THE CHRONICLESPrologue
Life doesn't announce itself when it's about to change. It doesn't send a warning or give you time to prepare. One moment, everything feels normal—you're laughing, talking, living like nothing can go wrong. And the next… everything shifts. People change. Feelings change. Even you change, and sometimes, you don't even recognize the person you're becoming. The truth is, pain isn't always loud. It doesn't always cry or scream. Sometimes, it's silent. It hides behind smiles, walks through school corridors, sits in classrooms, and pretends everything is okay when it's not. This story isn't about perfect people or perfect lives. It's about mistakes, love, choices, and the consequences that follow. It's about faith being tested, hearts being broken, and moments that seem small… but change everything. These aren't just stories. This is real. This is messy. This is… The Chronicles.
Episode 1: Relationship Problems(Hlomla's POV)
Morning came too fast, like it always does when your mind never really rests. I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling, feeling that weight already sitting on my chest like it had been waiting for me to wake up. The first thing I did was reach for my phone. Not to check the time. Not to check messages. But to call her. Sky. My fingers hovered for a second before pressing call, like part of me already knew what was coming. The phone rang… and rang… then suddenly, it stopped.
Call declined.
I frowned, sitting up slightly. "Nah… maybe it's just network," I whispered, even though my chest tightened a little. I called again, hoping this time would be different, but the same thing happened.
Call declined.
I stared at the screen, my jaw tightening. "Wow… okay," I muttered, dropping the phone beside me. It shouldn't hurt like this… but it did. And I hated that it did.
Dialogue
Hlomla: "Sky… seriously?"(He calls again, shaking his head slightly)Hlomla: "At least answer… even if you're busy…"
(Call declines again. He exhales deeply.)
Hlomla: "Yeah… I get it now."
I forced myself out of bed before my thoughts could trap me there. The bathroom mirror showed me someone I didn't even feel connected to—tired eyes, quiet frustration, and something deeper I couldn't explain. I turned on the shower and stepped in, letting the water run over me like it could wash everything away. "I'm fine," I whispered, but the words felt empty the moment I said them. After getting ready, I headed to the kitchen, trying to act normal, like nothing was wrong.
My mom, Yolanda, stood by the stove, and Nali sat at the table, already watching me like she knew something was off. "Morning," my mom said. "Morning," I replied, grabbing a cup. But I could feel it… the way they were looking at me.
Dialogue
Nali: "Yoh, bhuti… you look like you fought demons in your sleep."
Hlomla: "I'm fine."
Yolanda:(turning to face him) "No, you're not. What's wrong?"
Hlomla: "Nothing, Ma. I'm just tired."
Yolanda: "Every day you're 'just tired.' Talk to me."
Hlomla:(sighs) "Ma… please, not this morning."
Yolanda: "Then when, Hlomla? When it's too late?"
Hlomla:(voice rising slightly) "I said I'm fine!"
(Silence. Nali looks down. Yolanda's face softens with hurt.)
Yolanda: "So this is how you talk to me now?"
Hlomla:(avoiding eye contact) "I'm late for school."
I grabbed my bag and walked out before I could fix what I just broke. The air outside felt different—colder, heavier. I knew I messed up, but I didn't have the energy to go back and make it right. My mind was already somewhere else.
School.
Noise. Movement. People everywhere.
I walked through the corridor, barely paying attention, until suddenly—bump.
"Sorry," I said quickly, looking up.
And then… I saw her.
Thato.
For a moment, everything slowed down. The noise faded, the people disappeared, and it was just her standing there, looking at me like she felt it too.
Dialogue
Thato: "It's okay… I wasn't looking either."
Hlomla:(slight smile) "Yeah… same here."
Thato: "I'm Thato."
Hlomla: "Hlomla."
(They both pause, still looking at each other.)
Then—
Sky: "Hlomla."
Her voice broke the moment instantly. I turned and saw her standing there, her eyes already questioning everything.
Dialogue
Sky: "Who's this?"
Hlomla: "We just bumped into each other."
Thato:(stepping back slightly) "I should go."
Hlomla: "Yeah… I'll see you."
(Thato walks away. Sky watches her leave, then looks back at Hlomla.)
Sky: "You look very comfortable."
Hlomla: "What does that even mean?"
Sky: "Forget it."
Break time came, and somehow, I found myself looking for her again. And there she was. Thato. Sitting alone. I walked over without thinking, like something was pulling me.
Dialogue
Hlomla: "Hey."
Thato:(smiles slightly) "Hi."
Hlomla: "Mind if I sit?"
Thato: "You already did." (laughs softly)
Hlomla:(smiling) "Fair enough."
(They talk, laugh, slowly getting comfortable.)
Thato: "You're different."
Hlomla: "Different how?"
Thato: "I don't know… you just feel real."
Then—
Sky: "Hlomla. Now."
Everything stopped again.
Dialogue
Hlomla: "I'll come back."
Thato:(quietly) "Okay…"
After arguing with Sky, I walked away, frustrated, my thoughts loud again. I needed space. I walked into an empty classroom, sitting down, holding my head. "Why is everything like this…" I muttered.
The door opened.
It was her.
Thato.
Dialogue
Hlomla: "You followed me?"
Thato: "I just… didn't want you to be alone."
Hlomla:(soft laugh) "Do I look that bad?"
Thato: "You look like someone who's trying too hard to be okay."
