Ethereal Love: Hidden in the Stars || FreenBecky [Completed]

Chapter 23: Unclear Realities

"Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish to be." - Jack Welch

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"I'm sorry, I fetched Mr. Kugimiya from the office," Seng greeted me with a smile, though his eyes lingered on the intertwined hands of Freen and me. "Are you two okay now?" he asked, flashing a bittersweet smile.

"I should be the one asking you that. How's your injury?" I inquired, settling into a more comfortable position.

Freen assisted me, and I mouthed a silent "thank you" to her as she returned to her seat beside my bed.

"Thanks to your blood, I'm feeling much better now," Seng smiled, his eyes sparkling mischievously, eliciting a chuckle from me. "Anyway, Mother told Mr. Kugimiya something, which is why he couldn't speak until now," Seng pointed out the lab expert, still lost in thought.

Freen, Seng, and I chuckled as Mr. Kugimiya suddenly glanced at us and straightened his posture.

"The headmistress asked me to evaluate all 24,000 students to see if any of them possessed the power to control the serpent as an Ophiuchus would. If I failed to find one, she threatened to kill me," Mr. Kugimiya explained.

"Wait, is there really no other solution?" Freen asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"That's not the point. I'm just wondering how an Ophiuchus like me would be killed by an Aries. Seriously? It hurts my pride," Mr. Kugimiya shook his head and retreated to his office.

We all burst into laughter at his words. He didn't seem bothered if he couldn't find the Ophiuchus, especially since he already knew who it was.

"Don't worry, Becky. Mr. Kugimiya can be trusted," Seng reassured me, patting my shoulder. He quickly withdrew his hand as his gaze shifted towards Freen.

Freen's golden eyes returned, and I reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze and motioning for her to calm down. She was fiercely protective.

"By the way, my mother excluded you from the re-evaluation. I don't know what she's planning, but I'm afraid she already knows your zodiac sign," Seng mentioned, sighing heavily. "I'll go back to her office to search for some clues."

"No," I stopped him. "It's too dangerous. Let Mr. Kugimiya handle the situation first. When your mother makes a move to kill him, that's when we'll reveal who I truly am."

"You're planning to reveal your true self?" Freen asked in disbelief. "No, I won't let you. If someone discovers that you're an Ophiuchus, you won't be safe anywhere!"

"When did being an Ophiuchus become synonymous with being evil?" I retorted irritably. "I've heard all the stories, but no Ophiuchus has ever killed anyone. I've heard about Pisces killing your family, and you killing students, but..." I trailed off, realizing I had touched on a sensitive subject.

"Go on, it's true anyway," Freen forced a bitter smile and took a step back. "I'm listening."

"I'm sorry," I apologized sincerely. "It's just that I can't comprehend why zodiacs like mine can't live freely. We're not here to destroy the universe."

"Because an Ophiuchus once tried," Seng intervened. "There was a prophecy years ago that an Ophiuchus would kill all the other zodiac signs. This person would possess the abilities of every zodiac sign and eliminate every leader. However, she didn't succeed because she wasn't the person described in the prophecy."

"Who was it?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

Seng shook his head. "It happened years ago, and many have tried but failed. When the Ophiuchus individuals laid low, the government eradicated every last one of them. Some pretended to be weak, like the Sagittarius group, but they were all eliminated."

"And they call themselves human?" I remarked, my voice filled with disbelief.

"We understand where you're coming from, Becky. However, we can't blame others. Even though the prophecy was from years ago and no one has succeeded, we can't ignore the fact that it might happen in the future," Seng explained, his head bowed.

"My parents were an Ophiuchus and a Cetus, and I asked the same question. What did an Ophiuchus do to deserve such treatment? But when I heard Mr. Kugimiya's story, I realized that some Ophiuchus individuals had malicious intentions. They would manipulate others to kill on their behalf, ensuring they remained unsuspected," Freen said, averting her gaze as she fought back tears.

I turned to Seng and noticed that he was no longer wearing the necklace. He had it on before he left the lab. "Where's your necklace?" I inquired.

"You mean our couple necklace?" Seng asked.

Freen swiftly moved beside Seng and yanked his hair forcefully, causing him to groan in discomfort.

"Wait, let me find it. Let go of me!" Seng removed Freen's hand from his hair and pouted at her, as if sulking. "I think it's in my pocket."

"I saw it before you left," I said.

"Really? I didn't know where it went," Seng replied, searching his pockets in vain.

"Wait, is that necklace somehow connected to Becky's energy and abilities?" Freen asked, her voice filled with concern. "Remove it!" Freen grabbed the necklace around my neck and immediately took flight.

"Freen!" I shouted.

"Freen can't handle the energy you're emanating. That's why you wear that necklace. Once it's removed, she can't come near you," Seng explained.

"But why did she remove it?" I questioned.

"If the other half of the necklace falls into the wrong hands, they could harness your power for something terrible," Seng revealed.

"Then you're the one who released the serpent in the arena?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

"I'll explain later. Right now, I need to help Freen and retrieve the necklace," Seng replied hurriedly before darting off.

What is happening? Why is everything so unclear?