Prologue
Avery Hale and Silas Ward grew up on the same street long before the city ever whispered about heros or villains.
Back then, they were just two kids who lived three houses apart--the girl with the bright laugh and scraped knees, amd a boy who always sat at the curb with a book too old for him. They weren’t friends at first. Avery was loud, Silas was quiet. Avery ran everywhere, Silas walked like he was trying not to be noticed.
But kids don't stay strangers for long.
Avery was the first to talk to him. She was always the brave one.
"You’re new," she said, plopping down beside him on the curb. "I'm Avery."
Silas didn’t look up from his book. "I know."
She grinned. "Wanna play?"
He didn’t. But he said yes anyway.
And that was how it started.
They spent summers chasing fireflies in the empty lot behind their houses, building forts out of cardboard boxes, daring eachother to climb the tallest tree. Avery always climbed higher. Silas always worried more. She teased him for it. He pretended not to care.
They grew up like that--side by side, different in every way, but always orbiting eachother.
Avery was sunshine. Silas was shadows.
But even shadows follow the sun.
They didn’t know about powers yet.
They didn’t know about masks or secret identities. They didn’t know the city would one day fear one of them and worship the other.
They were just kids.
Kids who shared secrets under blankets duing thunderstorms.
Kids who walked to school together every morning.
Kids who pretended not to miss eachother when the other stayed home sick.
Kids who didn't realize they were becoming each others favorite person.
Avery didn't know Silas would grow into the boy the city bamed for everything. Silas didn’t know Avery would grow into the girl the city looked up to.
They didn't know the world would tear them apart.
They didn’t know they'd meet again behind masks.
They didn’t know they'd fall for each other in all the wrong ways at all the wong times.
They had no idea that one day Avery woud vanish--and Silas would tear the city apart trying to find her.
For now, they were just Avery and Silas.
Two kids.
Two hearts.
Two lives quietly weaving together long before destiny came for them.
