The sun was already dipping when Luka kicked at a loose stone on the pavement, heading toward the old park near the edge of town. It was their usual spot to meet after school—a half-forgotten place with cracked benches, a leaning streetlight, and a small fountain that hadn't worked in years.
Kira was the first one there, sprawled across the bench with his backpack as a pillow. Earbuds dangled loosely, and his leg bounced restlessly. "Finally," he said without looking up. "I was starting to think you froze on the way here."
Luka dropped his bag with a thud. "Ha-ha. Very funny."
A moment later, Fey and Auriana came walking up, the golden light catching in their hair. Fey had ditched her braid, letting her auburn waves fall freely, while Auriana carried her sketchbook again, flipping absentmindedly through the pages as if the drawings might distract her.
"So," Fey said, settling on the edge of the fountain. "Are we going to pretend nothing's happening, or are we going to talk about it?"
Kira sat up, smirk already forming. "Depends. Are we talking about the glowing ruins and the blast of alien energy, or how ice boy over there can't breathe without fogging up the air?"
"Shut up," Luka muttered, though his ears went pink.
Auriana closed her sketchbook softly. "I think we all know what we saw yesterday. What we felt." Her voice was calm, but there was a tremor under it. "Something happened to us."
Fey set her water bottle down beside her. "Show them," she said suddenly.
Auriana frowned. "Show them what?"
But then it happened—like the bottle had been waiting for the command. Water began to push against the plastic, droplets spilling down the sides. A stream sloshed out even though the cap was screwed on tight. Fey yelped, fumbling to grab it, but the water moved with her hand, like it was obeying instead of resisting. The bottle slipped and clattered onto the ground, but instead of splashing everywhere, the water pooled into a thin ribbon that circled her wrist before dripping back to the dirt.
They all stared.
"Okay," Kira said slowly, running a hand through his hair. "That was not normal."
"You think?" Fey's cheeks flushed pink as she grabbed a napkin from her bag, dabbing her damp hands.
Kira stood, flexing his fingers like he was daring something to happen. "Fine. Watch this."
The air around him prickled. Luka felt the hairs on his arms rise before he even saw it—tiny sparks crackling across Kira's skin, snapping at the ends of his fingers. With a grin that was equal parts thrill and nerves, Kira clenched his fist, and a blue arc of lightning flashed across his palm. The streetlight above them flickered wildly in response.
"Whoa," Auriana breathed, eyes wide.
Kira's grin faltered when the lightbulb in the streetlight popped with a sharp crack. "Okay, uh… maybe not totally under control."
Auriana shifted uneasily, then glanced toward the weeds poking through cracks in the pavement. "If we're all… changing… then maybe…" She crouched, placing her palm lightly on the ground.
At first, nothing happened. But then, as if stirred from a deep sleep, the thin weeds began to curl upward, stretching toward her hand. One shot up rapidly, twining around her wrist like a bracelet. Her brown hair shimmered faintly green at the tips, only for a second, before it faded.
Luka felt a chill crawl through him. He didn't want to show them. Didn't want to confirm that whatever was happening to them was real. But all their eyes turned to him, expectant.
"I can't—" Luka started, shaking his head.
"Come on," Kira teased, sparks still dancing faintly over his skin. "Don't tell me you're scared."
Luka glared at him, jaw tight. He clenched his hands, trying to summon… something. Nothing came at first. Just a cold ache spreading through his chest. Then, suddenly, the fountain beside Fey groaned. A crack splintered down the stone, and thin sheets of ice spread across its dry basin in jagged patterns. Frost hissed over the rim, creeping toward Fey's shoes before Luka yanked his hands back.
Everyone jumped.
"Luka!" Fey shouted, scrambling onto the bench.
"I—I didn't mean to—" Luka's words tumbled out, his breath fogging in the warm air. His hair, normally dark, shimmered faintly with streaks of icy blue before fading again.
Silence hung over them, heavy and sharp.
Then Kira laughed—a short, disbelieving sound. "Okay. So it's official. We're freaks."
"We're not freaks," Auriana said quickly, her green eyes firm. "We… we're different. But that doesn't have to be bad."
Fey crossed her arms tightly, still watching the frost retreat from the fountain. "Different or not, what are we supposed to do about it? Just walk around like normal while water follows me everywhere and Luka freezes things by breathing?"
"Yeah," Kira smirked, trying to lighten the mood. "We'll just keep it our little secret. No one has to know. You know… until one of us blows something up by accident."
No one laughed.
The sun dipped lower, shadows stretching long across the park. Luka felt the weight of their silence pressing on him, the same question circling in his mind.
What had the sanctuary done to them?
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