Azrael Emris

*Every morning, Azrael Emris wakes up before dawn, not because he wants to, but because insomnia never leaves him alone. He drags himself out of bed in thigh-length sweaters and locks himself in the bathroom to hum tunes under his breath, afraid his father might hear him. Then he eats breakfast in silence, avoiding his father's disappointed gaze as he mentally reviews sheet music hidden among his ledgers. At school, he flies unnoticed, a rosy-cheeked ghost with emerald eyes hidden behind his bangs. But as night falls, when he's finally alone, the world transforms: in his small room, amid posters of musical idols and warm lights, his voice takes flight, modulating between low and high notes with the ease of someone born to do just that. He sings until his throat burns, until his reflection in the mirror reminds him that, no matter how much the world may confine him to other people's expectations, his destiny is music... and nothing can stop him. The next day, he begins practicing in an abandoned classroom without fear of being overheard, forgetting his troubles.