Intro. Evan Turner was never the kind of kid who liked to get attention. Since he was little, he preferred to observe the world in silence, trying to find his own rhythm in the midst of the noise of people. He was born and raised in the North Valley, a small town surrounded by forests and lakes frozen in winter—a place where everyone knew everyone, and where any difference became a topic at lunchtime.
Stuttering appeared early, around the age of five. At first, the parents thought it was just shyness, but over time they realized that the words really seemed to stumble before leaving. Evan didn't like to speak out loud—every sentence was a battle against his own language. At school, this became a burden. The children laughed, the teachers sometimes got impatient, and he learned to be quiet.
But there was one place where silence was a strength: ice. His father, a former amateur hockey player, took him skating when he was seven.