"Sienna? Are you okay?"

  ...

  I shook my head and looked up at Stel.

  "H...Huh?" I asked.

  Stel bit her lip. "You were in a really deep meditative state. You didn't respond when I tried to wake you. Are you okay? What happened?"

  I blinked, and rubbed my eyes.

  Wetness?

  Tears.

  "I..." I trailed off, looking at my sister's worried face.

  I shook my head.

  "Hinokawa."

  "What?"

  She looked surprised, tilting her head.

  "Our father's name. Elio Hinokawa."

  She stared at me.

  "Pardon?" she asked, fused.

  "Hinokawa. That was our father's st name."

  Stel's eyes went wide, and she stared at me in shock.

  "I don't uand...?"

  "I had a vision... I think. Of your mom."

  Stel frowned, crossing her arms.

  Ok, this is about to sound crazy.

  "Do you... do you remember when you woke me up with the smelling salts? When I almost died the other day?" I asked.

  She he color draining from her face as she recalled the experience. "Y-Yeah. That had me more than a bit freaked out. You looked borderliatonic."

  I took a deep breath, and exhaled.

  "I saw Arcadia Vox in some kind of city I didn't reize with a massive monster. I wrote it off as a dream, but... I don't think it was a dream. I think it was a memory. A memory from our father's perspective."

  Stel scooted o me.

  "Tell me everything," she said.

  "That... sounds kinda crazy. Not gonna lie. But you were in a meditative state so I guess that makes sense. I've never had one myself, but it's not unheard of to get premonitions and limited post-ition from deep meditation."

  I looked around, taking in the small room we were in within the gym.

  "Maybe it's all a big halluation jured by my overworked brain. I don't know. But I'll say I just had one hell of a surreal experience."

  She suddenly hugged me, leaning io me.

  "Sienna, are you okay? Do you want to call it a day? No more training" Stel asked, looking me in the eyes, ed.

  "I'm fine. I'll be fine. And er, do you really wanna do that? I'm sweaty."

  She ughed a me go, shaking her head. "I'm sweaty, too, silly. It's fine. So, what happeell me about the vision you had."

  I nodded. I'd promised Stel's mom I wouldn't tell her we had a full blown versation, and I inteo keep that promise. I wasn't about to take that away from her.

  "Well, I was meditating and I had a vision. It was surreal, but I learned a few things."

  I looked away.

  "Truth be told, the first time I had one of these visions was during the Cataclysm when I awakened my full transformation. Red Masque almost killed me."

  Stel gawked at me.

  "Red Masque almost killed you?! THE Red Masque?" she hissed, trying not to yell.

  "Yeah, but I made it out in one piece. That's when I had my first vision."

  "What did you see?" Stel asked. "How? What?"

  "I was bleeding out after he stabbed me. And then Arcadia Vox spoke to me. It was weird. She somehow possessed a stuffed cat doll I was carrying with me in the fight, and she spoke through that. It was crazy."

  Stel blinked, and looked at me.

  "Cat doll?" she asked, her voice going soft. Her eyes were wide.

  "Yeah. A cat doll. It was like time froze, and suddenly I could see my mother keeping tabs on me from several states away. She was a mess. I had absolutely zero idea she was a magical girl before, and there she was. Watg me with her powers. And she was g and a total mess. I didn't know the cat doll was Arcadia Vox until I had more text clues, but I was terrified. I thought I'd gone insane. Like one of those life fshing before your eyes things. I was bleeding out in a pile of debris and Red Masque had turned me into a shish kebab, and then suddenly, time froze, and a cat doll was talking to me. Like it was being possessed by a ghost."

  I smiled.

  "She gave my mother a pep talk though. And somehow, that snapped my mom out of her PTSD. Then my mom just absolutely flooded me with mana out of nowhere and suddenly my body was healing itself at a rapid pad I transformed into Harmonia Lux for the first time. I don't know what happened. I'm not sure what Arcadia Vox did to her."

  Stel bit her lip. Her brow furrowed, and she looked worried.

  "I see a bit of a pattern here. You nearly died and talked to my dead mother. And the other day when you had your neck chewed through... and you nearly died again. You saw my mother. And then when you meditated just now... and you saw my mom... again... that sounds like a pattern if I've ever seen one."

  She paused for a moment, chewing her lip. "That's ing. I don't like that. At all."

  I stared at her, worried that I may have said too much.

