Years ago, way before Sin was alive, the Maestro descended and forever changed the world. A strange voice calling himself a deity. There were multiple accounts of how he looked, a tall fair-skinned man with a top hat and colorful suit, or a centurion, or a man with a beard big enough to hide his face. Sin concluded he appeared differently to each person. But he always had the same voice. Orotund and dignified.

The Maestro created the floating city, The Arena, and selected a thousand people from different countries as Echoes to participate in his system, the Orchestra, he also referred to them as awakened ones. Sin read a few dozen novels with a similar concept to further his understanding. But that was where his interest ended. Despite studying in the same school (technically) as the Echoes, Sin had never spoken to one.

‘Probably a good thing given my track record.’

Antagonizing an Echo sounded like a fast ticket to the morgue.

Which Sin was about to buy…

Koa was his best friend.

His one and only friend.

Which explained why Sin threw caution and reason to the wind whenever he was involved. Pranking the mathematics professor? Sure, why not! His grade took a dive but Mr. Finn had green hair for weeks. Skipping class to chase a lead in an old cold case? Sounds like a reasonable use of time.

But he should’ve drawn the line at: ‘Spy on Isla Marlow.’

Isla was the redhead from the locker. Tamara’s friend and one of two people who most likely knew of her location. She also happened to date Number 5 of the top ten Echoes of the academy. Torin Hearst.

‘Do you know how scary you have to be to crack the top 5 at sixteen years old?’

Any person with a brain would not dare to follow Isla. But there was Sin, hidden behind a tree, watching Isla drink from a juice box.

‘If only I knew it would lead to this, I would’ve… ugh. I would’ve still told him.’

Maybe he wasn’t as smart as he liked to believe he was. His father used to spout about loyalty being the death of sense and he was beginning to see his point.

Someone in a black hoodie with red letters sat next to Isla, facing the other side. She paid him a glance and offered him a polite smile. The guy seemed to say something and she replied. A few seconds later, Isla stood up, and so did the other person but they headed in opposite directions.

Sin sighed scanning for the next hiding spot when his eyes landed on something else. A thick yellow envelope on the bench. He looked to the sides before approaching it. From the little slit, he could see what it was.

Money. From the thickness and color, loads of it.

The guy definitely didn’t have anything that big on him when he came which meant the envelope must have been in Isla’s purse.

He took it, his body was ahead of his brain in the next step. He headed after the redhead. Catching up to her, he halted at a reasonable distance.

Sin cleared his throat. “Hey.”

Isla turned, a frown immediately occupying her face. Recognition and then apprehension as she raised a hand to her lips.

“I have a boyfriend.”

Sin gritted his teeth, although he wasn’t interested in her, it still stung to be regarded in such a way right off the bat.

“I am aware… I think you dropped this.”

He presented her with the envelope.

Isla’s face was drained of all color as she grabbed it and immediately buried it in her purse. “Oh, I am sorry. Thank you.”

“No problem,” he said, rubbing his hands.

‘This is it, right? My chance.’

Appearing nonchalant (or trying to) Sin asked, “You’re Tamara’s friend, right? So am I.”

Her lips were pressed into a line, he could tell she was trying to look like she believed him. He might have slightly stretched the truth, but Tamara was (aside from Koa) the only person who had been nice to him in that school.

“I never got to give her back her umbrella.” He tried again.

Sparks lit up in her eyes. “You have her umbrella? The one with…”

“Fake raindrops? Yeah.”

“She gave it to you.” It wasn’t a question, it was more like she was struggling to accept it.

“Well, I hardly stole it,” Sin deadpanned.

Isla blushed, “No, of course not.”

She opened her mouth to say something but a yelp came out instead as she was hugged from behind.

Torin Hearst lifted her a bit from her waist, letting her down and placing his head on his girlfriend’s shoulder, his eyes locked on Sin.

Immediately he grabbed his knee, almost succumbing to the pressure on him, but Torin’s intention must have been to scare him and not kill him in plain daylight.

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‘So this is the power of an Echo… and a mere fraction of it, too.’

“Who is this?”

“Sinclair Arden,” he answered way too fast.

‘Shit, why did I say my last name too?’

“Oh, you’re with Koa Everton,” he said. The most surprising of it all wasn’t that despite his best efforts, Torin knew about Sin’s connection to Koa, it was that when he said Koa’s name, he did it with disdain.

“Koa Everton?” Isla asked, and then her eyes widened. “Oh.”

‘What’s that about? What’s wrong with Koa?’

Torin squeezed her a bit. “Hanson is waiting for me. Let’s go.”

“Yeah… thanks again, Sinclair.” Isla forced a smile on her face, but frankly, it was the worst attempt in the history of the world.

They walked away and dragged his chance away as well.

[...]

By some miraculous stroke of luck, Sin wound up in the same class as Koa.

Except the luck had a name and it started with K and ended with oa. He pulled some strings to ensure Sin would be there and while the gesture had been good-natured, Sin couldn’t help but be apprehensive. He couldn’t just ignore his best friend in the same class, so Koa won.

‘He always does, doesn’t he?’

The Moon and Star Campus interacted enough times that someone should be able to recognize others from the different campuses. Still, Sin barely interacted with the people on his campus so of course no one knew who he was in the Star Campus. It was a relief in a way, a chance to start over. Maybe he had been jaded in rejecting Koa’s help or… friendship.

