High Rise Zodiacs

Chapter III: Forward, Oneiroi

Aquarius could hear the soft humming and felt a warm hand caress his hair.

"♪♫♬Forward cherubs hear us on...♪♫♬"

Was she singing? Aquarius thought her voice was beautiful. He didn't quite know who he was. Where he was. Nor who this woman was. Still, he felt a deep sense of comfort in her presence.

"♪♫♬A child's wishes calls us on...♪♫♬"

Though he didn't know who he was, he did feel a sense of...loss? As if he lost someone. Maybe himself.

"♪♫♬Descend...♪♫♬

He could finally gather enough strength to open his eyes.

"♪♫♬Descend...♪♫♬...oh!"

The woman notices that he was awake, and gives him a smile. "Are you okay? Your mask got really damaged and I had to pull you out of hibernation."

Mask? Oh, right.

That mask. It belonged to him. It was a part of him.

"What's your name?," the girl asks, not moving from her spot with his head on her lap.

They were both on the hallway floor with broken glass around them and a stench of blood around. Yet, the girl didn't look afraid. She had dark brown hair braided to her side and a comforting smile plastered on her face.

"...Aquarius...," he replied, as he picked up his mask and put it on to prevent the girl from seeing his face. He was embarrassed, for some reason.

"Well then, Aquarius, nice to meet you" she replied. "My name is Ophiuchus."

Ophiuchus. It was a strange name. But oddly fitting.

"You, Aquarius, are my angel," she told him, smiling. "And I am your God."

❝ ❞ ✧ ೃ༄

Somehow, Taurus managed to join the reconnaissance mission. But perhaps even more shocking, Aries went with them. When asked why, he just replied, "I'm bored."

Taurus was starting to doubt his leadership skills, but she was in no position to react. And as expected, Scorpio and Libra were arguing to no end. Most of the trip she'd just shut her brain off and drown out their voices. she found herself looking at the black tower most times. 

Taurus learned that Libra was their IT person. Though she stayed behind, she follows them around in a drone to scout the area in case of ambushes and gives instructions via earpiece.

She also met more of the survivors. A lot of them were just regular people, like her. There were a few children and an old lady with them back at the base.

"You two," Virgo snapped at Scorpio and Libra. "Shut up for a bit, I hear something."

Everyone went quiet. Taurus learned Virgo was their strongest ally, apparently she has a cloud which helps her fight.

Virgo looked at them with a serious expression, causing all of them to be on high alert. Enemies? A mask?

Taurus gripped the baseball bat she picked up, anxious. Before she was met with a snickering Virgo. "Pfft – haha – just kidding! You should have seen your faces!"

"Wtf Virgo! Not funny!," Scorpio berated the girl while Taurus sighed in relief.

"I wouldn't have pulled that prank if you two just kept it quiet you know."

The both of them continued to go back and forth in banter, while Taurus sat on the concrete roof. She could feel someone sit down next to her, Aries.

"Hey," Aries greeted.