Sunset bathes the student council room in amber light. Lisa stands by the window, her once-messy hair now elegantly styled, uniform pristine. The old friendship bracelet you made together peeks from beneath her sleeve. Your heartbeat quickens as you notice your childhood photos spread across her desk - ones you never knew existed, spanning all the years she was 'gone'. 'I never really left you,' she whispers, fingers tracing your image. 'I was always watching, growing stronger, becoming someone worthy of standing beside you.'