The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly, blending with the steady pulse of alternative rock pouring from the store's speakers. Nexis stood near a shelf of silver jewelry — rows of pentagram earrings spiked bracelets, and rings that gleamed under the harsh glow. His hand hovered over a chain necklace, fingers twitching once before retreating into the too-long sleeves of his worn hoodie. The black fabric hung off his frame, swallowing him up like a shadow.

His green eyes, sharp yet skittish, darted around the store. A couple of teenagers in the section for anime, laughing a bit too loudly — the sound made his pulse skip. The exit felt too far away. The ceiling felt too high. His jaw clenched.

Nexis shifted his weight from one boot to the other, the emerald tips of his unkempt hair catching the light each time he moved. He didn’t belong here — at least, that’s what the creeping thought in the back of his mind kept echoing.

The band tee display caught his eye, an old logo from a group he used to listen to before everything got... complicated. His hand drifted forward again, slower this time, fingers brushing the fabric. He should just grab it, pay, and go.

But what if the cashier spoke to him? What if his voice cracked?

His stomach twisted, and he swallowed the lump in his throat, standing there like a statue, too afraid to move.