That next morning, Gemini was dismayed to know that she had to don her battle suit again. She wondered if Hecate was going to element train them every day until they understood. It would benefit them, yes, but it would bore Gemini before any progress would be made.
Quickly changing, she yawned and teleported to the kitchen. Sag, Aquarius, and Leo were already there, talking and discussing their powers. Aquarius, his battle suit on and his hair pulled back into a low ponytail, told Leo, "It's not the easiest to control, but I can manage." His eyes landed on Gem when he said, "Good morning, Gemini! Did you rest well?"
"Y-yeah!" Gem mentally punched herself for stuttering. She heard Aqua's mental laugh and couldn't stop her cheeks from feeling warm. "You?"
"I got enough rest." He shrugged his small shoulders. "I was just telling Leo about how our minds work. I don't even know the full extent of our limits, but I'm sure Hecate can show us."
"That's so cool!" Sag said. She sat on the counter and Leo leaned next to her. Gem was really fond of her red eyes. "I wish I could read minds. Sounds fun!"
Gemini had to admit. Being psychic had its perks. She could read minds, teleport, use telekinesis, and probably more. The possibilities started to swarm in, and Aqua gladly merged his mind with hers, sharing a quick mental discussion.
"I wouldn't like it," Leo idly commented. "People need their privacy, you know?" Gem liked his new eyes too, and his overall feline demeanor.
"That's understandable." Aqua agreed. Even as he talked to others, his mental exchange with Gem never faltered. There's so much control... "We aren't easy to trust anymore, I get that. But, we're all on the same side. Your life is just as important as mine, and I'm going to do what I can to protect us all."
Gem agreed, wanting to try concentrating on their conversations while talking. "...yeah!" Shit. She heard Aqua's amusement as she said, "We're still your friends, Leo. That'll never change-"
The doorbell ringing interrupted her. We have a doorbell? Gem thought.
Apparently so. Aqua answered. "Who's at the door?" Leo asked, his black, furry ear flicking.
"Let's go see!" Sag said. In a instant, she zipped to the front of the house, nearly running into a groggy Taurus. Gem and Aqua teleported to her, and Leo was at the door last.
With an exaggerated gesture, Sag opened to reveal the door to Philander Xenakis. He was a splitting image of his son, with his messy hair and bright brown eyes. With the backpack and baggy clothes, he looked closer to a homeless traveler. His mind, to Gem's surprise, was hidden behind a strong, mental wall.
"Dad!" Aqua exclaimed and hugged his father. Sag and Leo were instantly excited to see Mr. Phil too. "How... did you find this place? How did you know I was even here?"
Mr. Phil chuckled and hugged him back. "Always so many questions," He breathed, letting himself inside. "I'm here to help Hecate, and it was pretty easy to find you guys. The 12 of you are all together, so Mythical energy is through the roof."
"What...?" Sag asked, floating up. "Mythical energy? What the hell is that?"
"You'll learn soon enough." Phil simply said. "Any of you know where Hecate is?"
"Outside." Leo said. "How do you know-"
"That she's a goddess and not just some fortune teller?" Phil raised an eyebrow. Leo's jaw dropped. "There's a lot that I know. And everyone's questions will be answered soon. Come on, I think it's time for your training to start."
The four Signs were speechless. Aquarius especially, considering his mind was racing a mile a minute. Gem was barely able to keep up. They wasted no time making their way outside.
The others were already in the Field, naturally split into different groups. Phil was making his way to Hecate, who was with Virgo and Capricorn. Everyone else was idly hanging out, or fighting each other in Aries and Scorpio's case. Sag dragged Leo off to the crowd, already finding interest in something else.
Aquarius. Hecate's voice rang through Gem's head, making her flinch. Aqua's eyes widened as he stiffened. Gem knew he heard it, too. Gemini. Come over to meet with the rest of us so your training can commence.
They glanced at one another before teleporting again. Virgo smiled at them, Capricorn was lost in thought. Both of them wore their dark green arm bands and Cap's black tattoos swirled up his arm. Gem didn't want to admit it, but Capricorn was beyond attractive now. At her thought, Cap glanced at her and coughed to cover up a blush.
"Is everyone ready?" Phil asked, dropping his backpack and taking out four apples. He stood back up and dusted off his hands.
A mental affirmation filled Gemini's mind. Yes!
"Great!" Phil clapped his hands. "Hecate, take it away."
