The morning air still carried a faint chill when Daisy stepped through the school gates. She wasn’t usually this early, but she’d woken up before her alarm and decided not to waste the quiet. Most of the courtyard was empty, just scattered groups of early arrivals. The sky was pale blue, streaked with soft clouds, and the faint hum of distant traffic felt oddly calming.

Her eyes drifted to the old wooden bench by the fountain — their unofficial meeting place for… well, no one in particular. Except today, Jordan was already there. He sat slightly hunched over, a black spiral art notebook propped on his knees, pencil moving in...