Tyler felt his chest tighten, each breath harder than the last, as the emptiness around him seemed to close in, surrounded by floating flames that brushed his face without causing pain. The flames flickered like dancing spirits, lighting up the void around him, except for his hands, blackened up to his forearms, as if they were living ashes. They burned, and the pain was unbearable, radiating through his body like glowing embers.

He fell to his knees, feeling the dust from the ground—or was it his own skin—rising in clouds around him. He tried to scream, but his throat was tight, dry as sand. The air refused to pass through his lungs, and when he finally managed to make a sound, it wasn’t his voice. It was a bestial, guttural roar, a deep growl that echoed through the emptiness, growing with each attempt. On the third try, the flames vanished in the blink of an eye, and the sudden cold of the room pulled him back to the real world. He woke up panting, realizing his hands were tingling, as if there were still embers in them, making his skin feel strangely hot.

“Tyler Red Way! Get out of bed now!” Cassandra Red Way’s firm voice echoed through the house as the door swung open with a thud.

Tyler shifted in the sheets, the cold sweat sticking to his skin, each movement uncomfortable. His white hair, always messy, was even more disheveled from the restless sleep. Sweat made his hair stick to his forehead, and his tall, poorly defined muscles felt heavy as he tried to catch his breath.

“What the hell...?” he muttered, trying to focus on the small, energetic figure of his mom standing by the door. Cassandra, with her brown skin and a height barely reaching her son’s chest, crossed her arms and frowned. She was usually calm, but her face now betrayed irritation.

“You’re late!” Cassandra continued, eyeing Tyler’s messy room. The wardrobe door was wide open, clothes strewn across the floor. She slammed the closet door, making a loud echo with her impatience.

“Late for what...?” Tyler grumbled, pulling the blanket over his head, trying to hide from the daylight streaming in through the cracks in the window.

“School!” Cassandra clicked her tongue, closing the curtains more forcefully than usual. “Or did you graduate and forget to tell me?”

“What day is it...?” Tyler asked, still tangled in the cocoon he had made with the blanket, his pale body partially exposed.

Cassandra pulled her phone out of her pocket, as if checking the calendar, but she was actually pointing the camera at her son. A smile started to form on her lips.

“March 25th,” she said, keeping the phone raised. “Now get up, or I’ll post this on my stories…”

“Mom!” Tyler groaned, not moving, his face partially covered by the blanket. “It’s my birthday!”

Cassandra rolled her eyes.

“Happy birthday, my love,” she said, yanking the blanket off with a swift motion, leaving him exposed in just his shorts, making him squirm and try to cover himself with his skinny arms.

“Now get up.”

“I don’t need to go to school on my birthday!”

“Tyler. Red. Way.” Her voice dropped an octave, each word said with the precision of someone at the limit of their patience. “Hyan, Amelia, and Jake are already outside. Go take a shower and get dressed, or I’ll make sure this is your last birthday!”

With no choice, Tyler dragged himself to the bathroom, grumbling. In the shower, he let the cold water run over his body, as if trying to extinguish the flames from his dream, but his hands still tingled, and the heat seemed to persist, as if the fire was still inside him. As he brushed his teeth, he stared at his own reflection in the mirror. His red eyes were slightly swollen from the interrupted sleep. He messed up his white hair and dressed without much thought, grabbing the first black t-shirt and a faded pair of jeans he found. The noise from the sidewalk already signaled that his friends were waiting.

“Finally! Hey, Ty!” Amelia shouted as soon as he opened the door, shaking her bright pink curls. Next to her, Jake, the redhead, looked visibly uncomfortable, trying to hide his nervousness.

“Ugh, why all the shouting?” Tyler rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the tiredness.

“Look who finally woke up. Hallelujah!” Hyan, his younger brother, grinned while pushing his glasses up his nose. He was shorter and leaner than Tyler, but they shared the same white hair and red eyes. His black jacket looked new, and he casually held his bike, an air of calmness that contrasted with Tyler’s sleepy demeanor.

“Jake wants to say something! Go ahead, Jake!” Amelia pushed the redhead forward.

“Amelia!” Jake protested, his face turning even redder as he looked down at his feet, as if waiting for the ground to swallow him whole.

“Jake...?” Tyler raised an eyebrow, noticing his friend’s growing discomfort. He was acting stranger than usual, and the way he shifted around hinted that something was about to burst.

“Tyler...” Jake started, his voice almost choked.

“Hyan!” The younger brother intervened with a cheeky smile. “Oh, I thought we were playing a game where each one says the other’s name...”

“I just...” Jake stammered, the words awkwardly tumbling out. “Well, happy birthday, man! All the best and health and...”

“Mercy...” Hyan wiped his glasses, shaking his head with an amused expression.

Tyler laughed, starting to think that the day was going to be one of those chaotic ones with his friends.

“Seriously, was that it?” He gave Jake’s shoulders a light tap. “I thought you were going to ask me out… Thanks, Jake. Oh, there’s a party for my birthday tonight, by the way!”

Jake forced a smile, and Tyler noticed a slight shadow of concern in his friend’s eyes but let it slide, enjoying the lighthearted moment with his friends. He knew the day promised more than just the morning shock, and as he grabbed his bike, he still felt a trace of the dream lingering on the tips of his fingers.