The final bell rang.
For a brief moment, the classroom fell silent.
Then chaos erupted.
Chairs scraped against the floor.
Students grabbed their bags.
Laughter echoed throughout the room as everyone rushed toward the exits.
Twelve years.
After twelve years of classes, exams, homework, and teachers who seemed determined to make life miserable, high school was finally over.
And honestly?
I couldn't be happier.
A smile appeared on my face as I grabbed my backpack.
Today wasn't just graduation day.
It was March 25th.
My eighteenth birthday.
And tonight, a celebration was waiting for me.
The moment I stepped into the hallway, I suddenly remembered something.
Kael.
I stopped and looked toward one of the nearby classrooms.
Sure enough, he was still there.
Throwing books into his bag like a man trying to escape prison.
"Kael."
He looked up.
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
He checked his watch before looking back at me.
"We're already late."
A grin appeared on my face.
The moment he saw it, his expression changed.
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm going to say."
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't."
"You're going to suggest a race."
"...maybe."
"And the loser gets a challenge."
"...possibly."
Kael closed his eyes.
"I hate you."
I laughed.
Then I ran.
Immediately.
"ZEVEN!"
His voice echoed through the hallway as I sprinted toward the stairs.
The race had begun.
Students jumped out of the way as we rushed through the building.
Someone yelled.
Someone cursed.
Neither of us cared.
The parking lot appeared ahead.
Victory was within reach.
I pushed harder.
The wind rushed against my face.
A few moments later, I reached my black Mustang.
I immediately sat on the hood.
Grinning.
Waiting.
Almost a minute later, Kael finally arrived.
Breathing heavily.
Looking ready to murder me.
"You cheated."
"I won."
"You cheated."
"I won."
His eye twitched.
I considered that another victory.
Eventually he sighed.
"Where are the others?"
I pulled out my phone.
"No idea."
After a quick call, Matthew answered.
A few seconds later, I hung up.
"They're already at Raven's."
"Of course they are."
"Want to change first?"
Kael looked down at his clothes.
Then at the sky.
Then at me.
"The sun is trying to kill me."
I laughed.
"Fair enough."
We got into the Mustang and left the school behind.
Stonehaven stretched before us.
For eighteen years, this city had been my entire world.
Rows of trees lined the streets.
People filled the sidewalks.
Cars moved through the roads.
Everything felt alive.
Familiar.
Home.
Ten minutes later, we arrived at Kael's house.
He got out and pointed a finger at me.
"Don't leave without me."
"I'll think about it."
"Zeven."
"I'm joking."
"You never joke about these things."
I laughed as he disappeared inside.
A few minutes later, he returned wearing black jeans and a dark shirt.
"Better."
"Still ugly."
"Keep talking."
We drove toward my house.
The familiar garage door slowly opened as we approached.
I parked inside before getting out.
"Come on."
Kael followed me inside.
The moment he entered the kitchen, he headed straight for the refrigerator.
Like always.
I wasn't even surprised anymore.
Leaving him alone near food and drinks was dangerous.
"Don't empty the fridge."
"No promises."
Shaking my head, I headed upstairs.
My room sat at the end of the hallway.
The moment I entered, familiarity greeted me.
Everything was simple.
Clean.
Mostly black.
A large bed occupied one side of the room.
A desk stood beneath the window.
A wardrobe rested against the opposite wall.
And beside it stood a full-body mirror.
I tossed my backpack onto the bed before heading into the bathroom.
A quick shower later, I stepped back into my room feeling refreshed.
Opening the wardrobe, I looked through my clothes.
Most of them were black.
No surprise there.
Eventually I chose a sleeveless black shirt.
Dark jeans.
White sneakers.
Simple.
Comfortable.
Perfect.
After getting dressed, I stood in front of the mirror.
For a few moments, I studied my reflection.
Tall.
Just over one hundred ninety centimeters.
Athletic build.
Years of training clearly visible.
Black hair tied into a man bun, with several loose strands falling naturally over my forehead.
Sharp features.
Sapphire-blue eyes.
And stretching across my right arm and chest...
The black flame tattoo.
A smirk appeared on my face.
"Damn."
Still handsome.
The mirror didn't disagree.
Then I remembered something important.
I grabbed my cologne.
One spray on the neck.
One on the shirt.
Perfect.
Satisfied, I headed downstairs.
Kael was sitting at the kitchen table.
An empty beer bottle already rested beside him.
"You finished?"
"Yeah."
"Finally."
I grabbed a drink for myself before sitting down for a moment.
The house was quiet.
Peaceful.
Comfortable.
A normal afternoon.
At the time, I didn't realize how much I would miss that feeling.
Eventually I stood.
"Let's go."
Kael immediately got up.
The two of us headed back toward the garage.
A few moments later, the Mustang pulled onto the road once more.
The city slowly shifted around us as we crossed Stonehaven.
The afternoon sun painted the streets gold.
People laughed.
Talked.
Lived their lives.
Completely unaware that tomorrow would be unlike any day before.
Half an hour later, a familiar neon sign appeared ahead.
RAVEN'S BAR.
The glowing red letters flickered against the evening sky.
A smile appeared on my face.
For years, this place had felt like a second home.
Countless memories had been made inside those walls.
Some good.
Some embarrassing.
Mostly embarrassing.
We parked and stepped out.
The moment we entered, warmth greeted us.
Music echoed through the room.
Conversations filled the air.
The smell of food and alcohol lingered everywhere.
It didn't take long to find them.
Matthew.
Ozias.
Dak.
Sitting near the pool table at the back.
"There he is!"
Dak immediately jumped to his feet.
"Happy birthday, old man!"
"I'm eighteen."
"Exactly."
The others laughed.
Matthew stood and pulled me into a brief hug.
"Happy birthday, brother."
"Thanks."
Ozias raised his bottle.
"Happy birthday."
"Thank you."
Kael dropped onto the sofa.
"Now we can finally start."
"Start what?" I asked.
Dak grinned.
"Destroying your liver."
"Not happening."
"We'll see."
Laughter erupted around the table.
For a while, everything felt perfect.
Friends.
Food.
Music.
A birthday celebration.
Exactly what I wanted.
Completely unaware that this ordinary evening would become one of the memories I would cherish most.
Matthew eventually stood.
"Come on."
I looked at him.
"Where?"
"The bar."
"What for?"
He stared at me.
"To buy drinks."
"That's actually a good idea."
"I know."
Ignoring the protests and drink requests coming from the others, I followed him toward the counter.