Zodiac Academy

Cancer pov

Cancer's POV:

The music thumped through the air, shaking the walls of the party house. I tried to focus on Aries, who was standing next to me, chatting about something funny that happened in class earlier, but my mind kept wandering. The other students were scattered across the spacious room, some dancing, others clustered around tables, talking and laughing. Everything was buzzing, chaotic, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

It was when I stepped away from Aries for a moment to get some air that I noticed him.

A figure in the far corner, standing near the window, his posture stiff but somehow relaxed. His eyes were scanning the room, but they didn’t seem to linger on anyone in particular—almost like he wasn’t interested in the people around him, yet he was aware of everything. There was something about him that didn’t sit well with me. He wasn’t one of us, I was sure of it.

I watched him for a few seconds, my curiosity getting the better of me. His aura felt different—like it wasn’t made to blend in with the rest of the zodiac, but to stand out. He had a quiet intensity to him, a kind of calm that I envied but also feared.

Then, as if sensing my gaze, his head turned. For the briefest of moments, our eyes met. It was unsettling. His eyes were deep, almost too knowing. There was something ancient about the way he looked at me, like he had seen too much and understood things that were beyond me.

I wasn’t sure why, but I felt an immediate pull to him, a magnetic force I couldn't explain. But I also had a sinking feeling that it wasn’t a good idea to get too close.

Who was he?

As I stood frozen, trying to decide whether to walk over or just ignore him, the crowd around me seemed to fade into the background. It was just him and me, and the atmosphere between us felt thick with something unspoken.

Finally, he broke the silence, his voice smooth and unhurried.

“You’re Cancer, right?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Yeah... And you are?”

He didn’t answer immediately, his eyes glimmering with amusement, or maybe something else. “Call me Ophiuchus. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I didn’t like the way he said it—like he knew me already, like he knew more about me than I was comfortable with. A part of me wanted to ask how he knew who I was, but another part of me warned me not to push it.

I glanced around, feeling a little more unsettled. “What are you doing here?”

Ophiuchus smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m just... passing through.”

There was something off about him, but I couldn’t place it.

“Don’t worry,” he added, his voice low, “I’m not here to cause trouble. Not yet, anyway.”

I stood there, still trying to process everything Ophiuchus had said, my mind swirling with questions. Why did he feel so... dangerous? And why did he make me feel so unsettled, yet so intrigued?

But before I could dive deeper into my thoughts, I felt a hand on my arm, pulling me away from the corner where I’d been standing. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. The grip was firm, and the familiar warmth of Aries’ touch made me feel both safe and suddenly noticed.

“What the hell was that?” Aries’ voice was sharp, his tone laced with something I couldn’t quite place—anger? Concern? Jealousy?

I blinked, surprised by his sudden reaction. “What do you mean?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.