The sun shone through the windows of the old schoolhouse, casting beams of light into the otherwise still classroom. In the corner of the room, two students sat, murmuring in hushed voices across the desk at one another.

The older of the two was a fair-haired boy called Ryan. He was always one of the first in the room and the others said he was the sharpest in the class. His friend was a small girl named Sarah. Her jet-black hair was usually tied in two long braids, but today she was wearing it loose, which was unusual for her. Together, the two were an unlikely pair, and it always made the other students stop and stare.