Every ending leaves space for a new beginning.
It doesn't always come immediately. Sometimes, it sneaks in quietly—through unexpected moments, small choices, and a shift in perspective.
Akutu wasn't looking for a new beginning.
But life had a way of bringing change when you least expected it.
It started with a simple invitation.
Her classmate, Edem, had been pestering her to attend a public speaking workshop. "You'd be great at this," he had said. "You're always making sense when you talk."
Akutu had laughed. "That's because you don't listen to other people."
"Exactly why you need to come," Edem grinned. "To teach me how to listen."
She had almost said no. But then she remembered—this was her season of saying yes to new experiences.
So, she showed up.
And that one decision would change everything.
The workshop was held in a small auditorium, with a group of students who all seemed to know what they were doing.
Akutu felt out of place at first, but as she listened to others speak—sharing stories, ideas, and thoughts with confidence—something stirred inside her.
She had always believed in the power of words.
But she had never thought about using her own.
When it was her turn to speak, she hesitated.
Then, she took a breath and stepped forward.
Her voice wasn't the loudest in the room, but people listened.
And for the first time, she realized—she liked this.
Not just speaking.
Being heard.
From that day, something shifted.
Akutu started attending more events—not because she felt she had to, but because she wanted to.
She met people with different perspectives, different ambitions, different experiences.
She started to see the world beyond her own little bubble.
And she liked it.
For so long, she had been caught in the cycle of routine—lectures, assignments, relationships, expectations.
Now, she was living differently.
Not just for someone else.
Not just for the sake of passing time.
But for herself.
And in that, she found something unexpected—freedom.
Nathan noticed the change.
He saw it in the way Akutu carried herself—lighter, more open, more engaged.
She wasn't avoiding him, but she wasn't orbiting around him either.
And he realized something.
They had both stepped into new beginnings.
Maybe different ones. Maybe separate ones.
But beginnings all the same.
And that was okay.
Because life kept pulling them forward, whether they were ready or not.
The pulleys of life had shifted once again.