As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the Zodiac Archipelago, Seventeen sat on the balcony of the place she had been visiting with them on the daily now, Zodiac Solace, a vip social place owned by Helios Solace from Leo, a Duke in the Imperious district, one that had the best view possible over Downtown, so high up it showed where the bay met the Constellations Ocean. Lost in her own mind, Seventeen stared into the distance.
The vibrant colors of twilight felt strangely muted, a reminder of the tension coiling in her chest. Each breath was heavy with the weight of her secrets, a burden that threatened to suffocate her. She had done everything right, everything had gone as planned, all the keys of the board were in the places she wanted, but she felt no satisfaction. Instead, she felt stupid, she had warned herself not to get attached in any way to them, to be rational and not let her emotions play part in the mission, but that had been a failure.
She had grown to care for them.
She had grown used to Claus' flirt and his charming personality, to how he was different from every person from Imperious that had ever met, how he was kind and craved to be better, to do batter. To Light's duality, she was both observant and serious as she was also easygoing and full of excitement over anything she hadn't tried before, given how strict her upbringing had been. To Sablina's aloof and sometimes cold personality, to her comfortable silence, to how protective she was, how loyal and reliable despite looking like she doesn't care.
To Amelia's charm and seriousness, to her flirting with both Sablina and Hunter, to how she was both responsible and craving to not follow the rules forced upon on them, or how she seemed distant from her parents and especially her foster younger brother, the spoiled brat who was the true son of their parents. To Hunter's mischievous grin and easygoing personality, to how he was always hungry, always looking for snacks, how he tried to act nonchalant over things, but cared to much to achieve that, and more than anything, to how much he resembled Ten's personality.
More than anything, she had grown used to Draco, to his burning gaze always on her, to his presence even when he was in the shadows and hadn't announced his arrival yet, to how he seemed to see right through her. He knew her real name wasn't Serena, that it was Seven, but he had kept a secret, because he was loyal, even if he had been impossibly annoying and suspicious in the beginning, he had come around and grown on her.
Grown to affect her like nobody else, the memories of how he had held her to himself so possessively, his strong arm around her waist, leaning in with the intentions of claiming her lips with his. He didn't need to speak, didn't need be too close, she could feel him in the room, feel his eyes on hers, her nose far too sensitive to his scent now, his touch still lingering in her skin. If she closed her eyes for a moment, she could still relive that moment, one that Corvos had interrupted.
A question lingering in the confines of her mind: had he not interrupted them, would she have let Draco kiss her?
She didn't need to think too much, the answer was as clear as the sun shining above Downtown Zodiac. Seventeen could ignore, could try to avoid, to deny, to push him away, but they both knew what would have happened that night had Corvos come a second later. Every time their blue eyes collided, she knew he was also thinking about it.
["I should have been rational. I shouldn't have allowed emotions in the equation,"] she groaned to herself, her chest heaving with the pain clawing in her heart. ["Not as Serena. This isn't me, I'm not this girl, I invented her. My feud is with their parents, not them, not really. I didn't want to make them suffer for the loss of who I was again. That wasn't in the plan,"] she covered her face with her hands for a moment, struggling silently. ["Infiltrate them, manipule them to trust you, bring them with you, only let them in when you arrive. That was Father's plan. I screw up."]
She could hear the laughter and chatter of her friends drifting from the common area, where they were likely discussing their strategy for the upcoming challenges. Yet, instead of joining them, she felt an overwhelming urge to retreat. The deeper she connected with them, the more intense her fear grew. What would happen when they learned the truth?
["They'll be heartbroken. I knew that from the beginning, but not it's worse. How am I even going to break it to them? Fuck. Fuck, S, fuck!"]
"Seventeen, are you coming?" Light's voice broke through her thoughts, drawing her attention.
"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute," she called back, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
["Why did they had to be their parents' kids? Why did I had to get the most difficult role in this mess of a prophecy?"]
※※※
Draco noticed Seventeen's absence from their group discussions. Though she had been a pivotal force in their planning, her energy now felt different—distant, almost haunted. He exchanged glances with Light, who also seemed concerned.
