"Need help?" Blossom called out as she glanced around at her best friend Willow and her school friend Aggie fighting a monster a few yards away.

Before they could reply, one charged towards her.

"Never mind!" Blossom called out, springing forward to engage in the fight.

Though she was strong, the fight soon got out of hand without proper weapons.

"Willow!" Blossom called out, scrambling backward into a bush as a beast approached.

"Blossom?" A nervous voice that sounded like Willow called back.

'That's not Willow...' Blossom thought.

"Hee-yah!" She stood up and kicked the monster before her just as it swiped at her-

"Echo!" Echo's mom called downstairs. "You're going to be late for school!"

"Coming Mom!" Echo called as she hastily stood up from her chair and grabbed her sparkly blue backpack. She shoved Midnight Trials into it and raced downstairs.

"I'm here! I'm here!" She yelled as her feet thundered down the stairs, sliding her backpack onto her back. She pecked her mom on the cheek and grabbed a waffle before racing out the door.

Her footsteps drummed on the pavement as Echo sprinted down the sidewalk in the desperate hope of beating the school bus to the bus stop.

"Wait up!" She called, as the bus screeched to a stop and a line of kids boarded.

She got on as well, panting, and took her usual seat three rows back by herself and took out her book.

Blossom rolled to the side and took off running, ducking under a low-hanging branch that almost seemed alive, finding her friend fighting off two of the beasts.

"Come on!" She yelled. "To my room! They won't be able to get us there!"

Willow raced after her as they pushed open the front door and flat-out sprinted upstairs, slamming Blossom's bedroom door behind them.

"I think we should-"

"Echo. Echo! Echo!!! It's time to get off the bus!"

Echo looked up and saw the stern face of Ms. Pendi above her.

"Off you go! You'll be late for class!"

Echo gathered her things and rushed inside as light drops of rain began to fall. She put her things away and managed to slide into her first class just as the bell rang.

"Medousa-Pallas, Echo?" Mr. Muntz called.

"Here!" Echo called as she sank gratefully into a chair, listening to the sound of rain beginning to pound outside.

She pulled out her book and began reading again.

"I think we should gather some real weapons," Willow said. "It looks like we're going to need them."

"Where do you think the beasts came from?"
"I don't know, but-"

Willow's cell phone rang, interrupting them.

"Hello?" Willow said as she picked it up and answered the call.

"It's me, Octopus," The person on the other end of the line said. "Are you buying donuts?"

The friend group had made up code words and phrases as soon as they knew what was happening so that they could know it was each other.
"Yes, do you want glazed? I'm picking up some for Butterfly and I."

The person on the other end of the line sighed. "I'm so glad you guys are safe! I lost you in the fight, I'm back at home."

"Miss Echo! Pay attention!" Mr. Muntz was right in front of her, staring down at her with a very annoyed expression. "Or else I shall take your book away!"

"Sorry Mr. Muntz," Echo said meekly as she bookmarked her page and set the book aside with great effort. The gleam of the words and adornments of the cover was tempting, and the story was only halfway through and she was itching for more.

Mr. Muntz cleared his throat. "Ahem. As I was saying, you must-"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Oh for gods sakes!" He cried as he crossed the room to pull open the door, revealing the principal and a girl about Echo's age standing there.

"Class," the principal said, ushering the new girl and herself in and breezing past the teacher. "This is your new classmate. Please treat her with respect. Her name is Agatha."

Echo locked eyes with the girl's dark jade ones, feeling her heart flutter then a wave of confusion.

Because Agatha shouldn't be there.