CHAPTER 1: THE SLAP

The first bell hadn't even rung.

Jefferson High buzzed with the usual Tuesday morning chaos.

Lockers slammed shut.

Students hurried through crowded hallways.

Teachers balanced coffee cups while calling out reminders about homework.

To everyone else, it looked like another ordinary school morning.

Then one sound changed everything.

SMACK.

The sharp slap echoed down the hallway.

Conversations stopped.

A locker door rattled violently.

Students turned.

Standing beside Locker 217 was Elena Torres.

Her hand covered her burning cheek.

A bright red mark slowly appeared across her skin.

Standing over her was Connor Walsh.

Captain of the wrestling team.

Popular.

Confident.

The kind of student nobody expected anyone to challenge.

The hallway froze.

Nobody stepped forward.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody wanted to become Connor's next target.

Three feet away, someone slowly straightened from the water fountain.

Marco Torres.

Elena's twin brother.

Until that moment, he hadn't seen what happened.

Only heard it.

The sound.

The silence.

Then he turned around.

His eyes landed on Elena's face.

Then on the red mark.

Then on Connor.

Something inside him became perfectly still.

Without saying a word, Marco walked forward.

Each step echoed across the silent hallway.

He stopped directly behind Connor.

Close enough that when Connor turned around...

there would be almost no distance between them.

Then Marco spoke.

"Hey."