Veil Of The Wild

First Character: Aiden Carter

Aiden Carter is a 21-year-old college student weighed down by the pressure and financial hardship. He grew up in a poor family, working several part-time jobs to fund his studies, and frequently feels that life is a never-ending cycle of failures. To everyone else, he is a loser—another faceless struggler in the sea of people. But within, Aiden has a vision for something better. He yearns to etch out a future where he is more than a supporting character in another person's narrative.

His biggest flight from reality is films. They're not merely entertainment to him; they are peeks into lives he desires to live, worlds he desires to be a part of. He sometimes pictures his own life as a movie—one where he's still trapped in the prologue, expecting the next time his life will change.

But there is one steady in his life which prevents him from totally sinking into self-doubt—Elena Sinclair, his girlfriend. She looks beyond what the world has categorized him as. She has faith in him when he cannot have faith in himself. And that faith alone prevents him from quitting altogether.

Second Character: Elena Sinclair

Elena Sinclair is the opposite of everything Aiden is not—rich, assured, and seemingly above the harsh realities of life. She has been brought up in comfort and has never had to fight for a thing, yet she chooses to be with someone who has ever known anything but hardship.

Chapter 1: The Weight of a Loser

The room was filled with the dull hum of Professor Aldrich's voice as he wrote equations on the whiteboard. Students sat in neat rows, some scribbling notes, others going through the motions of listening. In the center of the room, Aiden Carter slumped in his chair, his fingers absently twirling his pen between them. His notebook was open, pages untouched by more than a few scribbled lines.

His thoughts were elsewhere.

The professor's voice was mere background chatter as Aiden allowed his mind to wander to a far more interesting destination than this boring economics class—movies. In his mind, he wasn't in school. He was the star of a compelling drama, a downtrodden underdog holding his breath for the moment when his life would take a dramatic turn. Perhaps a mysterious guide would enter his life, or maybe a stroke of luck would rewrite his narrative. Anything was preferable to the truth.

But reality had a cruel way of pulling him back.

Thwack!

A piece of chalk struck his desk with precision, sending a small cloud of white dust into the air. Aiden flinched, snapping out of his daydream.

"Aiden Carter," Professor Aldrich's voice was sharp, filled with annoyance. "Perhaps you'd like to share with the class what's so fascinating in your daydreams?"

A few students chuckled. Aiden clenched his jaw, shaking his head.

"No, sir."

The professor snorted. "Then listen. Or get out."

Aiden dropped his eyes, his pen clenched in his fist. Another day, another embarrassment. He was accustomed to it. He heard the taunts, the disapproval in people's gazes. Loser. Worthless. Waste of space. The words stuck to him like a second skin.

The lecture dragged on until finally, the class ended. Aiden shoved his notebook into his bag and walked out. As he stepped into the hallway, a familiar presence blocked his path—Logan and his pack of goons.

"Well, well, if it isn't Carter, the great dreamer," Logan smirked, leaning against the lockers. "Still fantasizing about a life where you're not a complete failure?"

Aiden walked on by, ignoring him, but Logan wasn't finished.

"You know, it has to suck to be you. No money. No future. No real place in this world."

Aiden didn't have time to think before Logan pushed him hard against the lockers. A bolt of pain shot through his shoulder, but he didn't react. He had learned not to.

"What? Not even gonna fight back?" Logan sneered, moving in closer.

Aiden took a sharp breath and caught his eye. "Not today."

He shoved past them, ignoring the mocking laughter that trailed behind. He didn't want a fight. Not now. Never.

The moment he walked outside the university gates, a sense of warmth washed over him.

Elena.

She didn't wait, pulling him into a tight hug, burying her face in his chest. The smell of her lavender perfume soothed him, centered him.

What's up?" she asked quietly, sensing the burden on his shoulders.

Aiden sighed. "Nothing different."

Elena drew back just far enough to gaze into his eyes. "Aiden, you can't let them in. They don't determine you."

He yearned to believe her, but the world dictated otherwise.

He was before he could answer, his phone ringing—a reminder of the one thing he couldn't avoid.

Work.

He released a frustrated sigh. "I have to leave.

Elena offered him a gentle smile. "You'll be fine. And no matter how terrible the day is… I'm always with you."

She leaned forward, leaving a kiss on his cheek that lingered for just a moment before embracing him for what was possibly going to be a long goodbye. Aiden gripped her warmth for one moment longer before pushing back.

"I'll see you later."

He turned then, heading toward Dino's Pizza and a waiting long shift.

By the time Aiden arrived at work, he was already late.

"Carter!" his manager barked as soon as he stepped through the doors. "You're on thin ice. Keep this up, and you're out."

Aiden mumbled an apology and hurried to put on his apron. The rest of the evening was spent rushing between orders, making deliveries, and dealing with impatient customers. By the time closing time rolled around, his feet ached, and his head pounded.

Just as he was about to lock the doors, a man slipped inside.

"Sorry, we're closed," Aiden said, rubbing his eyes.

Please," the man said, his voice rough. "I just want something to eat."

Aiden paused, then let out a sigh. "Fine. Last order."

The man nodded, ordering a burger before moving over to a corner table. There was something about him that was. off. He was slumped over, hands twitching under the table as if he was concealing something. His hood was low, casting a shadow over his face.

Aiden wasn't a prying sort, but something in his stomach told him this wasn't right.

And then he saw it—just for a flash of a moment.

A tail, curling slightly from under the man's coat before vanishing once more.

Aiden's breath was caught in his throat. He blinked, thinking he'd imagined it. But no—he knew what he'd seen.

His heart was racing as he took an involuntary step forward.

Who—or what—was this man?

And why did Aiden feel as though he was walking into a tale much bigger than his own suddenly?