𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙆𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙚 -𝘼𝙣 𝙄𝙨𝙚𝙠𝙖𝙞 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘-

The Final Member of the Zodiac

I jerk up from being asleep. Voices from my dream still run through my ears. Someone crying, another begging for something, and a voice saying the end was near. I had a lot of dreams in my past life, that shook me up. They'd wake me up, feeling haunted and I often couldn't fall back asleep.

I rub my eyes as I hear the phone begin to ring. At this time? 

I rush into the living room to get the phone before Sobo wakes up. "Hello?"

"Tanaka?" Shigure says.

"Yes?"

"It's happened. The final member of the Zodiac was just born. And you were right. This is the first time since the beginning of the curse, for all the Zodiac members to be together." He tells me.

I gulp, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to come. It's happened. It's happening. 

"Okay."

"So what do we do now?" He asks me.

"Wait. I suspect, there has to be a final banquet, and then it breaks." I tell him.

"So, we have to wait for nearly another year. For the final banquet, and then... the curse breaks?"

"One at a time." My mouth dries up. 

Kureno has no idea what is about to happen to him. If it still goes as planned, one night, it will break. And then Akito will beg him to stay. Is that still going to happen in this world? So much has changed. Is Akito still going freak out? Is it still going to be Kureno who's curse is first broken? Will the curse even be broken?

"Tanaka?"

"Yes Shigure?"

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me, and the rest of the Zodiac." I can feel the thankfulness in his voice. And it makes me want to cry. 

"I'm glad I could help you. But, Shigure, don't thank me just yet. Wait, and thank me once the first person is freed." I whimper, and then I hang up the phone.

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I didn't get any sleep the rest of that night. Nor the next. And I'm barely paying attention when Akito invites me along to go with her to celebrate Hanami. (Sakura blossom viewing celebration held in Japan.)

"Are you alright, Tanaka?" Kureno asks me as we're walking in the park.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you look like you've barely gotten any sleep. Is everything okay?" He asks me.

"I haven't but, uh, it's nothing to worry about."

"I don't know why, you finished school for the year."  He says.

I adjust my yukata a bit. "It's just my mattress, and kinda the heat."

"Oh. Okay. If uh, there's ever something you need, just tell me." He says.

"I'll keep it in mind." I smile at him.

"Hey! You two, come on! I want to eat!" Akito shouts to us.

"Yeah, we're coming!" I shout back to her.

                                                                          --------------------------

"Tanaka, a package arrived for you while you were gone." Sobo tells me.

"Oh, okay. Thanks again for letting me borrow your yukata." I say.