By morning, the city was buzzing.
Not with traffic.
With whispers.
Ava sat on the floor of the observatory's control room, scrolling through her phone with stiff fingers.
"Okay," she said slowly, "so… apparently we're trending."
Mira leaned over her shoulder. "Trending how?"
Ava turned the screen.
A shaky video played. Purple light. A crater. Seven glowing figures standing in the smoke.
The clip ended with a man yelling, "What the hell are those things?!"
Under it, thousands of comments flooded in.
— They're aliens.
— No, they're human. Look at the shapes.
— Government experiment?
— My cousin was there. They saved people.
— They destroyed half the street.
Luna rubbed her arms. "People saw us."
"They filmed us," Ava corrected.
Nyra stood near the window, arms folded. "Exposure was inevitable."
Riven paced. "It's too soon."
Another video popped up.
This one clearer.
Someone had zoomed in.
Seven figures. Seven different glows.
And a caption:
THE SEVEN LIGHTS
Mira stared. "They named us."
"They labeled us," Riven said.
Ava scrolled again. "Wait… there's more."
A news headline appeared:
MYSTERY BEINGS DEFEND CITY FROM UNKNOWN THREAT
The anchor's voice played softly:
"Eyewitnesses describe seven young figures battling a… creature. Authorities have not released a statement."
Luna's stomach twisted. "They're talking about us like we're… not people."
Mira pointed at another post.
Someone had drawn fan art already.
Crude, glowing stick figures with weapons.
Ava blinked. "That was fast."
Nyra tilted her head. "Human myth-making speed is impressive."
Riven stopped pacing.
"What else are they saying?"
Ava hesitated. "Some think we're heroes."
"And the rest?" Riven asked.
Ava swallowed. "Some think we caused the damage."
Silence fell.
Luna whispered, "They're afraid."
"Good," Riven said. "Fear keeps them inside."
"That's not what heroes do," Mira said.
Riven looked at her. "Heroes die first."
Nyra turned from the window. "This changes strategic conditions."
Ava groaned. "Oh no. You're using big words."
Nyra ignored her. "Unknown actors have revealed themselves. Larger forces will notice."
"Meaning?" Luna asked.
"Meaning yesterday's enemy won't be the last."
Riven walked to the window and looked out over the city.
Sirens still echoed faintly.
Normal people were walking again.
Shops reopening.
Like nothing had happened.
"They're going to start hunting us," Mira said.
"Or worshipping us," Ava added.
"Or locking us up," Luna said.
Nyra's voice was flat. "Or dissecting us."
That one landed hard.
Ava dropped her phone.
Mira hugged herself.
Riven's jaw tightened.
"So what do we do?" Luna asked.
Riven turned.
"We disappear."
Mira frowned. "That's it?"
"We train," Riven said. "We get stronger. We control this power before someone else tries to."
"And if another monster shows up?" Ava asked.
Riven didn't hesitate. "Then we show up too."
Nyra stepped closer. "Public perception will evolve."
Mira looked back at the screen.
The comments kept rolling.
New rumors:
— They're angels.
— They're weapons.
— They're the future.
Mira whispered, "They don't even know our names."
Riven said quietly, "That's safer."
Luna smiled faintly. "For now."
Ava looked up at the cracked ceiling.
"So… we're a rumor."
Nyra nodded. "And rumors grow."
Outside, a billboard flickered with emergency footage.
Seven lights in smoke.
Seven unknown girls.
Not heroes.
Not monsters.
Just the beginning of a story the world hadn't asked for.
And somewhere, far beyond the clouds, something watched the footage too.
And smiled.