READ OUT LOUD AND RECORD THE FOLLOWING STORY

Noah stood at the intersection, the cold air biting at his skin as the city lights flickered around him. He had spent four years building a path he thought was certain: top grades, a university acceptance for engineering, and a structured life planned down to the courses he would take each semester. Everyone expected him to continue along this carefully laid road.

Yet, standing there with a camera hanging from his shoulder, Noah felt the weight of his decisions pressing against him. Over the last year, he had started capturing images of the city, its hidden corners and vibrant streets, and each photograph made him feel alive in a way equations never did. He was supposed to head to a campus tour that morning, but instead, he found himself following the morning light as it crept between buildings, capturing the raw stories in the faces of the people he met.

As he reviewed the images on his camera, Noah realised he had to decide whether to follow the path that was expected or the uncertain road that called to him. The sound of a street musician’s violin cut through the noise of traffic, and Noah paused, snapping a photo of the musician’s focused expression, the world moving around him while he stayed present in his art.

Noah turned off his camera and took a deep breath, realising that choosing a different path didn’t mean failure; it meant allowing himself to find meaning beyond what was expected. For the first time in years, he felt the excitement of possibility rather than the fear of disappointing others.