From the rooftop above the laundromat, Priya knew the night sky cold. So she spotted it at once: a tiny blue dot inside Cassiopeia's crooked W, sitting where nothing should be. She checked her star atlas twice, then three different apps. The dot was real to her eyes and to her phone, but it wasn't on any map. Her hands went cold. New stars don't just show up overnight.

Priya texted the one person who'd believe her: Marcus, who ran the school's tiny astronomy club. "New star in Cassiopeia. Not on any map. Get up here." Three dots appeared, then his reply: "On my way. Don't tell anyone yet." The warning made her stomach flip. Why keep it secret?

Marcus never showed. An hour later he texted: "Sorry, my parents caught me sneaking out." Priya was on her own. She looked back up at the blue dot, took a deep breath, and decided some mysteries you just have to chase by yourself. She started planning how to track it down, alone but set on answers.