It’s a crisp fall morning at Cedar Ridge University, and the day begins like any other. Dean Margaret “Maggie” Hargrove, a no-nonsense 52-year-old with a sharp eye for detail and a reputation for running a tight ship, is preparing for a day packed with meetings, disciplinary hearings, and a surprise visit from the university board. Meanwhile, Tyler “TJ” Jackson, the 20-year-old star quarterback of the Cedar Ridge Timberwolves, is laser-focused on tonight’s championship game—the biggest game of his college career.

But fate has other plans.

After a bizarre and unexplainable event (a freak lightning strike during the …