Chapter 01: THE VOICE BEHIND THE DOOR#

The hallway was nearly empty, bathed in the golden hush of late afternoon. Win didn’t usually return to the university building this late, but he had forgotten his history notes in his locker, and exams were creeping closer. As he passed the music wing, something made him stop.

A voice.

It was faint at first, like a memory being sung back to life. Win turned toward it instinctively. The melody wasn’t perfect—it trembled, cracked slightly—but that made it even more real. Even more beautiful. It pulled at something inside him.

He followed it, step by step, heart beating faster with each note. The closer he got, the more the song wrapped around him like a thread. He reached the practice room door, slightly ajar, and peeked inside.

There she was.

A girl stood under the dim light, facing the far wall, eyes closed, her voice filling the room like she wasn’t afraid of the silence. Her black hair flowed down her back, her frame still as if the song was the only thing keeping her standing.

Win leaned closer, caught in the raw emotion in her voice. It wasn’t just a song. It was something deeper—something she needed to say but couldn’t speak aloud.

The last note faded. She turned slowly, startled to see someone at the door. Their eyes met. Her voice had been full of emotion, but now her face went unreadable.

“I’m sorry,” Win said softly. “I didn’t mean to spy. I just… heard you singing.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then her voice came—quiet but clear. “It’s okay.”

“I’m Win” he said, offering a shy smile. “You sing like you’ve been carrying that song for a long time.”

The girl hesitated. “Prim,” she said at last. “I didn’t think anyone would be around this late.”

“I’m glad I was,” he replied, surprising himself with how true it felt. “That was… honestly, the most honest thing I’ve heard all day.”

A tiny smile flickered at her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She gathered her bag. “I should go.”

“Will I see you again?” he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“Maybe,” she said. Then, without another word, she stepped past him and disappeared down the hallway.

That night, Win couldn’t sleep. Her voice lingered in his head like a song that refused to end. He knew her name now—Prim—but it only raised more questions. Who was she really? Why did she sound like her heart was breaking when she sang?

He closed his eyes, her name echoing through the silence.

Prim.

The girl with the voice that could shatter quiet.

The girl who sang like she was trying not to disappear.

And somehow, Win knew: this was only the beginning.

The voice behind the door.

It wasn't just a story.

It was a beginning.

The song she sang#

🎵 "Stay a Little Longer"

(Verse 1)

In the quiet of the hallway, I close my eyes and sing,

To the echoes of the silence, and the memories you bring.

You told me to be brave, even when the nights were cold,

But I’m still that little girl, chasing dreams you used to hold.

(Chorus)

Stay a little longer, in the corner of my mind,

I still hear your laughter, lost in borrowed time.

If I could steal one moment, before you slipped away,

I'd wrap it in this melody, and beg you, please — just stay.

(Verse 2)

I whisper to the darkness, like you’re standing near,

But shadows only answer with silence in my ear.

You were my guiding star, my fire in the storm,

But now I sing alone, just trying to feel warm.

(Chorus)

Stay a little longer, in the corner of my mind,

I still hear your laughter, lost in borrowed time.

If I could steal one moment, before you slipped away,

I'd wrap it in this melody, and beg you, please — just stay.

(Bridge)

I sing for you, I sing for me,

For everything we’ll never be.

And if this song is all that’s left,

Let it be my final breath...

(Final Chorus)

Stay a little longer, in the corners of my soul,

You're the piece I'm missing, that once made me whole.

And when the tears are falling, and I’ve nothing left to say,

I’ll find you in the music — where you’ll always stay.

...----------------...

To be continued__

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