The next morning, Mik stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from their eyes. They froze at the sight of their parents, faces grave, staring at the news feed.

"Reports of strange atmospheric disturbances continue to pour in from around the globe," the anchor was saying. "Scientists are baffled by these phenomena, which have been described as 'shimmering circles' or 'ripples in the sky'."

Suddenly, a video filled the screen. A perfect circle of light pulsed in the sky, exactly like what Mik and Alex had seen.

"That's it!" Mik exclaimed. "That's what we saw yesterday!"

Alex, who had just wheeled himself into the kitchen, nodded vigorously. "See? We told you!"

Jenn and Michael exchanged worried glances. "You really did see something," Jenn murmured, her voice a mix of awe and concern.

"What do you think it means?" Michael asked, his brow furrowed.

Before anyone could answer, the news anchor continued: "Experts are divided on the cause of these disturbances. Some suggest they might be related to climate change, while others propose more exotic explanations, including extraterrestrial activity."

The kitchen fell silent, each family member lost in their own thoughts about the implications of this news.

At school, the hallways buzzed with excited chatter. Mik overheard snippets of conversation as they made their way to their locker:

"My cousin in Australia saw one!" "Do you think it's the government testing some new technology?" "What if it's a sign of the apocalypse?"

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Jasmine rushed up to Mik, her eyes wide. "Is it true? Did you really see one of those sky circles?"

Mik nodded, recounting the experience from Alex's birthday outing. Jasmine listened, fascinated.

"What do you think it means?" she asked when Mik finished.

Mik hesitated, then said with a half-smile, "Maybe it's aliens coming to help us."

Jasmine laughed, but it was tinged with nervousness. "Or maybe they're coming to invade. What if the atmosphere is breaking down and we're all going to die?"

"I don't think that's it," Mik said, trying to sound more confident than they felt. "Whatever it is, it doesn't seem harmful. Just... strange."

Throughout the day, Mik noticed teachers struggling to keep students focused on lessons. Even Mr. Reeves, usually strict about staying on topic, spent half of the science class discussing possible explanations for the phenomena.

During lunch, Mik found themself at the center of attention, recounting their sighting to a group of eager listeners. It was an unusual feeling, being the focus of positive attention rather than the occasional target of bullying.

After school, as Mik walked home, they noticed people on the streets looking up more often, as if expecting to see another shimmering circle at any moment. The atmosphere felt charged with anticipation and a touch of fear.

At home, Mik found Alex glued to the tablet, scrolling through social media posts about the sky phenomena.

"Look, Mik!" he said excitedly. "People are sharing all kinds of theories. Some think it's a message from another dimension!"

Mik sat next to their brother, both of them poring over the flood of information and speculation. Despite the potential seriousness of the situation, Mik couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. For the first time in a long while, the world seemed full of mystery and possibility.

That night, as Mik lay in bed, they pulled out their sketchbook and began to draw. Circles of light filled the pages, surrounded by stars and swirling galaxies. In one corner, they sketched a small figure looking up at the sky in wonder – a self-portrait of sorts.

Before turning out the light, Mik sent a quick message to Cayde:

StarGazer101: Did you see the news about the sky phenomena? What do you think it means?

They fell asleep before getting a response, their dreams filled with shimmering circles and the vast, unknown reaches of space.