My name's Aizen West. I'm fourteen, a fourth-year at Aetherwing Academy(middle and high school) it has 4 houses according to the way you behave on your first day
and how your parents describe you in the first interview of entering the school :
Strix = observant and calm(wears blue)
Tyton=clever independent (wears green)
Laux=brave and passionate (wears red)
Surnia=focused and strategic(wears gray)
I am considered a tyton
and—according to the schoolnewsletter"consistently quiet"Which is true. I show up, I sit down, I go home. I like to keep a low profile, stay out of unnecessary drama, and avoid anything that looks like it might involve group work. My younger sister, Alysson West
, but don't you dare call her that—everyone knows her as Ali
She is a first-year and somehow already more popular than the vending machines. She's the kind of person who befriends a stranger, starts a club with them, and then forgets what the club was for. Total extrovert. Loud, sparkly, chaotic. She talks, I nod. She runs, I walk behind her picking up the mess. Together we balance out to about one emotionally stable family.
And example?
Last week, Ali tried to introduce herself to the school janitor While he was cleaning up someone's spilled water . She somehow got his full life story and now he gives her free snacks from the staff lounge like she's his long-lost niece. But usually when someone asked him where the lost-and-found they would instead get a sulky grunt . Aya could befriend a brick wall if it made eye contact long enough which makes sense because she is in the house of Laux.
November 8th...
The classroom feels quieter than usual today. I watch dust floating in the weak sunlight moving through the window, but there's something wrong like a whisper I almost remember but can't quite place. My eyes glanced at the the blackboard, where the letter C stands out a little bolder than the rest, but I quickly look away. Laughter and footsteps echo in the hallway, and I hear Sven's sharp voice cutting through the noise. Somewhere nearby, I know someone's watching—but they don't make a sound.
I tried to focus on the teacher's words, but they drift past me like background noise. Something about today feels different, though I can't seem to figure it out. Maybe it's the way the light flickers in the corner of the room or how Sven keeps glancing at me with that annoying smirk—like he's hiding something, or worse, waiting for me to slip up.
My bff Kai a complete anxiety-tea-bag its a few rows ahead, quietly watching everything He has always been like that—silent but never missing a thing. I wonder if he notices the same strange tension I do. Maybe he has figured something out I haven't.
he is in the surnia house.
The air feels thick, like the calm before a storm. My head throbs for a moment, just a dull ache, but enough to pull me out of my thoughts. I glance again at the blackboard—the letter C still stands there, bold and out of place. I force myself to focus on the lesson, but inside, a small voice whispers: This isn't normal.
It was after school outside the school gate, everyone was just walking, around some chatting, others heading home.
At the corner of my eye I could see a familiar blondie around the block
It was Sven an obnoxious boy who is a walking megaphone with daddy issues.
Well I ain't sure about the daddy issue part but for sure he is annoying!
"Well, well, if it isn't frogboy himself. Still pretending to be normal, huh? Bet even your little imaginary frog thinks you are a joke."
didn't wanna deal with this drama queen, or should I say king?
So I kept walking
But as usual he kept annoying me
"Hey! Don't ignore me. What's wrong? Scared to answer? Or just too dumb to come up with a comeback?"
Was it me or is he some sort of announcer honestly I didn't wanna hurt his feelings-
Oh who am I kidding this guy runs on his ego!
The surrounding students started to giggle, of course they did. Honestly Like a pack of hyenas watching their favorite rerun of "Sven Tries Too Hard: Episode 937." I could practically hear their group braincells coming together to form one collective laughing group.
Bravo, Truly, this school should give out awards for synchronized mediocrity.
And then—just as the background noise reached its usual peak volume of "barely tolerated! "—a voice cut through it.
Soft. Unexpected.
Like someone politely coughing during a rock concert.
The room froze, and for once, Sven wasn't the loudest disaster in the building.
I almost clapped.
And then it happened.
Kai — my Kai, professional background blur, Level 99 Avoider of Conflict, Human Marshmallow — stepped forward.
No seriously he Actually stepped forward, I am not even being sarcastic
His voice was shaking like a leaf in the wo
Wind,but it came out loud enough to silence a hallway full of social static.
"Sven… leave him alone."
The universe paused.
I blinked.
So did Sven.
And everyone else.
I think even the vending machine stopped to take on what happened
All eyes turned to Kai the same kid who practically disappears when someone says "hi" too enthusiastically. And there he was. Standing. Speaking. Defying th
human physics of male insecurity.
His fists were clenched like he was about to enter anime transformation.
I half expected glowing auras and thunderclaps.
Wow, I thought. Timid little Kai just yoinked himself out of his comfort zone and slammed a reverse card onto Sven's ego.
I was equal parts shocked, impressed, and slightly concerned the real Kai had been abducted and replaced with a bolder twin.
Either way, it was the best thing I'd seen all week.
Sven raised a
His eyebrows
his signature move. The one he probably practiced in the mirror every morning between flexing and pretending he had main character energy.
Ah yes, I thought. The Royal Arch of Disbelief. A gesture so deeply dramatic, it deserved its own musical sting.
