Maria's PoV:
A day has passed but I'm still unsure what to do now. I know there are others like me out there though. The television always show Scorpio, Leo, Aries and the new one, Aquarius. Out of curiosity, I browsed the net about the zodiac signs and traits while my baby was sleeping and they do reflect the same traits shown on tv.
"Momma, bwed! bwed!" My baby's calling brought me back to my senses.
"Here, baby. Have some." I handed him a loaf with a strawberry jam spread. He loves the jam so much.
"Aren't you gonna show up on public? People will know sooner or later anyway." Vince popped up from behind the sofa.
"Just keep watering my plants." After learning about my power, I tried doing some things that might tell me what other things I got, but to no avail. However, I learned that I can teleport one person with me at a time. That's how I took Vince and my baby back here to my seclusion home. Though it's kinda making me nauseous every trip so I don't use teleport a lot.
I also tried watching the tv if there's interviews about the others but they're all an egocentric bunch. There's no helping those folks.
While I sympathize with Scorpio for coming from the slums of her country, I also do not approve of her methods of public display of authority using fear and "Curse Branding".
Leo is displayed EVERYWHERE. I think it's only been 3 days and he's already in a few commercials, a show and a few magazines. Talk about attention wh*re.. There's even a picture of him shirtless holding his heavy axe like it's just a barbeque on stick.
How about Aries? She also stars a lot of interviews only to brag about her so-called discipline and the embodiment of a "queen" that lead her to be chosen. Even I can tell that one look from her suggests she has short temper.
And Aquarius is a student of Medicine. He doesn't appear much on news but he confirmed his power by showing his glowing mark on his palm. Something about him also wants me to not approach him- he looks cheerful somehow on the outside but my intuition tells me it's just a mask.
(Sigh)
"And now for breaking news, the strange sign on the gate at the snowy mountain range has changed a few minutes ago. The people from the north are getting anxious whether it's a good or bad sign-"
I glanced at the tv.
"The sign.."
"What?"
"The sign changed from 91 to 90!" I gasped. Is it really a timer?
"What?! So does that mean, if it hits zero, something like aliens will appear on that gate?"
"How the hell would I know?"
This is alarming. I'm not from that place but I don't want to know a threat is existing where my child is still growing.
My fists tighten at the thought.
This can't happen.
I have the power now to protect. I won't let someone precious to me suffer again!
Just then, a person appeared in the middle of the hosts. A woman who must be in her fourties with a short wavy rosy pink colored hair matched with soft pink office coat and slacks cut the reporter off. The people, shocked by her sudden appearance step back and gave her access to the camera on air.
"I'm sorry. This is a matter of worldwide urgency. We don't have much time." She said at the back.
The hosts agreed and gave her the floor as the camera refocused on her.
"Good day, my name is Violet Cinan and I'm the one blessed to bear the mark of Capricorn." She said as she showed her sign at the back of her hand. The sign glows a red sign- somewhat similar to mine but mine glows much redder.
"I'm not yet sure if the twelve of us are already complete, you do know what I'm talking about. But as you've seen on that footage earlier, you know something should be done to that or else we're all doomed, power or no power."
That's right. It's a timer and I'm sure she knows that well too.
"We can't waste any more time so I propose a meeting tomorrow same time as now as this is being aired live so we can't have country time conflict. Please feel free to wear anything comfortable and presentable. When the time comes, just say the words "Leyla's Paradise" like a command so you can teleport to the place. I know it's a rush but we'll provide comfort the best we can. Thank you and see you tomorrow. I hope you can cooperate with us since the gates are in a countdown." And she disappeared in a blink.
If it's same time as now, that'll be at nine tomorrow morning.
"How about Wyse?" Vince asked.
I can't bring him in a place with unknown people and mark-bearers at that! Who knows a fight might break out of there.
"It won't be a good idea to bring him there. I've already given him protection, though I'll be more comfortable if you give me a call or send me a text every half or an hour."
"What if the meeting lasts for hours?"
"Send me real-time selfies of him every 30 minutes then."
"That's nuts..but, understood."
"Thanks Vince."
"Yes, yes. I'm your slave."
(The next morning at Leyla's Paradise)
A beautiful garden exquisitely donned with blooming foreign flowers of blue and yellow it is. In the middle of everything stands a vintage styled house build with red bricks. By the door are guards dressed formally and on standby.
'click'
What's that?