"Thank you, Philander." Hecate bowed to him before turning back to the young Signs. "The four of you have psychic powers, as I'm sure you've noticed." Gemini nodded eagerly, already understanding the basics. She smiled at Aquarius, who smirked back. His purple eye was so captivating, Gemini forced herself to look back at Hecate. "Hopefully, you all have already established a connection among yourselves."
Gem nodded again, ready to get the lesson started. Waiting, like many other things that required focus, was not her forte. "We have, Hecate!" She huffed. "What will we do first? Telekinesis? Teleportation? How about mind breaking? Oh, I know! We could-"
Hecate simply raised a hand. "Mastery of all of those abilities will come with much time and much concentration."
"Today," Phil said. "We will be conducting a simple observation test."
At the words, Aqua, beamed, immediately getting almost as ecstatic as Gemini. "A test?!" He exclaimed, letting himself float, too. "What kind of test?"
"The Apple Test." Hecate gestured to the pile of apples. They floated up effortlessly in front of her. "This will tell me all I need about your individual strengths, and how to proceed with training you in the future."
Gem heard doubts and apprehension from Capricorn's mind. He hasn't said anything yet, but Gem knew him to be a man of few words. Hecate answered to his concern with, "I have eyes in ways you don't understand yet. Don't worry, this is all I will need."
The apples drifted to the ground, one in front of each of the novice psychics. Gemini's mind scattered into infinite possibilities on what she could do with the apple before her. Aqua shared his own inquiries, their ideas merging and bouncing off of each other like a fun game of catch.
"With telekinesis," Hecate continued to explain. "You will raise the apple as straight as you can, and move it five feet away from you. Simple enough, right?"
"That's it?" Aqua asked, tilting his head. "You'll be able to derive our psychic strengths and weaknesses with just that?"
"All that and more." Phil said, a smirk pulling at his lips. "There's a lot being put into moving the apple. You'd be surprised, Aquarius. That is, if you can do it."
Gem scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Easy!" She said. "It's not gonna be any trouble at all." Aqua's mental amusement rang in Gem's mind, making her smile.
"Good." Hecate smiled. She twirled her finger and four, bright yellow spots appeared on the grass some distance from the Signs. "Land the apple in the center of the circle as best as you can, in any way you wish. Begin!"
All four of the Signs nodded, and Aqua and Gemini landed. Gem noticed that Aqua raised his mental barriers again. She asked him why, and he replied, This is a test. No cheating.
Gem couldn't help but roll her eyes. He's right, this is a test. I have to do this in my own way. With telekinesis, the apple floated up to Gemini's chest. It wobbled a bit, but she didn't mind.
All I have to do is get it from point A to point B. Simple, simple, simple!
Putting some force into her telekinetic movement, Gemini's apple rocketed towards the bright yellow spot, landing slightly off-center. The apple buried itself in the ground. "Ta-da!" She cheered, floating up. Her three friends all smiled at her, sharing their mental congratulations.
"Well done, Gemini." Hecate approved. She didn't say anything else aloud, but mentally, she added, I knew your strengths and weaknesses would be the easiest to determine. Observe the rest.
Gem didn't have the slightest idea on if that was a compliment or insult, so she just sent a mental affirmation and gladly watch Aquarius. Both of his eyes were focused on his apple. With his mind still cut off from her, she could only imagine what he'd do. Probably something flashy.
A rather loud squish interrupted Gemini's - and everyone else's concentration. She looked past Aqua to see a frantic Capricorn, with a crushed apple floating in front of him. Its mush dropped to the grass instantly.
Gem landed to the ground. Cap was doing his best to show that he wasn't freaking out, but his thoughts were clear as day to the Signs. Shit, Shit... how did I fuck it up that badly? No one else destroyed theirs... oh, fuck everyone's watching....
Aqua, Virgo, and Gem all exchanged glances. Hecate and Phil gave each other their own. Slowly, Hecate called Cap's name. "Capricorn."
"Yes ma'am?" Cap's voice cracked. Gem wanted to go over there and hug him. He looked pale, wide-eyed, shaking like crazy, like a frightened child. Just like at graduation...
Cap sent her a warning glare before Hecate said, "That will do, Capricorn."
"Wait, are you sure?" Cap asked, swallowing. Virgo gave him a worried expression before rubbing his shoulder. "I didn't mean to smash it-"
"Yes, I am quite sure."
"You didn't fail, bud." Phil added gently. "We just got your result. Aqua, Virgo, you two can keep going."
All of the Signs could hear Cap's disappointment and frustration. It only made Gem feel worse, knowing exactly how poorly he handled failure.
