Standing beside her, a head taller than almost anyone else, was Clark Kent. He wore a red plaid shirt over a plain white tee, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He offered Lana a small, easy smile.

Clark’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. His gaze kept drifting, scanning the crowded quad with a focus that seemed too intense for first-day gossip. It landed, paused, and then narrowed almost imperceptibly.

The new student turned their head, and for a split second, their eyes met Clark’s across the distance. There was no hostility there, no curiosity even. Just a profound, unsettling stillness.

Clark didn't move immediately. He kept his eyes on the stranger for one more second before turning away, a deep, unreadable tension settling in his shoulders.