Zodiac's Encounter

|PROLOGUE|

"Virgo! Take this."

Leo gave me a ring, a ring that is more important than his life because it came from his Mother. "What are you doing Leo? We don't have much time, we have to run now!"

"I know but-" We both stop and look outside the window. It took us seconds to stare at a blank space. We simply observed the entire surroundings. But it was so silent that all you could hear were the wind and the swinging trees. Nonetheless, we are aware that something is wrong.

I whispered. "He's here..."

"Virg-" A loud explosion surprised us.

After uttering a few words. A bomb just blew up the house including us. I was not sure if it was a normal bomb that humans use. What I just saw after was Leo trying to reach for my hand, but the explosion was so strong that it separated us.

I landed on the big rock and it hit the back of my head and spine so badly. I'm conscious but all I can feel is pain. It's torturing me. I can't hear anything, just a high pitch in my ear. I feel nauseous and my vision is blurry.

"Le-Leo!" I tried to shout his name.

The back of my head is bleeding, and it hurts. I can't walk properly and I think some of my bones are broken.

"Virgo! Virgo!" Someone is calling me, but it's not Leo.

"Taurus..."

Taurus and Sagittarius were monitoring our enemy at the top of the mountain, so they were not affected by the explosion. They probably saw our hideout falling to pieces so they came down immediately for us.

He touches my cheeks full of bruises and calls out my name so many times trying to make me stay awake, but I can't hear him well.

He's saying something...

"Vir... stay w..ith me... co...me on we h...ave to move."

"I can't hear you..."

I looked behind him and there, I saw a blurry appearance of Sagittarius, running towards us."Taurus, Leo sa...id we have to m...ove, before anoth...er explosion c...omes."

After hearing Sagittarius, I saw Taurus staring at something. I'm looking for Leo but I can't find him anywhere. "Sagittarius, you have to look for Leo. Hurry..."

Sagittarius bent down his knees and just caressed my head, despair is in his face.

I looked where Taurus was staring, and there I saw Leo. He can barely stand on his feet and there was blood in his shirt. His shoulders were bouncing up and down, Leo is having trouble breathing.

"Leo!" I called. I can't shout anymore, hurry... I don't have any strength left.

Sagittarius helped me to stand, I thought I could run to Leo, but before I made a step Taurus immediately carried me on his left shoulder. I was surprised by what he did and I wondered why. Why are we running without him? "What are you doing?! Put me down! Leo was there, he needs help!"

"I'm sorry..." He whispered.

"Taurus stop! Sagittarius, please! No... not again. I don't want anyone to die."

Before we even got too far, I heard Leo calling me. "Virgo! That ring, keep it until I see you again."

I slowly looked at my hand, and tears were sliding down my cheeks. I didn't expect that my heart was hurt more than my body. I'm wearing it? But how? I didn't even see him put it on me.

"I'm always here with you!"

"No! We have to run, please! Come with us!"

I saw his mouth move, what is it? What do you want to say?

Suddenly, Sagittarius hugged Taurus and me, so tight. We're about to teleport. When I looked up at the sky, another explosion was coming. A violet ball of fire was about to fall to where Leo is.

And Leo was... just staring at me with a sweet smile... It's the first and last smile that I saw on him...

"NOOOOO!!!"

-

"NOOOOO!!!" I woke up with tears in my eyes, soaking with my sweat. My dream made me get up on my bed...

Or is it really a dream?

On the door, I heard our wood floor creaking, Taurus was running so fast to my room. "Virgo? Are you okay?" He sat on the bed and gave me a towel to wipe my sweat and tears.

"I'm alright." I answered.

"Another nightmare?"

"A true nightmare." I rubbed my eyes with such brute strength, because I hate it.

"Enough." Taurus held my hands so tight to stop me. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Sorry."

"I prepared our breakfast, after eating we will start packing our things and move towards our goal."

"Yeah."

After hearing my response he immediately went down the stairs and left me.

I hate my eyes because I hate seeing things that I can't handle. It's a true nightmare, and nothing can stop it.

-

We traveled for hours and now we are here in a city.

The sky is extremely gloomy, like there's dueling going on above.

Dark clouds started to mask the whole sky, making the absence of sunlight as if it was hiding from people.

The rain is like a bucket of water pouring on us, pattering loudly against those windows, with a continuous rumbling of thunder. It sounds like someone is drumming loudly in the sky.

