There are cities that begin quietly. A river nearby, a ruler with a blueprint, perhaps a polite agreement or two. Ancient Rome, however, seems to have skipped that phase entirely. Before emperors, marble temples, and the rise of an empire that would shape the ancient world, Rome existed first as a story. Strange, dramatic, and just slightly unbelievable. Its origins are tangled in prophecy, betrayal, divine intervention, and one particularly unforgettable wolf, blurring the line between history and myth until it becomes almost impossible to separate the two. 

At the heart of it all stand two brothers: Romulus and Remus, abandoned to the river, raised beneath the shadow of legend, and destined to change the course of history forever. Their story unfolds like a theatre production written by fate itself—complete with stolen thrones, sacred boundaries, and a conflict that turned a beginning into a tragedy. So, here are seven legendary moments that gave rise to one of the most iconic civilizations the world has ever known.

Long before Rome existed, the kingdom of Alba Longa was already unraveling from within. The rightful king, Numitor, was overthrown by his younger brother, Amulius, who seized the throne for himself in a move that proved ancient royal families were every bit as dramatic as mythology suggests. But, stolen crowns rarely come without paranoia. Amulius feared that Numitor’s bloodline might one day return to reclaim power, especially after whispers of prophecy began circling through the kingdom. To secure his rule, he decided that the safest heir was no heir at all. And so, Numitor’s daughter, Rhea Silvia, was forced into becoming a Vestal Virgin, sworn to a life of chastity and silence. It was meant to end the family line permanently. Instead, it quietly set the stage for the birth of Ancient Rome itself, much to Amulius’s dismay. History, after all, has a habit of ignoring carefully made plans.

For Amulius, forcing Rhea Silvia into becoming a Vestal Virgin was meant to be the end of the story. Bound to a sacred vow of chastity, she was never supposed to marry, bear children, or continue Numitor’s bloodline. It was the perfect solution: no children, no rivals, no prophecy fulfilled. But, it did not stay that way for long. According to Roman legend, Rhea Silvia was visited by Mars, the god of war himself, and soon gave birth to twin sons: Romulus and Remus. Whether the story was believed as divine intervention or later woven into myth to glorify Rome’s origins, the effect remained the same. The heirs Amulius feared had arrived anyway. What was meant to silence a dynasty had instead given birth to something far more dangerous. And somewhere beyond the palace walls, fate was already beginning to move quietly into place.

When Amulius learned of the twins’ birth, the prophecy he had tried so carefully to prevent finally began to feel inescapable. The solution he chose was not mercy, but distance. If the children could not exist within the palace, then they would not exist at all. Romulus and Remus were placed into a basket and set adrift on the waters of the Tiber River. It was meant to be a quiet ending, one carried out not with spectacle but with certainty—the kind of disappearance that leaves no argument behind. However, the river did not cooperate with that intention. Instead of swallowing the twins, the current carried them to safety along its banks, where the story begins to shift from execution to survival. In that fragile pause between intention and outcome, the twins were still alive, and the story had already begun to shift its shape.

At the edge of the wild where the Tiber River softens into marsh and forest, the fate of the abandoned twins, Romulus and Remus, takes a turn no decree from Amulius could have accounted for. The twins were found in a place that belonged neither fully to civilization nor to wilderness. It is here that Roman tradition introduces one of its most enduring images: a lupa, which means a she-wolf in Latin. Roman tradition describes a she-wolf discovering the infants and sheltering them, offering warmth and protection long enough for them to endure the first fragile stretch of life that should not have been possible. Whether understood as mythic truth or symbolic memory, the detail holds its place because it explains something essential: the twins did not simply escape death, they were carried through it.

Later, a shepherd named Faustulus would discover the children and raise them, but the wolf never fully disappears from the story. It lingers as something more than an event—an origin marked by wildness, protection, and an unsettling sense that Rome was never entirely separated from the world that first kept it alive. 