"Is everything alright with her?" Light asked quietly, glancing toward the balcony where Serena lingered.
"I don't know," Draco replied, a sense of unease settling in his stomach. "But we need her focused for our next challenges. It's crucial we stay united."
※※※
As she stood there, wrestling with her thoughts, Seventeen felt an urgent sense of dread clawing at her insides. She had to remain strong, to keep them safe, but the weight of her past bore down on her. She couldn't afford to be vulnerable—not when so much was at stake. The stakes weren't just about her past; they were about their future, and every moment spent with them made it harder to ignore the inevitable.
What if they rejected her? What if they turned their backs when they found out who she really was? ["Could I even blame them?"]
Pushing those thoughts aside, she inhaled deeply, trying to calm the storm within her. She had to focus. They needed her fully on board, and that meant she had to keep her distance.
※※※
"Let's take a break," Draco suggested to the group, his gaze lingering on Seventeen. "I think we all need a moment to breathe before we dive into the details of our next strategy."
As the others began to disperse, Draco made his way toward the balcony. He found Serena lost in thought, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The blue in her eyes darker than usual. The tension radiating off her was palpable.
"Serena?" he called softly, approaching her. "You alright?"
She turned, her expression carefully neutral, but he could see the flicker of something behind her eyes—fear? Pain? Guilt?
"I'm fine," she replied too quickly, a hint of defensiveness in her tone.
"You don't seem fine," he pressed, leaning against the balcony railing beside her. "You've been distant."
"I'm just… thinking," she said, her voice strained. "We have a lot to prepare for, and I don't want to let anyone down."
※※※
His concern felt like a double-edged sword, cutting deeper into her resolve. ["I can't afford to let them see how conflicted I am,"] she thought. ["If they realize I'm not strong enough, they might lose faith in me. I can't afford that at the stage I'm in the mission."]
"Serena, we're in this together. You don't have to bear the weight alone," Draco urged gently.
But could she share her burdens with them? Could she risk shattering the trust they had built? The fear of rejection loomed large, and she fought against it with every fiber of her being.
"I just need to be more prepared," she insisted, her voice firm. "The upcoming events are crucial. We need to be ready."
※※※
Draco felt a pang of frustration. He wanted to break through whatever wall Seventeen had built around herself. "You don't have to hide from us. We're a team, and that means we share everything—the good and the bad."
"Sometimes it's easier not to share," she replied, her eyes betraying her turmoil.
Draco placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, hoping to bridge the gap. "You don't have to pretend with me. I see you, Serena. You're stronger than you realize, and we want you to trust us. But you have to let us in. Let me in," he added the last part in a whispered, closer to her than he had been a second ago, the atmosphere between them shifting, thickening like it had that night.
※※※
His touch sent a jolt through her, igniting a battle between her heart and mind. ["Trust them? If only they knew who I really was,"] she thought, feeling the walls around her heart tightening. ["I can't let them in; I can't let myself feel anything for them more than I already do."]
As she fought against the flood of emotions, the desperation to keep her past a secret twisted inside her. She could almost hear the whispers of her former and current self echoing in her mind, a stark reminder of everything she had to lose.
["I need to get them 100% on my side,"] she thought, panic rising. ["If I don't, when the truth comes out, it could destroy everything."]
"Serena?" Draco's voice pulled her back from the edge of her thoughts.
"I'll be fine," she said, her tone firmer this time, but her heart was racing. "I just need to focus on what's ahead. That's all that matters."
As she stepped away from him, she felt the distance between them widen. She didn't want to push him away, but the fear of losing everything threatened to consume her. She had to keep fighting against the urge to let him in—after all, the stakes were too high, and the truth was a ticking time bomb.
※※※
Draco watched as Serena turned away, the barrier between them feeling insurmountable. ["I won't give up on you,"] he promised silently. ["We'll face whatever is coming together, even if it means breaking through those walls."]
As he stepped back inside, the uncertainty gnawed at him. He could sense the urgency behind Serena's façade, and he knew that something deeper was at play. They had to prepare for the challenges ahead, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the true battle lay within Serena herself.
Time was running out, and he could only hope that when the truth finally emerged, it wouldn't tear them apart.