Chapter 1: The Freak

Aera pov : The hallways of Blackthorn High always smelled the same. Wet jackets. Cheap bleach. Old lockers. And the heavy feeling of teenagers who didn’t want to be there. Rain hammered against the long row of narrow windows beside the hallway, turning the world outside gray and miserable. Water streaked down the glass while students rushed around me, laughing loudly, shoving each other, complaining about homework and weekend plans. I stood quietly in front of my rusted locker near the back corner of the hallway, trying my best to disappear into the crowd. My fingers were red and cracked from cleaning chemicals as I twisted the combination lock open. The cold metal bit into my skin, but I barely noticed anymore. Pain had become normal a long time ago. I pushed my glasses higher up my nose with a tired sigh. They were ugly. Huge, thick, round lenses hidden behind scratched plastic frames held together by dull gray duct tape near the hinge. Most people probably thought they belonged in a thrift store trash bin. The truth was even worse. I didn’t actually need glasses. Not really. Three years ago, I had stolen them from a donation box behind the church because I was desperate to hide my eyes. The prescription was far too strong for me, forcing the world into a constant blur that made my head ache almost every day. But headaches were easier to survive than people’s fear. The thick lenses distorted my eyes enough to hide what lived underneath them. And in a town like this, different was dangerous. I shoved my worn history textbook into the locker and quickly reached for my coat. If I left now, I could avoid most of the after-school crowd and make it home before Arthur started drinking. That hope lasted exactly three seconds. “Well, look who crawled out of a sewer.” My stomach dropped instantly. I didn’t even need to turn around. The overpowering smell of sugary vanilla perfume hit me before the voice fully registered. Chloe. Of course. I slowly closed my locker with a soft metallic clang and kept my eyes lowered. “Excuse me,” I said quietly. “I need to go home.” My voice stayed flat and emotionless on purpose. I had learned long ago that bullies lost interest faster when they didn’t get a reaction. Unfortunately, Chloe enjoyed making people uncomfortable too much to stop that easily. “Oh, don’t be rude,” she mocked dramatically. “We’re just trying to talk to you.” A large hand slammed against the locker beside my head before I could move away. I flinched slightly. One of the boys from Chloe’s group leaned against the metal with a smirk. He wore a varsity football jacket and smelled strongly of cheap cologne and cigarettes. “She’s talking to you, freak,” he sneered. I kept my eyes on the dirty floor tiles beneath us. “I heard her,” I replied quietly. “I just don’t think I have anything important to say.” A few students nearby laughed. Chloe stepped closer until she stood directly in front of me, crossing her arms. “You know,” she said slowly, “I’ve always wondered something.” I stayed silent. “Why do you wear those ridiculous glasses all the time?” she continued cruelly. “Seriously, they make you look insane.” Her friends snickered behind her. I swallowed hard. “They help me see.” “Do they?” Chloe tilted her head mockingly. “Because honestly, I think you’re hiding something.” My heartbeat quickened. Dangerously fast. “Give them back,” I said immediately, taking a small step backward. Her smile widened. “Oh my God,” she laughed. “You actually are hiding something.” Before I could react, Chloe lunged forward. Her fingers grabbed the side of my glasses violently. “No—!” The tape snapped instantly. The frames ripped off my face. They hit the hallway floor with a loud crack. Everything changed. The blurry distortion vanished immediately. The world snapped into sharp, painful focus. Every fluorescent light above me felt brighter. Every face in the hallway became terrifyingly clear. Every whisper, every movement, every expression crashed into me all at once. And then— Silence. The hallway went completely still. Even the laughter stopped. I froze where I stood. Slowly, I looked up. Chloe stared at me in horror. Pure horror. The broken glasses dangled loosely from her trembling hand as she took an instinctive step backward. Around us, students stopped walking entirely. Their eyes locked onto mine. My left eye glowed an unnatural silver beneath the harsh fluorescent lights, bright and cold like moonlight reflecting across frozen water. My right eye burned gold. Not soft gold. Not warm gold. A deep, unnatural molten gold that looked almost alive. The hallway suddenly felt too quiet. Too still. Someone whispered shakily, “What the hell…” Another student backed away. “She’s not normal.” “Look at her eyes.” “Oh my God…” “She’s cursed.” “Demonic.” “Witch.” The whispers spread rapidly through the hallway like poison. Fear filled every face around me. Not confusion. Not curiosity. Fear. Real fear. The kind that made people cruel. A familiar ache spread through my chest instantly. The same ache I had carried my entire life. I wanted to hide. Wanted to grab my glasses and disappear. Wanted to apologize for existing the way Arthur always forced me to. But something inside me stopped. Maybe I was too exhausted. Maybe I was finally tired of feeling ashamed for something I never chose. Slowly, I lifted my chin. I looked directly at Chloe. She visibly flinched. “If you’re done staring at me,” I said calmly, “I’d like my glasses back.” Even I was surprised by how steady my voice sounded. Chloe dropped the glasses immediately like they had burned her skin. The broken frames clattered onto the floor. “N-nope,” she stammered. “Absolutely not.” She backed away quickly, dragging her frightened friends with her. Nobody stopped me as I knelt down and picked up the broken pieces. Nobody said another word. The entire hallway simply stared while I slid the damaged glasses into my pocket and walked toward the exit doors. Rain exploded against me the second I stepped outside. Freezing water soaked through my thin coat instantly, but I barely felt it. I walked slowly down the cracked sidewalk away from the school, my chest feeling painfully hollow. By the time the building disappeared behind me, the adrenaline had faded completely. Only fear remained. Fear of Arthur. Fear of going home with broken glasses. Fear of what happened now that people had seen my eyes. I stopped beneath the rusted awning of an abandoned store and wrapped my arms around myself tightly. My hands started shaking. I stared down at a muddy puddle forming near the curb. “I’m completely alone,” I whispered shakily to myself. “Nobody wants me.” That is not true. I froze. The voice didn’t come from the street. It didn’t come from nearby. It echoed directly inside my mind. Soft. Ancient. Beautiful. It felt like warm velvet wrapping around my freezing body. Like moonlight and flowers blooming in darkness. The sound carried an overwhelming sense of comfort so deep it made my chest ache. My shaking stopped instantly. I looked around wildly. “Who’s there?” I whispered. Do not cry for the ignorance of mortals, little moon, the voice murmured gently. Warmth spread slowly through my body. They fear what they cannot understand. They fear your light because they were born to live in darkness. My throat tightened. “I don’t understand…” You will soon, the voice promised softly. The sound slowly faded, disappearing like smoke into the storm. Endure a little longer, Aera. Your path is waiting for you. Silence returned. Only rain remained. I stood there breathing hard beneath the broken awning, my heart pounding against my ribs. The voice was gone. But the warmth it left behind stayed deep inside my chest. Slowly, I reached into my pocket and touched the broken glasses. Then I lifted my head and started walking again. Back toward Arthur’s house. Back toward the nightmare waiting for me.