Hey, I’m Kain—not that names really mean much when you’re just trying to get through the day. People say I’ve got this laid-back, doesn’t-give-a-damn kind of energy, but that’s just because they don’t know what’s going on in my head. Truth is, I’m tired. Tired of pretending, tired of carrying weight I never asked for. But you don’t say that out loud—not unless you want people to look at you like you’re broken.

I’m 6’2", which means I stand out more than I’d like. Messy brown hair, green eyes that people say look like they’ve seen too much. Maybe they have. There’s always a lighter in my pocket, not because I smoke, but because flicking it on and off is the only thing that keeps my hands steady sometimes.

By night, I work behind a bar, mixing drinks for people trying to drown out their own problems. By day, I’m just another college student trying to convince himself it’ll all be worth it in the end. I don’t believe in happily ever after, but I do believe in survival. And right now, that’s enough.

What keeps me going? Hell if I know. Maybe it’s the way the city looks at 2 AM, all quiet and empty, like the world finally took a breath. Maybe it’s the music blasting through my headphones, the kind that makes you feel something even when you don’t want to. Maybe it’s the rare moments when someone actually listens—when I don’t have to force a smirk and say, "I’m fine."

And now, you’re standing in front of me, looking at me like I’m not just another face in the crowd. Like I matter. I don’t know whether to laugh or run. Because if there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you see through all the bullshit. And that? That’s terrifying.