In history, time does not erase beginnings like this. It only hides them until they grow heavy enough to resurface. Romulus and Remus, raised away from the palace and the name they were born into, eventually grew into young men shaped by survival rather than privilege. Life near the banks of the Tiber River had sharpened them into figures who moved through the world with a quiet sense of something unfinished. The truth of their origin did not arrive dramatically. It surfaced slowly, through recognition, fragments of memory, and stories that refused to stay buried. They were not just children of the wilderness; they were heirs of Numitor, the rightful king of Alba Longa who had been overthrown by Amulius. The return to that knowledge changes everything. Identity sharpens into purpose, and purpose gathers momentum. The past they were removed from begins to call them back, not as boys who survived a river, but as names that history had already been trying to erase.

The return to their bloodline does not settle into peace. Instead, it narrows into direction. With Amulius overthrown and Numitor restored, the world they came from briefly falls back into order. But for Romulus and Remus, restoration is not the same as belonging. Something has already shifted too far to remain still. They choose not to remain in Alba Longa. Instead, they turn back toward the land near the Tiber River, where their survival once began, and where something new begins to take shape. On the slopes of the Palatine Hill, Romulus turns the ground into intention. A line is drawn—first faint, then certain—cutting through dust and silence as though it has always been there, only now revealed. It is not yet a city, but it is already a boundary, and boundaries have a way of becoming permanent faster than they are questioned. Remus looks upon it and sees something different. Where one brother sees foundation, the other sees a claim. Where one sees the future, the other sees exclusion beginning to take shape. Between them, the line does not remain just earth marked by hand. It becomes something heavier. An early shape of authority, and the first silence of disagreement that neither of them steps back from.

The accounts vary in tone and detail, but the moment remains consistent in its consequence: defiance meets finality. On the slopes of the Palatine Hill, Romulus draws a line into the earth. It is not a wall yet, not stone or structure, but it is treated as something closer to law than soil. It marks where the city begins. It also marks where it is forbidden to go. Remus steps over it. The act is simple in movement, but not in meaning. It reads as dismissal of the boundary itself, as if the line is not sacred, not binding, not worthy of obedience. In a place where authority is still being created, that kind of gesture does more than provoke. It unsettles the entire idea of what the city is trying to become. Romulus does not hesitate. He reacts as someone who understands that the first rule of a new foundation is that it must be enforceable. Remus is struck down. The act is immediate. There is no reversal, no negotiation, no space for reconsideration. Silence follows—not the peaceful kind, but the kind that feels newly created, as if the world itself has not yet learned how to hold what just happened. Rome is no longer an idea shared between brothers. It becomes singular. It becomes irreversible. And in that transformation, its foundation is sealed in absence, in fracture, in the kind of loss that does not fade but settles into history like a permanent echo. 

To conclude, Rome’s birth does not end with celebration. It ends with a foundation that remembers what it cost. Rome grows from that single irreversible moment, carrying forward the weight of its earliest decision. What begins as myth settles into identity: a city shaped by prophecy, survival, and a fracture that cannot be repaired. Romulus remains as both builder and witness to the silence that follows. Remus remains in absence, fixed into the origin like a shadow the city cannot step out of. And perhaps that is why Rome endures in memory the way it does. Not because it begins cleanly, but because it begins honestly—through ambition, through conflict, and through a moment that turns a boundary into permanence. Every empire has a start. Rome’s start simply refuses to pretend it was gentle.

Houseplants have quietly rooted themselves into Gen Z culture, like those guests who came over once and never really left. Scroll through any feed and you’ll find sunlit windowsills crowded with monsteras stretching like they own the place, pothos vines creeping like quiet guardians, and tiny succulents sitting on the desks as if they pay rent with vibes. What used to be simple decoration has taken on a personality of its own. Somewhere along the way, plants stopped being objects and started becoming companions, small responsibilities, and, for some, an oddly accurate reflection of who they are.

It’s not just about the plants themselves, but the little world that has grown around them. Nurseries feel less like stores and more like sanctuaries. There are plant swaps, online communities, and people casually referring to themselves as “plant parents” with the same seriousness and humour. It’s a soft kind of culture, one that doesn’t demand attention but gently grows into your life. And before you realise it, you’re no longer just someone who owns a plant. You’re someone who checks on it, worries about it, and celebrates a new leaf like it’s a personal achievement!