It appears like Heaven was giving people a hint that something bad was going to happen.

It was so cold, yet we had to walk. I don't know if this typhoon is bad for our trip or good because this way no one will recognize us.

The whole area was quiet and only the splash of water could be heard along with the strong blow of the wind that seemed to be pushing us, making it hard to move forward.

"You're cold Virgo?" Taurus asked me as his cape rested on my head so I wouldn't get too wet. We were both wearing capes but he still wrapped his own around me.

He's so selfless.

"Virgo?" He called again.

"I'm fine, it's alright." It's not the cold that's bothering me.

While walking on a quiet street I couldn't help but see random back flashes in this area, it's like I'm watching a movie at x2 speed. These made me nauseous. Harrowing memories suddenly reminisce in my head as if I went back to where it all happened and opened the wounds.

The wounds of our past.

Those mistakes that we made.

Is like a ghost tormenting us.

"Taurus." I called.

"What?"

"We're here."

After getting out of that hair-raising street, there was no more rain and the road was dry here. This place is so hot and the sun is visible in the sky. It's different that you may have thought we had a different destination.

People were also teeming up in this area, it's so rowdy. It was the opposite of what we had walked before.

"It's like we used a portal. Why is this place so different?" Taurus' asked.

"I don't know."

Who wouldn't be surprised? It's like we took a shower in a bathroom and it just stopped when we were done. The weather is split. It appears like Heaven made it up for us...

"What the hell is going on?" He asked again while observing the place.

"Maybe it's heaven's way of welcoming us." I said sarcastically.

"Well, thank you for the effort. I think I'm gonna be sick." He removed his cape above my head. He parted his bangs and gently tapped his forehead.

"There's no time for sulking. Let's go."

Because we are the only ones who are soaking wet on the road, it leaves a trail of water. We are also the center of attraction in this area.

Which I hate...

We stopped in front of a Hotel named, Avalanche. People coming out of the Hotel glance at us disgusted because of our attire and suspicious looks. Even the guards looked at us as if we didn't belong in this place.

"There is nothing new in the way they looked at us. I think they are considering us as criminals who have just been released from prison." After mumbling, he hides his irritation by chuckling.

While Taurus was chattering next to me, I sighted something bad with my vision. I looked down at the tile floor, and saw my amber eyes, glittering in the reflection.

"Taurus, one of the guards will approach us. Act normal." I warned him, I even pulled his cape down to give him a signal. After I forewarned Taurus, he immediately turned to the guard with a scowled face.

"Excuse me-" The guard said while approaching us but Taurus immediately cut him off in annoyance.

I even warned him...

"We're not that suspicious, we're humans." He steadily smiled sarcastically to the guard which made him more suspicious of him.

"We're fine. Sorry." I apologized. "I said act normal and we're indeed human." Taurus just shrugged at me, looking for a break in the flow of our conversation.

"Your ahm coats are soiling our floor." The guard said.

"We're deeply sorry, after getting our room we're gonna change immediately."

The guard made a distance from us but we knew that we were being watched. We get a room where we are supposed to meet and temporarily live after doing our job.

"This is the Hotel where we were supposed to meet up with the zodiacs. You already know them, don't you?" I handed Taurus a card. A card containing the address, room no. and date.

"How can I forget Virgo?"

"We're just gonna let them have the card. You'll go find Aries,"

"The hard one, I got it." He's being sarcastic. Taurus has been complaining to me for a while now.

"And I'll go find Aquarius."

After the discussion, we both turned our backs to each other, facing each different direction to go.

"Chase the water and I'm gonna chase the fire. Yeah, that's exciting."

"Come back alive, Taurus." I walk first and leave Taurus behind. I hadn't even gone far when I heard him shout my name.

"Virgo!" Taurus shouted, which made me stop walking. But I don't want to face him. "Take care and see you later!"

After hearing what he said, I just raised a thumb and started to stroll.

"Virgo! Shouldn't we change our clothes... first?" I heard him calling me again but I ignored it.

I may be cold as ice but still, I care a lot for Taurus. It's just that, it's not the time to care.

Virgo's POV :

This place is not far from the Hotel. My vision brings me here.

Even though I haven't entered the Hospital yet, I can already feel their eyes that are going to eat me. I hate attention and I hate those eyes.

Those eyes seem to tell me that I'm such an eyesore to them.

Taurus and I should have changed our clothes first. This kind of attire attracts people, in a bad way. I feel like we're living in the Medieval period.

