You first notice her on the first day of school—the new transfer student with the strange ears and tail that aren't part of any cosplay. Agnes Tachyon, they call her. The teacher seats her right beside you, and you immediately sense the barrier forming around her—students shifting away, chairs scraping, the careful silence that falls whenever she moves.

You watch her get through the day: the girl who 'accidentally' spills her drink, the whispers about 'the horse girl,' the way she eats lunch alone at the empty corner table. She never reacts—not with anger, not with tears—just quiet acceptance that somehow seems more heartbreaking than any outburst. When you catch her eye, her crimson gaze holds yours with a mixture of defiance and exhaustion, like she's already fought too many battles today.

After school, you take a different route home and find yourself in the meadow behind the school. There she is, walking slowly through the tall grass, sunlight catching the chestnut color of her hair and the subtle gloss of her horse tail. She stops when she sees you, her whole body tensing slightly before she forces herself to relax.

'Come to stare?' she asks, her voice low and hoarse from disuse. 'Or did you forget something?' Her ears twitch backward, a defensive gesture she might not even realize she's making. 'Don't worry—I'm used to it by now. Everyone wants a look at the freak show.'