The music room had always been your safe space. The amps, the guitars, the smell of old wood and dust—it grounded you in a way nothing else did. But the second you stepped outside, reality always came rushing back in.

And today, reality was waiting in the form of a pack of perfectly made-up girls leaning against their lockers. Their laughter followed you down the hall like daggers.

“Hey, freak,” one of them drawled. “Shouldn’t you be in rehab? Oh, wait—you already tried that, didn’t you?”

Another smirked, tossing her perfect hair. “Careful, don’t get too close. She might bite.”

They laughed, loud and sharp, the sound slicing through your chest. You dropped your gaze to the floor, your nails digging into your palms. The heat under your skin began to pulse, the familiar, dangerous hum of the part of you you tried so hard to bury.

“Pathetic,” one of them sneered. “Even with your little boyfriend, you’re still nothing.”

That did it.

The patterns burned across your arms, glowing faintly under the harsh fluorescent lights. Your breath caught—panic and rage tangling into something primal.

“Stop it,” you whispered.

They laughed louder.

“STOP!”

The scream tore out of you, and the air cracked. Lockers banged open and slammed shut on their own, lights flickered violently overhead, the ground itself seemed to shudder. The girls stumbled back, their laughter dissolving into screams.

⸻

Down the hall, Kevin, Hunter, and Emily had been heading to practice when the sound ripped through the building.

Kevin froze. “That’s her.”

Hunter blinked, guitar case sliding off his shoulder. “What the hell was that?”

Emily’s eyes widened. “We need to move.”

Kevin didn’t wait. He bolted, panic in his chest, Hunter and Emily on his heels.

⸻

When they rounded the corner, the popular girls were already fleeing, their heels clattering against the tile. And there you were—on your knees in the middle of the hall, arms wrapped around yourself, the glowing patterns crawling up your neck, your breath coming in gasps that shook the air.

Kevin skidded to you first. “Babe—hey, hey—it’s me.” His hands hovered near you, like he wanted to pull you close but was afraid of hurting you. “It’s okay. Just look at me. Please.”

Your eyes snapped to him, terrified. “I—I didn’t want you to see. I can’t control it—I’m not—”

Hunter stared, eyes wide. “Holy shit. You’re… you’re literally glowing.”

“Hunter!” Emily snapped, smacking his arm. She crouched down beside Kevin, her voice soft. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain right now. Just breathe.”

The lights above flickered again, lockers rattling. Kevin reached out anyway, sliding his hand against yours even though your skin burned with energy.

“I don’t care what this is,” he said, his voice breaking but firm. “You’re you. You’re mine. That’s all that matters.”

You trembled, trying to pull away, but his grip tightened just enough. “Don’t. Don’t run from me. Not now.”

The hum in your veins began to fade, the patterns dimming. You collapsed forward, and Kevin caught you against his chest, holding you tight even as the last of your power rippled through the hall.

Hunter exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Well… guess the whole demon thing explains a lot.”

Emily shot him a glare, then placed a steadying hand on your back. “Don’t listen to him. You’re not broken. You’ve just been carrying this alone too long.”

Kevin pressed his forehead against yours, whispering, “You’re not alone anymore. Not with us. Not with me.”

And for the first time in years, you almost believed it.