The next morning hit like a freight train, the adrenaline crash from the observatory fight leaving my body a mess of sore muscles and foggy thoughts. The blood moon had faded into a dull gray dawn by the time I pedaled back to the boarding house, the Star Fragments tucked safely in my pocket, two shimmering relics that felt like both a trophy and a target. I collapsed into bed, letting the exhaustion pull me under, but sleep was a restless tangle of crimson eyes and shattered thrones. By the time my alarm screeched, way too early for a guy who'd just purged a scorpion psycho, I dragged myself up, the pendants warm against my chest where Phobos and Deimos stayed silent, for once.
School loomed as the only normal I had left, so I forced the junior tracksuit on, skipping the run, my legs weren't up for it after last night's regen burnout. The streets were quiet at 6:30 AM WIB, the city still waking under a hazy sky, streetlights flickering out as the sun crept over Blacksand. I slipped into the classroom just as the bell rang, slumping into my back-corner seat. Math equations blurred into scythe arcs again, but I scribbled notes anyway, the snake-loops in the margins a subconscious habit. The teacher's drone about variables felt like white noise against the memory of Jay's final words, "The project lives on."
Breaktime rolled around, and I headed to the swings out back, the oak tree's acorns crunching underfoot like a grim rhythm. The solitude was a balm, the creak of the chains grounding me after the chaos. I rocked gently, staring at the cracked pavement, when a familiar voice broke the quiet.
"Rei! You're alive!" Mira's energy bomb bounced into view, her ponytail swinging as she plopped onto the swing next to mine, a half-eaten candy bar in hand. Her grin was all teeth, oblivious to the fight scars I carried. "You look like you wrestled a ghost again. More factory weirdness?"
I forced a smirk, the lie coming easier now. "Yeah, something like that. You?"
She laughed, loud enough to scatter a few birds. "Just dodging algebra demons. But seriously, Lena and I heard rumors, more burn marks near the observatory last night. Cops are calling it 'chemical spills' again. You know anything about that?"
Before I could dodge, Lena stepped out from the tree shadow, her usual calm demeanor masking something sharper today. Her dark eyes studied me, hands in her pockets. "Mira's exaggerating, but yeah, something's off. You've been vanishing a lot, Rei. That temple blow-up, now this? Spill."
I tensed, the pendants warming faintly. Phobos whispered, "Careful, Rei. They might sense more than they let on." Deimos chuckled, "Or they're jealous they missed the fun."
I shrugged, keeping it casual. "Just bad luck, I guess. Temple was a freak accident, Sagittarius, not me. Observatory? Probably some chemical junk. I'm just trying to survive school and this crap job."
Mira tilted her head, unwrapping more candy. "Job? Spill that too! You're not still at Donnie's, right?"
"Nah, fired. Picked up night security at some warehouse. Pays the bills." I left out the tar beasts and Scorpio's trap, too much truth would unravel the memory fog's flimsy cover.
Lena's gaze didn't waver, her voice low. "Warehouse, huh? That's where the 'shadowy visitors' chatter's been. Be careful, Rei. Stuff's been... off lately." She paused, then added, "Mira and I were thinking of checking it out, urban legend hunt. Wanna come?"
Mira's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Could be fun, ghosts, monsters, you name it! Plus, you look like you need friends, not just swords." She winked, oblivious to how close she'd hit.
I hesitated, the quest ping still fresh, *Eclipse Convergence Complete. New Quest Pending.* The gods were stirring, Ophy had said, and Lena's probe felt too sharp. Were they just curious teens, or something more? "Maybe," I said, rocking higher. "When?"
"Tomorrow night," Lena said, decisive. "Meet us at the warehouse gate, 8 PM. Bring that pepper spray."
They wandered off, Mira chattering about poltergeists, Lena glancing back with a look I couldn't read. I swung alone, the pendants humming softly. Phobos warned, "They might be bait, Rei. Riders or council spies." Deimos growled, "Or allies worth testing. Let's see if they bleed."
School dragged on, tests copied from classmates, graduation a distant hope. But as I headed home, the warehouse pull grew, Lena and Mira's invite, the pending quest, Scorpio's lingering whisper. Tonight's shift would be my scout run. Whatever was coming, I'd face it armed with more than pepper spray.
The sun dipped below the horizon as I trudged up to the rooftop of my creaky boarding house, the weight of the day, school's monotony, Lena and Mira's probing questions, and the lingering echo of Scorpio's fight, pressing down like a storm cloud and the city sprawled beneath me in a patchwork of neon and shadow, the air thick with the scent of rain threatening to fall. My muscles still ached from the observatory brawl, the Star Fragments in my pocket a quiet reminder of the victory that felt more like a borrowed breath than a triumph. Tonight, though, wasn't for resting, it was for training with Ophy, the serpentine exile whose cryptic guidance had kept me alive this long.