I'm wearing a long black cape with a pattern of my own zodiac on my right pec.

But I was so excited to see her... that it won't bother me wearing this attire.

As much as possible, I really want to cover my eyes so I can't see them.

But this is the only way I can do for me to see you, for me to locate you, Aquarius.

I just bowed my head because of shame. While I was walking I bumped into a girl.

I wasn't looking at her but I saw the death of the girl I bumped into.

Car crash, 14:05 p.m.

I want to help her and I feel sorry for that child.

But helping people is not for this gift.

They may see me as weird and unfortunate, just what my family and my neighbors think of me.

And then abandoned me like I was nothing to them. Hurt me like I'm not a human, they never saw me as their child, their friend, a student, and a person who endured a lot of pain because of what they did.

And one more thing, this life of mine proves that at least once, I haven't saved a life using my ability.

So what's the use of this vision, if I've seen it all but still can't change it anymore?

Yet, I have to try.

"Hey, kid! Tell your Mom that a car crash will happen if she continues fighting with your Dad over little things." I warned the child that was eating her ice cream peacefully.

And all of a sudden her Mom came in between us like a lion. Her eyebrows collided. She must be thinking that I'm a kidnapper.

"What are you doing to my daughter?!" She asked furiously.

"This woman said that if you continue fighting with Daddy, a car crash will happen." The girl said to her mother like it was nothing.

I understand she's just a kid.

The mother looked at me with intense eye contact, raising her eyebrows at my face. She held her daughter so tight and before she left she didn't say anything to me but threw the girl's ice cream in my chest.

I can hear people around us whispering, mumbling about me. Those judgemental people suck.

Honestly, I would gladly accept hurtful words rather than throwing some ice cream at me.

But, never mind. Humanity is not as good as what they watched on the internet.

This is why Humanity will fall...

Today, my priority is to find Aquarius. I will not waste this opportunity.

I immediately removed my glasses and as I opened wide my amber eyes I saw everything in just a second. And found out that Aquarius may take the elevator to go to the 3rd floor.

I assume she will meet her mother and her comatose father there.

Aquarius' family is in dire straits now. They are neither rich nor poor but still, their savings and wages are not enough for their living expenses. Especially their Hospital bills.

Her father was comatose for a bitter reason.

Aquarius wanted to swim in one of the deepest parts of the sea. She also likes surfing. But unfortunately, there is a high tide. She didn't know about that because she was so young and still tried to swim. She was about to die from drowning but luckily her father saved her.

In return, her father was comatose.

And until this day, she's still blaming herself.

I entered the elevator where I saw Aquarius enter as well. I was surprised by the woman who was almost behind me when I entered the elevator. She takes the lead in choosing the floor number.

She noticed me after a few minutes, asking what floor I was going to.

It's her.

It's her deep blue eyes like an ocean, her long curly brunette hair like waves, and especially her smile that reminds me of her.

Aquarius.

"Miss, what floor are you going to? Hello?" She waved her hand to get my attention because I was just staring at her stupidly.

My vision starts to blur because of the impending tears. Luckily I was wearing glasses so it wasn't that obvious to her.

My knees were shaking from a mixture of sadness and joy.

I miss her so much.

My eyes were so teary seeing her alive like this.

"Aquarius..." I suddenly mentioned her name which surprised her.

"Ahm? Are you okay?"

"Same floor." I gave her a bitter smile. I had to restrain myself, my emotions. Aquarius might be more afraid of my actions.

"O-kay?" She looked away as if she was also hesitant to turn away from me out of nervousness.

I wouldn't be surprised if she feels a little agitated about me. I showed her some creepy first impressions, who wouldn't be nervous? I also called her Aquarius.

Calling her Aquarius again was very painful.

We were on the 3rd floor and she let me out first with a smile on her face. If there's one thing I'll never forget about Aquarius, it is her smile on me.

The first smile I received in this world that made me feel all the bitterness and anger, and made me feel alone.

But right now, that smile she was wearing was fake.

I stopped in front of her and looked at her slowly. And I'm right, she's also watching me.

She didn't even flinch or blink one eye. There's no sign of her showing that she's scared either.

She's just staring at me.

"I've been feeling something weird about you for a while now. Do you have some business with me?" Her smile is gone. It was replaced by seriousness.

I swear, Aquarius is very dangerous when she's mad. I will make this quick.

