As Alex trudged through the halls of Crestview High School, he couldn't help but feel like a stranger in his own skin. His heart pounded in his chest as he passed the throngs of students laughing and chatting with one another, their carefree attitudes only serving to accentuate his own feelings of isolation.
He longed for the days when he could just sit in his room and lose himself in the music that poured from his headphones, but even that simple pleasure had become tainted by the constant, nagging ache in his chest that he couldn't seem to shake.
Alex was grateful for his friends, of course. They were the only people in the world who really knew him, who accepted him for who he was. But even with them, he felt like an outsider. They were all so...normal. So content to live their lives without a care in the world.
"What's up, man?" Mark said, breaking Alex out of his reverie as he slung an arm around his shoulder. "You look like someone stole your lunch money."
Alex forced a smile. "I'm good, just tired I guess."
Mark's grin widened. "Well, good thing we're going to lift you up with our sick beats in band practice today."
Alex chuckled despite himself. "Yeah, can't wait."
As they made their way to the band room, Alex felt a momentary pang of envy as he watched his friends chatting and laughing. He wanted to be a part of that, to feel like he belonged. But the more he tried, the more he felt like an imposter, like he was just pretending to be happy.
"Hey, guys," some girl called out, standing in front of the music room podium as they walked in. "You ready to rock?"
They all nodded, and soon the room was filled with the sound of music. Alex closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the melody, the trumpet in his hands an extension of his very soul.
But even as the notes soared around him, he couldn't escape the feeling of emptiness that had been weighing him down for so long. He wanted to reach out, to tell someone what he was feeling, but he didn't know how.
As practice wound down, Alex slung his trumpet back into its case and started to pack up his things. But Mark was watching him closely, his brow furrowed in concern.
"Hey, man," he said. "Is everything okay? You seem...off lately."
Alex hesitated for a moment before finally blurting out, "I don't know, man. I just feel like...like something's wrong with me. Like I'm broken or something."
Mark put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we've all been there. It's okay to feel lost sometimes."
"I know, but it's more than that," Alex said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just feel like...like I'm not even real. Like I'm living someone else's life."
Mark's eyes widened in surprise. "Dude, that's heavy. Have you talked to anyone about this?"
Alex shook his head. "No. I don't want to burden anyone with my problems."
Mark gave him a sad smile. "That's not how it works, man. We're your friends. We want to help you."
Alex looked down at his feet, suddenly feeling ashamed. "I don't know how to talk about it."
"It's okay," Mark said gently. "You don't have to figure it all out right now. But promise me you'll at least try to talk to someone. It doesn't have to be me. Just...don't keep it all inside."
Alex nodded slowly, the weight of the world seeming to lift just a little bit. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to face this alone.
As Alex walked home from school, he couldn't shake the feeling that things were starting to shift. That maybe, with a little bit of help, he could start to pull himself out of the dark hole he'd been living in for so long.
But as he stepped through the front door of his house, he was greeted by the usual chaos of his family. His little sister, Lily, was running around in circles, her laughter echoing off the walls. His mom was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner.
"Hey, Alex!" his mom called out. "How was school?"
"Fine," Alex muttered, already feeling the walls closing in on him again.
His mom turned around, a smile on her face. "Anything exciting happen today?"
Alex shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. His mom had always been kind and understanding, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow letting her down by not being able to be happy like everyone else.
As he trudged up the stairs to his room, he could hear his parents and sister chatting and laughing downstairs. He felt like an outsider in his own home, like he was watching someone else's life play out in front of him.
He threw himself onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling as his mind raced. He wanted so badly to tell his parents about what he was going through, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it would only make things worse.
Just as he was about to give up and retreat into himself again, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Mark.
"Hey man, just wanted to check in and make sure you're okay. You wanna hang out later?"
Alex's heart lifted a little bit at the thought of spending time with his friend. Maybe he didn't have to face this alone after all.
