Once she realized that, if she tried to go back home, adults would send her to an orphanage, she gave up on returning. Still, she struggled to accept her parents’ deaths, refusing to eat for months. She wouldn’t talk to anyone or leave the house. Serena and Marcus were patient with her, always doing their best to support and help her through it. With everyone’s encouragement, Evelyn eventually began to accept things, but because of this, she started school a year late. 

Despite her pretty face, Evelyn never had many friends. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t bring herself to join big group of friends. Over time, she learned to control her powers, but she still hadn’t regained her confidence.

As Evelyn walked to her classroom, carefully trying not to bump into anyone, she heard someone call her from behind.

“Eve! Hey, long time no see!”

Turning around, Evelyn saw Alice waving at her. Alice had been the only friend Evelyn managed to make last year. Coming from a poor family and one of the smartest in the class, Alice didn’t have many friends, either, though, unlike Evelyn, she didn’t seem to mind.

“Hey, Alice! How are you?”

“I’m good! I didn’t hear from you all summer, and I didn’t see you around town, either. Were you out of town?”

Since this was a small town, people usually ran into each other at least once in a while.

“No, I just... I don’t like going out much.”

“Oh, I see. Well, let’s get to class!”

Once Evelyn and Alice entered the classroom, Jane and her friends walked in shortly after. Jane was the most popular girl in school, and nearly every girl wanted to be part of her group, willing to do anything for it. Evelyn couldn’t help but watch in awe as they chatted.

“Come on, Evelyn. Why do you want to join those girls so badly?”

“Can’t you see how much fun they’re having? It must be amazing to have a group of friends…”

“Those girls just make fun of everyone and gossip all the time. Are you sure you want friends like that? Besides, you already have a friend—me.”

“Yes, I know, Alice…and I’m grateful to have you. But... wouldn’t it be nice if we had more friends?”

“Whatever. Do what you want, but I’m not trying to join that group.”

The teacher entered the room and began the lesson, but most of the students were doing their own thing. Being the first day, no one took the class seriously. Evelyn glanced over at Jane and her friends, laughing and enjoying themselves, and felt a pang of envy. She had always wanted friends who made her feel like she belonged. But she could never bring herself to talk to anyone, too afraid of making mistakes or revealing her secret powers. Despite the noise in the classroom, Alice kept listening to the lesson intently.

When recess started, everyone quickly ran outside. Evelyn quietly watched Jane and her friends in the hallway.

“…Just go and talk to them, Evelyn.”

Taking a deep breath, Evelyn nodded and slowly walked toward the girls. Just as she was about to greet them, she overheard their conversation.

“Hey, Jane, you know that house near the woods? I heard some people actually live there.”

“Oh, you mean those rumors? So they’re true?”

“Yeah. I even heard there are kids living there without parents.”

One of the girls scoffed in disbelief.

“No way. It’s impossible for a few kids to be living there on their own.”

“Well, that’s what I heard. And apparently, one of the kids from that house is in our class. Someone saw a girl from our class heading toward the woods. She had blonde hair.”

“Oh…what was that blonde girl’s name in our class? Ava...Evelyn?”

One of the girls smirked. Jane replied in a mocking tone.

“If it’s her, I’m not surprised. She’s so weird. Total loser.”

The girls all laughed together, and Evelyn felt her face go pale. Noticing her skin starting to glow slightly, she panicked and ran to the bathroom. Locking herself inside, she went to the mirror. Her skin and hair were beginning to shine gold. It had been a long time since her powers had slipped out of control, and she didn’t know what to do. Frantically, she tried to make them stop.

“If you panic, it’ll only get worse.”

It was a memory from years ago. Shin had been teaching Evelyn to control her powers that day. He watched her with his usual calm expression.

“What should I do? My powers aren’t listening to me…”

“No, it’s the opposite. They’re protecting you. Your powers activate whenever you feel fear. You need to stay calm.”

“That’s easy for you to say! I’m not as calm as you. How do you stay so calm?”

“…If you want to stay calm, there’s only one way. The moment you start panicking, remember. Think of how you felt when you were with your family. Remember how you feel when you’re with Serena and the others.”

Recalling Shin’s advice, Evelyn took a deep breath, focusing on the feeling of safety and happiness she felt with her siblings. After a few minutes, Evelyn was calm again, and her body stopped glowing. Alice, noticing Evelyn hadn’t come out, grew worried and gently knocked on the bathroom door.

“Evelyn? Are you okay?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the door unlocked, and Evelyn stepped out.

“I’m fine.”

“What happened? Why did you suddenly start running?”

“Oh…nothing. I just overheard Jane calling me a loser.”

Alice sighed deeply.

“Why do you listen to her? She calls everyone a loser. Just ignore her.”

“You’re right…”

And so, Evelyn’s first day of school came to an end. On her way home, she couldn’t stop thinking about what the girls had said. She knew that if people found out she lived in that house near the woods, everyone would mock her. She made sure no one saw her as she checked her surroundings before heading home.