CHAPTER 1

The first time I saw him, the world felt too quite. It was after school, the sky was in soft orange, the kind of evening where everything looked liked painted memory. Aiden was sitting under the old cherry tree, sketchbook on his lap, trying to capture the sunset before it disappeared.

He didn’t notice the footsteps until a shadow fell over his page.

“You draw sunsets?” a deep voice asked so clam, low, almost bored, but still prefect.

Aiden looked up and his breath tripped, he saw the most Godly looking boy standing before him, he looked so trouble wrapped in black. Black hair, black jacket, black eyes that watched him like they almost saw through him. He looked older, sharper, stronger, someone who didn’t belong in a quiet schoolyard.

Aiden’s fingers tightened around his pencil. “um.. I draw everything,” he whispered.

The boy’s lips curved slightly. Not smiled more like an accident.

“Show me”.

Aiden hesitated, but something in the boy’s gaze pulled honestly straight out of him. He turned his sketchbook around.

He bent down, close enough for Aiden to feel his breath on his cheek.  Close enough to make his heartbeat to skip a beat.

“It’s good,” he murmured.

Two simple words, but they hit Aiden deeper than any compliment he had ever received.

He didn’t even known the boy’s name yet, but his chest felt warm too warm, dangerously warm.

“You… draw?” Aiden asked.

“No” he straightened, eyes still fixed on him. “But I wanted to see yours.”

Aiden blinked. Wanted? Why?

Before Aiden could speak again, he reached out and gently touched the corner or the page with one gloved fingertip.

“You missed a bit of light here,” he said quietly. “But maybe you did it on purpose>”

Aiden swallowed. “I...i can fix it.”

Raven shook his head. “No. it’s beautiful like that.”

Aiden’s cheeks flushed at the unexpected softness in his tone.

“What is your name?” Aiden asked softly.

“Raven”

A pause.

“And you” Raven asked.

“Aiden.”

Raven repeated it like tasting something sweet for the first time. “Aiden”

And in that moment under the soft orange sky, with cherry blossom petals falling around them something fragile but powerful began around them.

Aiden didn’t know yet that Raven’s life was shadowed with danger.

Raven didn’t know yet that Aiden would become the one thing he will never let go.

All they knew was that the world suddenly felt different.

Brighter.

 Warmer.

Alive.

That was the night they fell.

And the night destiny quietly decided they would be torn apart…

Only to meet again when the world gave them a second chance.

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