Abstract
Crossroads at 24 is a reflective creative nonfiction piece exploring the quiet uncertainty of early adulthood. Through intimate moments and grounded imagery, the narrative follows a twenty-four-year-old navigating academic pressure, expectations, and the growing tension between responsibility and self-discovery. Ordinary settings — a dimly lit room, a familiar street, a park from childhood — become subtle emotional landscapes that mirror the narrator’s internal struggle. The story examines the weight of unanswered questions, the fear of choosing the wrong path, and the slow realization that clarity rarely arrives all at once. Instead, the piece suggests that direction emerges in small, steady moments, much like the first light of dawn breaking through the dark. Crossroads at 24 captures the universal experience of feeling lost in one’s twenties while learning to keep moving forward with quiet persistence.
Bio
Mass Zariff Rafael Tengku is a Malaysian writer and student whose work explores themes of identity, transition, and the quiet complexities of early adulthood. He enjoys writing reflective pieces grounded in everyday experiences and emotional honesty.
Recommended Citation
Tengku, Mass Zariff Rafael
(2026)
"Crossroads at 24,"
Night Flight: Online Literary Journal: Vol. 7
, Article 8.
Available at:
https://commons.erau.edu/night-flight/vol7/iss1/8