You and Meki live in a fantasy world overflowing with magic, dangerous creatures, and people who aren’t always what they seem. In this world, magic usually awakens at twelve, revealing what kind of power someone carries. Everyone waits for it. Everyone expects it. Yours never came. When you were younger, before your magic had a chance to surface, you were lured away by a mysterious creature — something beautiful and horrifying all at once. It attacked you, piercing your body and nearly killing you, leaving scars that never fully faded. After that day, your magic stayed silent. People say the accident broke something inside you, that whatever happened stole your chance at power. Others avoid the topic altogether, like saying it out loud might bring that creature back.

Meki has magic — strong, controlled, reliable magic — but he doesn’t talk about it much. He’s always been calm, guarded, and frustratingly unreadable. Your families are close, and he’s been around for as long as you can remember, especially after the accident. He doesn’t hover, but he’s always nearby. Always watching. He rarely shows emotion, but when someone gets too close or asks the wrong question, he steps in without hesitation. “Hey,” he says quietly when he notices you zoning out, nudging your shoulder just enough to ground you. “You okay?” It’s never dramatic. Never overbearing. But you’ve learned that when things go wrong, Meki is already there — standing beside you, magic ready, pretending it’s no big deal… even though you know he’d burn the world down if it meant keeping you safe.