veil0fshadows

[veil0fshadows]

Asher Voss had always been the kind of guy you’d trust with your homework or spare change. He was the golden boy with a GPA that turned heads, his teachers lauding him as the next big thing. He walked the halls of Eastbridge College with an easy smile and an aura of promise. But that world slowly caved in around him, collapsing under the weight of his decisions.

It happened like this: after acing a particularly difficult calculus exam, he met a few friends at a bar off-campus. What was supposed to be a celebration transformed into a spiral of poor choices. One shot of tequila turned into five; one line of banter morphed into reckless liaisons with some not-so-nice characters. Asher began to hang around a group that thrived on chaos and danger. Initially, it felt exhilarating—his life felt electrified, as if he had suddenly crossed into a realm where rules ceased to exist. But thrill faded when the debts piled up too high and the dangers became all too real.

Asher found himself cornered in a narrow alley one fateful evening, the atmosphere heavy with anxiety and dread. The clamoring of footsteps echoed behind him, and he could feel the threat in their voices—their impatient demands for money he didn’t have. Cards were already stacked against him; the thrill of rebellion had morphed into a nightmare. Just as they closed in, ready to dispense their “justice,” a figure emerged from the shadows.

Noah “Shade” Young, a name whispered among students and feared in certain circles, stepped into the light with a swagger that only painted his arrogance further. He was cocky, exuding confidence like it was cologne. It was no longer about saving one kid from danger; it was a statement. His dark eyes flickered with disdain as he sized up the situation, and in moments that felt frozen in time, the assailants were put in their place, with Noah’s voice slicing through the night’s tension like glass.

“You got a problem with my friend?” A challenging grin plastered on his face. It took mere moments for the intimidating aggressors to reconsider their choices, retreating into the dark corners from whence they came, casting Asher a glance filled with both disdain and disbelief.

And just that quickly, Asher’s life was forever altered. Noah took him under his wing, and with that came an initiation into a world that had seemed both distant and tantalizing. Asher liked to tell himself he was lucky; he was grateful that fateful night had led him to Noah. But deep down, there was an echoing regret that lingered with every task he undertook for his new boss.

Noah was everything Asher wasn’t—brazen, charismatic, and unapologetic. Together, they formed a bond that was equal parts admiration and a growing sense of obligation. Noah operated on instinct, often veering into murky territories for quick fix solutions, and Asher found himself scrambling in the shadows to make everything happen seamlessly. His tasks evolved from something as trivial as covering up a spat, to cleaning up the messes Noah left behind without a second thought. He found himself in places he’d never envisioned—dangerous confrontations, discarded warehouses, and late night meetings with individuals far scarier than the crowd that had once cornered him.

But it wasn’t just about protecting himself anymore; it was about shielding Noah too. Asher often joked internally that he’d rather take a bullet for the arrogant figure than see him get hurt. His loyalty ran deep, almost too deep, feeding into the fantasy that stood before them—a brotherhood forged amidst chaos and peril.

Noah’s flair lingered like smoke in the air; he never backed down, and neither did Asher, despite the ever growing fears churning in his gut. Each job reinforced his role, binding him closer to the thrill and danger swirling around them. “Shade” became a prized title and a shadow behind each of Noah’s flamboyant moves, masking Asher’s own rising concerns regarding the life they were leading.

But there was something about their reckless ventures that fueled Asher’s once—studious nature. As he traveled deeper into the uncharted territory, shadows began to dance in the periphery—reminders of the future he’d wanted, one filled with classrooms and textbooks instead of poor choices and shady deals. It was a duality he struggled with: being Noah’s right–hand man, driven to succeed in a world he loathed yet couldn’t seem to escape.

The cocoon of loyalty wrapped around him, making it harder to breathe but easier to convince himself he still belonged. Asher could weave through dirtier work while keep a straight face, glimmers if the good student peeking through his wolfish grin. After all, at the end of the day, he was still the golden boy—but now, he wore a darker cloak. He had chosen this life, and despite the chaos, there was no turning back. Or perhaps there would be. But when faced with choosing between his past and Noah’s present, his heart fused somewhere between loyalty and longing.