He'll be fine, Gem. Aqua mentally relayed to her. Her attention was back onto the tallest of the psychics. His apple was still floating in front of him, but, unlike before, the fruit was vibrating.
What are you up to, Aquarius? Gemini's curiosity was palpable.
Observe! He thrust his hand forward and the apple disappeared with a quick flash. Gem had to squint before another blinding flash revealed the apple lodged in a tree fifteen feet away. It looked mushed and burnt and wasn't anywhere near the yellow target on the ground.
Shit... Aqua's knees shook, and Cap had to grab him before he fell to the ground. That took a lot more out of me than I expected...
Are you okay? Gem asked him.
Couldn't be better. He gave her a weak smile before Cap sat him on the grass. Gem didn't want to think that he lied to her, but he was panting, sweaty, and his pupils were dilated. Cap and Gem gave each other a worried glance, but both were smart enough to not mention anything.
Hecate and Phil were quiet the whole time. The goddess was glaring at him as Phil stared at his son's work. "Aqua..." He started slowly. "What you did was very dangerous. You knew that, right?"
Aqua sighed. Gem knew he was expecting a rain of compliments and not warnings and scoldings. It took him a moment to respond with, "I was aware... of the risks."
Clearly, Hecate invaded all of their minds. Aqua stiffened. You weren't aware enough. Until you truly know your limits, I suggest you don't attempt that again. You put the entire Cycle in jeopardy with your stunt.
"What did he do?" Cap asked aloud.
"Simple." Aqua huffed. His tone was colder than a blizzard. "I transferred my psychic energy to the apple and made it teleport. Again, I am fully aware of what I did. I knew the risk."
"You still overestimated yourself," Hecate countered out loud. "Look at yourself, you can't even stand." She sighed, looking back at his work.
"What you did was impressive." Phil intervened. "Dangerous, but impressive. After some practice, you can try it again. Hold off on it for now though, for your safety."
At that, Aqua smiled. Gem felt him close his mind off to everyone but her when he said, Of course, I should have expected that response. I did push it...
I think you did a good job! Gem encouraged him. Your apple went way farther than mine. Be proud.
Aqua looked at her, his royal purple eye gleaming with comfort. Thank you, Gemini.
Gem hoped her cheeks didn't look as red as they felt. You're welcome!
"Done!" Virgo suddenly shouted. Gem had completely forgotten about her. All eyes were on her and her apple, perfectly in the yellow circle. "I'm sorry I took so long..." She trailed off and looked up at Cap. Gem could tell they were having their own private exchange.
"You took your time," Phil smiled at her. Virgo pushed up her glasses and smiled back. "And you got the results. Good job, Virgo."
"I don't expect anything less." Hecate added. From her peripheral, Gem noticed Aqua was fighting back a scowl. "Now, all of you have give Philander and I plenty to work with. Gemini, since you finished first, we'll start with you."
"Wait, hold on," Gem interrupted. "You're going to tell everyone how we messed up?"
"Hey, you all did a good job, too." Phil said warmly. "But all of you made novice mistakes. Novice mistakes all of you need to be aware of."
"Philander is right." Hecate picked up for him. "That's why you all need to know how your minds work. It's the only way all of you can help each other. Now," In an instant, Hecate appeared in front of Gemini. Gem had to look up at the tall woman. "Gemini. Out of everyone, you are easily the most quick-minded. Speed is your natural talent. However, that makes your attacks weakest."
Before Gem could even process what the goddess said, she already moved on to Cap. "Capricorn, your telepathic strength is... profound. Much more so than Philander and I anticipated. But, your lack of control is apparent..." Cap swallowed. "It's nothing you can't improve on. You're a diligent worker, so I have my faith in you."
He didn't smile - Gem didn't think he could at the moment. I'll cheer him up afterward.
"Aquarius!" Hecate continued on, taking graceful steps to stand in front of the tallest psychic. "You have proven to be the most creative and ranged. That is a powerful asset, but a dangerous one. We will work on being more careful in the upcoming future."
"I look forward to it." Aqua replied dryly. Cap and Gem both looked at him with surprise. Phil glared at him, but if Aqua noticed, he didn't show it. He didn't flinch at Hecate's glare, either.
"Finally, my Virgo." Virgo smiled at her mother as she backed down, sauntering off to her daughter. "You clearly expressed the most refined precision. Although you were slow, you were the most accurate. I couldn't be more proud."
Obviously, Virgo was flustered. Cap smiled at her, and Gem could tell that eased her. "Thanks mom." She said.
