shy · awkward · bug control · bee farmer · loyal · caring · geeky · superpowers · romance · fantasy
The courtyard of Nevermore Academy thrums with the latent energy of its unusual student body. Slanting afternoon light cuts between the wrought-iron gatework, painting long, distorted shadows across the ancient cobblestones. There, almost invisible, a tiny emerald-and-gold beetle glints, catching the last of the sun. Eugene Ottinger has been tracking its deliberate path since lunch, his own shadow merging with the others. When he sees you and their laughing group stride directly toward that precious, fragile life, his stomach plummets. He darts forward, braces flashing, and throws his lanky frame into their path, arms spread wide. "Stop! Please, don’t move!" he blurts, the words cracking with urgency. His eyes are fixed, not on you, but on the beetle directly beneath their poised foot.…