I turn around and saw paparazzis taking pictures of me and some of them might be journalist running their cameras live. The gate and fences are high but they're pretty visible between the thick bars.
"What the hell?!" Tsk! I didn't expect this annoying crowd! Thanks to them I'm famous now.
"Madam! What sign are-" a few of them are taking pictures of me so I rushed myself.
I hurried to the door while covering my face using my hands and was astonished to see the inside in modern style. So worlds apart from the plain vintage look outside. At the center of the table at the heart of the room, a note was stuck to it.
"Teleport to Solitaire Mansion" it read.
"Solitaire Mansion." In a sudden gust of wind, I'm already standing at the doorstep of a large house. Judging by the orange leaves that piled up on the front yard and the trees that surrounds the house, I concluded that I'm somewhere where it's autumn and that the sun is about to set. I step up the stairs that leads to the door.
The exterior of the house feels so homey and ever so endearing with how the golden glow of the setting sun on the horizon hits the white paint on the wooden walls. Even the gentle wind makes you feel welcome and at ease.
I've never felt this relaxing freedom before.
It's been awhile..
Until I saw a face below me.
"Oh!" you startled me there- Leo.
Wow. He's much handsome in personal but why on earth is he staring at me so hard?
"Ah.." he's waiting for me to go up the stairs.
"S-sorry. I'll go ahead." And I did.
That was embarrassing.
"The seats are labeled. Please go to your respective spots." A man in glasses and neat formal appearance greeted us beside the door. I thanked him and went in.
Inside is something you can define as a stereotype class.
An older woman with wavy pink hair, A really big guy that looks like a bouncer in a bar, a teenager in a rebellious phase, a guy or woman? Totally covered up, a woman wearing a white formal gown matched with a fancy wide hat.. Madame Dmit-?.. oops.And others.
I caught sight of my seat.
Beside me sits the Leo guy.
"Excuse me, is there something on my face?" He's irritating me for staring a lot!
"Yes." He said in a serious manner.
"What is it?" I hurried here after creating a huge barrier around my house. Now, basically the whole of my property is protected by my 'blessing' as what Vince and the people on the tv are calling it. I only found about it recently.
When I touched my child's bedroom walls, I closed my eyes and repeated my intentions in my mind like it's some sort of an incantation.
"PROTECT THIS HOME." as I whispered, I felt a goosebump crawling from my chest where the sign is engraved to my arms and to the palm of my hands. A strange sight beholden me when I open my eyes. A horizontal red light extended from my palm to the wall of the room, but this weird feeling I got tells me the light extended even outside the room and to the whole house. Everytime I blink, there's something I'm seeing. The red light climbed from my hands to the ceiling. It reminded me of a barcode scanner.
So weird.
Anyway, I tried again doing it. This time, I keep my eyes closed. I can see my house in sort of like a blueprint. Red lines on a black background. Another red line is spreading around the house.
Is this?
My hand hasn't left the wall again.
Does this spreading line means the area being protected by the crawling barrier?
Let's test it out.
I took my hand out when the red line drew my gates.
"Hey, what did you do?" Vince asked, holding my sleeping baby.
"I tried this 'blessing' thing on the walls."
"You should look outside!" He said.
I rushed out and saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Why did he want me outside? That punk-
What is that?!
When I turn around, a humongous size of the sign in red glows floating above my house.
And that's how the people discovered me.
I fucked up..
By the way, after I did that and become late for this meeting, I rushed after brushing my teeth so I worry there's a toothpaste or bubble left on my cheek.
"So, what is it?" He didn't answer my question earlier instead, he's looking intensely at me.
"It's..beauty." he answered.
"A what??" Is this jerk toying with me?
A few more came in while I wasn't looking.
"Everyone, please settle down on your seats now and let us begin our meeting." The woman with pink wavy hair said.
Though, where is Virgo?
He's labeled seat is empty.
The man in glasses who greeted us at the door comes in front and pulls down a white board. He then wrote the name of signs starting from Capricorn to Sagittarius.
"Please be comfy. Let us get to know each other first so we know the names that consists the zodiac. We'll start from me and round the table. I'm sure you're all curious too about each other. If anyone wants to speak, please raise your hand." The woman with pink wavy hair said.
We all agreed.
"Okay, good day everyone, My name is Violet Cinan. I'm the one who bears the mark of the Capricorn. I'm already forty two and I'm proud of that, I own a shipping company in the north and I'm also acquainted with Virgo." She introduced the latter with her hand raised to the man writing her name on the whiteboard.
