The story I am telling is the most romantic one in existence; a love that burns and consumes as if its fuel were infinite. Something I imagined only seeing in books and movies, I was lucky enough to experience—and none of this would have been possible without a family and friends to support me. Thanks to this love, I managed to achieve one of my greatest dreams.

But the story doesn't start that way. Before I introduce you to the love of my life, it's just me, Aylla. I'm 24 years old and come from a humble family with loving parents who are always bickering, yet love each other deeply. Then there's my sister, Deniz—very calculating and frivolous. My best friend Ezgi and I call her 'Elsa from Frozen,' and for good reason. Deniz is basically the golden child: focused and successful at work. And well, I'm the black sheep. I live with my head in the clouds; I'm a dreamer and an incurable romantic, all because I want to achieve two dreams in my life: to become a renowned writer and to travel the world. In fact, if I were an animal, I'd choose the albatross—a giant bird that soars across the globe and only lands in the Galápagos Islands to find its one and only mate.

The albatross is considered the king of the oceans. Its animal symbolism is focused on water; it teaches you how to deal with emotions and love. Sailors used to believe it was a bridge between the spiritual and natural worlds, bringing good luck. Regarding love, the bird is only seen on land when it's finally ready to find its partner. Its spiritual meaning is: faithful, loyal, independent, calm, successful, open-minded, and a free spirit. To me, nothing could be more perfect.

As for becoming a writer, I try to write many times, but it feels like something is missing—an essence, an inspiration. I don't know where to start or what to write. I help my parents at their neighborhood grocery store, but they've given me an ultimatum: either I get a decent job, or I have to accept a marriage to Osman. He's a childhood friend—super clumsy and funny—but I've never seen him in a romantic way. After a lot of begging on my part, Deniz finally agreed to put in a word for me at her company. It's a real estate agency with various departments like marketing, finance, and customer service. They have very famous advertisements, attracting various developments, houses, and locations for filming series, soap operas, movies, or mansions for tycoons, industry, commercials, magazines... if you've seen it in a commercial, short film, or trailer, they probably provided the location. Plus, their branding is everywhere.

It's a boring place full of snobbish, arrogant people who think they're superior in everything they do. If it weren't for my desperation to avoid marriage, I'd prefer to stay at the market I love so much helping my parents. I adore my dreamer life; I just need to find the right story to jumpstart my writing career, find a publisher who's interested in my work, and invest in it.

I'm quite clumsy and talkative—sometimes I talk so much I don't make any sense, and when I get nervous, I speak fast. I try to stop, but I can't. I'm 5'3" (1.60m)—short compared to my sister or anyone else. I have curly brown hair, but don't be fooled, it has a life of its own; one moment it looks beautiful and the next it's a total mess (usually right when I have to go out). I have brown eyes, whereas Deniz is stunning. She has voluminous, flowing honey-colored hair and stands tall at 5'10" (1.78m). Her eyes are deep blue and icy, just like her personality. Always dressed elegantly as if she stepped out of a business magazine, she says that the way we dress expresses how we act and think. I, on the other hand, prefer comfortable, casual, and practical clothes. But I'm very confident in my taste and my appearance—whoever wants to like me will have to like me just as I am.

The Phoenix and The Albatross — Chapter 3 - The Spy

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