Despite saying he’d explain Sky spent the entire time Luka was gone silent. He opened his mouth a few times but ended up just grimacing instead.

The elevator dinged again and Luka stepped out, a 30 something year old man with dark skin, a handsome face, slicked back brown hair, wispy facial hair, and a tired expression wearing a doctor’s coat following behind. Luka stopped after taking a few steps into the living room, putting a hand on their hip, “you’re awfully quiet. Did you already finish explaining?”

The doctor stepped past them and approached Sky on the couch. Leaning back, still staring at Sky, hands folded in his lap, Leo said, “he hasn’t explained a fucking thing.”

Sky flinched. Then winced, clutching his ribs. Leo felt the sharp glare on his face soften a bit, “please, Sky, I just want to know what’s going on.”

The doctor sat down next to Sky on the couch and gently put his hands on Sky’s sides. HIs eyes went pure white and started glowing. Leo jumped a little in his seat but then, finally, Sky began to speak.

“That monster you saw is what we call a Fallen Star. How strong they are and how often they appear fluctuates but it is never more than a month between attacks.” Sky closed his eyes as he spoke, not reacting in the slightest as the weird doctor moved his hands lightly around Sky’s torso. “They are mindless beasts that only want to destroy and consume and their favorite food are people like you and Luka and even Dr. Akhtar.” Sky gestured at the strange doctor. Luka took a seat on the arm of Leo’s couch.

“And what’s so tasty about us?”

“You three house Celestial Spirits in your souls. You and Luka house powerful Constellations that, given time and training, will grant you the strength you need to defend yourselves and others. You are Leo, the Lion Constellation. Luka is Libra, the Scales. And that one girl you met that was split into two people was Gemini.”

Leo looked over at Luka. They shrugged, shook their head, scrunched up their face, then nodded, leaving Leo even more confused than before.

“And Dr. Akhtar is what’s known as an Astral. They aren’t as powerful as Constellations but they have some abilities. Dr. Akhtar is among the most useful as an Astral Healer.” Dr. Akhtar blinked and his eyes stopped glowing. He slowly pulled his hands back and cracked his knuckles, giving Leo a tired looking nod.

Sky opened his eyes and sat up, looking into Leo’s eyes then immediately away. “And I’m what’s called the Celestial Prince... It’s an... inherited position that I’ve only recently started taking over from my father. As the Celestial Prince I am both master and protector of all Celestial Spirits.”

At Leo’s left, Luka snorted, “ok hearing the same shitty spiel again is less interesting than I’d thought it’d be. I’m going to sleep, “they hopped off the couch’s arm and made their way to the hallway that Leo knew led to the guest rooms. Leo watched them go, then looked back at the now silent Sky. Sky looked at him but not in his eyes, jaw tight.

When neither Sky nor Leo spoke for a full minute, Dr Akhtar cleared his throat and said, “you should get to bed soon too, so you can finish healing up, sir. And if there’s nothing else I will also go back to bed.” Sky gave him a nod and the doctor left, leaving Sky and Leo finally alone.

After a few beats of silence, Sky stood up, “you can stay in the room you always do. We can talk more in the morning.” He hesitated before finally turning around.

Leo sat up straight, “Sky!” Sky paused, “is this why?”

Sky nodded, not facing Leo, before continuing on to his room. Leo waited for Sky’s bedroom door to shut and then finally stood and went to the room that was almost as familiar as his own bedroom.

*

Despite being the biggest one, Jade sat in the middle of the backseat on the taxi ride home. Jenny leaned on one of his shoulders, muttering in her sleep and hugging her sweater to her chest like a teddy bear rather than wearing it.

And on his left was Sydney, refusing to be buckled in like usual. Instead she laid down in her seat, her head in Jade’s lap. She stared up at him with a deadpan expression as he combed his fingers through her short, fine hair. Despite the complete lack of emotion on her face he still decided to speak words of reassurance to her, “don’t worry, we’ll get the next one.”