  Stel sighed. "I mean, I'm taking this at face value. Because that expins why your mother transformed into Nightingale fug Eclipse and did her bze of glory thing up at Pewterstoy. It makes sense. Your mom had a lot of trauma from my mom dying, and that was what was holding her back. But that doesn't make any sense. How could my mom even do that? Possess a cat doll and talk to both of you while you're oh's door?"

  I still felt really bad that her mother could talk to me, but not her. What if—

  She shrugged. "Still, I'm gd you're okay, but this is getting ridiculous. You o be more careful, Sienna. This is the first time I've heard about the Red Masque thing, and as many questions as I have for my dead mother, it's not worth you getting yourself killed. Please. Don't do that again. I don't know what I'd do without you now that I've found you."

  What was I expeg? She.. she really does care about me, doesn't she?

  I hugged her back. "I won't. I promise."

  Stel smiled. "Good. Now, tell me everything else you saw."

  I nodded and tinued.

  "I saw Arcadia Vox in the same vision I mentioned earlier. I saw her in the past, but... she'd gotten sucked through a portal and ended up in another world."

  Stel stared at me.

  "So she's alive? In an alternate reality?" she asked, her voice hopeful.

  I shook my head. "The same mohat attacked us iaclysm were in that world. She... she survived Mortifera Nox, but died fighting some kind of abstract horrifister saving that world not too long affterr."

  Stel's face fell, and she looked down.

  "I see," she whispered, her voice sad. "I guess I always lived with the assumption that she was dead, but... it still hurts."

  I hugged her tighter.

  "Sorry fing up bad memories," I said.

  Stel sighed. "No, it's okay. I mean, it sucks, but we o figure out what's going on. And we'll never get answers if we don't ask questions."

  I smiled. "Yeah. And that's why I'm telling you about all this."

  Stel ughed weakly. "I know. And I appreciate it."

  "But anyway, as far as I tell, our dad was still alive at the time of Arcadia Vox's end. But he was sucked through the portal to the alternate universe with her, and they spent a few days together in a world that was not our own."

  "Elio Hinokawa..." Stel whispered. "I wish we could have met him..."

  "I do too..." I replied. "But I'm sure he's out there somewhere. And if he's anything like our mothers? He's fighting for a better world, and with how crazy the world is now, I wouldn't be shocked if he just dropped in on us one of these days. He's a good man. I'm sure he is."

  Stel nodded. "Yeah. I think that's the most likely sario. He's trying to get back to us, but he 't. But if he's really the so-called smartest person in the world, he might be able to figure something out. Maybe he'll pop out of a portal sometime soon. Who knows."

  She smiled, and I could see a hint of hope in her eyes.

  "But I know this. He's a hero, just like my mother. He's out there, somewhere. And he's probably doing everything he to get back to us. I'm sure he's fighting to get bae. And we o help him if we ever get the ce to."

  I nodded. "Yeah."

  "Did you see anything else?" Stel asked.

  I thought about the strarange vision I had of a woman dressed in an e sundress, in a farmhouse surrounded by wheat in twilight. That vision made no seo me. I'd never seen her before, but her glowing e eyes made me feel like she was incredibly powerful and important.

  And what was the deal with that giant, endlessly spiraling library she was trapped o?

  "No... that's all," I said, deg to keep that particur vision to myself for now.

  It robably not relevant. I hope.

  "But I learhat my mother was a double agent during the meditation session just now, and how your mom got to the pce I saw st time. And... things went wrong in a weird way during the raid on Nox's fortress. It's fragmented and I don't have all the pieces, but everyone, including my mom, was supposed to e home that day. They didn't. Arcadia Vox died, and the pn failed in a spectacur way that should have been nigh-impossible. That has me worried. There were a lot of things that went wrong, and not in any way that makes se all."

  Stel bit her lip. "I see. Like in what way?"

  I shrugged. "Well, you see, when my m—"

  "Hey!" a familiar voice shouted. "You girls want some smoothies?"

  I turned, seeing Kaz and Albert approag the entrao the training room we were in. Kaz was holding twe, colorful smoothies, and he was grinning. His topknot was slightly askew, and his uniform was slightly rumpled, like he'd been running around a lot. Albert was grinning sheepishly, his hands in his pockets and also drenched i.

  "Oh. It's a pleasure to meet you?" Stel said, standing up and taking the offered smoothie from Kaz.

