The rain lashed against the classroom window, mirroring the turbulence in Jace's mind. The semester break, usually a cause for celebration, loomed with the stark reality of his homelessness. He sighed, a habit Ash, his best friend, always claimed drove girls crazy. Today, it was just a testament to his weariness.

"Seriously, go bug someone else," Jace grumbled, swatting away Ash's dramatic hand-batting. He knew the girls in class, despite their lingering gazes, weren't interested in the real him—the one living out of a battered car, disowned by his wealthy family. "They think I'm still rich," he muttered, his expression darkening.

Ash, ever the loyal companion, ignored his friend's mood. "So, any plans for the long break?" he asked, nudging Jace. The question hung in the air, loaded with unspoken possibilities and grim realities. Jace leaned in, his eyes alight with a cautious excitement. "I've got something I want to check out." A mail, an invitation. A chance for food, lodging, and a real place to stay, even if just for a bit. The 'Orc Wars' reality show. His ticket out.

But as they debated the merits of 'lucrative payment' versus 'wasted party time,' miles away, a different kind of storm was brewing. Nikki, Lady Jayne's efficient niece, hummed along to the radio, accelerating her Mercedes through the downpour, oblivious to the fateful intersection ahead. A scream, the screech of tires, a violent crash—and then, silence.