The Wren:Chapter Advanced 1.2-Şeyma

The institution was a jarring contrast to the wild freedom of my

earlier years. It was a fortress of silent stone corridors and high

ceilings, governed by the unwavering discipline of the nuns.

These women, in their black habits, sought to prune my wild

edges and transform me into a "proper young lady" suitable for

high society. Yet, they found in me a rebel by nature—a spirit

that viewed every rule as a challenge to be overcome.

I became a master of evasion and a legend among my

classmates. I would frequently scale the school's towering

stone walls just to prove I could, or conceal myself in the

densest shrubbery of the hidden garden for hours to escape the

monotonous drone of grammar lessons. I lived for the thrill of

the "mischievous joke". Whether it was hiding a sister’s

spectacles or organizing a secret midnight feast in the

dormitory, I was the undisputed architect of chaos. Yet, despite

the frequent disciplinary measures and the long hours spent in

the "punishment room," I was secretly cherished. In an

environment defined by somber gravity and prayerful silence,

my laughter was a necessary, albeit disruptive, light that kept

the other girls from losing their own spirits.

The only thing that made the school year bearable was the anticipation of

the summer holidays. When June arrived, the heavy gates of the school

would swing open, and I would be whisked away to the sprawling mansion

of my Aunt Besime. Those summers were the golden highlight of my

existence—a time of limitless food, crowded dinner tables, and the

company of my many cousins. It was there, amidst the scent of blooming

jasmine and the salt air of the Bosphorus, that I first truly noticed my

cousin, Kâmuran. He was older, possessed an effortless elegance, and

moved through the world with a quiet confidence that both intrigued and

irritated me. Little did I know, as I watched him from my favorite tree

branch, that this boy would become the compass of my life’s most difficult

journey.

Kastamonu Fen Lisesi