Sky sat cross-legged on the hardwood floor with his eyes firmly closed. Across from him was Luka, with their back curved forward and one eye cracked open and staring at Sky.

Suddenly, Sky opened his eyes and Luka shut theirs, sitting up straighter. Sky scowled, “Are you even trying?”

With a loud groan of frustration, Luka opened their eyes and kicked their legs out. They leaned back on their hands and threw their head back, groaning again. “ Are you sure I have this ‘Spirit of Libra’ thing inside of me? Cause I don’t feel it at all.”

Sky sighed. His shoulders relaxed as he gave up. He pinched the bridge of his nose, “yes. I’m sure.” He let go of his nose to push his hand through his hair, sweeping back his straight black bangs. With his other hand he picked up his glasses sitting on the floor beside him. He put his glasses back on his face and stood up, “There’s no use in trying if you aren’t going to put in any effort.” His handsome face twitching with annoyance, Sky walked over to the far wall, where a water bottle and a zip-up hoodie sat on the floor. He picked up the hoodie and pulled it on. He wore nice sweats, fully intending on getting somewhere with Libra’s training, but now his butt hurt from hours of sitting on the hard gym floor trying and failing to call out the spirit of LIbra within Luka. They were somewhat limited in what they could do as Sky was now grounded and they were forced to train in the apartment gym. And they were even more limited by Luka’s inability to awaken the Celestial Spirit inside them.

Luka shifted again, onto one hip and glared at Sky, their lower lip puckered out, “I’m putting in tons of effort,” they snapped.

Sky chewed lightly on the top of his water bottle, before lowering it, glaring at Luka, “no, you aren’t. Cause you still think this is all bullshit even though you’ve seen a Fallen Star.”

“I-” Luka sat up straighter but before they could finish what they were saying a young woman with deep brown skin and long dark curls that coiled all the way down to her waist stepped into the mostly empty gym.

She glanced at Luka before looking at Sky, “Leo is about to awaken. We must hurry.”

The word ‘Leo’ was like a hammer to Sky’s heart but he shook his head, there’s no way it could be him.

*

Leo stepped out of the backdoor of the World Star fast food restaurant he worked at. As he trudged towards his car smelling of grease and cooking meat, he took his cap off and pulled his long red hair out of its ponytail. He worked his fingers through his hair trying to comb out the dent from the ponytail. He made it to his car; the car that had been a gift from Sky for his 18th birthday. Leo and his mother had both fought against such a grand and expensive gift, it wasn’t a luxury car or anything but it was brand new. Eventually Sky managed to convince both Leo and his mother in separate conversations. Leo rested his sweaty forehead against the hood of the car for a second and muttered, “sometimes I really don’t get you, Sky.”

Then he sighed and opened the car door. Before he could slide in, something bright, blinding white streaked across the sky and landed a few parking spaces away with enough force to shake his car and send him stumbling back a few steps.

The dark parking lot at midnight was suddenly bathed in light as the thing that had fallen from the sky stood. It had the fuzzy outline of a tall human. Though it had no discernible facial features, Leo still felt as if it was slowly turning its eyes towards him...

*

Sidney sat on the floor, meticulously brushing her doll’s hair. Sidney was about 10-11 years old but a bit on the small side for her age with tan skin and a short red bob. The dress she wore was simple and of cheap material but it was clean and intact; the doll in her arms was the only one she had but at least it was completely hers.

Next to where Sidney played on the worn wood floors was a threadbare couch on which laid Jenni, a rail thin Asian girl with long bangs, black and straight. She sprawled out on the couch with her long legs in tight, ripped skinny jeans splayed out in a way that looked both painful and yet strangely comfortable at the same time. She aimlessly messed around on her phone, one leg bouncing idly. Suddenly, her eyes widened. She leaned her head back over the arm of the couch, her bangs flopping away from her face goofily, “Hey! Jade!” she called into the kitchen a few feet away.

The sound of a knife hitting a chopping board stopped and Jade, a tall, gangly man with shaggy black hair, turned to face Jenni, his unnaturally bright blue eyes gentle, “yeah?”

“Stella just texted! Leo’s about to awaken.”