Mentally, Aqua was fuming. He dramatically rolled his eyes. Of course you're proud of her... Cap gave him a warning glare and Aqua simply ignored it. That happened often between the two, Cap pleading Aqua not to do something stupid and/or embarrassing, and Aquarius doing it anyway.
Gem touched his bare arm, telling him, Maybe they had some private conversation. It's normal for a mother to praise her daughter.
Yeah, right... it's favoritism. Not even you can change my mind about that.
At least-
A loud snap pierced the air. Everyone went silent. Not even a second after, a crash was heard. The Signs looked back to find their friends, but were too far away to see anything.
"By the Gods..." Hecate mumbled. "I can't even leave them alone for half an hour."
Phil chuckled. "That's the Zodiac for you." He said, getting up. "At least no one's dead. Come on, guys. Let's go meet up with the others."
Gem wasted no time teleporting to her friends. She landed near Cancer, Libra, Leo (who was snickering) and Taurus (who was letting Pisces sit in his lap). Sag was floating in front of them, laughing loudly with a golden bow in her hand. "I told you to not underestimate the lightning, bitch!" She yelled.
A distance away, Aries was flying over a smoking lump on the ground. "I think you knocked him out." He yelled back.
"Good! That's what he gets for talking shit!"
Using process of elimination, the lump had to be Scorpio. "What happened...?" Gemini asked as the rest of the psychics appeared with Hecate and Phil.
Cancer's eyes were trained on the lump. Leo was too busy laughing, so Libra answered. "Scorpio was being an asshole, so Sag shot him with her cool new bow."
"Fucker got what he deserved!" Leo managed to say before holding his sides and laughing again. His tail wagged rapidly with him.
"Is he okay?" Gem asked but Scorpio answered for her.
He slowly got on his hands, coughing out dark blood. Wiping his mouth, he staggered to his feet and his glare towards Sag made Gem feel cold and small.
"Oh, he's mad." Pisces idly commented. She didn't sound afraid, but she squeezed her small body closer to Taurus, who stroked her braids.
"You are so fucking lucky Aries likes you." Scorpio snarled.
Sag didn't even flinch at his tone. "Oh yeah? You scared of Aries now? What a pussy!"
Scorpio's eye twitched. Aries was grinning like an idiot beside him. "I'm not afraid of shit. I just don't feel like fighting him right now."
"Sounds like an excuse to me."
"Fine." Scorpio flicked his wrist and a silver scythe appeared in his hands. Gem's jaw dropped. She heard Hecate gasp. "I'll take both of you on. I'd be happy to blow off some steam on your asses."
"Bring it on, bitch!" Aries pounded his fists together, making golden gauntlets appear on his hands.
Where the hell did they get those? Aqua mentally asked her. Gem couldn't answer, for she had no idea. She didn't want to force her way into their memories to find out, not without their permission. It was wrong to pry, plus Aries and Sag were some of her closest friends. Breaking their trust would be practically fatal.
"Enough." Hecate raised her voice, silencing everyone. Scorpio still bared his sharp teeth at Sag, who blew a raspberry back at him. "When did you learn to summon your Sacred Weapons?"
"Last night." Scorpio answered, sighing and shrugging. His scythe glinted in the sunlight. Gem couldn't take her eyes off of it. "It just came to us."
"There's a reason why I didn't tell you about Sacred Weapons." Hecate countered, teleporting in front of Sag. She flinched and floated back to the ground, gripping her bow like it was her child. "None of you are ready to wield them. A lot of you barely have control of your elemental powers. Until you can prove to me you've matured with your abilities, I advise you not to summon them until further notice. Am I clear, Zodiac?"
For a second too long, no one said anything. Again, Pisces was the one to calmly speak up. "Yes ma'am." She said, essentially speaking for everyone. Aries whined, but his gauntlets disappeared. Scorpio made his own weapon disappear without complaint. Sag was last, still clutching her bow tightly.
"Sagittarius." Hecate's voice dropped as her eyes glowed. "Release your bow. Using it now will only further make it a crutch. Unless you know how to summon fire on your own?"
"No, I don't." Sag mumbled.
"Then release your bow." The golden weapon disappeared from Sag's hands. She didn't meet Hecate's gaze or see her pleased smile. "Thank you. Alright, Zodiac, we can stop for today. There has been enough excitement, and I think we all need some rest. Tomorrow, we'll start again. Taurus, do you mind making us lunch?"
"Not at all." It was the first think Gem heard Taurus say that morning. He got up - still holding Pisces - and made his way back into the house.
