Unknown Secrets

Pilot

Aeron's POV:

My alarm blared, but I stayed buried under the blankets, debating whether I really needed to move or not. What finally jolted me awake wasn't the alarm—it was the sharp, almost frantic knocking on my door.

"Azhia, if that's you, you have a key, you know that!" I called groggily from my room.

I heard her rummaging through her bag, the jangle of metal before the lock clicked. The door swung open with enough force to send my cat darting under the bed. My raven, Ren, only tilted his head, unbothered. Relief washed over me when I realized it was just my best friend—and the way she stormed in told me she wasn't here just to hang out.

"Hey, Ren," Azhia greeted my bird.

Ren croaked in reply, as if acknowledging her. From beneath my bed, my calico hissed in protest.

"AERON!" Azhia's voice boomed as she stomped down the hall and into my room.

I could hear the irritation in every step she took.

"Wake. That. Ass. Up," she ordered, shaking me like I hadn't already heard her.

"Okay, okay, I'm up!" I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"We're late for class," she snapped. "And unless you want another lecture about your chronic tardiness—especially during exams—you better move."

Before I could respond, she tugged at my covers. Reflexively, I grabbed her wrists in a flash. She froze, startled at how quickly I reacted.

"Azhia," I said evenly, "I wouldn't recommend yanking off my blankets. I sleep naked."

Her face twisted in embarrassment, and she immediately turned away, throwing her hands up in surrender. Without another word, she crossed to my closet, plucked out a graphic tee and ripped jeans, and laid them neatly on the bed. Then she pulled the curtains wide, flooding the room with morning light.

"You have ten minutes," she said firmly, marching toward the door. "And don't think I won't come back in here to dress you myself."

My face burned. I'd known Azhia since middle school—through fights, late nights, and all the mess of high school. No matter what, she always had my back. And now, even half-asleep and half-naked, I couldn't deny it: she still did.

~~Time Skip~~
(Few days later, in class)

I slumped in my chair, half-listening to the teacher drone on about linear equations—or whatever he was calling them. His monotone voice had all the energy of someone who'd given up on life at least a decade ago. Honestly, it practically screamed, "I'd rather be drunk elsewhere." I didn't blame him, but I was too young for that escape.

The low buzz of whispered gossip from classmates was far more entertaining than the lecture. Azhia, of course, was actually doing the work, occasionally nudging me to focus, but my brain kept slipping elsewhere. That is, until a familiar voice cut through the haze.

"Hey," a female voice teased behind me.

I blinked, confused. "Uh... hi?"

"Remember me?" she asked, tone laced with something a little too seductive.

"...No? Should I?"

"Yeah, you should." She giggled.

I sighed, irritation creeping in. "Just spit it out." I turned in my seat—only to freeze.

My breath caught, my throat tight. "K-Kali..?"

"Hi, buddy." She ruffled my hair like no time had passed, flashing me that same smile I remembered all too well.

She slid into the seat on my other side, and I sat there stunned until Azhia jabbed me in the ribs, snapping me back.

"Who is that?" She whispered, leaning close.

"Someone I knew in high school," I muttered, "She was hot... still is."

Azhia smirked. "Yeah, I see it."

I raised a brow. "See what?"

"She's checking you out."

I glanced at Kali just in time to catch her peeking over the top of her book—except she wasn't reading. The moment our eyes met, she quickly looked back down, pretending. I found myself staring again until—smack—Azhia's hand snapped me out of it.

The bell rang then, sharp and piercing, cutting through the classroom like glass shattering. My body jolted. That sound always hit me wrong, but today it was unbearable. Pain ripped through my shoulders, searing hot. Panic set in.

Before anyone could stop me, I bolted—shoving past students in a blur. Azhia's worried voice chased me, but I lost her in the tide of bodies.

By the time I stumbled into my apartment, I collapsed onto the floor, gasping. My cat bolted from the sudden noise when Ren thrashed in his cage, agitated. He wasn't just a raven, though—he was my familiar.

With a violent flutter of wings, he burst free, shifting midair into his human form. Six feet tall, dark-skinned, his green eyes almost glowing—his presence filled the room. His dreads were pulled back, his body all muscle and scars, the largest one cutting across the left side of his face.

He caught me before I could sink further into the floor, scooping me up with startling gentleness. Carrying me to the bedroom, he laid me down and pinned a blanket over me, holding me steady with his strength.

"It's okay," he murmured, calm but firm. "I know it hurts."

One of his hands pressed over my eyes, shutting out sight, stripping away another sense to ground me. The burning in my shoulders flared again, violent, uncontrollable. The bell had triggered something inside me—something I couldn't explain, something I couldn't let Azhia or anyone else know about.

As Ren worked to calm me, my phone buzzed again and again. Azhia. She'd noticed I ran. She'd be looking for me.

And if she found me here, like this... she'd find Ren too.

And my secret could never come out.