"You still haven't changed."

"Excuse me?"

I know what she thinks. She let me go out first in that elevator so that I could not follow her to her father's room and stay behind me to observe my actions.

Clever as always.

"I want to talk to you sincerely."

"You are now talking to me."

"And I want you to listen, Rebecca." I quickly replied.

She got a huge shock on her face for a second after hearing what I said. She's now clenching her fist looking at me fiercely.

"Who are you, and how did you know my name?" I saw her gulp, maybe because she was agitated.

"I know all about you Rebecca or Aquarius. Your life, your birthday, your personality, your gift-"

"Gift? Christmas is over! And why are you calling me Aquarius? Yeah, I'm an Aquarius but that's not my real name. What is wrong with you!?" She started to shout at me. Which makes people on the counter look at us.

"You feel it too, right? You feel some connections between us. Otherwise, you won't stop just to listen to what I have to say. You're curious."

Her frown deepened into a scowl, staring like she was studying me.

"Don't touch my family or I'm gonna kill you!" She warned me as she pointed her finger at my face.

"I won't."

"Are you one of those people who I have debts to pay?"

I'm the one who owes you, Aquarius. "Definitely not."

"Then, what do you want?" She asked.

"Just listen. Aquarius, the Water Bearer. The 11th Astrological sign in the Zodiac..." I gave her the card that I had been holding, which contained the address, where and what day we would meet her.

She even hesitated to take the card from me at first.

"I'm Virgo, the Maiden. The 6th Astrological sign in the Zodiac. If you're curious about who we are-"

"Who?! Who we are? I'm sorry, ARE?" She squinted her eyes, looking for an answer.

"Yes. ARE. Visit the place indicated on the card with the exact date written there."

I paused for a second and smiled slightly because of her reaction.

While she was reading the card I was watching her.

And too many painful memories have suddenly entered my mind.

I'm sorry Aquarius.

I let you die alone.

That day. If I was there.

"W-What is this fr-fraternity? And did you just call yourself Virgo?" She asked while waving the card.

"Go visit your father now. Until we meet again, Aquarius."

"How did you know..." I left her curious in her spot.

I turned myself back after saying goodbye to Aquarius. When I turned, I felt the tears on my cheeks dripping, tears that I had been holding back.

I wish I could spend more time with you, during our time.

Taurus' POV :

Why is Aries the one appointed to me out of the members that could be found?

I know we need her, but wouldn't it be better if she took care of Aries and not me?

Who am I to complain? I guess I have to do this whether I like it or not.

I just hope Aries won't kill me.

I've been hanging out here beside the street light pole for a couple of hours now, with the dirty ice cream vendor. I think we are now close to each other. We've been talking since I bought my first ice cream earlier from him.

I'm now in my 6th ice cream and I eat it every 20 minutes, what time will she come? Virgo didn't tell me the exact time.

In my 7th ice cream, I saw Aries' car, a Hyundai Starex plate number WUV 2119,

"Just like what Virgo said."

And a man came out of it. I think that's one of Aries' brothers.

As her brother entered the restaurant near their car, I said goodbye to the vendor and put on my hood so that the CCTV wouldn't see my face if there was one. I entered their car slowly. Virgo said, her brother leaves the door next to the driver's seat open.

Then that's my only way in.

"Nathan, you're so fast..." She stopped talking after seeing me.

Her black hair was still short, reaching only to her shoulders and as usual she was wearing white long sleeves.

The moment I entered their car, no one bothered to move even a little bit. She's shocked, I'm shocked, we're both shocked.

And fuck!

She's damn intimidating. Just looking at her scarlet phoenix eyes is like staring at my own coffin!

I can't even look at her straight. She's scary and she's so close!

"Who are you?" She asked, that made me gulp.

I immediately locked the door so if her brother was already outside of the car he couldn't enter. Luckily the windows are tinted.

I only need 10 minutes to speak, that's enough. While thinking about her brother, I heard some rustling noise inside the car and I felt her slight movement. Aries didn't know me yet, so she's gonna kill me. I need to-

I stopped thinking when she forcefully pointed her right hand with a sharp pencil closer to my damn eyes.

Where did she get that anyway?

With brute force, I hit Aries' hand with my left elbow to make her drop the pencil.

She let go of the pencil but she was still trying to push her fist toward my face, Aries was trying to win against me. This feels like we're doing arm wrestling. She looked so frustrated when it didn't hit me. Annoyance was evident in her furrowed brows.