He tilted his head slightly, like an anime villain trying to process betrayal from a sidekick. If he raised his eyebrows any higher, it would fly for independence.
It was the facial equivalent of "I wasn't prepared for resistance," and I ate it up like popcorn.
"Oh? Look who grew a backbone. What's the matter, Kai? You finally tired of hiding in Aizen's shadow?"
Kai swallowed his fear like it was a mouthful of nails — slow and shaky
Then, his voice came out again, steadier this time. Firmer. Like his spine had finally got the memo.
"Maybe. Because no one deserves to be treated like that. Not even you."
Oh.
Oh wow.
Was this real life? Was I witnessing the rise of Kai the Gentle evolving into Kai the hero ?
The hallway practically held its breath. You could hear the emotional tension doing somersaults in the air.
And then — the miracle of miracles — Sven's smirk vanished
Only for a second, but it was enough.
Did that just happen? I blinked. Did Kai just land a moral critical hit on the kingdom of Petty?
I half-expected sparkles to fall from the ceiling or a crowd to erupt into slow applause.
Instead, there was silence.
Which, honestly, made it louder.
And there he was: my quiet, awkward best friend, standing in front of Sven like a glitch in a program, refusing to reset.
In that moment, I wasn't sure if I wanted to hug him… or take notes.
Aizen I glanced a Kai then looked back at Sven
"See, Sven? Even the quiet ones have had enough of your nonsense."
Sven mumbled back: "This isn't over."
And he Sven stormed off, muttering curses. The nearby students whisper among themselves.
Like the audacity!!
Kai breathing for the fresh air That was chased off during Sven's appearance
"Uh… sorry I got in the way."
My baby was finally growing I was a proud parent!
"Don't be. You just made my day a whole lot better
1 hour later..
Kai had already
disappeared—vanished like a good-hearted ghost, probably halfway home with his earbuds in and emotional cooldown activated. The school grounds were quieter now, painted in that late-afternoon glow where everything felt just a little too calm.
I had stayed back for art class and was now halfway around the block of the building.
"Naturally, that's when Captain Walking Threat decided to reappear.
Sven stepped out like he was starring in a bad teen drama reboot, all slow swagger and menace. He blocked my path with the elegance of a doorframe with anger issues.
> "Looks like your little
friend couldn't stick around after all.
Ah. The classic deflection. When in doubt, mock emotional support.
I didn't even flinch. I kept my voice level, my tone casual — the perfect combo for making people like him twitch.
> "Kai knows when to avoid trouble. Unlike someone'
Poof!
Sven's eyes narrowed like I just insulted his whole personality. (Which, let's be honest… I probably did.)
He stepped in closer, trying to loom. Intimidation level: toddler in a bat costume.
"You think you're untouchable, huh? Always so clever and annoying.
I raised an eyebrow. I'd have clapped if my hands weren't too busy carrying the weight of not caring.
"Annoying? That's a compliment coming from you."
Sven's jaw tightened. He looked like a soda can right before it explodes.
Then came the real slip. His voice dropped into that you're-not-supposed-to-know-this register.
"Watch your mouth, frog-boy. The Society isn't just going to sit back and watch you make a fool of us."
And there it was.
I grinned — sharp, slow. The kind of grin that says thanks for the info, genius.
"Then maybe they should try harder. Or send someone better."
He grit his teeth so hard I half-expected a dental emergency.
"This isn't over."
I turned on my heel, casual as anything.
"Yeah, yeah. Heard that before,
I walked off with Kevin the frog scribbled in the corner of my notebook, watching over me like a smug, two-dimensional witness.
I push open the door to my apartment, the familiar creak greeting me like an old, tired friend. The place smells faintly of cold coffee and old books — a scent that somehow feels comforting and suffocating all at once.
Mom's already home, sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop open, her brow furrowed in concentration. She looks up as I drop my bag by the door.
"Hey, Aizen," she says without much enthusiasm. "Long day?"
"Same as always," I reply, forcing a small smile. I'm used to the routine: school, strange headaches, Sven's taunts, and Mom's distant worries. She's always busy, always somewhere between exhaustion and frustration.
I notice the stack of unopened mail on the counter—bills, letters, something I'm supposed to care about but don't. The walls are decorated with faded photos—me as a kid, smiling in a way that feels like a distant memory. Sometimes I wonder if that kid was even real.
I slip into my room, closing the door softly behind me. The quiet is both a relief and a reminder that I'm alone with my thoughts. On my desk, a notebook lies open, filled with scribbles, sketches, and fragments of questions I don't have answers to yet.
The weight of the day settles on my shoulders again. No matter how much I pretend, the cracks are starting to show.
And somewhere deep inside, I know this isn't just a bad day. It's the beginning of something much bigger.
I was quite tired from my verbal fight from Mr This isn't over so I took a short nap
It was a flashback
The kitchen was quiet, the soft hum of the refrigerator the only sound. I satacross from Mom, her face calm but distant, like a faded photograph.
"Mom," I asked softly, "why did you name me (glitches out)
I woke up heart pounding
I confusion....