**Survival Mode**

Alexandria Rivers woke up to the sound of sirens blaring in the distance, a familiar sound that had become her reality. She lay in bed for a moment, her heart racing, before throwing off the covers and getting out of bed. She had learned to be prepared for anything, to always expect the worst. It was a mindset that had been ingrained in her since childhood. As she got dressed, Alexandria's mind wandered to the countless struggles she had faced in her life. She had grown up in a tough neighborhood, where violence and poverty were a norm. She had lost loved ones, faced abuse, and had to fight to survive every day. But despite all the hardships, Alexandria had developed a resilience that had helped her make it this far. She grabbed her bag and headed out the door, her eyes scanning the streets as she walked to the fire station. She was a probationary firefighter with the 118, and she was determined to prove herself. The team had taken her under their wing, and she was grateful for their support. But she knew she had a long way to go. As she arrived at the station, Alexandria was greeted by the familiar sight of her teammates prepping for the day. They were a tight-knit group, and she had been welcomed with open arms. But despite the camaraderie, Alexandria couldn't shake off the feeling of being an outsider. She had built walls around herself, walls that she had spent years perfecting. The day was a blur of drills and training exercises, but Alexandria's mind kept wandering back to her past. She had learned to suppress her emotions, to numb herself to the pain. But it was a fragile existence, and she knew it. One wrong move, one wrong trigger, and she could be back in the midst of the chaos she had worked so hard to escape. As the day drew to a close, Alexandria couldn't help but feel like she was just going through the motions. She was surviving, but she wasn't living. She was stuck in a mode that she didn't know how to escape, a mode that had become her default setting. The team gathered around the dinner table, swapping stories and jokes, and for a moment, Alexandria felt like she was part of something bigger than herself. But as she looked around the table, she couldn't help but feel like an imposter. She didn't belong here, not really. She was just a temporary guest, a visitor in a world that wasn't hers. As she pushed her food around her plate, Alexandria felt a familiar sense of unease creeping in. She knew she had to keep moving, to keep pushing forward. But for the first time in a long time, she wondered if there was more to life than just survival. Was it possible to find peace, to find refuge in the chaos? The questions swirled in her mind as she headed back to her apartment, the city's lights twinkling like stars in the distance. For the first time in a long time, Alexandria felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could learn to live, not just survive.