The 19th of September—when everything started. It wasn't a special day for Zak, even though it was his birthday. He saw it as just another normal day at his middle school. At that point, he was still struggling to make friends due to his poor social skills. He entered the school unnoticed, feeling invisible, as students formed small groups, talking, he waited for someone.
When he went to sit, he saw a tall guy with a white coat, dark skin, and dark hair. The only person Zak wanted to meet—his friend, Adam. Zak was excited to see him because Adam was the only person he could trust like a brother. They walked to the yard for the national anthem. He saw some familiar faces but ignored them. After the anthem ended, his classes began.
At 10:25 a.m., Zak finished his class and stepped out, while Adam went off with some of his old friends. Zak looked around for a place to sit. Suddenly, time seemed to slow down, everything felt a bit more gentle, everything faded away when he first saw her. She sat next to her friend under a giant tree.
All kinds of thoughts flooded his mind.
"What is happening? Who is she? Why did time slow down? Am I dreaming? Is she even real? What's happening to me?"
Then, something strange stirred in his heart.
"Why does my heart feel weird? What is happening???"
He forced himself to regain his awareness and went to his classes, trying to forget about her. That evening, his mom surprised him with a small birthday cake. He thanked her kindly and ate it with a big smile.
Days passed, and one of his friends suggested he join the robotics team. Without hesitation, Zak joined—his only real chance to make new friends. There, he met many people. Although he was shy at first, he gradually opened up to his teammates.
Then, he saw her again. Sophia, a name he will remember for the rest of his story. And he met Max—the brain designer of the team. Max was an eccentric guy who loved cats, video games, and cars. He invited Zak to join the school's badminton club. To Zak's surprise, Sofia was already a member.
Gathering all his courage, Zak greeted her for the first time. But as soon as he did, his thoughts spiraled out of control, creating a huge barrier between them. Maybe his heart wasn't strong enough to handle it. Despite this, he pushed himself to the limit and continued playing in the badminton club.
Zak started picking up information about her from his friends. Yet, he still felt invisible in her world. His emotions slowly faded, and without realizing it, his heart became as cold and unbreakable as stone. He lost interest in everything around him—his studies, friends, even his passions.
By the end of the school year, he had completely isolated himself. Thinking running from his emotions is good enough to made them fade.
When summer break started, Zak's family moved to their new house in Bouskoura. He was a little excited—it was a closed group of apartments with a nice swimming pool and a garden. But to him, the world had lost its color. The sky was gray, the buildings black and white.
He forced a smile to reassure his family. His aunt visited to celebrate the new house and stayed for a few days. One night, while listening to the family's conversations in the garden, Zak admired the moon. Suddenly, a memory struck him—Sofia's first point against him in badminton. He had lost focus staring into her eyes, and the memory painted his thoughts in shades of red.
"What is happening? Why did my heart skip a beat? Is it that feeling again?"
The world returned to black and white, and inside, he felt himself fracturing into different versions of himself.