Celeste Rawlins pulled her jacket tighter against the evening chill, grateful she'd thought to bring an extra layer. October nights in Millridge were unpredictable—sometimes clinging to late summer warmth, other times plunging into winter's preview. Tonight was definitely leaning toward the latter.

"Getting anything?" Erica Heathers asked, falling into step beside her. The Emerald Terranaut adjusted her scarf, casually slipping a hand into her pocket where her gem rested.

"Faint, but consistent," Celeste replied, keeping her voice low despite the empty sidewalk. "Same pattern as yesterday, but stronger."

They were walking through the northern residential district of Millridge, an area of modest homes built in the 1970s and 80s that now housed a mix of retirees and young families. Streetlights cast pools of yellow light at regular intervals, illuminating well-kept lawns and jack-o'-lanterns that had begun appearing on porches in anticipation of Halloween.

Their mission was straightforward—track and document the unusual fluctuations in energy patterns along Millridge's leylines. While they had thoroughly mapped the leyline network years ago, these recent energy variances warranted careful monitoring and documentation.

"It's definitely moving," Erica noted as her gem pulsed with a subtle vibration against her palm. "Not stationary like the hotspots we found last week."

Celeste nodded, checking her phone as if reading a text message while actually making a note of their location and the energy's characteristics. "Mobile, but purposeful. Following the leyline precisely."

They continued down Maple Street, passing houses where blue television light flickered behind curtains and the occasional sound of laughter or music drifted through open windows. The normality of it all—people going about their evening routines, unaware of the supernatural energies flowing beneath their feet—never failed to strike Celeste as both remarkable and somewhat sad.

"Mrs. Blackwell got her Halloween decorations up early this year," Erica commented as they passed a house with an elaborate display of skeletons climbing its porch. "Looks like she's going all out again."

"She always does," Celeste smiled. "Remember that animatronic witch she had last year? The one that scared the Peterson kid so badly he dropped his entire candy bag?"

"Classic," Erica laughed. "Though to be fair, that thing was terrifying. The eyes followed you."

Their conversation paused as both gems pulsed simultaneously—a stronger reading than before. Celeste subtly changed their course, guiding them toward Montgomery Drive where the energy signature seemed to be intensifying.

"Getting stronger," she murmured as they turned the corner. "Something's definitely active tonight."

Montgomery Drive was quieter than Maple Street, with older homes set further back from the road and taller trees creating deeper shadows between streetlights. The energy readings led them toward the intersection with Birch Lane, steadily increasing in strength.

"It's right up ahead," Erica whispered, her gem warming noticeably in her pocket.

They slowed their pace, maintaining the appearance of a casual evening walk while their senses heightened to full alert. As they approached the intersection, the front door of a nearby house opened, spilling warm light onto the porch. A couple emerged, pulling the door closed behind them.

"Evening walks are the best part of fall," the woman was saying as they started down their front path. "Not too hot, not too cold."

"Until it rains," her husband replied good-naturedly. "Then you'll be complaining that we should have driven."

The couple noticed Celeste and Erica as they reached the sidewalk. "Evening," the man called with a friendly nod.

"Hi there," Celeste replied with an easy smile, automatically shifting into casual-local mode. "Beautiful night for a walk."

"It really is," the woman agreed. She appeared to be in her fifties, with graying hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. "Though they say rain's coming tomorrow."

"That's what I heard too," Erica nodded. "Better enjoy the clear skies while we can."

The brief interaction felt perfectly ordinary, but Celeste noticed something unusual—the energy signature they'd been tracking had shifted dramatically the moment the couple appeared. Not disappeared, but changed in character, becoming more diffuse, less directional.

"You two live over on Maple, don't you?" the man asked, his tone conversational. "I think I've seen you at the Wilsons' Christmas party last year."

"I'm actually over on Oak Street," Celeste replied smoothly. "But Erica's not far from the Wilsons."

"That's right," the woman nodded. "You teach at the college, don't you?" she asked Celeste.

