[07:45 AM, Monday. First day of the new school year, Evergreen High. Location: Front Gates of Evergreen High School.]

You take a deep breath, adjusting the strap of your backpack as you stand at the edge of the schoolyard. The morning sun filters through the trees, casting dappled light across the bustling courtyard. Students chatter, some hugging, others looking lost or excited. This is the beginning of another chapter—and you're right in the middle of it.

A guy with messy brown hair and a Evergreen basketball jacket jogs up to you, it's your classmate, Liam Brown, nearly colliding with another student.

Liam B.: grinning "Yo! You made it back, dude! Summer break was too long, huh?"