By the end of the day, Devon was already exhausted, and he still had no idea how Astral managed to deal with this human body. Every muscle seemed to ache, and nothing felt quite right. He had already tripped twice and gotten stuck on a few high shelves because, as much as he hated to admit it, Astral's body just didn't move the way his own did. The frustration was building, and he couldn't help but grumble every time someone asked if he was okay.

Astral, meanwhile, was equally struggling with Devon's body. She felt awkward and clumsy, like she was trapped in an alien form. The sensation of walking without wings, of having no magic to fall back on, was beginning to get under her skin. Even trying to make small talk with her classmates was painful—*this* wasn't how she was used to communicating. Astral wasn't sure how Devon did it day in and day out.

"Hey, Devon," Morgan said, cutting through her thoughts as they walked to their next class. "I think we need to talk. You've been acting... really off today. Is everything okay? Seriously."

Morgan's eyes were serious, but not judgmental, and Devon—*Astral*—couldn't help but sigh. There was no way to lie, no easy way out of the situation. In Astral's body, the truth just slipped out without a second thought.

"I... I told you earlier, Morgan," Devon said, rubbing his temples. "I'm not really Astral. I'm Devon. We swapped bodies somehow. I don't know how, but we did."

Morgan's brow furrowed as she processed his words. "Wait, so... you're really Devon? But you're in Astral's body?"

Devon nodded. "Exactly. It sounds insane, but it's the truth."

Morgan crossed her arms, looking skeptical but also concerned. "Okay, okay. So, how does this work? How long do you think it'll last? Are you stuck like this forever? Because honestly, if this is a joke, it's a pretty weird one, and I'm not sure how to react."

"Trust me," Devon said, glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby to overhear. "I wish it was a joke. But it's real. And I don't know how long it'll last. We've been trying to figure out what happened, but... nothing's making sense."

Morgan chewed on her bottom lip, clearly deep in thought. "Okay, so if you're really Devon... How come you're not... I don't know, freaking out? You look pretty calm about this whole thing."

Devon sighed, rubbing his neck. "I guess I've just kind of accepted that I don't have much control over it right now. Freaking out won't help. And believe me, I've *tried* to act normal, but this body doesn't listen to me. I have no idea how Astral does it every day."

Morgan nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Alright, so you've been trying to act normal, but it's not working. That's... actually pretty funny to think about. Astral's normally the one acting all serious and perfect, but now she's stuck in your clumsy, human body."

"Exactly," Devon muttered, rolling his eyes. "She doesn't even know how to walk without tripping over things. It's... it's kind of frustrating."

"Poor Astral," Morgan said dryly, her lips curling into a grin. "She *is* going to have a hard time in your body. Not like you're all graceful either, but—"

"Hey!" Devon snapped, a little offended. "I'm not *that* clumsy."

Morgan just gave him a teasing smile. "Sure, sure. Anyway, what's the plan? How are we going to get your bodies back?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Devon replied. "I mean, Astral's been trying to find some way to reverse it with magic, but... nothing's working. And the worst part is, we can't even talk to anyone about it because no one would believe us."

Morgan sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I get it. You're stuck, and you can't even ask for help. But we'll figure something out. If anyone can help you, it's me."

Devon raised an eyebrow, grateful for her offer but still wary. "You're sure you can handle it? This whole... body swap thing?"

Morgan gave him a wry grin. "Well, I'm not exactly *normal* myself, so maybe this won't be as weird for me."

Devon couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a tiny bit of relief. "Thanks, Morgan. You're the best."

--

After School*

When the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Devon—still trapped in Astral's body—didn't know what to do next. He had expected to get some answers, but all he got was more questions. At this point, he wasn't sure if he was relieved to have made it through the school day or worried about how the rest of the week would go. He had to act like Astral, look like Astral, and *be* Astral... but it was hard. Very hard.

"Well, I guess I should probably head home," Devon muttered, trying to adjust the unfamiliar weight of Astral's hair. "Maybe we'll have more luck tomorrow."

"Yeah," Morgan agreed. "But seriously, if you need anything—any help—just let me know. I'll do whatever I can."

"Thanks," Devon said, giving her a small but grateful smile. He wasn't sure how he could possibly navigate this situation without her.

--

When he finally made it back to his—*Astral's*—room, he was exhausted. He flopped down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He needed a break, but there was no time to relax. The body swap had only just begun, and every second in this strange new body was a reminder of how little control he had.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to check the message.

It was from Astral. She had somehow figured out how to send him a text, even though she was still stuck in Devon's body.

"You okay?"*

Devon let out a sigh. Astral's body was in charge right now, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to keep things under control. He typed out a quick response.

"Yeah. Just trying to adjust. You?"*

A few seconds passed before Astral's reply came through.

"Same. This is so weird."*

"Tell me about it," Devon muttered under his breath, placing the phone on the bedside table.

--

The next day, the challenges of being in each other's bodies would only grow more complicated. Devon had already started to realize that life in Astral's world wasn't going to be as simple as he'd thought. He had no way to control Astral's magic, and no idea how to fix this.

And as much as he wanted to return to his old life, he had no choice but to keep moving forward.