Everyone else filed back in, talking amongst themselves in an effort to ease the tension. It mostly worked, but Gem noticed Aries was standing in front of Sag now, a big hand on her tiny shoulder. They didn't say anything, and Aries walked off. He passed Gem silently, his eyes toward the grass. She had never seen Aries so sad before.
Instantly, Gem teleported to her friend. She was going to blurt out something, anything to get Sag to smile. But, seeing Sagittarius with her hair over her burning eyes, made Gem stop and think before she said, "Hey, Sag? I thought your bow was pretty cool."
"You did?" Sag asked, not looking up.
"Hell yeah!" Gem encouraged, floating around her friend. "Oh man, I wish I could have seen it, I heard the crack all the way on the other side of the Field! You probably looked so cool holding it, too! I sure hope I get mine soon... and I hope it'll be as cool as yours."
Sag smiled, suddenly giving Gemini a hug. Eagerly, Gem hugged back. "Thanks, Gem." Sag whispered. "I needed that."
"Sure thing, pal!" Gem squeaked, teleporting out of her friend's strong grip. "Besides, I wouldn't think of your bow as a crutch. Think of it as a... hint!"
"A hint?"
"Yep!" Gem could tell the wheels were turning in Sag's mind as she smirked, floating up, too. "That bow could be the key to unlocking your elemental power! You've just gotta think!"
"Gemini Effigy, you are a genius!"
Gem huffed, putting her hands on her hips with pride. "I do what I can." She grabbed Sag's hand, pulling her toward the house. "Come on, Taurus is making grilled cheese!"
***
I'm telling you, Capricorn, Aqua mentally messaged him. Cap sat on his bed, listening without looking at his friend. Hecate is playing favorites and getting on my nerves.
That doesn't mean you sit there and start a rebellion. Cap argued, rubbing his marked arm. He refused to look up and meet Aquarius's glare. Aqua, we need her. She's the only one who can show us who we were. You piss her off, what the fuck are we going to do?
I could have done a lot worse. Aqua started to pace again. What Aquarius did, to Cap, was already disrespectful enough. At dinner, Aqua used telekinesis to nearly throw his plate into the sink - breaking it in the process. He never took his eyes off of Hecate. A whole hell of a lot worse with my recklessness. Maybe I should be calm and perfect like Virgo, then there clearly wouldn't be a problem.
And, as always, Cap had to do damage control. After dinner, he went to Aqua's room to check on him, mainly so the oldest Sign wouldn't do anything else drastic. Sometimes, Cap couldn't help but wonder who was the oldest, or youngest of the Signs.
Aqua... Cap tried his third argument that night. It's not Virgo's fault-
I'm not saying it is. Aqua's mental presence was so sharp and biting, it almost hurt Cap to listen. I'm just... frustrated. It's like we can't win with her. On top of the fact that she doesn't allow for any deviation from what she teaches. We're adults, we can learn on our own.
It was the first day, Cap calmly argued. Tomorrow will be better, I promise. Besides, she's literally the magic goddess. If she says we aren't ready for something we probably aren't.
You have hope, that's funny. It was a little funny. Cap was usually the bitter cynic and Aqua was the idiotic optimist. Their roles being reversed now made Cap feel odd. But this is how it'll be. We're always going to be forced to do what she wants, exactly. But why doesn't she like me? Is it because I'm-
Their connection was severed instantly, making Cap wince. "Aqua?" He asked out loud. "What happened? That hurt..."
"Sorry." Aqua cleared his throat. Cap finally looked up to see that Aqua was looking at himself in the mirror. His eyes were cast down and some of his hair fell over his left eye. Cap had no idea why Aqua was heterochromatic now, but he didn't care to know either. "I didn't mean to break off like that."
"Why did you?"
"To protect myself." Aqua sighed. "I have my own secrets that I'd prefer to keep to myself for right now. I know you understand."
"I do." Cap smiled, but it was hard and knowing. "We all have secrets. Everyone." Cap knew Aqua would know what he was talking about. "Sometimes it's best to not pry."
Aqua let out a breathless laugh. "Trusting Scorpio is going to get us all killed. Mainly you, though."
"He's not-" Cap stopped himself, knowing it wasn't worth it. Aqua was just as - if not more so - stubborn as Taurus. "Forget it. You don't know him."
"I know him enough. He's the biggest asshole in the world, and I'll tear him apart."
