Stardust Mountain: Origins

-Chapter 3 finished!-

Three years ago, a meteorite crashed onto the earth's surface. It was small, not much bigger than an average boulder, but it would have more consequences for the world than anyone could have imagined.

Though still unknown at the time, the impact caused a chemical to be released into the air, some even say it was a virus. They named it Stardust. It spread like a wildfire, but the strangest thing about it was that nobody seemed to be affected. That was, until the first Shift happened.

He was thirteen years of age. Barely, as he had turned thirteen that day. Then, in the middle of the night, he changed. Not just in age, but in shape. He became a fox.

After him, it started happening all around the world to children turning thirteen. Some Shifts were harmless. Dogs, smaller birds, rodents... Those were the most common. You also had horses, reptiles and bigger birds. These were still alright, but then came the dangerous ones. Uncontrollably, children shifted into lions, bears, wolves. They were rare, but dangerous.

It became known as the Stardust curse, something that caused children to gain the ability to shift into their spirit animal as soon as they turned thirteen. Not all of them though, but enough for the world to become afraid of their own kind. Now, three years later, the Dusted have become the hunted. Those unlucky enough to shift have been locked away. Deadly accurate personality tests can predict a child's spirit animal, and if dangerous enough, no one ever sees them again.

But those fortunate enough to be able to hide before their Shift survive can find a save place for them to live their lives in peace. Stardust Mountain, a town hidden away in the hills of England, a place were the Dusted can thrive without fear. This is our place, open for anyone who needs our help. This is how it all began.