The Great Beast (a zodiac book)

Grief stricken

Where am I? I only saw pitch blackness around me, the last thing I felt was searing pain in my abdomen. I looked down at my body and saw it was perfectly unscathed, impossible. I reached out a hand to see if I could feel anything.

"Looks like your time has come my dear...." A low voice said. I looked around for the body that carried the voice. "Who are you?" I asked. "Oh me? Nobody has asked me that before....they usually just accept it." He sighed.

I waited for his answer. "I am death but more commonly known by you mortals as the grim reaper." He whispered. "Wait so I'm dead?" I said with an astonished tone. "Duh, then why would I be called death." He scoffed. "No I can't die! I can't be dead!" I gasped.

"You already are dead, but I cannot collect your soul, you have....unfinished business." He rasped. "I do?..." I was slightly happy. "Yes you do, I wish I could reap your soul right now, I can taste the sweetness already." He appeared in front of her. He was young, definitely not the age she anticipated.

He had Raven black hair and was carrying a huge scythe over one shoulder. "Am I not what you expected?" He grinned. "I thought you would be a skeleton with a black hood or something." I blinked. "Ugh humans portray me as the stupidest things." He groaned.

"My actual name is Ophichus." He circled around me. "I'm Aquarius." I pointed to myself. "I know exactly who you are dear, I know all my clients by heart." He said in a charming voice. "What is my unfinished business?" I asked. "How should I know? I may be powerful but I can't read ones mind." He shrugged.

I thought for awhile until it hit me. "My promise!" I said loudly. "Shh, you're in utter darkness this place echoes." He said sharply. "Oh I recall now!" He waved his hand and a crystal ball appeared in his hands.

I leaned closer to look in it. "Promise me you'll come back alive." His voice echoed. I flinched at the thought of him right now, I had broken his promise. The scene in the ball changed, showing me on my knees and in the rain. "I'll avenge you!"

Ophichus crushed the ball to dust with his bare hands and scattered the sparkling dust around, they were immediately consumed by darkness. "So here is the deal, I haven't done this with anyone yet but I'm willing to give it a try." He looked deep into my eyes.

"You will go back to your world as a ghost, and you will fulfill those promises after that I get to reap your fresh soul and you'll be gone forever, or you can stay here forever in darkness." He shrugged.

I went over his deal and it seemed like I had no other choice but to accept. "I'll do it." I sighed. "How am I going to fulfill the come back alive promise?" I asked. "He never made you promise to stay or come back as yourself, all you have to do is make him aware you're there and then that task is done." Ophichus explained.

"When I return you to your world, I have no power over where you'll be, you could be across the world from him." He warned. "Guess I'll have to take that chance." I said quietly. He took his scythe and pointed the very top to my neck, the cold metal biting into my skin.

"The second you finish your unfinished business, your soul is mine, and if you take to long I'll set a time limit." He growled and licked his lips. "I haven't had a young soul in ages." He whispered. "How old are you?" I asked, taking a step back from the blade.

"I was born at the same time the world was created, I lost track a long time ago." He sighed. "Well, have fun." He grinned evilly and snapped his fingers.

Leo POV

She's gone, dead, never coming back. I felt lost and broken. I laid in my bed for who knows how long, mourning over her. The image of her body draining blood, turning her skin pale and eliminating any traces of life within her was burned into my brain.

I was exhausted, a few days must have past but it had felt like an hour. I had multiple people pounding on my locked door, I had no energy to get up and answer, nor did I even care. I smiled at the memory of me and her dancing as if we were a couple for years, and then me almost getting killed by an arrow, now that I think about it, I cherished that moment.

My face burned from all the salty tears I had shed, my knuckles bleeding from punching the wall over and over again, I just couldn't accept it, she was really gone? Just like that?

I sat up on the edge of my bed, hunched over, staring down at the clothes I never changed out of. I slowly walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, I still looked young and clean but the stubble was growing on my chin and my hair beginning to stick out everywhere. I took all my clothes off and stepped into the shower, not caring if it was scalding hot or freezing cold, I was numb to everything.

I soaked in the shower for a good thirty minutes, rinsing my hair out and watching the soap suds vortex into the drain. I took my towel and wiped myself dry and then wrapped the towel around my waist. I then proceeded to brush my teeth until I could get the bad taste out of my mouth.

I gulped as I picked up the razor, the memory flashed before my eyes, she forced me to look my best, it made me laugh quietly but then my laughs were mixed in with dry sobs.

I spread the shaving cream on my face, remembering her soft hands doing it instead. I took the razor and carefully slid it down my chin. I winced as it cut me slightly, the blood welled and then dripped onto the limestone counter. I worked around the bleeding cut and finished the rest of my face then rinsing everything off.

The cut had already stopped bleeding, why couldn't her bleeding stop as fast as this? I went to my armoire and picked out some casual clothes and threw them on. I was fresh and ready for another day of grief. My eyes suddenly fell on the clear vial that lay atop my nightstand.

I took a hard gulp and reached for it. I shouldn't be doing this, it was a bad idea. My mind told me no but my hand clutched it tightly. I popped open the vial and took a whiff of the enticing liquid. The smell itself instantly calmed me, much faster then alcohol, I wondered about the effects if I drank the whole thing.

I put my lips to the edge of the bottle and then tipped the vial up. I could feel the burning liquid slide down my throat and take effect instantly. I blinked and then saw Aquarius standing in front of me. "Miss me?" She said in a silky voice.

I smiled happily at her face and then when I closed my eyes again, she was gone. Even drugs couldn't help me, useless. I blinked slowly and the world seemed to slow. I felt myself break out into cold sweats. I grunted as I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and then yelled even louder as it progressed to my heart.

It felt like someone was stabbing me over and over again. I screamed for help, pounding came at my door. Why did I lock it? I'm such an idiot. I spasmed painfully on the floor as someone finally kicked the door open. Taurus gasped at the sight of me and yelled for Cancer who luckily was close by.

"He looks like he is having a heart attack!" Taurus lifted my head into his lap. He glanced at the vial on the ground next to me but said nothing. "We need to flush him!" She screamed.