The stage was quiet, the kind of quiet that carries weight — like the air itself was holding its breath. Two women stood side by side, illuminated by a single golden spotlight.
One wore a soft gray dress, her long dark curls cascading like a waterfall. The other, smaller and younger, stood slightly behind her, her hands trembling against her sides.
They looked nothing alike — in shape, in stature, in presence — and yet there was an unspoken bond between them, a thread invisible to the audience but impossible to ignore.
The taller woman stepped forward first. Her movements were slow, intentional, as if every gesture carried a lifetime of meaning.
Her arms opened wide, reaching not for the audience but for something higher, something unseen.