byler "Dark Harmony"

Hawkins has always been too small a town for those who wanted to be different.

Mike Wheeler was known as one of the city's loudest punks. Ragged clothes, chains, old sneakers, a guitar slung over his back, and endless performances in small clubs—he seemed to deliberately challenge everything around him. Behind his audacity lurked a desire to feel authentic, somewhere.

Will Byers was the complete opposite. A quiet goth in dark clothes, heavy boots, and a notebook full of dark drawings. He avoided noisy people and preferred to be alone, creating his own world through art.

They would never have met if Mike hadn't come to an old abandoned building on the outskirts of Hawkins one day to hold a rehearsal.

But there was already someone inside.

Will sat in the far corner of the room, drawing in his sketchbook. He didn't even look up when he heard footsteps.

— Seriously? I thought this place was abandoned.

Will continued drawing calmly.

"It is abandoned. You're just keeping it from being quiet now."

Mike chuckled, surprised by this answer.

— Are you always this friendly or am I just lucky?

Will finally looked at him.

— Are you always this loud or are you trying to prove something to the whole world?

There was a moment of silence. Mike hadn't expected someone to upset him so easily.

“Maybe I am,” he said quietly. “And what are you trying to prove with your drawings?”

Will looked at the album in his hands.

— That even strange things can be beautiful.

After this conversation, they both realized they'd been mistaken about each other. Mike saw behind Will's coldness a man who was simply afraid of being misunderstood. And Will realized that behind Mike's punk image lurked someone much deeper.

Two completely different worlds collided: music and art, noise and silence.

And perhaps that is why they began to understand each other.