Chapter 1 – When the Sky Changed
Karimpur during monsoon always felt heavier than usual.
The streets outside Mount High School were still damp from earlier rain. Small puddles reflected the fading evening light, and the air smelled of wet soil and rusted iron from the school gates.
Classes had just ended.
Students moved through the corridors in groups — laughing, arguing, checking their phones. The usual noise filled the building, but inside Classroom 2-B, only a few students remained.
Evan sat at his desk near the center row.
Mary's notebook was open in front of him.
He was solving the last two mathematics problems carefully. He always made sure her work looked clean — margins straight, handwriting neat, steps clearly shown.
His own notebook remained unfinished inside his bag.
Across the room, Mary stood near the window talking to Daniel Hayes. She looked relaxed, smiling naturally. Daniel was speaking confidently, using his hands as he talked. A few boys nearby laughed at something he said.
Evan noticed, but he didn't stare.
He had learned how to look without appearing to look.
Mary walked over after a few minutes.
"Done?" she asked casually.
"Almost," Evan replied, keeping his voice steady.
She nodded and turned back before he finished speaking.
No "thank you."
But he didn't expect one anymore.
For Evan, this routine had become normal.
He had liked her since elementary school. Back when things were simple. Back when sharing an umbrella during rain felt important.
That memory stayed with him.
For her, it probably didn't.
Life had changed after his father's accident two years ago.
His mother worked longer hours now. Their house felt quieter. Evan started helping more — cleaning, cooking sometimes, managing small expenses.
He didn't complain.
He didn't want to add pressure.
At school, that same mindset followed him.
When Daniel asked for help, he gave it.
When classmates mocked him lightly, he ignored it.
He told himself it was fine.
It was easier than conflict.
The rooftop incident happened a week later.
It was after classes, when the sky was cloudy but calm. The building was mostly empty.
Daniel and two of his friends approached him near the staircase.
"You've liked Mary forever, right?" Daniel said with a half-smile.
Evan hesitated. "I don't—"
"Then just confess," another boy interrupted. "Or are you scared?"
The way they said it made it feel like a challenge.
Evan didn't want to look weak.
And somewhere deep inside, a small part of him still hoped.
So he agreed.
Mary came to the rooftop a few minutes later.
She didn't look nervous. She looked impatient.
"What is this about?"
Evan didn't prepare dramatic words.
"I've liked you for a long time," he said honestly. "I just wanted to tell you."
There was a brief silence.
Then she slapped him.
Not extremely hard.
But hard enough to make the message clear.
"How dare you misunderstand," she said sharply. "Helping me with homework doesn't mean anything."
Laughter came from behind the stairwell door.
Daniel was standing there.
Watching.
Recording.
That realization hurt more than the slap.
This wasn't about confession.
It was about humiliation.
Mary walked away without another word.
Evan stood there for a moment, feeling something inside him settle — not anger, not tears — just a quiet heaviness.
The next few days were uncomfortable.
The video spread among students.
Whispers followed him in the hallway.
Teachers called him in and spoke about "appropriate boundaries."
His mother was called to school.
That was the worst part.
She listened quietly while the principal spoke. She didn't argue. She didn't blame him either.
At home, she asked him calmly what happened.
When he explained everything, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"You did nothing wrong," she said.
He nodded.
But school felt different after that.
Not louder.
Colder.
Daniel and Mary started spending more time together openly.
Evan stopped expecting anything.
It happened during vacation week.
Only a few students were on campus that afternoon. Daniel and his friends were there. A few girls were near the gate waiting for rides.
Evan had come because Daniel messaged him earlier.
"Need help with something."
The sky looked strange.
Greenish.
At first, it seemed like unusual lighting through clouds.
Then the wind stopped.
Completely.
The trees around the courtyard became still.
Someone noticed first. "Why does the sky look like that?"
Before anyone could answer, lightning struck the center of the courtyard.
But there were no storm clouds.
The sound wasn't normal thunder.
It felt like something tearing apart.
The ground shook violently.
Students screamed.
Light swallowed everything for a second—
And when it faded, Mount High School was gone.
Karimpur was gone.
They stood in an open clearing surrounded by dense forest.