For some reason, hearing Aqua say something that malicious made Cap's skin crawl. He could handle Scorpio's destructive banters on how he wanted to crush Leo, but there was an unsettling weight to Aqua's words. That was no threat. That was a promise.
A knock on the door and a new mental presence distracted them both. Oh, I hope Capricorn's alright... Cap knew instantly from the heat forming on his cheeks.
"Cancer's calling you~" Aqua teased, his tense demeanor completely drained from him. Louder, he said, "Come on in Cancie!"
The door clicked, and Aqua chuckled when Cap flinched. Cancer timidly held onto the door, hiding most of her body. "Hey guys..." She whispered. Cap blinked. "Are you two okay? You've been up here for a while."
For a second, Cap lost his ability to speak. Even with claws and fangs and wolf ears and wild eyes, Cancer still managed to be the most beautiful woman Cap had ever seen. Yes, it was a crush. And yes, Cap was incessantly teased for it. And, of course, Cancer's constant doting didn't help in the slightest.
Aqua answered for him. "We're fine, Cancer. Just a little... frustrated is all."
"With Hecate?" She asked, making her way into Aqua's room. She still had on her battle outfit, and, to Capricorn, it hugged her figure perfectly. If he looked at her, he'd blush, so he kept his gaze down. "Yeah, Sag is mad at her, too. She can be harsh, but I think she means well."
Aqua made a noise, and Cancer came over to pat his shoulder. "Tomorrow will be better, I promise. Maybe we can practice together, with Pisces! That is... if I can get her away from Taurus."
That made both boys chuckle. "I'd like that." Aqua said, smirking at Cap. "Capricorn would, too, I believe."
Cap's death glare was instantly gone when Cancer looked at him. Her blue eyes shone with a beauty no one else had. With a reddened face, she nodded at the youngest Sign. "That's fine!" She squeaked. "The more the merrier, right? Pisces likes a lot a people around anyway."
Cap cleared his throat, wondering why it was so dry so suddenly. "Y-yeah!" He replied, and mentally kicked himself when his voice cracked. Aqua snorted. "That would be perfect and oh, look at the time, I should go!"
"Oh, are you tired?" Cancer asked him, putting an soft hand on Cap's head. "Wow, you're so cold! Is that normal for you?"
It took everything in Capricorn's power to even nod at her, not even realizing that he was literally cold-blooded. "Hm... okay. You should sleep soon, okay? I'm going to bed..." She yawned, very much like a small puppy. "Good night, Cap. Night, Aqua."
"Goodnight, Cancer. Sweet dreams!" Aqua waved at her as she closed the door, and immediately burst into laughter once she was gone. "Oh, you've got it bad, Cap!"
"Shut up!" Cap whined. "It's just a small, stupid crush, and I'll get over it."
"Sure you will."
"Why the fuck did I even decided to check on you?"
"Because you're my friend." Aqua said honestly. His smirk was replaced with a genuine smile, one that was pretty rare for Aquarius. He really means it...
"Of course I mean it!" Aqua exclaimed. "I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it. Don't doubt my liking for you, it's something you should rely on."
"I will." Cap said, standing up from Aqua's bed. "We all have to rely on each other."
"That is very true." With telekinesis, Aqua opened the door and pushed Cap out. "Now, a little werewolf told you to go rest. I suggest you go do that." Cap wasn't even allowed to answer, for the door was slammed in his face.
To be fair, Cap was tired. It was a long, taxing day - both mentally and physically - and the most important thing he needed now was some rest. Dragging himself to his room, Cap locked himself inside and took off his clothes. He rubbed his marked arm, still not knowing what it could mean. Does Hecate know? Would she even tell me? Doubt it...
As much as Cap hated to admit it sometimes, Aqua was right. Hecate wasn't exactly trusting, nor was she easy to trust. Capricorn knew it was only a matter of time before the Zodiac would stop listening to her altogether.
Cap sighed, collapsing on his bed. It was so much for the baby Sign, and it's barely been a week. Whatever they were preparing for, it couldn't be worse than business school. Capricorn didn't think so. He'd rather fight monsters than face another macroeconomic paper. Oddly, the thought of defending his life - and Cancer's - didn't startle him. This is a dream... I'll wake up eventually. It'll all be over and life will be miserable again.
It was Capricorn's final thought before he fell asleep.
•••
I'm sorry this took so long, but I didn't expect the chapter to be this long. Plus, the semester is starting to end, so I don't have much time to write at the moment. Bare with me!
On the bright side, the next few chapters are already in the works! I'll try to stay posting weekly from now on!
Stay Starry! 💫