I glance at Justin, and he’s wiping tears from his eyes.
“For years, I lived with one terrifying question echoing in my mind: will I become like them? Will I lose myself? And out of that fear, I threw myself into something I could control. I became addicted to books, to studying, to the endless pursuit of excellence.”
Leo has gone silent beside me and his eyes are glossy, almost teary.
“Some might laugh at the word here today, but addiction is addiction, no matter the form. It pulls you in, steals your time, and becomes the reason you do everything else. And yes, I laugh because I finally understand how ironic it is: I escaped one cycle only to fall into another. But that addiction to learning led me here… to Cadston College, a place that didn’t see my history as a flaw, but as potenti
