had vanished.

  A deep breath. He tightened his grip on the pencil.

  "You’re hesitating again."

  The voice. Calm. Inevitable.

  "I—" He swallowed. "I can’t mess this up. If I fail—"

  "Then you fail."

  "Yeah, and then—"

  "And then what?" The voice didn’t let up. "The world crumbles? You stop existing?"

  Souta bit his lip.

  "If I fail, they’ll think I’m worthless."

  A pause. Then—

  "You don’t need them to think you’re worthy."

  Souta exhaled sharply. The voice made it sound so simple.

  But it wasn’t.

  ---

  The Invisible Chains

  Since he was a child, Souta had been trapped in an endless loop of expectations.

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  "Do your best."

  "Make us proud."

  "You’re smart, so don’t waste it."

  He had learned to measure his worth by his achievements. Good grades meant approval. Bad grades meant failure—not just in school, but as a person.

  If he failed, he wasn’t good enough.

  If he failed, he wasn’t worth anything.

  But the worst part?

  No matter how well he did, it was never enough.

  When he got an 80, they asked why it wasn’t a 90.

  When he got a 90, they asked why it wasn’t 100.

  When he got 100, they said, "Well, of course, that’s expected."

  There was no finish line. No point where he could stop running.

  And the more he ran, the more exhausted he became.

  ---

  The Breaking Point

  Souta stared at the test, his heart pounding. The minutes ticked away.

  He felt like he was drowning.

  "Breathe." The voice was steady. "You don’t have to prove anything to them."

  "But I—"

  "Do you even want this? Or do you just not want to disappoint them?"

  Souta’s hands clenched into fists. He wanted to say it was both. That he wanted to succeed.

  But was that the truth?

  Or had he been living his whole life trying to be someone they wanted?

  The realization hit him like a knife to the chest.

  He had never been trying to succeed. He had been trying not to fail.

  A difference so small, yet so soul-crushing.

  ---

  A Truth That Hurts

  "Souta." The voice was quiet now, almost gentle.

  "If you let the world decide your worth, you will always be worthless."

  The words settled in his chest like a cold weight.

  Because they were true.

  No matter what he did, there would always be someone expecting more. No matter how hard he tried, there would always be another standard to meet.

  So why was he still running?

  Why was he still breaking himself for people who would never be satisfied?

  For the first time, Souta didn’t have an answer.

  And for the first time, he realized that maybe…

  He didn’t need one.

  ---

  The Riddle of Truth

  "A tree stands tall, its roots deep, its branches strong.

  But it bends when the wind commands, sways when the storm demands.

  Why does it fear the wind, when its roots run deeper than the storm?"

  Souta closed his eyes.

  He understood.

  And for the first time, the weight on his chest felt just a little lighter.