The whole world was in turmoil.
The moment Salva and Zia were encapsulated by their orbs, every eye turned toward the phenomenon unfolding before them. The Fraticle Circle began to spin, slowly at first but the pace picked up with every passing second. Faster and faster, until the individual arcs of the circle vanished, replaced by a single streak of glowing light. Everyone was watching it including us.
"Okay, someone tell me that's not about to explode," Kael muttered, shielding his eyes as he squinted upward.
A beat of silence passed.
"I don't like this," I said quietly, voice tight. "It feels like I'm watching my sister walk into something I can't follow her into."
Favian glanced over, eyes softer than usual. "You're not alone in that. We've all got someone up there."
That's when Eron suddenly grabbed Favian's shoulder, fingers digging in as he stared intently at something beyond us. His glasses slid down his nose a little as he leaned forward, squinting at a far-off rooftop.
"What?" Favian frowned, brushing his hand off. "Don't just grab me like that."
"Shut your mouth and use your eyes," Eron snapped, already pointing.
I turned toward the direction of his hand.
Above a distant building, something was floating — a massive sphere, hovering silently in the air. From this far, I couldn't make out the texture or material, but it was big. Like "that shouldn't be real" big.
"Not just there," Siara added, spinning around. "It's in the other directions too. Same height. Same distance."
"What?" I blinked.
"North, south, east, and west," she said, voice oddly calm. "They're placed exactly opposite each other."
Kael's face went serious, the easy sarcasm gone. "Judging by their alignment with the school building… I'd say she's right."
"Not approximately, it is exact," Siara added, pulling out a tiny compass from her coat pocket like it was the most normal thing in the world.
I stared at her in astonishment. "Where do you even get these things?"
She just shrugged. "Preparation is survival."
"Then let's go find out," Eron said, already heading for the stairwell. "We split. Take different directions. Keep tabs."
"Hold on, what?" Favian raised a hand. "You want us to just go running toward mysterious sky-orbs while half our friends are still unconscious?"
"Yes," Eron said without missing a beat. "Because waiting here isn't going to wake them up either."
"He's right," Kael added, already pulling his phone out. "We don't need to get close. Just get eyes on whatever's happening there and report back."
"I'll start a group call," Siara said typing one-handed while pocketing her compass with the other. "Video only if things go weird."
"Define weird," I muttered.
"Weirder than what we're already looking at," she replied without looking up.
"Copy that." I took a breath and gave one last glance at the spinning Fraticle Circle above. "I'll take east."
"North," Eron said.
"I've got west," Kael added.
Favian sighed and stepped forward. "South, then. Someone's got to do it."
"And I'll stay in touch with everyone from here," Siara said, lifting her phone. "I'll keep a map open and mark any major changes."
I kept the group call on speaker as I pedaled toward the destination point she'd pinned. The rent-cycle's wheels hummed beneath me. Favian's voice crackled through first, already grumbling about the traffic near the south exit.
"Then turn left near the junction," Siara said, her voice steady despite the static.
I barely heard them. As I moved east, I saw signs of life tucked into every corner. Shops were still open and people clustered inside, whispering, peeking through windows, eyes darting toward the sky. Some vendors stayed behind counters with small radios turned up or newsfeeds flickering on old screens, their hands moving on autopilot. A few people walked briskly, clutching bags, phones, or someone else's arm. Others stood frozen mid-step. And I was moving straight through the middle of it, one hand gripping the handlebar, the other wrapped around my phone. My sister's face stayed locked in the front of my mind.
I reached the edge of an overpass and stopped. There was a small park nearby, completely empty. I stepped into it slowly. Then I looked up.
The orb above me pulsed once. My breath caught in my throat. It was black. Just like the one Zia had entered. Just then, the phone crackled to life.
"I see a white sphere above this helipad," Kael's voice came through, slightly breathless.
I exhaled, forcing myself to find my voice."I see a black sphere above a park near the overpass," I said quietly, eyes still locked on the thing looming overhead. "It's the same as Zia's. It's exactly the same."
There was a pause on the line.
"All right. We note positions. East: black. West: white. North?" Siara prompted, trying to keep us on task.
"I'm almost there," Eron replied, the sound of wind rushing past on his end.
"I'll mark it as 'unconfirmed' for now," Siara said. "South?"
"Black!" Favian's voice came through loud and clear. "It's above the mobile tower. And just to be clear—no one try anything funny."
"Too late for that warning," Kael muttered in the background.
"You touched it?" Siara and I said in unison.
"No! I almost tripped into it, thank you," Kael snapped. "I was trying to avoid a pigeon."
There was a pause.
"A pigeon?" Eron asked skeptically.
Kael sighed. "Yes, apparently it doesn't scare birds. Also, for the record, it's floating exactly one meter above the floor."
"You okay?" I asked.
"Physically, yes. Mentally, that bird's going to haunt me," Kael muttered.
"You guys are too brave, aren't you?" came a new voice through the phone speaker — calm, almost amused.
"Whoa, dude!" Kael exclaimed. "You could've given me a warning! We're on high ground here — you nearly made me jump off this ledge!"
"Wait… that is not the point," Siara hissed. "Who are you?"
"Ah… one of the overlords, as your friend so dramatically put it," the voice replied, light and unbothered. "Though it's a pity she got trapped there. I was hoping to see more of her antics."
His voice had that unnerving blend of amusement and detachment. At that moment, the call flickered, and I realized it had shifted into a video. "Oops. I'm rambling, aren't I?" he added, now visible on the screen — short buzz-cut dyed a faint purple.
"What is happening to Tavira?" Favian demanded, sharp.
"Nothing too dangerous," the man replied, inspecting his fingernails. "Their limits are just being... adjusted. Your sister's likely a mage type. She's adapting."
Then, with a faint tilt of his head, he added, "Also, might want to stop playing hero. If you interfere with the orbs, things might react. Badly. Your sister might want you alive. Would be a shame to awaken a dark mage."
Kael must've unconsciously stepped forward, because the man in the video took a single step back, lips twitching with mild interest.
"I wasn't planning to!" Favian snapped.
"Kael nearly kissed his by accident," I muttered.
"I HEARD THAT!" Kael groaned.
At that moment, something clicked.
It wasn't what he said. It was the way the man on screen was looking at Kael.
I quickly tapped into the group chat.
Arien: Kael, I want you to do exactly as I say while we're talking to him.
Eron: What are you planning?
Arien: Testing something.
Kael: Roger that.