The first step."

The door to the classroom opened, and Aurelius stood at the threshold, taking a deep breath before stepping inside. His heart raced, but he tried to appear calm. He could feel the eyes of the students watching him, unsure of what awaited him within the classroom. Finally, he pushed the door open with his hand and entered confidently.

All eyes turned to him, and he stood out immediately. His shiny brown hair, his elegant coat, and his bright eyes—all of it was different from what anyone had ever seen in this place. He stood at the center of the room, surrounded by stunned gazes, and gave a calm smile before speaking softly:

"Hello, I'm Aurelius. It's a pleasure to be with you all."

The sound of whispers and admiration spread, particularly among the girls. One of them thought to herself, "Where has this boy been all our lives?" Meanwhile, some of the boys found his words and demeanor charming and intelligent, and they smiled in appreciation.

But not everyone was pleased. A group of bullies in the room sneered at him, their eyes filled with mockery. One of them whispered to another, "What is this? A prince walking into our classroom? Does he think he's better than us?"

Aurelius noticed the tension in the room, but he remained calm, showing no sign of fear. The teacher, who had been observing the situation, smiled at him and spoke warmly:

"Welcome, Aurelius. I hope you make great friends here. Everyone here is kind and welcoming."

She added gently, "By the way, the boys who were talking about you earlier are now regretting it, right?"

The boys, feeling ashamed, replied in unison, "Yes, teacher."

Aurelius smiled slightly and said in a composed tone, "Of course, there are many kind people here. For example, Vitus is one of them."

Some students in the room were taken aback by his mention of Vitus, while others laughed loudly at the name. Aurelius, however, was unfazed. He had spoken about Vitus with sincerity, as if mentioning a dear friend.

The teacher then noticed that Vitus was absent. She turned to Aurelius, asking, "Is Vitus not here today?"

Aurelius calmly responded, "Vitus is absent, but I'm sure he'll be back soon. He took the lesson alone."

At that moment, Aurelius's response stirred a reaction among the students, particularly from the ones who had been known to be the smartest in the class. Aurelius was now seen as someone different, someone who stood out for both his intellect and his demeanor.

Despite the attention, Aurelius remained composed. He treated everyone, whether they liked or disliked him, with politeness and grace. He didn't try to draw attention to himself, but he made his presence known without uttering a word of arrogance.

As time passed, Aurelius interacted with the other students, even engaging in conversations with some. Many of them expressed their interest in being his friends, yet Aurelius remained distant, his mind preoccupied with only one person—Vitus. He couldn't help but focus on the absence of his friend, even though the room was full of new faces. He felt that without Vitus, his life here would be incomplete.

Although Aurelius had made no friendships yet, his interactions were marked by clarity and kindness. People were eager to be close to him, but his thoughts remained solely with his missing friend. Every conversation with others seemed to serve only as a distraction from the real issue. Even when the others reached out, his heart was occupied with the thought of Vitus.

He couldn't understand why he wasn't able to form deep friendships. Perhaps, he thought, it was because no one could replace Vitus. Despite the friendly gestures, his thoughts always drifted back to the boy who had been his closest companion. Even though his classmates tried to engage with him, Aurelius found himself looking around the room, hoping for a glimpse of Vitus.