Chapter 1

Alan let out an exasperated sigh as Sean pointed his fork at him, that smug grin plastered on his face. The two of them were hunched over a cluttered table of cafeteria trays in the campus dining hall, packed to the brim with students grabbing lunch between classes. Sunlight slipped through the tall windows, catching on the faded posters on the walls and the constant shuffle of backpacks and chatter all around them.

“Come on, man, admit it — you totally lost your shit last night. Dancing shirtless on the table? What was that? Did you think it was a runway or something?” Sean laughed, eyes gleaming with mischief as he stole a fry from Alan’s plate.

Alan shook his head, pretending to be offended while chewing his dry ham sandwich.

“If Larry hadn’t sucked so bad at beer pong, we wouldn’t have had to drink that much. It’s your fault anyway — you’re the one who insisted we play until sunrise.”

Across from them, Larry — messy hair, hoodie with the university logo — raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Hey, I drank just as much as you did. But I didn’t end up doing a half-ass striptease. You’re lucky nobody filmed that.”

He burst out laughing, and the three friends fell into playful banter, their voices blending into the background noise of clattering trays, bursts of laughter, and dozens of overlapping conversations.

The campus buzzed with mid-autumn energy, red-brick buildings glowing under the pale sun, lawns still green despite the recent rain that had left puddles here and there.

Alan and Sean, both second-year civil engineering students, usually spent their breaks together — decompressing between exhausting classes on soil mechanics and structural systems. Larry, a first-year law student, had joined them by chance after an orientation party a few weeks back. His enthusiasm for partying more than made up for his lack of legal knowledge.

Suddenly, two hands landed on Sean’s shoulders from behind.