"Teaching assistant," Celeste confirmed, impressed by the woman's memory. Millridge wasn't so small that everyone knew everyone, but faces became familiar over time. "I work in the geology department while finishing my master's."

"My nephew's taking a geology course this semester," the man said. "Connor Briggs? Tall kid, always wearing those band t-shirts?"

"Connor, sure," Celeste nodded, placing the student. "He's doing well in structural geology. Asks good questions."

The casual conversation continued for another moment before the couple resumed their walk with friendly goodbyes. As they moved away, Celeste and Erica exchanged a glance, both checking their gems discreetly.

"The signature completely changed when they showed up," Erica murmured once the couple was out of earshot.

"Not just changed—fragmented," Celeste agreed. "Like it scattered in response to their presence."

They continued walking, following the now-diffused energy pattern. It no longer moved with purpose along the leyline but seemed to hover in the area, dispersed across a wider radius.

"Could they have disrupted it somehow?" Erica suggested. "Just by being there?"

"Possibly," Celeste considered. "Regular human presence can sometimes interfere with certain types of energy manifestations. But this felt more like..."

"Like it was reacting," Erica finished her thought. "Almost hiding."

They spent another forty minutes circling the northern neighborhood, but the energy signature never reformed. Whatever they had been tracking had either moved on or transformed so completely they could no longer detect it in the same way.

"We should head back," Celeste said finally, checking her watch. "Lucy's expecting us at nine for the debrief."

As they walked toward Erica's car, parked several blocks away near the edge of the residential district, they compiled their observations for the report they would deliver. The mobile energy signature, its precise movement along the leyline, and its strange reaction to the couple's appearance—all pieces of a puzzle that still lacked a coherent picture.

"Do you think it's connected to what Traci found at the Mount yesterday?" Erica asked as they reached her car, a practical blue sedan that blended perfectly with Millridge's unassuming aesthetic.

"Almost certainly," Celeste replied, sliding into the passenger seat. "The timing's too coincidental otherwise."

The drive to the college was short and quiet, both women mentally preparing for the evening's debrief. Something was happening in Millridge—something methodical and deliberate. The question was what, and whether they would be ready when it finally revealed itself.

________________________________________

The administration building was nearly empty when they arrived. Lucy had arranged to use one of the smaller conference rooms on the third floor, citing a "departmental planning committee" as cover. Campus security knew Lucy as a respected staff member with authorization for after-hours access, and the custodial crew was accustomed to late meetings during midterm season.

When Celeste and Erica entered, they found Lucy already there with Traci and William. A campus map was spread on the table, with colored pins marking various locations around Millridge.

"How was the northern sector?" Lucy asked without preamble, her Diamond Terranaut precision evident in every aspect of her bearing.

"Active," Celeste reported, moving to the map. "We tracked a mobile signature along the leyline here," she indicated Maple Street, "to approximately this intersection," her finger moved to Montgomery and Birch. "That's where things got interesting."

She described the energy's behavior in detail—its purposeful movement, its sudden fragmentation when the couple appeared, and its failure to reconstitute afterward.

"Same basic pattern as what William and I found yesterday," Traci noted, "but with a different reaction to human presence. Our signature remained stable even when that jogger passed directly through it."

"The differences are as important as the similarities," Lucy observed, adding a blue pin to the map at the location Celeste had indicated. "Each manifestation has its own characteristics, but they're clearly related."

William Beck, the youngest of the assembled Terranauts, studied the map with a thoughtful expression. "They're creating a pattern," he said, gesturing to the various pins. "Not random appearances—they're systematically covering the leyline network."

Lucy nodded. "That's been my suspicion as well. Whatever this is, it's methodical. Deliberate."

"A survey," Traci suggested. "They're mapping the leylines, just like we are."

"But who's 'they'?" Erica asked the question they were all considering. "This doesn't match any Infernal Mount activity we've seen before."

"No," Lucy agreed, her expression grave. "This is something new to our records. We should check with other groups to see if they've encountered similar patterns before."