She followed it with her left fist which I immediately grabbed with my right hand to stop it, and we're now awkwardly facing each other.

We both locked our hands, stopping each other's fists. But I think she'll not be satisfied as long as I'm alive.

Aries even raised her foot and intended to kick me on my lower part.

Not that, that's men's weakness!

Thankfully, I managed to block her kick with my thigh.

"Seriously, huh?" I asked her while catching some breath of mine because she looks like she was fired up to kill me.

"I will ask you one more time, there's no third for you so you better answer my question or get out of my car before I turn you into a cold corpse."

I'm starting to lose my strength. She's so strong. It's just her hands but I think I'm losing to her.

"Who are you!?" I heard her clenching her teeth like a lion ready to kill its prey. Due to our strong movements and forces, the car sways spontaneously.

If I'm the one watching the car sway from the outside, I might get the wrong idea...

"This is what I hate about you, you're so hot-headed. Oh, come on!" I yelled.

If you're this strong, then why do you have to die?

"Aries, just listen to... me!" I never knew she was this strong. Making her mad is not good. "Please, I have no intention of harming or robbing you. All I need is for you to listen to me!"

I could see that she was shocked because of the rapid widening of her eyes, at what I said. But that's not enough to convince her.

Slowly, I did not expect the loss of her strength in my elbow and hand. She stopped pushing her hands, which means...

"Fine, I'll listen. But make it quick."

She lowered her hand and foot slowly and looked me in the eyes. Aries still doesn't trust me. I also noticed that her eyes were getting redder. Scary!

"That was good tha- agh! What was that for?" She just punched me in my belly! Is she testing me?

"I thought you were going to fight, in that case, I'll kil-" She cut herself all of a sudden. "What's this electric shock in my body?" She mumbled, but I managed to understand.

"You, what?"

"You didn't answer any of my questions, why would I answer yours?" She rested herself on the car door behind her, while crossing her arms.

"Maybe... I should shut up." I said sarcastically while nodding.

"So who the hell are you? And why the hell are you here inside my car?" Her eyebrows are like mountains raising to me. But thank God, she's now calmed.

"First of all stop saying hell." That literally fits your personality and your gift. "I'm Taurus, the Bull. The 2nd Astrological sign in the Zodiac."

"What the hell-" I put my index finger on her lips so she wouldn't say anything and cut me off.

She said make it quick though.

"Listen to me first, you are Aries. Aries, the Ram. The 1st Astrological sign in the Zodiac."

"You are so-"

"Here's the card. Hold it." I held her hand to give her the card Virgo gave me.

It's funny how her reaction is so priceless! Her mouth was agape and I could see the doubt in her broad eyes.

I didn't expect that we would ever have a proper conversation. What happened a while ago is much better than what I expected.

"What will I-" I didn't give her time to talk until I'm done speaking.

"If you're that curious about us, then I suggest you go to the place indicated on the card with the exact date written there. That's all."

"What is this? I mean Zodiac. Who's going to believe such a thing? Are you an idiot? Is this a joke? Are you kidding me?" Aries asked too many questions.

She laughed even louder and hit me on the shoulder. Maybe she forgot that she almost killed me earlier.

"If you need money then just tell me I can lend you some. Don't be shy!" She said jokingly.

"Aries. This is not a joke."

She laughed louder and louder as if there was no tomorrow. Well I guess, it's okay that she's laughing sometimes since I never saw her laugh like this before. But this isn't funny.

Now she's making me annoyed.

"Aries!" I just shouted at her and that made her stop laughing, going back to her humorless face.

"Are you ser-"

"YES."

"You risked your life just for this?"

"For the second time, YES."

"That is all you're going to say? And I just have to go to this place and it's the day?"

"YES."

She looked at the card again and at that moment, I knew. I knew that her laugh was fake.

I know that she already has an idea about ​​what I am trying to say. She just doesn't want to believe all of this. If she didn't believe me, why wasn't she surprised or angry when I called her by the name Aries.

After all, her family belongs to the clan of Haruki. I heard that her clan was one of the followers of the sun.

I don't get it though.

Maybe her clan also has histories of this. Aries is a half-Japanese and the heir of their clan that's why she's being pressured by her own family. She's rich and you may think that she has everything.

But I doubt that.

No matter how rich you are, there are things that money still can't buy.

Friends? Love? Freedom?