The chill of the morning air did little to calm the frantic beat of my heart. Every step I took towards school felt like wading through treacle, each one heavier than the last. It was more than just the looming chemistry test; a knot of dread had been tightening in my stomach since I woke up, a feeling eerily similar to the day I lost my parents.

"This isn't gonna be a great day," I mumbled to myself, adjusting the thick headscarf that hid my suddenly vivid red hair and the oversized sunglasses that masked my unnervingly glowing blue eyes. My reflection in the shop window seemed to mock me—a stranger staring back, a girl who, just yesterday, had shoulder-length, ordinary brown hair.

I pushed through the school gates, the familiar chaos of student chatter and locker slams doing little to distract me. Then, a voice cut through the noise, a welcome beacon in my mounting panic.

"Elle!" Rachel waved from the canteen, her bright smile a temporary balm. For a moment, the world felt normal again, as if I hadn't woken up to a reality stranger than any dream.

We walked to class, her arm hooked through mine, her cheerful chatter a stark contrast to the whispered glances and curious stares directed my way. They called me 'weirdo' behind cupped hands, oblivious to the bizarre truth hidden beneath my scarf and shades. Little did they know, 'weirdo' was about to become the least of my worries.