I dropped my bag by the chimney, the concrete rough under my sneakers, and pulled the pendants from my neck. With a reluctant shimmer, Phobos and Deimos expanded into their full blade forms, handles warm and heavy in my palms. Deimos's edge glinted with that eager, bloodthirsty hum, while Phobos's cool precision steadied my grip. "Late again, kid," Deimos grumbled, his voice a gravelly rasp. "We should've started an hour ago, we won't swing ourselves."
"Blame my stomach," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "Had to eat something after that swing chat with Lena and Mira. Can't train on empty." The memory of their invite to the warehouse tomorrow night flickered in my mind, but I shoved it aside. Focus was key, and Ophy's presence demanded it.
As if summoned by the thought, a greenish mist swirled into existence, coalescing into Ophiuchus's ethereal form. His serpentine eyes gleamed like polished emeralds, his body flickering like a glitchy hologram, a testament to his scattered essence across the relics. He lounged against the chimney, arms crossed, his tail coiling lazily around the base. "Rei," he hissed, his voice a blend of concern and challenge. "You reek of Scorpio's corruption, even after the purge. The venom lingers, a shadow in your soul. We need to burn it out, or harness it. Your choice."
I straightened, the pendants warming further as Phobos and Deimos fell silent, deferring to their creator. "Harness it?" I asked, skepticism lacing my tone. "Last night, it nearly turned me into some scorpion-zodiac freak. Jay's whisper was all about uniting and dominating, sounded more like a curse than a gift."
Ophy's lips curled into a wry smile, fangs glinting. "A curse, yes, but also a tool. Scorpio's essence gave you regeneration and venom resistance, gifts you used to survive. But unchecked, it warps your will, aligns you with his mad vision. We'll train to master it, to bend it to your purpose. The gods sense the anomaly; the tournament accelerates. You'll need every edge to honor Andi and end this cycle."
I nodded, the mention of Andi grounding me. Her erasure, the gods' laughter from my visions, it fueled the fire I needed. "Fine. Let's do this. What's the plan?"
Ophy slithered forward, his form solidifying slightly, the mist thinning to reveal scales that shimmered like oil on water. "First, we test your limits. The symbiosis left traces, venom in your veins, a predator's instinct. We'll push it until you control it, not the other way around. Phobos, Deimos, you'll guide him. Channel his emotions, but keep the balance."
Phobos's voice cut in, crisp and firm. "Rei, focus on fear and rage, your core fuels. Feed us sparingly, or you'll numb out. We'll shape the venom into strikes." Deimos chuckled, his tone eager. "And when he's ready, we unleash the phobia coil, turn that tail energy into a whip that'll gut the next Rider. Let's make it messy."
Ophy conjured a training dummy from the mist, a humanoid silhouette of hardened energy, glowing faintly with zodiac runes. It stood about my height, its surface rippling like liquid metal, designed to absorb and reflect attacks. "Begin," he commanded, retreating to the rooftop's edge to observe.
I took a deep breath, gripping the swords. The interface on my green armor, still active from the night before, flashed: *Training Mode Engaged. Target: Dummy Unit Alpha. Objective: Master Venom Output.* My heart pounded, the chill from the mirror flash returning, but I channeled it into my blades. Fear of losing myself, rage at the gods' game, it flowed like a current, and the swords hummed in response.
I lunged, swinging Phobos in a wide arc. The blade met the dummy's chest, and a green venom edge flared, sizzling against the runes. The impact jarred my arm, but the dummy absorbed it, reforming instantly. "Too shallow," Phobos critiqued. "Feed more, let the fear sharpen it."
I gritted my teeth, digging deeper into the memory of Andi's impalement, the glass in her eyes. The venom intensified, a green mist coiling from Phobos as I struck again. This time, the dummy's chest cracked, black ichor-like fluid leaking before it healed. "Better," Phobos said. "But control it, don't let it consume you."
Deimos growled impatiently. "Enough finesse. Let's break it!" I shifted, channeling rage, Donnie's smug firing, Lily's trident betrayal, into Deimos. The blade vibrated, thirstier now, and I swung upward, aiming for the dummy's head. A brutal arc sliced through, venom spraying in a crescent that ate into the runes. The head shattered, but the body reformed, faster this time, countering with a rune-blast that sent me skidding back.
