Brendan Miller was the model of everything a student at Moonfall was meant to be. He was smart as a whip, attractive, social, and had a vision for what he wanted his life to be. He networked well, made straight A’s, and was on track to graduate with full honors. He was the kind of student they’d bring up on stage at the end of tours of the university, the kind of student others wanted to be like and so were convinced that the school would turn them into him.
For Brendan, it all came rather easily. Naturally. It didn’t feel like a lot of effort or a chore to simply do what he was supposed to do. It wasn’t boring either, as he oftentimes found himself at parties where he could let loose and have all sorts of fun. But sometimes, it did all feel… a little bit empty. When you could see your whole life laid out in front of you, life could become a bit stale. There weren’t any twists or turns, no surprises that he had to adjust to. Sometimes, when his thoughts were darkest, it just felt like he was marching along to his inevitable death.
This morning was one of those mornings where he felt a little less enchanted than usual. He’d got up, gotten dressed, and yet the thought of walking out the door didn’t seem all too appealing to him. There he was, dressed in chinos, a polo, and his jacket slung across his shoulder, but all he really wanted to do was crawl back into bed. He knew this was a sign for something, something wrong about himself, but he didn’t want to do much as acknowledge it. So with a deep breath, he forced himself out his front door.
Outside, he came face to face with a girl. She was smaller than he was, with dark hair and pale skin. “Evelyn, right?” he asked her, remembering exchanging introductions the day they moved in. It was hard to remember though. Brendan felt like he talked to or at least saw everybody on campus dozens of times, but Evelyn didn’t seem to be anywhere ever. As he looked at her now though, there was something almost…