"Yeah, that sounds good," he typed back, feeling a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth.
As he waited for Mark to arrive, he couldn't help but think about what it would be like to finally open up to someone about what he was going through. To let someone in and share his burden.
When Mark finally showed up, they headed out to the nearby park and sat on a bench overlooking the lake. They talked about their plans for the summer, their favorite movies, and everything in between.
But as the sun started to set and the park emptied out, Alex knew it was time to broach the subject that had been weighing on him for so long.
"Mark," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "I need to tell you something."
Mark turned to him, his eyes full of concern. "What's up?"
Alex took a deep breath, the words tumbling out of him before he could second-guess himself.
"Since my dad died, I've been struggling with anxiety and depression for a long time now," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I felt...like it was my fault that my dad died. I didn't even know how my dad died.", he continued.
"I wanna fix it. I don't know how to fix it. I don't even know if I can fix it. But I wanted to tell you because...because I trust you. And because I don't want to feel alone anymore."
Mark was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the water.
"I'm sorry you're going through that, man," he finally said, his voice soft. "But I'm here for you. We're all here for you. And I promise we'll help you figure it out. You are never alone, man."
Alex felt a weight lift from his chest as Mark put an arm around his shoulders, offering him the comfort he'd been too afraid to ask for. Alex felt a weight lift from his chest as Mark put an arm around his shoulders, offering him the comfort he'd been too afraid to ask for.
It was then that he noticed a girl from his class walking towards them. She had long brown hair and bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.
"Hey guys, what's up?" she asked, giving Alex a warm smile.
"Hey Emily," Mark said, "We were just hanging out."
Emily nodded, her gaze lingering on Alex for a moment longer than he expected. He felt a sudden pang of self-consciousness, wondering if she could see through the façade he'd been putting up for so long.
But then she turned to him, a concerned look on her face. "Alex, are you okay? You seem kind of down."
Alex shrugged, not wanting to burden her with his problems. "I'm fine, just tired I guess."
Emily didn't seem convinced, but before she could say anything else, her phone beeped. "Sorry guys, I have to go. My mom's calling. But we should all hang out sometime soon, okay?"
Alex nodded, feeling a small flicker of hope. Maybe Emily could be someone he could also confide in, despite their past. Someone who could help him through the dark days.
As he watched her walk away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.
But for now, he pushed those feelings aside, focusing instead on the warmth of Mark's arm around his shoulders. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he wasn't alone. Alex and Mark continued to hang out for a while longer, talking about their plans for the upcoming weekend. As they walked, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to talk to someone about what he was going through.
He had always kept his feelings bottled up, afraid of burdening others with his problems. But after seeing how much better he felt with just a little bit of comfort from Mark, he realized that he couldn't keep going like this.
Later that night, Alex found himself scrolling through his phone, trying to find someone he could talk to. He hesitated for a moment before finally sending a message to Emily.
"Hey, are you free to talk?" he typed, feeling his heart race with nervousness.
It took a few minutes for Emily to respond, but eventually, her message appeared on his screen.
"Of course, what's up?"
Alex took a deep breath and began to type, pouring out all of his fears and anxieties into the message. He told her about how he had been struggling with depression and anxiety for years, how he felt like he couldn't keep going on like this.
As he typed, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. It was like a weight had been lifted from his chest, and he could breathe a little easier.
When he finished, he hesitated for a moment before hitting send. What if Emily thought he was crazy? What if she didn't want to be friends with him anymore?
But before he could dwell on those thoughts, Emily's response appeared on his screen.
"Hey, I'm so sorry you've been going through all of that. You're not crazy, and I'm here for you. Let's talk more about this tomorrow at school, okay?"
Alex felt a sense of gratitude and relief wash over him. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he had thought. Maybe, with a little bit of help, he could start to heal. As Alex lay in bed that night, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about him. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but he felt like he was meant for something more than just being an average high school student in Crestview.
