The Zodiac Cycle

NO 3.19 Connected

Brianna gasped, one second she had been curled against a wall, trying her hardest not to have another asthma attack, and the next she heard a voice telling her to breathe and opened her eyes to... whatever it was.

She was back in the apartment she and Iris had lived in together. It hadn't yet been emptied out or anything, and all the pictures on the shelves were stood up, with some of the faces blurred out.

"What?" She thought aloud. "Why am I here? What happened?" She ran through the apartment. Everything was as it was when her and Iris had left it. Briannas bedroom was scattered with clothes and shoes that she'd decided not to pack with her, and Iris room was still perfectly clean, with any clothes she had gotten out neatly folded on top of her dresser. The sink in the bathroom had some red stains in it from when Brianna had attempted to dye her hair a brighter red, hut made a mess of the white counters instead. There was also that one cabinet door in the kitchen that had broken off and was set beside the trash can. Iris' giant potted fern was beside the couch, with a bite taken out of one of its biggest leaves from a game of truth or dare.

Brianna stopped in the middle of the living room. She didnt know why she expected anyone to have been there.

Maybe Iris really was gone.

Maybe Hecate was all that was left.

Calm down, damnit.

Brianna startled at the voice. It didnt belong to her, but a gruff sounding male. Materializing before her was a man, taller than her and jock-like, with bright red hair and a face full of freckles. His eyes were glowing a light red. His clothes matched hers, a light red muscle shirt and some black pants.

This wasn't what I was wearing before!

Brianna. The voice repreated, synching with the movements of the man's lips, but instead of coming from him, the voice exsited around her, echoing throughout the space.

"Who are you?" She asked, taking a step back, and seeing the mirror on the living room wall in the corner of her eye. She looked at it and realized that her eyes, like his, were glowing red.

I am Percival, but you can call me Percy if you want. He took a step toward her, reaching for her. And I will explain, but first you need to calm down. Your lungs are too weak to function as normal lungs do.

"I know that already!" Brianna replied. "What do you want?"

Merely to calm you down. He put his hands up defensively. You connected to me. I was an Aries like you. She noticed that he had the same sign on his arm as she had on hers.

"I connected to you? What's that supposed to mean?"

You don't know? I sensed there was already a connection nearby when you summoned me. It felt like Narashima, the 5th Leo from my cycle.

"Amber's ghost buddy?" Brianna thought about when the group had met Sakura. She hadn't known that she could do something like this.

More or less. He shrugged. Have you calmed down yet?

"No, I'm still kinda freaking out right now." She took another step away from him. "Why are we here?" She looked around at the apartment.

This is your mindscape. It's the place that feels like home to you. He explained, sitting down cross legged on the carpet.

Brianna pondered that for a second, then relaxed. "Iris- she.."

I know. He smiled comfortingly. You and I, we are very similar.

Brianna looked at him questioningly and he continued.

My gemini and I were also childhood friends. Our parents were college friends. He spoke slowly, sadly. Her name was Finnick. She was... he stopped, trying to figure out the right words.