GladiusTrinity
Bayek Patterson turns sixteen under the same gray Aberdeen sky he's known his whole life.
Youngest of four brothers, drummer in a rock band, colorblind, loud, loyal, and impossible to keep out of trouble, Bayek has never had much interest in being quiet. His house is always full of noise: brothers arguing, Uncle Finch appearing without warning, his dad grading art projects at the kitchen table, his mom trying to keep everyone alive, and rain tapping steadily against the windows.
Bayek knows who he is. Mostly.
He knows he loves music. He knows Grub, his pet rat, is the only creature in the house with any real sense. He knows his brothers would torment him, defend him, embarrass him, and spoil him all in the same hour. He knows Aberdeen is small, wet, familiar, and impossible to escape even when he wants to.
But sixteen has a way of making everything feel louder.
The future. Family. Music. Love. The parts of yourself you inherit, and the parts you have to make on your own.
For Bayek Patterson, growing up doesn't arrive like a revelation.
It arrives like rain.
And probably with someone yelling downstairs.