Outside the School

The late afternoon sun hung low over the campus, washing the parking lot in a soft gold that made every shadow stretch long across the pavement. Classes had just let out, and the university buzzed with its usual rhythm—students gathering in clusters to chat, others heading toward the bus stop with headphones in, and the faint hum of conversations weaving into the air.

Daisy walked out through the glass doors, her bag slung over one shoulder. She moved with an even pace, but her mind was still tangled in the events of the day. The crisp breeze toyed with her hair, lifting strands across her face. She...