Chapter 1:Breaking point

The air crackled with nervous excitement as the first day of the new academic year unfolded across the wide grounds of Brookvale College.

Oliver stepped off the bus and into the heart of campus. The tall, arched entrance of the main building looked welcoming at first glance, yet it also seemed to stretch a long shadow behind him—one shaped like his unfinished past. Around him, laughter burst and voices overlapped, filling the space with life. Still, Oliver felt apart from it all. Different. Unsteady. Quietly aching to belong.

Clusters of students formed naturally, like patterns already set in stone. The jocks strode past in branded athletic wear, loud and self-assured, their laughter sharp and fearless. Nearby, the creatives leaned into animated conversations, paint-stained clothes and mismatched jewelry marking them as a world of their own. Then there were the tech kids, hunched over laptops, debating software and specs with fierce focus. Watching them all, Oliver’s chest tightened. Every group felt sealed off, complete—no room for someone like him.

As he moved through the crowd, memories crept in uninvited. Sharp words. Mocking laughter. The echo of Freak! still rang in his ears, clinging to him like a stain he could never fully wash away. High school had taught him how cruel people could be, how easily they could strip someone down to nothing. He’d promised himself this would be different. A new place. A clean slate. But standing here now, it felt as though the past had followed him anyway, whispering that he would always be the same weak boy they once enjoyed breaking.

Just as doubt began to settle in his bones, his attention shifted toward the commons. There, the laughter sounded warmer—real. Conversations flowed easily, filled with energy instead of noise. And at the center of it all stood Sarah.

She seemed to glow without trying. Her laughter rose above the rest, light and effortless, cutting through the chaos like a familiar song. Something stirred in Oliver’s chest—small, but alive. Hope. Maybe this place could still offer something new. Maybe he didn’t have to disappear.

He weaved through the crowd, drawn to her without fully understanding why. Sarah wore an oversized sweater that swallowed her frame and a pair of worn-in jeans that looked naturally, perfectly lived in. Her hair fell in soft waves down her back, catching the light as she moved. When she smiled, it felt open and kind, the kind of smile that didn’t ask for anything in return. He remembered her from pre-orientation the week before—how she had managed to both fascinate and intimidate him without meaning to. She didn’t try to stand out. She just did.

“Hey! You’re Oliver, right?” she called, her voice slicing cleanly through the noise. She walked toward him, warmth radiating from her like sunlight.

“Uh—yeah,” he said, nerves rushing in fast. “I’m still trying to figure everything out. It’s… a lot.” His smile came out hesitant, unsure, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“It really is at first,” Sarah said easily. “But it gets better. I promise. I’m Sarah.” She held out her hand.

When he took it, the simple touch sent a wave of warmth through him. It felt strange—how something so small could quiet the loneliness he carried.

“Nice to meet you,” he replied, surprised by how steady his voice sounded.

“I’ve been here a year already,” she said. “If you need help, or someone to show you around, I’ve got you.” Her eyes shone with sincerity, no judgment in sight.

The offer hit deeper than she could know. Was it possible she saw him—not the rumors, not the past, not the broken version others had mocked?

Before he could answer, the energy around them shifted. Conversations faltered. A hush rippled through the crowd.

From across the commons came Caspian.

He didn’t rush. He didn’t need to. Tall and built like he belonged at the top of everything, he moved with easy confidence, the kind that bent attention toward him without effort. People noticed. They always did. Standing there, Oliver felt smaller, like the ground beneath him had tilted.

“There’s the king,” one of the jocks joked, setting off a wave of laughter.

Caspian lifted a hand in acknowledgment, flashing a smile that was charming and dangerous all at once. It was the kind of smile that promised trouble—and immunity from consequences.

The crowd reacted in mixed waves of admiration and quiet resentment. Oliver’s stomach twisted. He recognized that look, that careless power, that blindness that came from never being challenged. He had seen it before. Lived under it. Fled from it.

Then Caspian’s gaze landed on him.

For one sharp moment, their eyes locked. The past rushed back in, heavy and unforgiving. Oliver felt exposed, every old fear rising to the surface. How could someone like him ever stand against someone like that?

“Well,” Sarah said softly, hesitation slipping into her voice, “let’s get out of here.” She noticed where Oliver was looking. “Come on. There’s a café nearby. This place has its moments, but it’s not all… that.” She nodded toward Caspian.

Oliver took a breath and followed her.

Uncertainty rolled through him. On his very first day, would he shrink back into the shadows again—or risk stepping into something brighter?

Inside the café, warmth wrapped around him. Voices blended together, laughter spilling across tables, the smell of coffee filling the air. Sitting with Sarah, sharing easy conversation, something inside him loosened. Maybe this really could be a beginning.

Still, Caspian lingered at the edge of his thoughts—a reminder that the road ahead wouldn’t be simple.

As laughter bubbled between them, Oliver felt the first fragile sparks of belonging take hold.

And deep down, he knew this was only the start.

Somewhere beyond these walls, the conflict with Caspian was already waiting.