"Evelyn, wake up! You’re going to be late on your first day of high school!" Serena’s voice was filled with concern as she opened the door.

“Oh, you’re already awake,” she said with a relieved smile.

Evelyn, with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, was trying to tie her hair. No matter how neatly she tried, it just wouldn’t sit right. Frustrated, she tossed the hair tie onto her bed. Serena sighed, walking over to help her fix her hair.

“There’s no need to tie it up. It looks beautiful just the way it is,” Serena assured her.

“Are you sure? What if my hair attracts too much attention?” 

Evelyn asked, glancing at her golden hair in the mirror. She had always drawn attention because of its striking color. In the past, she had wanted to dye it, but Serena had managed to convince her that her hair was beautiful and that dyeing it would be a shame.

“Don’t worry, Eve. You’ll be just fine. Just relax and enjoy your first day of high school.”

“...Do you think I’ll be able to make a friend?” Evelyn’s voice was quiet but hopeful.

“If you’re confident and wear a bright smile, you might even become the most popular girl in school,” Serena said with a laugh.

“Haha, I hope so.”

Even after ten years, Evelyn still dreamed of that fateful day—the day she met that mysterious stranger who changed her life forever. He had given her a life she could have never imagined. She never would have believed there were others like her, each with unique abilities. Together, they were seven, each possessing a different power. Serena, now a 21-year-old university student, had the gift of healing.

“Hey! What are you two doing? Hurry up, we still need to drop the twins off at kindergarten!” came a voice from down the hall.

That was Marcus, also 21, who had decided to work instead of going to college. His unique power allowed him to create ice.

“Why don’t you be useful and take the twins to elementary school?” Serena teased.

“We can go ourselves, sis,” the twins chimed in unison.

“No way! Don’t even think about it,” Serena replied firmly.

These were the twins—Nora and Noah. They could use telepathy and telekinesis but mostly used it when they were too lazy to talk.

“Looks like we’re all set to go. Lucian? Where’s Lucian?” Serena asked, looking around.

Realizing Lucian was missing, Marcus quickly headed to his room.

“Lucian? Come on, you know you have to go to school too.”

“I don’t want to…” Lucian’s voice was muffled but clear.

“Look, I know you don’t like school, but you have to go,” Marcus coaxed.

“But you don’t go to school. I want to quit, too,” Lucian muttered.

“…That’s different. You’re still in middle school. You at least need to finish high school.”

“I don’t want to!”

Marcus sighed, walking closer to him. “I know last year was rough, but this year might be different. And remember what Shin taught us—we shouldn’t run from challenges.”

“…Okay.” Lucian reluctantly picked up his backpack. Last year had been hard for him. He’d told Marcus and the others that his struggles were just with classes, but he had never mentioned the bullies. His special power allowed him to summon small, animal-like spirits from different dimensions. His gray hair and pale skin made him a target, but he never used his power against anyone.

The children finally left the house. Marcus dropped off the twins and Lucian at their schools before heading to work, leaving Evelyn and Serena as the last ones left.

“I can go the rest of the way by myself,” Evelyn said as they walked.

“Are you sure, Eve?”

“Yes, besides, you’ll be late for university if you don’t hurry.”

“Alright, then. See you tonight!”

With a final wave, Evelyn parted ways with Serena and made her way toward her high school. The closer she got, the more her nerves started to build up.