The discussion continued for nearly an hour, each Terranaut reporting their findings and observations from recent days. They compared energy signatures, timing patterns, and behavioral characteristics, updating their detailed leyline maps with the latest variances.

"We need to increase our monitoring," Lucy concluded after they had exhausted their current information. "Regular checks of the major leyline junctions, maybe two or three times daily, and better coordination of our existing patrols."

"We don't have the numbers for anything more intensive," Traci pointed out. "Even with everyone participating, we all have classes and jobs."

"I know," Lucy acknowledged. "We'll work with what we have. It might just be another probing like we saw back in 2021, but we should stay vigilant until we understand what we're dealing with."

She assigned patrol schedules and monitoring rotations, carefully balancing the team's supernatural responsibilities with their ordinary lives and obligations. In a small town like Millridge, unexplained absences or strange behavior could draw unwanted attention—something none of them could risk.

"One more thing," Lucy said as the meeting was winding down. "The town meeting tomorrow night. I'd like several of us to attend. Celeste, you'll be there as faculty representative. Francine is already organizing student attendance, and her presence makes perfect sense given her school activities."

"I'll keep my eyes open," Celeste confirmed.

"William, you should attend with your mother since she's on the town council. Heather, you'll want to participate given your community position—people will expect to hear your thoughts on the disappearances."

Heather nodded. "I've prepared a few practical safety recommendations that won't raise any alarms."

"The rest of us will maintain normal patrol rotations during the meeting. Having multiple perspectives will help us get a complete picture, but we also need to maintain our regular coverage."

With assignments clarified and protocols established, the meeting adjourned. Lucy remained behind to secure their materials while the others departed in staggered intervals—a standard precaution to avoid drawing attention to their gathering.

Celeste left with Erica, walking her to her car before heading to her own. The campus was quiet, most buildings dark except for security lighting. A few students crossed the quad, returning to dorms from late study sessions at the library.

"What do you think this is?" Erica asked softly as they reached her car. "Another false alarm or something we need to worry about?"

Celeste considered the question. "Hard to say. We've seen similar patterns before that amounted to nothing. Remember that flurry of activity back in 2021? We all thought something major was brewing, and then it just... faded away."

"True," Erica nodded. "I guess we'll monitor and see what develops."

As she drove home, Celeste mentally reviewed the evening's findings. The way the energy had fragmented at the couple's appearance was certainly unusual—not dispersing randomly, but deliberately scattering. It was something to note, but they'd seen strange energy behaviors before that turned out to be nothing significant.

Her apartment was dark when she arrived, just as she had left it. Celeste performed her usual security check—a habit born of years as a Terranaut—before finally allowing herself to relax. Tomorrow would bring the town meeting, another opportunity to observe the community's response to the recent disappearances.

She placed her Ruby gem on her nightstand, watching its soft glow pulse gently in the darkness. Being a Terranaut meant staying vigilant, even when most threats turned out to be minor incursions or false alarms. Millridge might appear to be just another small town to most of its residents, but to those who knew its secrets, it was one of many places where the veil between worlds occasionally grew thin.

________________________________________

Melanie Branherst sat bolt upright in bed, her heart hammering against her ribs. The dream—so vivid, so terrifyingly real—still clung to her consciousness like cobwebs she couldn't brush away. Cold sweat dampened her tank top, and her hands trembled as she reached for the lamp on her nightstand.

Light flooded her bedroom, chasing away the immediate shadows but doing nothing to dispel the lingering dread from her dream. Despite her comfort with her Sapphire powers, this dream had been different—more invasive, more targeted.

In the dream, she'd been walking through Millridge—or something that resembled Millridge but wasn't quite right, the geography twisted and wrong in subtle ways. Something had been following her, something she couldn't see directly but could feel getting closer with each step. Not pursuing her, exactly, but seeking—searching for something it needed. A vessel, a container for its essence. And somehow, she knew it was scanning her, evaluating her suitability.

The worst part wasn't the presence itself but the sense of inevitability that accompanied it—the bone-deep certainty that it would find what it was looking for, regardless of where anyone hid or how far they ran.

