As Arash stood at the threshold of his room, he couldn’t help but smile. The walls of his home—no longer just a house, but now a place of change—felt different. There was an energy in the air, a small but noticeable shift that he couldn’t quite put into words. But …

The night was unusually quiet. Arash had spent hours replaying every awkward conversation he’d ever had with a girl in his head, his attempts at making small talk during the field trip looping on an endless loop. Finally, as he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, he realized something: …

The announcement came out of nowhere.
“We’re going on a field trip,” Mr. Shafiei, their civics teacher, said one morning, standing in front of the blackboard with his usual air of exasperated patience.
The classroom erupted into chaos.
“What? Where? Why?” Arash heard himself ask, his voice blending with the excited murmurs of …

Arash had never thought of the school library as a particularly thrilling place. Sure, it was a quiet refuge from the chaos of his classmates’ shouting matches and pencil wars, but it was mostly just rows of dusty books, ruled over by the ever-frowning librarian, Mr. Jalali.
But one day, everything …

Arash was lounging on the living room sofa, scrolling through his phone, when his mother’s voice pierced the air like a dagger.
“Arash, come to the kitchen. Now.”
Her tone was one he’d learned to fear—it wasn’t angry, but it was firm, the kind that brooked no argument.
He groaned, dragging himself off …

Eliza felt the sun caress her hair, turning the silver strands into gold. She smiled as she hung the silk lanterns on the porch, their soft light reflecting the warmth in Michael's eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "You look beautiful, my love," he …

Anya felt a pang of loneliness as she watched the couple walk by. They were holding hands, smiling, and laughing, oblivious to the world around them. They looked so happy, so in love.

They were not human.

They were Synths, hyper-realistic humanoid robots that had taken over the role of …

I didn't expect this feeling to hit me like a dodgeball to the gut during Mr. Johnson's epic history lecture on, like, the bubonic plague or something. Jessica, who usually doodles unicorns with butterfly wings in her notebook, was taking actual notes. And for some reason, the way the light …

She found the letter in her mailbox. It was written on a fine paper, with a delicate handwriting. It was addressed to her, but it had no name or stamp. It was a love letter.

She read it with curiosity and wonder. It was full of compliments and confessions. It …

She had worked hard all her life, but she never felt like she was getting ahead. She had a modest income, a small apartment, and a few friends. She paid her taxes, followed the rules, and hoped for the best.

But every year, she saw her taxes go up, while …

The fire burned low in the great hall, its golden glow casting soft light over the princess and her father. Tonight, the king seemed more somber than usual, as though the story he carried weighed heavier on his heart.
“Do you know of the Forgotten Grove, my child?” he asked, his …

Rose watched the maintenance crew wheel away the last filing cabinet, its metal drawers rattling like loose teeth. For thirty-two years, she'd known exactly which drawer held which files – third down, left side for active accounts; top right for special cases. Now everything lived in the cloud, a concept …

Mara stood in her front yard, staring at the faint watermarks etched into the side of her house like scars. The last flood had reached higher than ever before, swallowing the porch and leaving behind a film of mud and despair. She had scrubbed for days, but the stains refused …

Under the ancient walnut tree in their courtyard, Pari sat cross-legged on the woven rug, her fingers busy shelling pistachios. The autumn breeze tugged at her silk scarf, now faded like the memories she shared with her husband, Abbas. He sat across from her, silent as always, staring into the …

He had loved her since he was a young boy, and she had loved him back. They grew up together, they went to school together, they dreamed of a future together. He was a brilliant student, a talented writer, a promising scholar. She was a beautiful girl, a talented singer, …