I was not allowed in the room while the ritual took place. Too dangerous, was Kris's explanation, Xiumin nodding along, Baekhyun said it was for my safety, Luhan said it was because the ritual they were using was powerful and would expose their power in its truest form, making it extremely dangerous for any non-Warrior to be anywhere near them, Lay and Suho said nothing, the former too focused on checking Chen, making sure he was stable enough to even attempt the ritual.

Despite my protests, I caved and allowed myself to be pushed from the room. With no reason to not believe them, I trust they are doing the right thing.
 

As I close the door behind me, the others crowd around, throwing questions too fast for me to process and answer. After some prompting to sit and take a moment to calm down, I explain all I know and leave them to ponder their thoughts, choosing to make dinner in the absence of our usual cooks.
 

DO helps peel potatoes once he is released from Kai's death grip, the young Warrior finally able to find amusement in his drawing pad as a possible solution is presented but as the curves of a hippopotamus and jagged streaks of black start coloring his pages, it's clear where his mind strays.
 

Tao emerges from his room as dinner hits the table, eyes red and puffy. In a rare moment, Chanyeol is the one to embrace him, the Fire Warrior hardly ever seeking large amounts of physical contact from someone outside of Chen, Baekhyun, or I unless he wants to get pushed off or hit, the other Warriors far more reserved in their acceptance and seeking of physical comfort. With Chen out of commission and Baekhyun tied up in the ritual, he seems to take the chance while the walls were down and cuddle with those who usually wouldn't allow him.
 

Dinner was a quiet affair, none of us having the energy to make small talk with the events of the day. I don't have an appetite, not even bothering to serve myself up a plate as I watch the few who remain with me. The ring on my right hand warmed a few times, indicating the presence of another ring nearby, but with the dining room being relatively close to the street, I ignore the change and instead twist it with my thumb, a habit I'd picked up from my years of wearing my Mother's engagement ring.
 

I collapse into bed as soon as I can, tossing and turning with the waves of raw power coming from down the hall and the bandages still covering my mauled face. No matter the softness of the pillows, the slight pressure still stings but numbs the longer I lay in the same position, not the smartest idea but the only one I currently have with Lay unavailable.
 

Morning is the same, quiet and desolate. A call comes through the staff phone, allowing me to return to class as usual until I decide on my offered apprenticeship. How they know is beyond me, but then again, in this school, everyone knows everything or at least seems to.
 

Xiumin had warned that it might take a few days from them to complete the ritual so I'm prepared as only five Warriors join me for breakfast, wordlessly adjusting their cleaning and chaperone schedules.
 

I take no books with me and instead head straight to the auditorium, finding the two rows Daesung watches over and sitting with no fuss next to Krystal, one of the only people in my homeroom I can remember the name of. Considering how much she talks, it would be more of a surprise if someone didn't know her name and her less than stellar habits.
 

The entire First year is present by the time the clock above the door hits eight and the Second years start trailing soon after, the Third entering last and filling the seats furthest from the stage where our speaker would be doing their presentation. All four years are assessed on our knowledge of Warriors and their origin, although held to different expectations, the presentation is mandatory for everyone except the Fourth Years who are lucky enough to have an entire off-campus trip to further their understanding and get them ready for the quickly approaching Exams.
 

Apparently, the speaker is from the Council, Daesung refused to elaborate on how high in the Council they are but I believe it's wishful thinking that has the others believing a member of the Five will be coming to speak to us about stars of all things.
 

The greying old man I expect never shows and instead, a caramel-skinned male, around the same age as most of our teachers jumps up on stage, forgoing the stairs and waving to someone near the back, somehow spotting a familiar face despite the beaming spotlight.
 

"Hi all, my name is Taeyang and I am your speaker for the day," He smiles widely, microphone pressed to his lips as he speaks in a low tone that seems to settle the restless student body.
 

"I am a member of the Council and am one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to Warriors and why we have them, why they and we are what we are." He pauses to scratch the side of his nose. "I'll try not to be too boring but I will admit that some of what you need to know won't be of much interest but when is anything you need for exams interesting."
 

