When Draco and the others arrived in the city, it was far from what they were expecting. Not much like a city, buy somber and silent. With only torches and mystical stones casting faint, shifting glows along trails. The dark and eerie woods surrounding the camp are haunting, filled with fog that cloaks the area in secrecy. Occasional whispers of the forest and shadows lend a sense of unease to the city, perfect for toughening the warriors and helping them face their fears.
But that was all they found. More than four hundred people from different ages training, from 10 years old to 60, or so it seemed. There were a few dark buildings, an area laid out and filled with different cabins that spread into the woods, where they believed to be the houses of the warriors. It was rather rustic looking for then, given where they came from. Closer to the clearing where the warriors seemed to gather for meals together, there was a big cabin, around three floors tall, wide and imposing. Noah's.
That's where he took them. No tour or welcoming ceremony with the other Ophiuchus warriors. As they arrived, all eyes were on them as they followed Whitlock to his house.
Draco sat in the large common room, the soft glow of lanterns casting shadows across the stone walls. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, but the warmth did little to ease the tension in the room. He could feel it, the weight of unspoken questions, the uncertainty gnawing at each of them. They had followed Seventeen here, to this mysterious safe haven, but the truth behind their situation still eluded them.
Noah sat across from them, his presence calm and steady, a stark contrast to the storm brewing within Draco's mind. To his right, Lilith Duke, her orange-ish amber eyes soft but distant, was poised and patient, waiting for the questions to come. Joshua and Cassie, seated off to the side, seemed to hover protectively around Noah and Lilith, their watchful eyes occasionally flicking to the door, as if waiting for Seventeen to return, to join them.
But she wouldn't. Not now.
She had been avoiding them, disappearing even before they'd arrived at the Ophiuchus city. Draco hadn't missed the way she'd barely glanced at him—or any of them—before slipping away into, literally, the shadows. It was like watching her pull further and further into herself, her walls towering higher than ever. And it frustrated him to no end.
Noah cleared his throat, bringing the group's attention back to him. "I know you all have questions. About Ophiuchus. Our people, our land, our purpose. About why we brought you here."
Draco leaned forward slightly, his curiosity piqued. He could feel the same from the others—Claus, Amelia, Light, Sablina, and Hunter—each of them waiting for answers. The tension from the heated argument with Seventeen still there.
"Ophiuchus," Noah began, his voice calm and measured, "is a place unlike any other. It's not recognized by the rest of the Zodiac Archipelago, and it's not on any map. The most you could see is what you call Dragonwoods, the first natural barrier that protects our people. For centuries, it's been a hidden sanctuary, a district kept secret from the world. District 13."
Hunter raised an eyebrow, his usual skepticism evident. "Why? What's the point of hiding it?"
Noah smiled softly, a hint of sadness touching his features. "Ophiuchus has always been different. It's a place where people from all walks of life can come to find safety, especially those who are outcasts. Thrown away and sentenced to death for being born during November 30th and December 17th. The powers that come from Ophiuchus are unique, often misunderstood… and feared. Greater than all others, in strength and quantity."
Draco exchanged a glance with Claus, who looked equally intrigued. "What kind of powers?"
"Varies," Noah said, leaning back slightly. "Some people born under the Ophiuchus constellation have healing abilities, others have advanced combat skills or knowledge beyond their years. Some see the future, the past, the present. We have the biggest variation of magic in comparison to your constellations. But it's not just about the powers. It's about what Ophiuchus represents—a place for those who don't fit into the rest of the Zodiac's order."
"Like Seventeen," Amelia murmured, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
Lilith nodded. "Exactly."
Draco frowned. He had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed struck a different chord. Seventeen—this fierce, guarded woman—had come from a place that was built on being an outcast. A place for those who didn't belong. It made sense, in a way, why she acted the way she did. But that didn't explain everything.
Lilith must have sensed his thoughts, because she leaned forward, her voice softening. "There's more. I'm sure you've heard of the... real prophecy by now."
Draco's jaw tightened, his mind flashing back to Seventeen's abrupt explanation. "Yeah. You could say that."
Lilith's gaze swept over the group, her eyes filled with a quiet sadness. "I'm the one who saw the prophecy, as the Oracle of Ophiuchus. It was years ago, long before you all were involved. But I've seen the signs, the way everything has lined up. You were always meant to come together."
