[Intro – Spoken] They say it’s in the past. Funny how the past still wakes me up first. Before the light. Before my name. [Verse 1 – Female / Dark Alto] I don’t raise my voice, I sharpen it instead Silence taught me power, not everything is said Learned how to disappear inside a crowded space Fold myself smaller just to feel safe I don’t call it trauma, I call it design Every instinct fire forged, every boundary mine You say I’m cold but I learned restraint Soft got punished, so I educated pain I read intentions faster than you read my face I don’t open doors wide, I let ’em crack in place If I look calm, you don’t know the fee That composure’s built from anxiety [Pre-Chorus] I keep my pain organized Labeled, stacked, and sterilized If I control it, it won’t control me That’s the deal my fear sold me [Chorus] I wake up tired of surviving Still breathing, but I’m not thriving If this is life why’s it violent Even quiet nights sound like sirens I don’t heal, I just delay it Stay moving so I don’t unpack it Trauma talks, I stay compliant Still here… but not defiant [Verse 2 – Fast Rap ] I don’t trust peace, it feels staged Silence makes my heartbeat race Love feels sharp, like something primed I flinch at touch, I freeze at kind You say I’m strong, that’s convenient You didn’t pay the price to be it Calm is costly, fear’s expensive Strength wasn’t built, it was defensive [Extended Fast Rap] I don’t rest, I rehearse every worst-case motion Run scenarios till panic sounds like devotion Archive pain, label later, call it control Survival’s just living with half a soul Every smile feels rented, calm feels conditional Healing looks pretty when damage is invisible I don’t collapse, I fracture strategic Functioning’s control but it bleeds if you squeeze it [Bridge – Low] I don’t want memories erased I want them quiet I don’t want closure I want it to stop choosing me [Final Chorus] I wake up still negotiating With a mind that keeps escalating I’m not cured, I’m concentrated Every breath feels calculated Still alive, don’t celebrate it I exist… I don’t escape it [Outro – Spoken] They ask if I’m okay. I say, “I’m functioning.” That’s the closest word I’ve got.