A few chuckles sound from the audience and with a grin he beings his speel.
 

"Warriors are tied to the stars, each one having their own star or 'big ball of gas' as one of my colleagues calls them," Snorts and giggles echo as he pauses, grinning at someone, presumably said colleague standing off to the side. "Being tied to a star allows them to access what we call a 'center' or 'core', something everyone including normals have and allowing them to manipulate aspects of the world we live in, every one of their abilities falling into one of the five categories or divisions as we Councilmen call them."
 

"Summoners also have access to their cores, although they are different to those harbored by Warriors, instead of allowing us control of elements or minds, they allow alliance and bonding with those who are gifted with abilities..." Taeyang continues to speak, occasionally showing a picture on the large projectors either side of the stage he paces, throwing out questions when appropriate and capturing everyone with his speel, an amazing feat considering most people here probably don't care what he's talking about.

I take mental notes, silently cursing my naivety in leaving my book behind, completely absorbed in what I can now acknowledge as my favorite topic in the curriculum. Taeyang has a clever way of stringing his words together, mixing facts with jokes and switching periodically between Warriors and Summoners to keep those who couldn't care less engaged and their narcissism.

Taeyang asks for questions and almost immediately, Krystal has her hand in the air, eagre to ask what is no doubt an array of questions. It takes a few minutes before she is called on and I am saved a few moments of peace from the constant jingling of her bracelet from her vigorous note-taking.
 

"Is it true that a few years ago when the constellation of Gemini lost a star that one of the Zodiac died? Or is it impossible for a Zodiac to die? But in that case why hasn't the star been replaced like they usually are?" She spits question after question until the person on the opposite side of her slams a hand over .
 

Taeyang thinks for a moment, wondering exactly how to answer every question she had presented him. "We don't know what Warriors are tied to what stars, nor do we even try to keep track, that I will freely admit and this does mean we don't know who the missing star was tied to. This does, however, bring me to my next topic."
 

He pauses to crack open a water bottle and drink. "We now know how Warriors and Summoners came about, but what happens when they die?"
 

The question hangs in the air, none of us have thought about what happens when a Summoner dies, not considering it to be any different than a normal human death, as far as I know, there's no difference, we're special while living but all are equal in death.
 

"A Warriors star falls from the sky, such as what happened a few years ago with one of the Gemini stars, but we theorize that if a Zodiac dies, their entire constellation will fall, erasing it from existence completely. The falling star of Gemini was likely just a Disciple being killed and no Warrior has chosen to take up that empty space, hence the missing star."
 

I remember the incident, especially the surprising heartbreak that came with the falling of the star, one of my parents treasured stories was no longer true, the masterpiece ruined and torn beyond repair.
 

"It's not uncommon for stars to vanish for years at a time, whoever binds the Warriors to their stars taking their time to choose another to fill the space but most of the time, humans don't even notice that the star has vanished, another taking its place fast enough for them to pass it off as the angle of their telescope or the cycle of the sun preventing them from seeing the star for days at a time," Taeyang explains and a small murmur builds within the First Year section, this being the first time we have ever heard of Warriors not immediately being replaced.
 

Whether it be my different upbringing or just a matter of morals and value, somehow it doesn't seem like anyone is even phased by the thought of how many Warriors have died and been replaced since the beginning of our race, the precious nature of life and death lost to them. The number of Warriors killed has to be well into the hundreds of thousands and the heartbreak experienced by those close to them is at least double that but they don't seem to care, the death of those they consider tools normal and unable to faze them.
 

It's horrifying.
 

On my hip, six cards glow varying colors within their case, a faint heat seeping through and warming my skin, their Warriors opening their cores to the fullest and working to save their brother. I bite my lip as Taeyang answers a Second Year's question, playing with the beads around my neck and contemplating whether it's worth risking exposing myself for even the slightest chance at answers.
 

I brave my anxiety and slowly raise my hand, still playing with my chain. Just as I am about to lower my hand, I am called upon and it takes a few seconds to register the fact. "What happens," I hesit