The Aizawa Effect - (Aizawa X OC)

Her Time is Up

A/N: First, I wanna give a huge shout out and thank you to the amazing artist who created the official cover for "The Aizawa Effect," Bitter Jasmin!! More of their amazing artwork can be found on TikTok: @_b.itter_

If you want to see this amazing cover outside of Wattpad, you can find more information at the end of the chapter! <3

The wind picked up outside, and tree branches tapped the bedroom window. Light noises echoed through the house as the torrential downpour pelted the roof relentlessly. Thick blankets rested on top of me while I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

The storm prevented me from going on my nightly missions, so I stayed up late to get work done for the UA contract. After hours of mindless writing, I took a shower and finally went to bed.

Being sleep deprived didn't stop me from waking up less than an hour later. The nightmares kept me up more often than not recently. Vivid scenarios of betrayal, nasty arguments, and even physical torment left me feeling cold and empty throughout the day.

My thoughts wandered to Shota, as they usually did, but this time was different. I was confused; I did everything I could to get him to reply. I sent texts, I called, and I even asked Midnight to pass along my well wishes. Nothing worked.

This situation reminded me of the other times we agreed to stay in touch in the past; it always faded away. Still, this time was different. We connected on so many levels. In spite of us growing closer, he knew I ran a hero agency. I had to leave; there was no way around it.

I rubbed the palms of my hands together for warmth as a cool breeze pushed through an opening in the window. My life hasn't been mine since I got home. She's been in control, and though I say that I'm wiser, she's playing me the same way all over again.

The Silhouette was never really there to help me. All of this was for her own sick and twisted benefit. I never understood what her purpose was. As a child, she would berate me with the guise that she was pushing me to be better. Her words were so loud in my head that I began to believe them.

I threatened to tell Mom many times, but she'd laugh and say that Mom would never believe me. To her, Mom saw me as a burden. The sad part is that I began to believe her. Being a single mother and a Pro Hero had to be the hardest things she ever had to do. To make matters worse, my night terrors kept her by my side as I screamed and shook for hours.

At first, she comforted me, but as time went on, she seemed unfazed and almost irritated. When I first told her about The Silhouette, she thought it was an imaginary friend. That was understandable since I was around 10 or 11 years old at the time. As time went on, however, The Silhouette became destructive in her methods and pushed me in unexpected directions.

Now that I'm older, I know I need help to deal with this, but I couldn't bring myself to burden those around me. Mr. Gonzales and Jay were always concerned about me, especially when I went away for treatment. I remember hearing Mom cry on the phone for hours. How could I put that stress on them again?

I slipped my head under the blankets to avoid the cold air coming through the window as I came to a realization. This needed to end. The Silhouette had to be dealt with once and for all, and as for Shota, I needed to accept that he probably wasn't coming back.

The guilt I felt from the notion that I chose Jay over him was almost stifling, but I had to eventually come to terms with the fact that what's done is done. There was no point in me running through the streets of Hartford in the dead of night in search of clues when the fault wasn't all mine.

This was going to be difficult, but the first step would be to confront The Silhouette the next time she appeared. To heal, I needed to get rid of her permanently. My spirit was burning with the desire to finally confront my demons.