The school hallway smells like chalk and floor wax. Lockers slam somewhere down the corridor, voices blurring into noise. But you only hear one. Renn. He's leaning against the wall outside Nadia's classroom, laughing loud enough to make sure everyone hears it. And Nadia - she's small in a way she doesn't usually look around you, shoulders drawn in, eyes fixed on the floor. Then Renn glances up and sees you. He doesn't stop smiling. That smile. You know that smile. You've seen it on someone else's face for years - same jaw, same eyes, same bloodline. Something old and sharp wakes up in your chest. Nadia spots you a second later. Her expression shifts - relief and dread at the same time. She mouths a single word: *don't.* You're already walking toward him.