  Kaz ughed. "Yeah. Um. Name's Kaz. Short for Kazuki, but that's too long. I'm an undercssman. Sed year. Proud member of the Power Fitness club and part-time student of the prestigious Kaleidosartial Arts dojo. At your service, madam."

  "Pscht. Madam? What am I, a grandma?"

  Kaz grinned and shrugged. "Just being polite, ma'am."

  I giggled, and Stel ughed, shaking her head.

  "Anyway, my name is Stel. It's o meet you," Stel replied with a twinkle in his eye.

  She took a sip of the smoothie, and her eyes widened in surprise.

  "Wow, this is really good. Thanks."

  Kaz smiled. "You're wele. Niko always makes extra fuests and friends and double scoops the proteihe best."

  Stel smiled and bowed slightly. "I tell."

  I gri Albert. Holy, it was no surprise that he'd randomly befriend Kaz. Those two were peas in a pod, and they'd no doubt get along well. They were both friendly goofballs and total softies. As far as I could tell with Kaz at least.

  Kaz rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

  "Sorry for interrupting," he said. "I was just, y'know, passing by and saw you two here."

  Stel nodded. "It's okay. I was just catg up on some things with Sienna here. Doing some breathing exercises and such. You're not interrupting anything important."

  Well, that was teically a lie, but the distra was wele. Plus, it portunity to get to know Kaz better.

  "Oh, cool," he said. "Well, uh... how's day one in the gym treating you so far, Sienna?"

  "My chest and legs are already feeling a bit sore, and my arms feel heavy. Is that normal?" I asked.

  He nodded. "Yeah. But don't worry, that's normal. Your muscles are just getting used t out. You should be fine in a day or three, tops. It'll only get easier from here."

  He paused, and looked at Stel and then back at me.

  "Um, so... I'm guessing you two are reted?" he asked.

  Stel and I shared a look. Maybe coordinating outfits wasn't the best idea. We were kinda obvious.

  "Kinda. It's plicated," I said.

  Stel nodded. "Very plicated."

  Kaz grinned. "Oh, don't worry about it. I get it. It's cool."

  I blinked and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

  "You do?" I asked.

  Kaz shrugged. "Yeah. I've got a weird situation too. Got raised by a single dad but I had a few cousins and an aunt that helped take care of me growing up, and my mom died a long time ago in the line of duty. It was a whole thing."

  He smiled sadly. "My mom was a really good person. And she left behind a lot of cool stuff that I'm proud to carry on. It's not the same situation, but it's close enough. So yeah, I get it."

  Kaz reached into his shorts, pulling out a locket. It was a heart-shaped thing made out of copper, and he clicked it open. Inside icture of a pretty woman with short, -length bck hair and a cute fox-eared emerald headband holding an infant baby. She looked happy and was grinning in the picture with visible dimples, and was dressed in a green night gown.

  "That's my mom," Kaz said.

  Stel's eyes widened, and she stared at the image. She looked at me and then back at the photo.

  "Oh, wow," I said. "She's pretty."

  Kaz nodded and closed the locket, putting it away. "Yeah. She was. She was the best. But, you know, life happens. And she's not around anymore. But I still carry on. And I know she's watg over me. In spirit, at least. I've actually got an older cousin in the academy here and over at Kaleidoscope U. I know that's not the same situation as you two, but I get it. It's cool."

  "Thanks," I said.

  "Anyway," Kaz said, looking at Stel and then at me. "It's bee meeting you two, but I should get going. Niko's probably w if I'm wimping out of deadlifts."

  He gri Stel. "It was nice meeting you, though. And Albert?"

  Kaz turo Albert, who had been quietly sipping his smoothie and the whole versation.

  "I'll e over tonight to check out your vintage colle? I'll bring my own troller."

  Albert ughed nervously. "Yeah, um, sounds like fun. See you ter, Kaz."

  Kaz grinned and walked back towards the mai room.

  I watched him go, and then looked back at Stel, who was still staring at the spot where Kaz was standing, a strange look on her face.

  "Kazuki, wait!" Stel called.

  Kaz stopped in his tracks and turned around.

  "Uh, huh? What's up?" he said, looking fused.

  Stel looked at him, and then at me. I could see tears f in her eyes.

  "Your mother... " Stel whispered. "Was her name... Fuwari? Fuwari Kazetsuna?"

  Kaz blinked and froze, almost like he rocessing the question.

  And then, his eyes went wide.