The Zodiacs

Yuki landed softly on his bedroom floor after jumping through the window. He quickly straightened up, but his instincts screamed at him to stay still.

A woman with long brown hair sat cross-legged on his bed, dressed in a form-fitting black outfit that accentuated her athletic figure. Her dark eyes sparkled with a piercing intensity, full of suspicion.

"You were awake."

Her voice was calm, but he sensed the tension in her tone.

"Where were you?" she asked, eyeing him.

Yuki shrugged and leaned against the wall.

"With some friends."

Yara sighed loudly, placing a hand on her temple.

"You know it's dangerous to go out at night without a weapon, especially during a full moon."

Yuki looked away, annoyed by her constant warnings.

"Yeah, I know."

"Then look at me when I'm talking to you."

Yuki rolled his eyes and finally met his sister's intense gaze.

"Chill, Yara. It was just a night out, nothing more. No one died."

He added mentally: *'Or almost.'*

He knew his sister was overprotective, but they weren't a normal family. They were Zodiacs, descendants of the powerful Bedivere, the Scorpion of the Round Table. Their lineage had been hunting Wonders for centuries—supernatural creatures that lurked among humans. Werewolves, goblins, Lowen, Chupacabras... There were thousands of these entities, making up nearly a fifth of the world's population.

If the Wonders discovered there were two Zodiacs in Lewis Center, they'd swarm in, determined to tear them apart just as they'd once slaughtered their parents.

For years, Yara had kept Yuki away from this brutal world, giving him a nearly normal adolescence. But reality had caught up with them. One day, there'd be no turning back. He'd become a hunter, like her. That's what she feared most.

Yuki sighed as he removed his jacket.

"Can you tell me why you're dressed like you're about to assassinate a target?" he asked.

Yara slowly stood up and stretched before replying:

"I was actually coming to get you."

She stopped abruptly, her expression hardening.

"What are you hiding from me, Yuki?"

Her tone turned icy.

Yuki raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence.

"What? Nothing. I'm just tired. I want to sleep."

But Yara wasn't fooled.

"You're lying."

She took a smooth step forward.

"Cold sweat… Slightly dilated pupils… Your hands are trembling."

Before he could pull away, she grabbed his wrist and brushed her fingertips against his skin.

"Your pulse is too fast. So… I'm listening."

Yuki grimaced.

"Ahhh, you really can't hide anything from you, damn ninja."

Yara smirked.

"These are tricks I learned from Serena."

Yuki frowned.

"Who?"

"An old friend I met in Mexico. But don't change the subject."

Yuki let out a long sigh and pulled out an arrow hidden under his T-shirt. He handed it to Yara.

"I don't know if I did the right thing, but the inscriptions reminded me a bit of the ones on your daggers."

Intrigued, Yara drew one of her curved daggers and compared the engravings on the blade with those on the arrow. Her expression grew serious, her gaze hardening with each second.

"Where did you find this?"

Yuki hesitated.

"Uh… In the forest."

"Answer seriously, Yuki." Her tone sharpened like a blade.

"Calm down, sis. It's just an arrow, nothing serious."

Yara clenched her teeth.

"If you think another Zodiac in Lewis Center is good news…"

Yuki's eyes widened.

"What? A Zodiac?! But… I thought there were barely a hundred left in the world!"

Yara slowly nodded.

"Yes… And our numbers are still dwindling. The one who shot this arrow is a Sagittarius... And they're not bothering to hide it, which is strange."

"Wait… Not all Zodiacs are hunted by Wonders, and vice versa, right?"

"Just like fights between Wonders, this Sagittarius isn't necessarily our ally either. Where did you meet them?"

Seeing the gravity of the situation, Yuki relented.

"While we were at HQ, we were attacked by werewolves."

Yara paled slightly.

"They were after you?"

"Not necessarily. It's a full moon, they were hunting. But… we were tracked. And then, at the last moment, we were saved by these arrows."

"How many were there?"

"For the werewolves? An entire pack. When the alpha noticed a Zodiac's presence, it ordered a retreat."

Yara crossed her arms, her piercing gaze analyzing every word from her brother.

"For a Zodiac to leave their hideout and come here, there must be a reason. Either an influx of Wonders, or they were summoned for a relic that's resurfaced…" She paused, her expression darkening.

"… or they came for us."

A shiver ran down Yuki's spine as a nocturnal breeze swept through the slightly open window.

"In any case, this town is no longer safe. Be careful."

"Yes, sister."

"And your friends?"

"They're fine. They all think it was mass hysteria."

"Very well. Make sure they keep believing that."

Yuki nodded.

Yara sheathed her dagger and approached the window.

"As for me, I'll investigate."

She placed a foot on the windowsill, ready to jump.

Yuki hesitated, then whispered:

"Be careful, sis."

She laughed softly.

"You should be in bed at this hour. And don't worry, in the supernatural world, I'm quite feared."

With a leap that defied the laws of physics, she launched herself. Yuki rushed to the window just in time to see her slender figure slice through the air with impossible grace, her high heels barely seeming to touch the rooftops below. She zigzagged between chimneys and satellite dishes, blending into the shadows like ink in water.

He shook his head, a smile that was half-amused and half-worried on his lips. "How can she be so fast in high heels...?" he murmured, gently closing the window.

He collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.

'By the way, Kaiser, the last time he described his hallucinations, those descriptions sounded a bit... No, it's impossible. Even Zodiacs with their sixth sense can't see them unless they've Jagd (transformed).'

"Tomorrow's going to be a long day of shit…" he muttered before sinking into the world of Oldest Dream.