As he drifted off to sleep, he had a dream that felt more like a memory. He was walking in the streets but he knew it wasn't Crestview. He fell something, like he was somewhere out of Earth. Everything is flooded with light and at the front of him is a very tall spire made of what it seems like emerald and marble. The sight of structure made him draw closer to the structure.
His dream faded to black.
When he woke up, he shook off the dream as just that - a dream. But as he got ready for school, he noticed something strange in the mirror. His eyes, usually a dull brown, now had a faint yellow glow to them. It was barely noticeable, but it was there.
Alex rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was still dreaming. But when he looked back in the mirror, the glow was still there. As Alex walked into school that morning, he couldn't help but feel like everyone was staring at him. He knew it was probably just his anxiety talking, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was different about him.
As he made his way to his locker, he noticed a group of students huddled together, whispering and pointing in his direction. He tried to ignore them, but as he walked past, he overheard snippets of their conversation.
"Did you see his eyes?"
"Maybe he's sick or something."
Alex felt a pang of fear and embarrassment. He didn't want to be the subject of their gossip, but he also couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to their speculation.
As he made his way to his first class, he noticed a new student sitting at a desk in the back of the room. She had long, dark hair and bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the morning light.
Their eyes met for a moment, and Alex felt a strange sensation deep within him. It was like he had known her his entire life, even though he had never seen her before.
He tried to shake off the feeling, focusing instead on the lesson at hand. But as the day went on, he couldn't help but feel like everything was connected somehow - the glow in his eyes, the whispers of the other students, and the strange girl in his first-period class. Alex tried to shake off the strange feeling that lingered inside him.
He tried to focus on his classes, but he found himself distracted. The whispers and stares from his classmates only fueled his anxiety. He wondered if there was something about him that they knew, something he was oblivious to.
As the day went on, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to his existence than he had ever known. It was like he was missing a piece of himself, a piece that everyone else seemed to have.
He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind, focusing instead on his studies. But every time he looked up, he found himself drawn to the new girl in his class. There was something about her that felt familiar, even though he was sure he had never met her before.
As the final bell rang, Alex gathered his things and headed out of the classroom. He was determined to put the strange feeling behind him and focus on getting through the day. But as he walked down the hallway, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched.
Alex felt his heart race as he quickened his pace, hoping to shake off the feeling of being followed. But as he turned the corner, he saw the new girl from his class following him, her long, dark hair swaying as she walked.
"Hey, wait up!" she called out, jogging to catch up to him.
Alex stopped and turned to face her. Up close, he could see that she had striking features - high cheekbones, a straight nose, and full lips. But it was her eyes that drew him in. They were an intense shade of blue, like the clear summer sky.
"Hi," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you," the girl said, a small smile on her lips. "I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Lila Moonshadow."
Alex's heart raced as he looked at her. He couldn't explain the strange feeling he had around her, but he knew he couldn't ignore it either.
"Hi, I'm Alex, Alex Silverwing" he replied, his eyes never leaving hers.
"I know," Lila said, her smile widening. "I wanted to meet you because... well, because I think we have a lot in common."
Alex raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"
Lila leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I think we're both different from everyone else here. And I think we both have something that makes us special."
Alex felt a jolt of recognition at her words. It was like she knew exactly what he was feeling, like she could see right through him.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lila's expression changed from friendly to serious, her blue eyes now piercing through Alex. "I have a feeling that there's more to us than what we see on the surface," she said in a low voice, as if they were being watched. "Something...special."
Alex's heart raced with a mix of curiosity and fear. He had no idea what Lila was talking about, but the intensity of her gaze made him believe that there was truth to her words.
"What do you mean?" he asked, unable to keep the curiosity out of his voice.
"I can't say for sure," Lila said cryptically, "but I have a feeling that we're connected in some way. That there's a reason we were brought together."
Alex frowned. "Brought together? We're just in the same class."
Lila shook her head, her long black hair falling over her shoulder. "It's more than that, Alex. Trust me."