Caleb Harper and Alex Briner

Maya was investigating. Her father worked undercover in one of the Magic-less government offices, she was able to access privileged information. That was how she discovered that there were three blue star clans living in Espliego: Rigel, Hadar, and Alnilam; two white clans: Altair and Helios; and finally, the only middle-rank clan that dared to be in Espliego: the yellow clan of Polaris.

There were no records of orange or red stars living in the city—not legally.
Maya concluded that a clan was living underground. But why? She thought they were possibly the cause of the mysterious distortion Espliego was suffering.

The month of Harvest began with several festivals. One of them, the Fruit Festival, celebrated the good production of apples, pears, and grapes. To promote the festival, Hilda and some other models appeared in various commercials and photos for the event, which would take place on the first weekend of the month. They were even given the opportunity to work as hostesses for both days of the festival.

For her bad luck, she was assigned to promote some children's games where kids had to compete to toss rings onto vertically placed sticks. The winner would be rewarded with a toy of the child's choice. Her job was to encourage the children to compete and cheer them on to win one of the prizes. Not even an hour had passed before she was already tired. At midday, she took her break and met one of her colleagues who was in charge of running a clothing booth.

“At least you're doing something” her colleague told her, equally annoyed by all the noise from the festival. “Tell me, who would buy a t-shirt with apples on it?”
“Nobody” Hilda replied, taking a can of strawberry soda.

“Exactly!” her colleague answered her. “No one has even come near the booth, not even to look.”

Motivated (or rather, pushed by Javier) Caleb invited Cristina to the festival. It wasn't official yet that she was in a relationship with Alex, so there was still a chance for Caleb.

“It's very noisy, don't you think?” Caleb asked Cristina nervously as they strolled through the festival, just walking past the booths and games while only looking from afar.

For Cristina, the experience was new. She wanted to see everything, so she didn't pay attention to Caleb's question, and when she reached a food stall, she went to order a hot dog. She was fascinated by the number of food stands there and even managed to get some cider (non-alcoholic for her).

Caleb sighed. Festivals tired him out; he preferred to stay home or attend a quieter event, but just to be close to his friend, he tolerated it. The couple arrived to a dance floor. People were dancing and having fun; Caleb only watched with a certain annoyance. Cristina, meanwhile, took small steps to place, not daring to step onto the dance floor.

For Caleb, music was meant to be listened to. When he saw that Cristina was bored, he invited her to keep walking. Cristina sighed, and so they continued their stroll reaching the game booths. Hilda was there with a look of frustration and exhaustion. They greeted each other and decided to join up.

“Are you two together?” Hilda asked, somewhat annoyed upon seeing them acting like a real couple.

“Yes…" was all Cristina managed to say. She also looked somewhat tired, which was strange since that morning she had been excited about the event.
This bothered Hilda, and pulling Caleb aside to speak with him, she said:
“What are you doing? You're going to ruin your date” Hilda told him, annoyed by her friend's attitude.

“The date?” Caleb asked nervously as he blushed. He hadn't expected her to call an outing between just friends by that name.

“I saw you two in the dance floor. You didn't ask her to dance when she wanted to.”

“She didn't ask!” Caleb defended himself. He turned to look at Cristina, who was looking at the prizes. A couple of people approached the booth to play.

“You fool!” Hilda hit Caleb on the head with her fist. “We aren't always going to say what we want. Take the hint.”

Hilda hurried back to the booth so the game could start. The five contestants began to play. Cristina relaxed and started to enjoy the festival again. Caleb rubbed his head to soothe the blow.

After a few games, they returned home. An hour had passed since meeting Hilda, and it wasn't even lunchtime yet. Cristina was clearly annoyed, but Caleb decided to head back without asking any further questions; he was fed up with the noise, the music, and the people.

Cristina decided to see if any of her friends were available. Maya replied almost immediately, saying she was free. They decided to meet up for lunch. Openly, Maya told her that she didn't like the festival and preferred to go somewhere quieter.

“I don't understand” was what Cristina told her friend when they arrived at the restaurant, a small family place popular with students her age. “He invited me, and in the end, we didn't do anything.”

“Don't you realize my friend?” Maya said, staring at her without blinking. “He likes you!”

Cristina was surprised. She hadn't noticed; she felt nothing upon recognizing her friend feelings. Both fell silent for a moment while the waiter served the milkshakes they had ordered.

“He wanted to spend the day with you, and there was no better moment than going to that festival.”

Cristina mentioned that her first outing with Caleb had been to the concert where she had fallen asleep. Maya nodded silently and understood the situation better. Her friend was clear about her own feelings.

“Tell me” Maya asked her friend with a hint of curiosity to see her reaction. “How are things with Alex?”

“I like being with him” Cristina smiled and blushed slightly when talking about Alex, and Maya noticed. There was her answer. “I enjoy talking with him, and he walks me home.”

Maya laughed a little and changed the subject; for a moment she began to fell frustrated to talk about that theme with Cristina. So she asked about her drawings and which workshop she liked best. Cristina loved to draw, though at the same time, confessed that her singing classes were tough. The teacher had his eye on her.

As she spoke, a strange glow enveloped Cristina that Maya noticed. Her friend was happy. The blue witch began to suspect that her friend was a magic user, possessing a power that was awakening and manifesting through her emotions. She suspected that was a lunar magic, a power that connected wth her emotions.

“I can help” Maya proposed to her friend. “I can help you learn to read sheet music, and also teach you breathing techniques so you can sing better.”

Cristina accepted. She liked to sing and had fun. Her teacher was motivating her to become a professional, which made her start dreaming about that theme, so the help of Maya was very useful.

