Efterårssolen kastede et gyldent skær over Aarhus Universitet.

The autumn sun cast a golden glow over Aarhus University.

Campus summede af liv.

The campus buzzed with life.

Studerende strømmede til forelæsninger, caféer og de mange stier blandt træerne, der nu stod i smukke røde og orange nuancer.

Students streamed to lectures, cafés, and the many paths among the trees, now dressed in beautiful red and orange shades.

Det var begyndelsen på et nyt semester, fyldt med håb og nervøs energi.

It was the beginning of a new semester, filled with hope and nervous energy.

Mikkel gik hen over plænen.

Mikkel walked across the lawn.

Han kiggede op mod de store bygninger.

He looked up at the large buildings.

Allerede nu følte han sig lille i forhold til sine ambitioner.

Already, he felt small compared to his ambitions.

Han var en reserveret litteraturstuderende, drømte om at blive forfatter, men manglede modet til at dele sine tekster.

He was a reserved literature student, dreaming of becoming a writer but lacking the courage to share his writings.

Han følte, at de andre havde stærkere stemmer.

He felt that others had stronger voices.

I dag skulle han mødes med sine to nære venner, Freja og Soren, ved universitetssøen.

Today, he was meeting his two close friends, Freja and Soren, by the university lake.

Freja var allerede der, siddende under et træ med en skitseblok på skødet.

Freja was already there, sitting under a tree with a sketchpad on her lap.

Hendes hår blafrede i vinden, og hun smilte roligt, da hun så ham nærme sig.

Her hair fluttered in the wind, and she smiled calmly when she saw him approaching.

"Hej Mikkel!"

"Hi Mikkel!"

kaldte hun livligt.

she called cheerfully.

"Hvordan går det?"

"How's it going?"

"Det går," svarede Mikkel med et lille smil.

"It's going," Mikkel replied with a small smile.

Han satte sig ved siden af hende.

He sat down next to her.

"Jeg overvejer at sende noget ind til det litterære magasin."

"I'm thinking about submitting something to the literary magazine."

"Det er en god idé!"

"That's a great idea!"

udbrød Freja.

Freja exclaimed.

"Du har en stærk, unik stemme.

"You have a strong, unique voice.

Du skal bare tro mere på dig selv."

You just need to believe in yourself more."

Mikkel nikkede, men indeni mærkede han stadig tvivlen gnave.

Mikkel nodded, but inside he still felt the doubt gnawing at him.

Frejas selvsikkerhed var overvældende for ham.

Freja's confidence was overwhelming for him.

Hun fik alting til at se så let ud.

She made everything seem so easy.

Kort efter sluttede Soren sig til dem.

Shortly after, Soren joined them.

Han bar en mappe fyldt med økonominoter.

He carried a folder filled with economics notes.

"Hej Mikkel, Freja!

"Hey Mikkel, Freja!

Hvad går snakken om?"

What are you discussing?"

spurgte han.

he asked.

Mikkel tøvede.

Mikkel hesitated.

"Jeg overvejer at sende noget ind til magasinet."

"I'm thinking about submitting something to the magazine."

"Er du sikker?"

"Are you sure?"

Soren spurgte.

Soren asked.

"Det kræver meget arbejde.

"It requires a lot of work.

Kunne det ikke tage fokus fra dine studier?"

Couldn't it take focus away from your studies?"

Mikkel trak på skuldrene.

Mikkel shrugged.

Han vidste, at Soren mente det godt, men hans ord gjorde ham endnu mere usikker.

He knew Soren meant well, but his words made him even more uncertain.

Senere samme dag arrangerede universitetet en efterårsfestival.

Later that day, the university organized an autumn festival.

Mikkel, Freja og Soren gik sammen rundt og nød stemningen.

Mikkel, Freja, and Soren wandered around together, enjoying the atmosphere.

Freja foreslog, at de skulle sætte sig et roligt sted for at høre noget af Mikkels arbejde.

Freja suggested they find a quiet place to hear some of Mikkel's work.

De fandt en plads nær søen, hvor lyden af bladenes raslen var den eneste lyd.

They found a spot near the lake, where the rustling leaves were the only sound.

Mikkel tog en dyb indånding og trak et krøllet papir op af sin taske.

Mikkel took a deep breath and pulled a crumpled paper from his bag.

Hans hænder rystede let.

His hands trembled slightly.

"Okay, jeg læser en passage," sagde Mikkel nervøst.

"Okay, I'll read a passage," Mikkel said nervously.

Hans stemme var svag i begyndelsen, men blev stærkere, da han blev opslugt af sine egne ord.

His voice was weak at first but grew stronger as he was absorbed by his own words.

Da han stoppede, var der en kort stilhed.

When he stopped, there was a brief silence.

Så klappede Freja.

Then Freja clapped.

"Det var smukt, Mikkel," sagde hun.

"That was beautiful, Mikkel," she said.

Soren nikkede ivrigt.

Soren nodded eagerly.

"Ja, virkelig inspirerende.

"Yes, truly inspiring.

Du burde virkelig sende det ind."

You should definitely submit it."

Mikkel følte en lettelse skylle over sig.

Mikkel felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Tak," svarede han stille, fyldt med en ny beslutsomhed.

"Thank you," he replied quietly, filled with a new determination.

Efter festivalen betroede Freja sig til Mikkel om, hvordan hun også følte sig presset af familiens forventninger.

After the festival, Freja confided in Mikkel about how she also felt pressured by her family's expectations.

Mikkel indså, at selv Freja bar på skjulte kampe, trods hendes selvsikre ydre.

Mikkel realized that even Freja had her hidden struggles despite her confident exterior.

Med støtte fra sine venner sendte Mikkel sin tekst ind til magasinet.

With support from his friends, Mikkel submitted his text to the magazine.

Han modtog positiv feedback, og det gav ham den selvtillid, han havde længtes efter.

He received positive feedback, and it gave him the confidence he had longed for.

Mikkel lærte, at modet til at være sårbar kunne føre til vækst.

Mikkel learned that the courage to be vulnerable could lead to growth.

Det var okay at have frygt, for det betød kun, at man gik efter noget stort.

It was okay to have fears because it only meant one was reaching for something big.

Og det var præcis, hvad han nu gjorde – skridt for skridt, med mod og ordene som sine trofaste venner.

And that's exactly what he was doing now—step by step, with courage and words as his faithful companions.