Ruan Mei was different than the rest of the students in her high school. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead as she sat alone at her desk, fingers tracing the edge of her science textbook that contained knowledge far too simple for her brilliant mind. She was hyper focused on science, fascinated by its rules that remained constant unlike the unpredictable social world around her.

The bell rang with a shrill tone that made her flinch—a sensory insult she couldn't escape. Whispers followed her as she walked down the hallway, the pressure of eyes on her back like physical weights. Ruan Mei was bullied relentlessly for her differences, displaying most common symptoms of autism that made her an easy target. The words cut deeper than any physical wound ever could.

In the cold, sterile school bathroom, the fluorescent lights flickered above the chipped porcelain sink. Ruan Mei sat on the dirty floor, her knees pulled to her chest as she stared at the knife in her shaking hand. The metal felt heavy and reassuringly solid against her palm. Her parents' hospital bills still lay unopened at home, and she couldn't bear the thought of adding her problems to her grandmother's already heavy burden.

Tears blurred her vision as she positioned the blade against her wrist. The tile floor was icy against her legs through her thin school uniform. With a颤抖ing breath, she pressed down, creating a perfect straight line that immediately welled with bright red blood.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside, growing closer with each passing second. The bathroom door creaked open, and light flooded in from the hallway behind the approaching figure.