When they left the restaurant, Maya felt a magical frequency. It was different from the one she had felt earlier. Maya turned around and search the direction of the magic frequency came from. It wasn't close. She couldn't recognize its origin, but she did notice that something was changing: the heat, the atmosphere, and the weather were shifting. The air was growing warmer, harder to breathe.

“What's happening?” Cristina asked, looking at her hands, which were trembling. The teenager's skin looked as if it were cracking. That mysterious glow appeared again, in a raw and voltaic magic.

Maya turned to look at her. She opened her eyes in surprise and fear. In that moment, she confirmed it: Cristina was a magic user. Maya also began to feel ill. Her magical blue butterflies appeared without her speaking, thinking, or commanding it. She understood. Her and her friend magic were out of control.

Cristina was crying and muttering something Maya couldn't understand. She managed to catch words like grandmother and a question: Why did you abandon me? Maya acted fast. Her priority was to help her friend. She managed to control one of her butterflies, which guided them to a safer place.

Cristina fainted; Maya called for help, and thanks to it, they were able to return to Delta. After dropping Cristina off at her house, Maya went to her own apartment, where her parents already knew what had happened. Her father examined her upon learning that she was a victim of that magic.

“It seems a star is going extinct” her father remarked while healing the injuries left by the attack.

Maya's skin was irritated, and she had mild burns from the sudden temperature change. Only when her mother handed her a glass of water did she understand that it wasn't just a magical matter, but a physical one.

“Stars got extinct every year” Maya explained in a logical tone, almost mocking her father.

“Usually, stars die in peace” her father said, ignoring the way his daughter had addressed him. “The star whose frequency you noticed today is different. What has been happening, today's attack... it's from someone who wants to leave a mark. Be careful.”

Maya couldn't get any more explanations about what had happened. She decided to focus on her own objective: that illegal frequency she had felt a few days ago. She prayed to Rigel for her friend's safety, momentarily pushing aside the discovery that Cristina was a magic user and the attack of that star.

Over the following days, and without fully understanding what had happened that afternoon, Cristina continued with her normal life. Singing, solfège, and harmony classes with Maya had begun, which helped her improve.

For Maya was her favorite time of the day. She began to notice her heart race every time she listen to Cristina's voice. Sylvia, her mother commented how she blushed when she was near her friend.

"You really have a strange behavor, my dear," said Sylvia one night after the classes of Maya and Cristina. "I don't care how you feel, but you have to remember she is a Magic-less. You know that..."

"Mom, please, stop!" interrupted Maya, knowing the theme her mother was talking about. Do she really fell in love with her friend? "I know the rules. Besides, I am too young to think about marriage."


★★★★★★


“Have you thought about learning a second instrument?” the singing teacher mentioned to her one day after he praised Cristina's ability. She do really got better after her personal classes with Maya. “Piano and violin classes, right after my class. Think about it.”

During drawing classes, Cristina began to notice something about Alex: he looked drowsy, and now that she saw him closer, it seemed he had lost weight. His clothes—three sizes smaller than what he wore before track and field classes—already looked too big on him.

“It's nothing” Alex commented. It was obvious something was going on, and he knew it—. Exams are coming up. I don't want to disappoint anyone...

Professor Maldonado entered the room, and class began. Cristina has improved her drawings with the help of the teacher and Alex, who guided her and told her how to get better. She really enjoyed her classes, the comments the professor and specially Alex gave to her. 

A week later, singing class, the teacher asked Cristina about her decision regarding learning a new instrument. She replied that she wanted to learn the piano. At the end of class, he led her to one of the piano rooms, introduced Cristina to the teacher and so, her new lessons began.

That day, Cristina, excited about her classes, commented about her piano classes. This shocked Dolores never imagined that Cristina would be serious about her singing and music classes; she didn't like it. She would have preferred her to dedicate herself to something else—some sport, perhaps, or something more serious. 

Dolores was more to take Cristina to science, economics, and history museums. Sometimes she would talk to her about university and look into courses that would prepare her to choose a bachelor's degree or engineering. Something more useful for her future.

Javier spoke with her seriously. Dolores was frustrated that Cristina wouldn't talk to her and envied her husband's relationship with the girl admiring in silence that, even adopted he can be part of her life, being a real father.
“Did you ever listen to her?” Javier asked her.

“It's hard to talk to her. She's always nervous with every question.”
“Talking to Hilda is the real challenge” Javier confessed.

They both laughed with some guilt. Dolores didn't know how to reach Cristina. Javier shared his experiences with her and talked about how to connect with the one he already considered his daughter.

“Ask basic questions. How was school?, How are your friends?” Javier explained calmly. “Listen to her problems.”

The sound of Caleb's piano stopped. Moments later, they heard someone knocking on the door. It was done with hurry, as if in a rush. Javier opened the door; he looked excited and flustered.

"Mom and Dad are coming next week!"

It wasn't just news for Caleb; his parents were also good friends of Dolores. Alisha and Dolores had studied together until high school. Both wanted to pursue music, but only one of them had achieved it.

Caleb was happy, but he realized Cristina wasn't home at that moment. Javier told him that she was starting piano lessons, which surprised the young man.

“There's an opportunity for you” Javier told Caleb, who blushed and became uncomfortable.

“There's no opportunity for anything” Dolores said, annoyed. She hadn't realized Caleb was pursuing Cristina. “She is 15 years old.”

“Caleb can help her with her lessons” Javier insisted.

Dolores retired to her room without speaking. Although Caleb didn't understand why she was upset, he remained euphoric about his parents' arrival and the news that Cristina had started taking piano lessons.