The Zodiac Cycle

3.18 Vision

(PLEASE READ THE AUTHORS NOTE AT THE END)

"Alright, everyone prepared?" Mark called out to the group. I looked around at my team and all their nervous faces around the table.

"We got this." Stormy encouraged. "What have we got to lose?"

"Our sanity." Ash crossed his arms.

"Our dignity." Elizabeth added.

"Our lives." Alex finished.

Everyone stared at them and they shrugged.

"What? It's possible that we will die."

"Yeah, yeah." Mark shook the comment off. "Riot is tomorrow, be up by sunrise. Got it?"

"We are underground. How would we know when the sun rises?" Nolan asked.

"We will wake you up." Stormy said confidently.

"You better fucking not," Clementine growled, "unless you want to lose a hand."

"Yeah, she bites." I clarified. Carson laughed a bit beside me as Clementine glared.

"Language." Mark reminded us and Sakura groaned beside him.

"Can we go now?" She crossed her arms over the table, looking bored. "We already know the plan. You dont need to remind us over and over again.

Mark huffed, "fine."

The group filed out and I walked along side Carson, Brianna close behind. Vel came up to walk in step as well.

"Good morning Amber." She smiled a bit. Her usual blindfold was not on, causing some people to stare at her scarred eyes.

"Morning." I responded, curious as to what she wanted.

"Do you believe your team is ready?" She asked calmly.

I nodded. "We're as ready as we'll ever be."

"Let me know if there's anything more I can do."

"Did you talk to Olive yet?"

She hissed a bit, hesitant. "Yes."

"And?"

She looked at me as best as she could. "I believe it's best to have faith in her."

"Why didn't she tell us about Iris?"

"What would you have done if she did?" Vel raised her eyebrows.

I pressed my lips together, realizing that wasnt a question I could answer.

Vel stopped walking and I turned to look back at her, still going myself.

Her eyes looked suddenly focused and her wings shuffled nervously. Her hands seemed to tremble a bit and her shoulders stiffened.

"Vel?" I stopped, Carson and Brianna doing the same.

She breathed slowly for a second, her wings pulling back against her back. From behind her, I saw Mark and Stormy exit the room we had come from and glance our way in confusion before realization dawned on Mark's face.

He started running toward us as fast as he could, Stormy close on his heels.

Vels eyes started glowing blue and her wings unfolded once more, spreading out.

"Get back!!!" Mark shouted, and I felt a hand grasp my forearm and pull me away from Vel. Stormy stopped Mark when he saw that Carson had moved me and Brianna shouted at them.

"What's happening?!"

Vels wings seemed to move on their own, up and down, up and down, up and down, lifting her into the air.