Eyes were trained on him as he made his way in. The Professor looked up from his computer.

“You must be the new student. Come, introduce yourself.”

He gulped, hands squeezing the straps of his schoolbag. Walking to the middle of the front of the room. Sin sighed.

“Sinclair Arden, transfer student from the Moon Campus.”

They sounded out harmonious and collective ‘Nice to meet you, Sinclair.’ He nodded, unsure of what to do next. Then he spotted the blonde he called his best friend gesturing to a seat next to him so he looked at the professor to confirm he was done. The professor gave him the good to go so he took his seat next to Koa.

“Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk about Japan’s colonization…”

Koa leaned over, “What’s up with your face?”

“What? What’s wrong?” Sin’s hand rushed to his face. Did he accidentally eat peanuts? He hit himself mentally.

‘Wait. I didn’t even eat today so it can’t be my allergy.’

His friend titled his head, examining his face for a moment. “Nothing, it’s ugly.”

Sin rolled his eyes. “Still prettier than you, you delinquent.”

“Let me handle your worries from time to time.”

That’s right. Koa only ever said such things to ease him. He’d ask to be given all the negative emotions Sin had in excess because that's what friends did. They shared. Food, toys, games, parents, moments and hardships.

‘What a sentimental bastard.’

But he knew Sin well, it worked like a charm, smiles snuck on both their faces.

He turned his attention to the lesson, somewhat more confident in the rest of his time there. Things would be different and for once that was going to be a good thing.

[...]

On his way out of his second class, Koa threw an arm over Sin’s shoulder and pulled him under to ruffle his hair.

“I can’t believe you did your hair today.”

“Nyla insisted!” His sister—Koa’s sister—had been the happiest about his transfer. She was only 14 and studied elsewhere but next year she’d be in their school and on the Star Campus.

Sin couldn’t move past the misstep, though he was certain Koa wouldn’t have a problem with Sin mentally referring to Nyla as his sister, and neither would Nyla for that matter. Still, how was he to explain that calling her a sister was easier than calling Koa a brother who was much closer to him in every way?

The sort of confounding turmoil his mind produced that went on to wreck his days and nights.

Koa let out a hearty laugh. “You actually let her near your hair after last time?”

“She got better, maybe she could fix yours.” He threw back, getting out from under him.

“There’s nothing wrong with it.” Then he turned slightly to a girl walking beside them with two of her friends that Sin hadn’t noticed before. “Right, Miso?”

Miso blushed immediately, “Your hair is perfect.”

‘Oh, gag.’

Koa grinned in response, a smug look on his stupid face. Sin could only laugh.

“Sinclair?”

His eyes widened at the person in front of him. Isla had her hands on the hem of her school skirt, one foot slightly elevated as if she planned on walking or running away.

“Um, yeah?”

“Could I talk to you?”

“Sure.”

He considered calling Koa with him since he suspected what that was about but something told him not to.

“I’ll meet you in the next class,” Sin told Koa.

Isla and he walked into the computer room, which was fairly empty since most people were heading to or already in classes.

She stopped in a corner and threw out a sigh.

“I didn’t know you moved to the Star Campus. I had a hard time finding you.”

“Uh… Sorry?” What else was he meant to say?

She paused before speaking. “Listen… against my and others’ better judgment, I’ve decided to trust you.”

Sin winced. “Gee, thanks.”

“This is serious.” Isla frowned.

“Okay.”

“You can’t tell anyone.” She paused, hesitating. “Especially not Koa Everton.”

[…]

The table Koa sat at lunch was less crowded than Sin anticipated. There were still a lot of people but they all seemed to like and know each other. Like a small family. Koa, unsurprisingly, was at the center of the group.

He was constantly surrounded by people. So of course Sin couldn’t tell him anything there, and he certainly couldn’t in class or the car ride back home even though Koa seemed to be waiting for it, he never outright said it but it was clear.

‘I promised her I wouldn’t… but Koa deserved to know.’

But did he? Sin owed it to Koa to tell him, of that he was sure. But it wasn’t his secret to tell.

His room was devoid of any personalization, looking more like a guest or hotel room with a couple of school books lying around and a picture of his dad, somewhere in the closet was one of his mother. The Evertons were nothing but welcoming but Sin was always under the unshakable impression that their kindness had a limit. Lately, it waned in his mind. Enough for him to order an anime themed wallpaper.

When he entered his room, he almost turned around assuming he was in the wrong place.

“It looks great,” Nyla said, coming from her room. She was a smaller copy of Koa, with longer hair and makeup and a lot prettier.

Sin cleared his throat. “Yeah, it does.”

“How was your first day?” She asked after hugging him from the side.

“Not too bad.” He hugged her back, “I think the hair helped.”

“Oh—of course it did!” she said with a blush all over her face, laughing off her embarrassment.

“I bet Koa’s happy,” she commented, a hand on her doorknob.

He couldn’t take it anymore. As soon as Nyla entered her room, he headed towards Koa’s, at the end of the corridor, and knocked twice before opening the door. Koa sat on his desk, books spread on the table but his whole attention was on his phone.

“Yeah?” He looked up at Sin, a questioning look on his face.

Sin was about to speak when he spotted a black hoodie with red letters on Koa’s bed.

“It was you?”