Astral woke up in the middle of the night. He sat up and stretched.

What woke me up? he wondered. Well, I will not be able to sleep for a while, so I might as well do something.

Astral snuck out through the door and floated in the direction of the front door. When he reached it, he opened it silently and slipped out.

Astral sighed calmly and closed his eyes as he breathed in the cool night air. He felt how the flame in his system cooled. It didn't feel so hot anymore.

"Hey," a boy's voice said. "Who are you?"

Astral opened his eyes calmly. "Yuma Tsukumo, I presume?"

"How did...?" The boy paused. "Um...yeah. That's me. How did you know?"

"I get visions from time to time. I saw you in a few of them." Astral looked into the Yuma's eyes. "I am Astral."

"Oh, that's a cool name." Yuma made eye contact with Astral. "You're not human."

"No, of course not. Can I trust you with a secret, Yuma Tsukumo?"

"Of course!" Yuma grinned. "I'll keep it a secret!"

Astral smiled a little. "I was made in this building in my father's personal lab. I was made to be his and Mother's son. I also have a twin. That is why I am not human."

"That's so cool!" Yuma exclaimed. "How was it like waking up for the first time?"

"It was very confusing at first. I had no idea who was who and why I was there," Astral explained. "How is it like being human?"

"Huh?" Yuma paused. "Well, I don't really know how to explain this...isn't being an artificial life the same as being human?"

"Do you get visions and gain the ability to control an element?" Astral asked, wondering if this boy could do that, too.

"No, of course not."

"I see..." Astral closed his eyes again.

"Hey Yuma and Astral," Marie called. "What are you two doing here?"

"Hi Marie," Yuma called back with a wave. "I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk. I ran into Astral here."

"Hello, Marie," Astral greeted without opening his eyes. "How have you been since the fire?"

"Just fine," Marie said cheerfully. "My family made it safely."

Astral smiled. "That's good to hea-" His eyes snapped open as another vision came up.

A man dressed entirely in black snuck into a house. The people were sleeping soundly while their daughter was out. The man looked around, pausing every so often to check if anyone woke up. No one did.

"This is going to be easy," he sneered. "Too bad they won't live to see another day!"

The man took out a knife and ran his finger along the edge, drawing blood. He didn't seem to care. He crept through the house until he found the parents' room. He chuckled.

"Good night!" he exclaimed as he plunged the knife into the mother, then the father.

Astral gasped as the images stopped. "Marie, something terrible is going to happen!" he blurted out.

"Huh?" Marie and Yuma asked at the same time.

"What do you mean?" Marie asked.

"I had a vision. I saw...something. A man came into a house I can somehow knew was Marie's." Astral closed his eyes. "It cannot be reversed. Not what has been seen."

"What's going to happen?" Marie asked.

"A man dressed entirely in black is going to kill your parents. I have no idea why."

"I have to go home now," Marie announced. "I have to make sure they don't die."

"Marie, you can't change it," Astral tried to explain. "Father told me. It was part of an exchange."

"I know, but I have to go." Marie ran off.

Astral opened his eyes and stared after her. "I suppose I would do the same if I was in her situation..." he mumbled. He sighed. "I hope she does not get caught."

"Me too," Yuma sighed. "I have to go, Astral. See you tomorrow." He walked off.

Astral sighed again. He went back inside the lab and into his room to rest. His dreams were plagued with visions of Marie being brutally murdered.