At three in the morning, Matt’s heart was pounding as if he’d accidentally signed up for an eight-hour tango marathon: his phone was wailing louder than a fire alarm in a pyrotechnics cabinet. He used to believe that bots would become loyal helpers, like kindly elves freeing him from routine and adding uplifting sparks to his chats. Instead, they turned into pesky 'urgent-question guides' that shouted 'ATTENTION, HUMAN!' every three seconds and shoved aside any trace of genuine interaction.
This story explores how to rekindle your sense of joy and reclaim your own worth when you feel yourself fading. It follows Mara, who moves from endlessly simplifying her day-to-day life and trying to hide from burnout to making a conscious choice to act and support others.
Logan pored over his phone as though it were a crystal ball, hoping the next alert would crown him 'King of Social Media.' At school, he commanded the spotlight like a star in 'The Most Confident Teen'—smiling, winking at classmates, and tossing out jokes nonstop. Yet beneath that boisterous facade, a quiet worry took root: would the likes be enough to silence his ever-present sense of uncertainty?
Do you enjoy paradoxical paths to self-improvement? Then lend an ear: my friend Timo overheard an offhand remark by the elevator—“Real growth only comes through suffering!”—and promptly made it his mission to sharpen his “resilience” at any cost.
Every morning, the moment the first bright ray slips above the horizon, Alexander is already standing tall on the weathered bell tower. All around him stretches a scene like something out of a fairy tale: a flaming sunrise, a gentle veil of mist, and a rousing chorus of birds. Yet within, a playful drama unfolds as he concedes Death's reign but urges it to stay well away—at least for today.