"Persistent little shit," Deimos rasped, echoing the tar beast fight. I rolled to my feet, adrenaline spiking. The whisper flickered, *Unite... dominate...*, but I crushed it, focusing on Ophy's voice. "Adapt, Rei. Use the regen. Push past the pain."
The dummy charged, its arms morphing into rune-edged claws. I parried with Phobos, the impact rattling my bones, but my skin tingled as regen kicked in, dulling the ache. I twisted Deimos into a thrust, venom pooling at the tip, and drove it into the dummy's core. The blade sank deep, and I twisted hard, pouring rage until the venom erupted, shattering the construct into mist.
I panted, dropping to one knee, the swords retracting slightly as the pendants cooled. Ophy clapped slowly, his tail uncoiling. "Impressive. You're learning to wield the venom, but the balance is fragile. Let's escalate. Phobos, Deimos, unleash the phobia coil."
The swords hummed louder, their edges glowing with a serpentine pattern. Phobos instructed, "Channel fear into a whip extension. Visualize the coil, Ophiuchus's legacy." I closed my eyes, picturing the observatory fight, the terror of losing myself to Jay's whisper. The fear surged, and Phobos elongated, green energy forming a whip-like tail that lashed out, cracking against the reformed dummy. The strike wrapped its legs, yanking it down, runes flickering.
Deimos laughed. "Now the rage, finish it!" I fed my anger at the gods, and Deimos's whip joined, coiling around the dummy's neck. A dual strike, venom and force, snapped the construct apart, mist dissolving into the night air. The interface beeped: *Phobia Coil Unlocked. Venom Output: 75% Efficiency.*
I collapsed back, sweat dripping, the rooftop spinning. Ophy loomed over me, his eyes narrowing. "Good. The coil's a weapon, but it drains you fast. Overuse, and the venom could resurge. Rest now, tomorrow's warehouse shift with Lena and Mira will test it live."
I nodded, catching my breath. "They're sniffing around. Think they're Riders?"
Ophy's form flickered, thoughtful. "Possibly. Virgo's precision fits Lena's calm, Aquarius's chaos suits Mira. But they could be pawns, or allies. Probe them, but trust sparingly. The council's hunt nears."
As he dissolved into mist, Phobos whispered, "Rest, Rei. The venom's quiet, but it waits." Deimos added, "Sleep light, kid. Next fight's ours."
I hauled myself up, the city lights blurring below. The training had sharpened my edge, venom strikes, phobia coil, but the cost loomed. Lena and Mira's invite tomorrow night, the pending quest, the gods' ire, it all pointed to a storm brewing. I grabbed my bag, the Star Fragments clinking, and headed inside, the pendants warm against my chest. Sleep would come, but with it, dreams of thrones and whispers I'd have to fight again.
---
The night deepened as I lay on my mattress, the boarding house's creaks blending with the distant hum of traffic. My body ached, but my mind raced, replaying the training. Ophy's words about mastering the venom stuck with me, how it could be a tool, not a master. The phobia coil felt like a breakthrough, a way to turn my fear and rage into something tangible, something that could cut through the zodiac's unfair game.
I rolled over, staring at the cracked ceiling. The interface had logged the dummy's data, its rune patterns matched Cancer's shell, a hint that Lily's faith-buffs might be next. And Lena and Mira? Their curiosity about the warehouse, the factory burns, it felt too pointed to be coincidence. Were they council scouts, testing the heretic? Or just teens drawn to the chaos, like I'd been before Ophiuchus dragged me into this?
My phone buzzed on the desk, the Infinity OS app glowing faintly. I ignored it, too tired to check, but the pendants warmed again. Phobos's voice was soft. "Rei, the quest looms. Prepare your mind." Deimos's growl followed. "And your blades, kid. We're not done bleeding yet."
I closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion take over. The training had been brutal but effective, venom strikes now cut deeper, the coil a wild card I could refine. But the venom's linger, the whisper's echo, reminded me of the tightrope I walked. Tomorrow night, the warehouse would be my next stage, Lena and Mira, the "shadowy visitors," maybe a Rider ambush. I'd need every trick Ophy taught me, every ounce of will to keep the corruption at bay.
As sleep pulled me under, the last image was Ophy's emerald eyes, watching, waiting. The gods were stirring, the cycle cracking, and I was the anomaly they'd hunt. But for now, I'd rest, recharge, and face whatever came with blades in hand and a purpose to honor the forgotten. The rooftop training had forged something new in me, a fighter, not just a survivor. And tomorrow, I'd prove it.