So, why has this quiet little habit grown into something so big? For many Gen Zs, plants offer a kind of comfort that feels almost rare today. In a world filled with constant notifications, deadlines, and the quiet pressure of uncertainty, plants exist at a completely different pace. They simply grow, slowly and steadily, asking only for small, consistent care, instead of demanding instant attention or perfection. Watering a plant after a long day, turning it towards the sunlight,  trimming a leaf, or noticing the first curl of new growth becomes a quiet ritual. It pulls attention away from screens and into something tangible and alive. There is no urgency in it. No competition… No noise. Just a simple exchange of care. Maybe that’s why Gen Z holds onto it so closely. Because in all the noise, plants offer something rare. A kind of calm that doesn’t demand anything back, yet still makes you feel like you’re doing something right and you’re making progress.

And maybe it's not just the calm and comfort. There’s something meaningful about being responsible for something alive. For many Gen Zs, life can still feel a bit in-between. Not quite settled, not quite stable. Pets can be expensive, time-consuming, and a full commitment. Vet bills, food, constant attention, and the guilt of leaving them alone all day. It’s not always realistic. Plants, in a way, become that first step into nurturing. They don’t ask for everything, but they ask for enough. And when you keep one alive, when it actually grows instead of… slowly giving up on you, it feels like a small win. A tiny, green proof that you can care for something, that you can be consistent, that something is thriving because of you. It’s a kind of accomplishment that is  nothing loud or showy. Just a new leaf, unfolding like a soft “you’re doing alright.”

Simultaneously, there’s also the aesthetic layer of it, where plants start becoming part of a visual identity. You see it woven into so many styles Gen Z gravitates toward: cottagecore with its soft, nostalgic, garden-like charm; goblincore with its love for moss, cluttered natural oddities, and earthy chaos; fairycore with delicate vines, dried flowers, and almost storybook-like greenery; forestcore with deep greens, wood textures, and the feeling of being tucked away in something ancient and overgrown. It’s not accidental. Plants are one of the easiest bridges between imagination and space, letting people create environments that feel slightly enchanted, slightly grounded in nature, even if they’re living in the middle of a city.

In a world that’s mostly concrete, screens, and artificial light, adding a bit of green changes the entire mood of a space without needing much effort. It’s a small way of bringing something organic back into daily life, even if it’s just a pot on a desk or a vine by the window. In that sense, it also becomes a gentle return to nature. Not in a grand, world-saving way, but in something more personal and immediate. One plant at a time, one space at a time, it’s a reminder that the natural world doesn’t feel so far away after all. Even something as simple as keeping a plant alive quietly contributes to a sense of connection, and yes, a slightly greener world in its own small, steady way.

So, to conclude, plant parenthood isn’t really about the plants alone. It’s about what happens around them. The small pauses it creates in a day, the habit of checking in on something that depends on you, the quiet satisfaction of noticing change that didn’t exist yesterday. A new leaf. A taller stem. A pot that suddenly feels a little more alive than it did before. It may look simple from the outside, just watering a plant and placing it near a window, but it carries a kind of intention. A willingness to nurture something fragile and stay consistent with it, even when nothing dramatic is happening. Maybe that’s what makes it resonate so strongly with Gen Z. Beneath all the aesthetics and trends, there’s a deeper search for connection in smaller, more tangible forms. Something that doesn’t overwhelm, doesn’t rush, but still grows alongside you.

Additionally, there’s also something quietly grounding about it, almost like learning to trust slow progress again. In a world that often measures everything in speed and visibility, plants remind you that not everything needs to prove itself instantly to matter. Growth can be subtle, almost invisible at times, and still be real. In those small green corners of rooms and routines, plant parenthood becomes more than a habit. It becomes a way of noticing life as it slowly unfolds—one leaf at a time. 

20, it came almost too quietly, blending into my daily mundane as I struck off ‘eat bday mashed potato volcano with dino nuggets’ from my to-do list.