Melanie reached for her phone, checking the time: 2:17 AM. Too late to call anyone... except perhaps the one person who might actually understand the implications of such a dream.

She hesitated, then pulled up her contacts and found the number. It rang three times before a calm, centered voice answered.

"Melanie. You're up late."

"Mrs. Lockhart," Melanie's voice was composed despite her lingering unease. "I'm sorry to call at this hour, but I've had a precognitive dream that feels... different from my usual visions."

"Different how?" Heather Lockhart's voice was attentive, focused.

Melanie described the dream in precise detail—the distorted Millridge, the seeking presence, the search for a suitable vessel.

"It felt like it was evaluating potential containers for its essence," she concluded. "Not specifically targeting me, but scanning broadly—like it was shopping for the right fit."

"I see," Heather replied thoughtfully. "That aligns with some of the energy patterns we've been detecting."

There was a brief silence on the line. In the background, Melanie could hear the soft domestic sounds of Heather's home—dishes being carefully stacked, a kettle being filled.

"I was just finishing up some things before bed," Heather explained. "James and the kids are already asleep."

"Have you sensed anything unusual tonight?" Melanie asked, adjusting her pillows to sit more comfortably.

"Yes, though not as specifically as your dream suggests. The energies are shifting, but that's happened before without incident."

Melanie considered this. Her Sapphire abilities had manifested early and powerfully, giving her access to precognitive insights beyond what most Terranauts could achieve. But precognition was always tricky—potential futures rather than certainties.

"Do you think this is connected to what Celeste and Erica found tonight?" she asked.

"Possibly," Heather replied. "They tracked an unusual energy signature in the northern district. It behaved... unusually when ordinary civilians approached."

"Hiding itself," Melanie suggested. "Or changing its form to avoid detection."

"Yes, that's what Lucy suspects as well."

There was another pause, comfortable rather than tense. Melanie and Heather had worked together extensively on developing Melanie's precognitive abilities, establishing a rapport that didn't require constant verbalization.

"I'll share your dream with Lucy tomorrow," Heather said. "It adds another valuable data point to what we're gathering."

"Will you be at the town meeting?" Melanie asked.

"Yes. Keeping a low profile, but present. You?"

"I'm supposed to be there with my parents," Melanie confirmed. "I can keep watch from the civilian perspective."

"Good," Heather approved. "Just be careful not to push your abilities too hard in public. The last thing we need is a visible manifestation."

"I've got that under control," Melanie assured her, a touch of pride in her voice. She had mastered the basics of her powers with remarkable speed, earning the respect of even the most experienced Terranauts.

"I know you do," Heather's voice held a smile. "Do you think you can get back to sleep now?"

"I think so," Melanie replied, though the dream's imagery still lingered. "I'll run through the balancing exercise you taught me."

"Excellent. And Melanie—if you have any more unusual dreams or visions before tomorrow, call me. Any time."

After they hung up, Melanie settled back into bed, already beginning the mental visualization that helped her organize and process precognitive information. She'd learned these techniques quickly, adapting them to her own natural abilities with an intuitive understanding that had impressed her mentors.

The dream troubled her, but she approached it analytically rather than emotionally—another data point, another piece of the larger picture the Terranauts were assembling. Without transforming, her Sapphire abilities were limited to precognition and clairvoyance, but those were precisely what she needed now. If she required her full range of powers, she'd need to activate her complete Terranaut form.

Sleep eventually reclaimed her, her mind now ordered and calm. The questions remained, but they were categorized and prioritized, ready to be addressed when the time came—a skill she had developed through careful practice and natural talent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End Chapter!

https://discord.gg/NYjPU3auVy(link is external)(link is external)(link is external)(link is external)(link is external)(link is external)
Join Me and some other people to talk shop, discuss artwork, stories, chatter, or just share fun videos or memes!

If you want future chapters ahead of my posted works support me on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/c/alyssnancyonymous(link is external)(link is external)(link is external)(link is external)(link is external)(link is external)

Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or wanna comment.

TTFN Everyone.