Draco stiffened. Always meant to come together? He wasn't sure he believed in fate—or prophecies, for that matter—but it was hard to ignore the way everything had fallen into place, no matter how much he hated it.
"We're supposed to destroy the wheel," Sablina said, her voice flat as she recited the prophecy. "And you're saying that's what we have to do."
Lilith nodded. "Yes. But I know how much that must weigh on you all. It's not fair to ask so much of you at your age."
Draco shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his mind spinning with the enormity of what they were being asked to do. They had barely begun to understand their place in this world, and now they were supposed to save it? Destroy the very system that had shaped their lives? They had known about a distorted version of the prophecy, but it was about rulling better than their parents did, in that system, not about destroying everything.
"And Seventeen?" Hunter asked, his voice breaking the silence. "She's… part of this too. But she's different."
Lilith hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking to Noah, as if seeking permission to speak. After a beat, she continued. "Seventeen's story is… difficult. You've seen how she is—how she pushes people away. But it wasn't always like that."
Draco leaned forward, every muscle in his body tensing. ["Here it comes."]
Lilith's gaze softened, a deep empathy filling her voice. "Seventeen was abandoned as a child. She was born under the Ophiuchus constellation, but her parents... abandoned her because of the rules set by your parents. The rulers of Leo, Libra, and Aries in special. They threw her into a Dark Zone and left her there, to die or fend for herself. And because of her photographic memory, she remembers everything—every detail, every moment of abandonment."
The words hit Draco like a punch to the gut. Abandoned? Thrown into a Dark Zone? He'd known Seventeen had scars, but this… this was different. No wonder she kept people at arm's length. No wonder she had reacted like that.
"Noah found her," Lilith continued, her voice softer now. "He saved her and adopted her. She became his daughter, and over time, she grew to trust him. She had a family again, with Joshua and Cassie, with the other six kids we adopted, all younger than her, from 2 to 6 years younger. But then…"
Lilith trailed off, her voice thick with emotion. Draco didn't need her to finish the sentence to know what had happened. He had seen the pain in Seventeen's eyes. The pain of loss. Something he could relate with the loss of his sister.
"We lost our children," Noah said quietly, his voice rough with emotion. "Seventeen lost her siblings. She was 19. It was cruel and senseless, and we're all still grieving."
Draco swallowed hard, his throat tightening. He had known there was more to Seventeen's pain, but hearing it like this—hearing how deeply she had suffered—it made his chest ache. He could only imagine the guilt she carried, the weight of protecting her siblings and then losing them in such a brutal way.
"She was an older sister to them," Lilith added, her voice trembling slightly. "Overly protective. She loved those kids more than anything, the youngest more than all others. And now… well, she hasn't been able to move past it. I fear that a part of hers... blame herself for it, making her struggle even more."
Draco's fists clenched at his sides. It all made sense now—why Seventeen was so cold, so distant. Why she acted like she hated them. It wasn't that she didn't care. It was that she cared too much.
And it terrified her.
["She must have seen her siblings during the trials in the tournament. That's why she was so off afterwards,"] he realized.
"But we don't know everything about her," Lilith said, her tone turning evasive. "We don't know where she came from before Noah found her. We don't know who her birth parents are. Only Noah knows that, and he's vowed to keep it a secret."
Draco glanced at Noah, who remained silent, his expression unreadable. ["A secret. Of course. There's always more to the story—more layers to peel back."]
"We're all still hurting," Lilith finished, her voice barely above a whisper. "Seventeen is still hurting. So please… try to understand her. She's not the enemy here."
Draco sat back, his mind racing with everything they had just learned. Seventeen—this fierce, untouchable woman—was broken. She had lost so much, carried so much pain. And while he couldn't blame her for feeling that way, it didn't make it any easier to deal with the distance she kept putting between them.
He felt a sharp pang of guilt in his chest. He had pushed her, needled her, trying to break through her walls. But now he understood—those walls weren't just there to keep them out. They were there to protect her from the unbearable weight of her own grief.
["But I'm not giving up on you, Seven,"] Draco thought, his resolve hardening. ["You're not as alone as you think."]