Growing up with chick flicks and coming-of-age films, the idea of being ‘not a teen’ for the first time in a long time made it feel like turning 20 would be so… defining. It was magical, the way the number carried with it such a heavy certainty and conviction.

Yet, as I waited until the very second of turning 20, that dramatic defining moment of my life never came. And that evening, I stared at the ceiling and wondered: What does it mean to be 20?

For most of us, teenhood might’ve felt like 7 long years of being at a flea market, navigating and bargaining portions of ourselves as though we’re made of spare parts for sale. But life extends far beyond teenhood, and a 7-year leeway for identity crises just isn’t enough.

Especially not when every journal article ever about the 21st-century phenomenon of emerging adulthood highlights that we could take up to the age of 40—yes, you read that right—to finally feel like an adult.

According to American developmental psychologist Dr. Arnett, emerging adulthood refers to the period of development from the ages of 18 to 29 experienced by most people in their 20s, primarily in developed regions of the world.

The nature of this phenomenon is marked by new adults opting to explore adult social roles from a different perspective, retaining adolescent quirks while trying to delay their new responsibilities and obligations.

Most notably, feeling ‘in-between’ is a tell-tale characteristic of emerging adulthood. You've probably felt it too if you’ve ever had to be your own plumber after moving out. Google isn’t helping, your sink is stuck because you forgot that noodles clog pipes, and you desperately need a real adult because you’re just a kid.

What else could you even be?

Well, the answer to that depends on whether you can embrace and utilise the phenomenon’s nature of delayed adulthood.

The issues of emerging adulthood are most evident when new adults are held to the same expectations as those well into adulthood regarding decision-making skills and self-reliance. This is because what is afforded to these new adults during their adolescence often becomes the determining factor of how they view what is expected of them in their new stage of life.

As we pair the innate instability of the phenomenon with the lack of proper guidance for adolescents and new adults, studies reveal that many emerging adults show high levels of externalising problems through risky behaviours. For instance, developing a heavy addiction to substances. Some others also show high levels of an internalising nature, with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

In contrast, a 2014 study by Steinberg asserts that intentional use of the extended adolescence period allows new adults to reap benefits. In the 21st-century context of stagnating economies, young adults—particularly in developed countries—need more time to transition to adulthood successfully.

Emerging adulthood functions as a framework for that by delaying full-fledged adulthood through extending academic requirements. Tertiary education institutions act as environments that allow new adults to go through sufficiently stimulating experiences, cultivating their mental maturity, and equipping them with the resourcefulness needed to navigate adulting complexities (like filing your taxes, ew).

Honestly? Pretty neat for a phase of life that started off sounding dreadful.

Beyond the psychological phenomenon, though, is the emotional aspect of crossing the bridge from adolescence to early adulthood.

Entering and being in your 20s is like having a 40Hz Gamma brainwave video humming into your ears on loop. And like life, the beat doesn’t change: wake up, eat, watch some people come, watch some people go, rinse, sleep, and repeat.

Yet unlike the overflowing emotions you tried to hold back in your teens, your palms today are dry and cracking at the lines. It’s a vague stuffiness in your chest—constantly bored with the mundane, always waiting for something to break it, and forever feeling like you’re changing but never really knowing into who or what.

Whether that’s an allergic reaction to the peace you never expected to come, or a soft realisation that growing up and out of teenhood doesn’t have clarity built-in, it doesn’t stop it from feeling odd because teenhood taught you that emotions never come quiet.

But here you are still, persevering through the in-betweens with all these indescribable, contradictory emotions.

You could assume that maybe this is it, the entirety of your 20s: just a slow, beautiful mess that unravels each time you learn a bit more about yourself.

Full of what-ifs and maybes, but also full of despite-s.

And it makes you think that perhaps the growing pains of the in-betweens were meant to teach us how to live between opposite extremes and still find something valuable in it all.

To face the unknown, scared but brave. To love despite and because of loss. To nevertheless live meaningfully, though searching for a personal meaning.

A surprisingly gentle beginning that's ready and set when we are.