So, he's the Virgo?
"Hello everyone, My name is River Voughan. I'm the one with the mark of Aquarius. I'm still in college and I study medicine." The lad, still in his white med uniform, said.
"..and?" The teen girl asked. The River guy looked at her innocent smile.
"..and I'm from the same country as Leo. I'm eighteen." He added.
"Okay, that's good. Next." Capricorn said.
"My name is Zamri Dolores. I'm the one chosen by the God of Cosmos to represent the holy symbol-" the smile on the priest vanished after an interruption.
"That's not right." I look in the direction of the objection and it seems to come from a neatly dressed blonde woman wearing a pair of glasses.
"What do you mean? I assume we can all feel the aura of each other's sign." Capricorn said.
"Sister is right. But she's talking about something else." The teen girl inserted.
"Is that so?" Capricorn raised an eyebrow.
"I never lie as an instrument of the God of Cosmos." Pisces said.
"Again, please be careful what you say. I can detect lies as a passive trait of my sign." The woman in glasses has her eyes shining a beautiful pink color. The old Priest's eyes widen and shows the glowing aquamarine hue.
"Let's just let the introduction continue, everyone." Virgo said.
"Please." Capricorn added.
"Alright." The woman backed down and the priest smiled again.
"I was a lowly apprentice priest before the selection but when it happened, I'm now a high priest in our organization. I'm already sixty four but if you got any problems, feel free to come to me. I will happily lend an ear." He smiled.
"Please don't call it 'selection', priest." Following the direction of the voice, it came beside the woman with glasses. A black beauty woman with braided jet-black hair. Her eyes are shining gold, her ample lips painted pink and she's much taller even when she's sitting.
"It's not appropriate to call it 'selection' nor call it 'chosen'. We rightfully earned this through the tests." She emphasized some words intentionally.
"I agree. It's the law of the jungle for only the fittest to survive." The Leo guy said, raising his hand.
"Then what do you propose we call ourselves then? The Zodiac? Feel free to do so, my child." The priest said.
"Alright. Let's continue to respect other's opinions for now." Capricorn let out a sigh.
"Good day to all, I'm Victoria Lazelee. I bear the mark of Aries..I'm already thirty six and I own a clothing line in our shopping district. Feel free to visit anytime. I'll give you guys discount." The woman in a white gown said.
"My name is Dante Vendetta. I'm the Taurus and I was a wrestler back in the days. I just turned fifty last week." So, the bouncer guy was a wrestler, huh.
"I knew it!" Leo snapped.
"You're Red Mayo! Hah!" Leo shouted and happily pointed at Taurus.
"Ah, yes.. that was all in the past though.."
"What the hell are you saying?! My Dad and I used to go to the coliseum only to cheer you on!" Leo, this crazy-
"Ah, thanks. Live long, you and your Dad." Taurus answered with a wide smile. His mustache spreading too.
"Let's do the catch-up later, shall we?" Capricorn said.
"Oh, sorry." Leo settled down on his seat.
"My name is Melade Galilei. I'm sixteen years old and I am blessed as the Gemini. I sell leveled up game accounts." She glanced at my direction.The smile in her face looks permanent. Now that I look at it, her eyes are actually both different in hue.The other eye looks like it's the emerald waves of the sea while her other deep blue eye reminds me of the space where I was granted the mark. So strange..
"Game accounts? How does that work?" Aries asked.
"I heard about people who plays online games using readymade accounts. They level up their avatars and sell them." The guy all covered up answered.
"Anyone can level up right? Where's the fun in buying already levelled up accounts?" The woman in glasses asked.
"It's the items in the inventory or the gears of the avatars. The rarer the items you have, the higher you can sell them for hard cold cash." Aquarius said. So, he also plays online games.
"Cancer, hey." Leo called.
"Oh, right. Good day to all, My name is Maria Moon. I have the mark of Cancer. I'm twenty five and-" I look at Leo. The annoying bastard.
"-I have a son. I'm a single parent." so stop annoying me. He bolted on his seat.
"Wha-" I cut him off
"I grow crops on my field and sell them to the market." I added.
"You're a farmer?" Taurus asked.
"Yes." I answered.
"Still very pretty." Leo added.
This bastard really!
"You were also..an ex-mafia." Gemini smiled at me.
The room got filled with silence.
Now what do we got here?
If it isn't someone so well-informed.
No one is allowed to dig my secrets like that.