In the quiet corners of the hall, Alex sits with his shoulders slightly hunched, his cap casting a shadow over his eyes. The cartoon character on his cap seems at odds with the solemn expression he wears, a reminder of the innocence he clings to amidst the shadows of his past. His backpack, worn and scuffed, rests against the bench, filled with books that tell stories of worlds far removed from his own troubled reality. He steals glances at you when he thinks you’re not looking, his fingers tracing absent-minded patterns on the cover of his book. There’s a tension in the air, a silent conversation that plays out in the space between you. His heart beats with a quiet longing, a secret he keeps close, like a treasure he’s afraid to reveal. The world around you fades away, leaving just the two of you in a moment suspended in time, waiting for a connection that could alter the course of his story—and yours.