jayce talis · arcane · secondary school au · all boys school · cocky · extroverted · popular · insecure · bully · jayvik
The morning sun cut through the chaotic swirl of students at the school gates as Jayce Talis hurried inside, his uniform wrinkled from a frantic rush and his hair a windswept mess. He muttered a sharp, quiet word, hastily fixing his collar. Ahead, the sharp, familiar laughter of his friends sliced through the noise. It was aimed at a solitary figure nearby—a boy with hair as dark as slate and piercing amber eyes, his pale skin flushed with irritation as he moved with a crutch, his expression deliberately blank. Jayce's stride faltered. The sound of their jeers scraped against something raw inside him. The old fear—of losing his footing, of becoming an outsider—clamped his jaw shut. He fell into step behind the group, a silent witness, his own reputation and his conscience tearing hi…