(Silence. They move closer.)
Thato: "You deserve better."
Hlomla: "Better than what?"
Thato:(softly) "Better than someone who makes you feel small."
Something changed in that moment.
I stepped closer.
She didn't move away.
Dialogue (The Kiss Moment)
Hlomla:(softly) "Babe… I want to be with you."
(She looks at him, heart racing, eyes soft.)
Thato: "Yes… me too."
(They pause, breathing the same air now.)
Hlomla: "Are you sure…?"
Thato:(nods slightly) "I am."
And slowly…
I leaned in.
She closed her eyes.
And our lips met—soft, gentle, not rushed.
Just a moment…
But a moment that changed everything.
To be continued…Episode 2:
Consequences(Hlomla's POV)
The moment our lips separated, everything came rushing back at once. The silence that followed wasn't soft anymore—it was heavy, filled with questions neither of us were ready to answer. I stood there, looking at Thato, my heart still racing, my mind trying to catch up with what I had just done. For a second, I almost forgot about everything else… but reality doesn't stay quiet for long. It always finds a way back.Thato slowly opened her eyes, her breathing uneven, like she was feeling the same confusion I was. We didn't move away immediately. We just stood there, close enough to still feel each other's presence, but far enough to realize something had shifted.DialogueThato: (softly) "We… we shouldn't have done that…"Hlomla: (exhales slowly) "Yeah… I know…"(Silence. They don't move.)
Hlomla: "But… I don't regret it."(She looks at him, surprised.)
Thato: "You don't?"
Hlomla: "I don't understand it… but it felt real."(She looks down slightly, processing.)
Thato: "It did…"I ran my hand through my hair, stepping back slightly now, trying to breathe properly again. My thoughts were loud—too loud. Sky. My mom. Everything I was trying fix… and now this. "What am I doing…" I whispered to myself, but Thato heard it.
Thato: "Hey… don't do that."
Hlomla: "Do what?"Thato: "Blame yourself for everything.
"Hlomla: (lets out a small laugh) "It's kinda my thing.
"Thato: "Maybe that's the problem."Before I could respond, the sound of the door handle suddenly moving made both of us freeze.Click.The door slowly opened.And in that moment…My heart dropped.Sky.She stood there, her eyes moving from me… to Thato… and back to me again. She didn't say anything at first, but the look on her face said everything. Hurt. Anger. Disbelief.DialogueSky: (quiet, but sharp) "Wow…"(Silence. No one moves.)
Hlomla: "Sky… it's not what it looks like—
"Sky: (laughs softly, shaking her head) "Not what it looks like? Really, Hlomla?
"Hlomla: "I can explain—
"Sky: "Explain what? That I'm stupid?"(Thato stays quiet, tense.)Sky: (to Thato) "And you… you're just okay with this?
"Thato: (softly) "I didn't mean for—"Sky: "Save it."I stepped forward, trying to fix something that was already breaking.
Hlomla: "Sky, listen… it just happened.
"Sky: (hurt turning into anger) "Things don't 'just happen,' Hlomla!
"Hlomla: "I wasn't thinking—
"Sky: "Exactly. You weren't thinking about me."(Silence.)Sky: "This morning… you were calling me like everything was fine.
"Hlomla: (quietly) "You declined my calls."Sky: "And this is your response? Move on in a few hours?"Her words hit hard because I didn't even have a proper answer. I looked at Thato for a second, and she avoided my eyes, like she already knew this was going to hurt.
Hlomla: (low voice) "It didn't mean anything…"(The moment those words leave his mouth, everything changes.)
Thato: (looks at him, hurt) "It didn't…?"(Silence. Hlomla realizes what he just said.)
Hlomla: "No, I didn't mean it like that—
"Sky: (laughs bitterly) "Wow. So she means nothing… and I mean nothing too."Everything felt like it was falling apart at the same time.Sky shook her head slowly, stepping back toward the door.
Sky: "You know what? It's fine."
Hlomla: "Sky—"Sky: (cuts him off) "No. Don't."(Her voice softens, but it hurts more.)
Sky: "Just… don't call me again."And just like that…She walked out.The door closed behind her, and the silence that followed was worse than anything before.I stood there, staring at the door, feeling like something inside me had just been ripped out. I didn't even know what to say anymore. I didn't even know what I was feeling.Behind me, Thato finally spoke.
Thato: (softly) "I'm sorry…"(Hlomla doesn't turn immediately.)
Hlomla: "For what?"Thato: "For… everything.
"Hlomla: (shakes his head slightly) "You didn't do this alone."(Silence.)
Thato: "But you said it didn't mean anything…"(That hits him.)
Hlomla: (turns, regret in his eyes) "I didn't mean that…
"Thato: "Then what did you mean?"I didn't have an answer.And that was the problem.
Hlomla: (quietly) "I don't know…"(Thato nods slowly, hurt but holding it in.)
Thato: "Exactly."She stepped back, putting distance between us now, like she was protecting herself before it got worse.
Thato: "Maybe… we shouldn't have done that.
"Hlomla: (softly) "Yeah…"And just like that…She walked out too.
Leaving me alone in that same room.
Same place.But everything felt different now.
Heavier.Messier.Real.I sat down slowly, holding my head, my thoughts louder than ever."God… what am I doing…" I whispered, my voice breaking slightly.Because for the first time…I wasn't just confused.
To be continued