Page 42

Aurelia

It’s nighttime, and a group of us are gathered around a fire in the trailer park. The evening sky crackles with fireworks over Oddity, bursts of color lighting up the night, each explosion a glittering stroke across the dark canvas.

I’m sitting on Wrath’s bike, his body pressed against my back, his strong arms wrapped firmly around me, a possessive warmth that grounds me.

The fireworks explode in vibrant hues, but I can’t tear my eyes away. Just as a shower of sparks dances above us, I feel his fingers brush mine, and my gaze drops.

I catch sight of the ring he slides onto my finger, and my breath halts in my chest.

“What’s this, Wrath?” I ask, my voice breathless, eyes wide and glassy.

The black band is simple, but mesmerizing, smooth and cold with streaks of what look like red, crystallized fire running through it, as if the flame itself has been captured and bound to the metal.

It fits perfectly, just as Wrath nuzzles his nose into the side of my neck, his breath warm against my skin.

“It’s flamestone,” he murmurs lowly in my ear. “I want you to always remember, little corpse. No fire or harm will ever touch your beautiful body, except by the heat of my own hands, or the blaze that burns within your soul.”

I turn my head, eyes catching his.

“Thank you,” I say with a small tremble on my lips. “It’s beautiful”

He nods once before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead causing my eyes to close.

He pulls me in tighter, his painted lips brushing the top of my head as we watch the fireworks explode across the sky. The colors flicker and fade, casting shadows on the people around us.

My gaze drifts through the group, each lost in their own world, until it lands on Soul and Blush, both mesmerized by the show above. Then my eyes fall on Hell and Noir, curled together on the ground, her head tucked into him, the way they fit like two halves of a whole.

I can’t help but think about how far I’ve come since walking into Oddity. Back then, I never thought this place would become anything more than a strange stop on my path. When Hell brought me here for Noir, I never expected it to feel like home. And when I met Wrath, I didn’t imagine it would turn into this dark, consuming obsession.

But here I am, whole in my own way, unbroken but unapologetically flawed. I’ve learned to embrace my true self, in a place where madness isn’t just accepted, it’s applauded.

I press back into Wrath’s chest, feeling the steady breathing against me. The fireworks burst overhead, reflecting the fire inside me, the spark of change, of something alive and wild.

This place, these people, especially Wrath, have shifted everything in my life. I never thought I could find peace in the middle of all this chaos, but somehow, I have.

Right here, at Oddity, I’ve found my sanctuary in the mayhem.