March 31st.
I woke up in my bed larger than a king's size, so I don't really know what is it called. I don't wake up to alarms, I wake up either earlier than Petra, or when Petra knocks on my door. I won, today, so it'd be a quiet... 4 a.m.??
I did not sleep well yesterday at all...
Then again, who can blame me? It's not everyday I get sucked into a black void where a gender-neutral seemingly omnipotent being asks for my dream. A lot of wacky stuff is normal for celebrities. Not this one.
After making myself a shaker bottle of pre-workout, I went straight upstairs to my gym. I had so many time, I decided to get a full body workout in.
You might find this hypocritical. I want to be normal yet here I am, pumping metal shirtless and sculpting an abnormally perfect physique. This was more of a hobby than a goal, its the same concept as boxing for me; the bad thoughts goes away with enough strain on the muscles.
...
After a good, sore session, a cold shower was warranted before the sun even rose.
...
Ahh, refreshing... Eh? What's that?
On my desk, before my computer screen, was an unfamiliar box.
The unfamiliar box was of only two colours, icy cyan and white white, but the patterns was intricate. It fit comfortably in my palm, with a smooth, soft, almost fuzzy feel to its surface.
There was a small slit that I could slot my nail in and pull, opening the box.
Sat inside the box, delicately placed atop lime cushions: a necklace, silver chains and silver pendant.
At the centre of the pendant, something glimmered stronger than the rest: sapphire, I think, it was blue and it was crystalline. Inside the piece of sapphire, something so small that I had to put it right up to my eye to see it: a proud goat with tall horns.
I didn't think much of it, this was probably just another one of Father's gift for whenever he thinks I'm pissed, which I am. But no matter how much Father wanted to shower me with gold, I still can't get my nineteen years back.
Well, whatever, it's a nice necklace.
Clip!
"Hey, cutie." An unfamiliar, yet incredibly seductive voice echoed from behind me.
I turned. Sitting on my pool table and stroking a cue stick was an unfamiliar woman in a nearly unethically revealing white dress. She had long white hair, that were bundled into an elegant bun, and azure blue eyes, that gazed at me alluringly. She was biting her lower lip, and her body was just... perfection...
On her head, crowned two tall horns of a goat.
I had met a lot of famous celebrities in person, and I am not joking when I say this, Amelda: She was hotter than all of them, somehow.
"Who are you? Haha..." I felt my lips curving by itself, my face was heating up too.
"I came from that necklace you just wore."
Oh shit, maybe Father has successfully mended my nineteen broken years with this gift. My eyes have been blessed and I can die happy.
She continued, "I am your—"
Pause.
Amelda, why do I get the feeling that you already knew what's going to happen? Why do I feel like... someone else has already told you all of this?
Well, then, you don't have to listen to the explanation twice. All you need to know was that there was still plenty of time before class, since I woke up so early.
With this time,
"上! (Up!)" I practiced my new superpowers.
I'd accepted to be one of the twelve zodiac warriors. Two reasons: One, my spirit, who I've named Alex, was just too hot to be true... Two, zodiac warriors work together; I hate isolation, a direct result of my life, so I'd love to meet some equals who wouldn't learn of my true identity.
"You can't do that, darling." She wrapped her arms around me. I was still shirtless, I didn't see any reason to put on anything, "You can't just chant and expect the chi to move with it. You need to move the chi, and let your chant follow it."
"Oh... O-okay..." I stuttered, her arms felt so soft around my shoulders, and her delicate fingers were tracing all over my muscles: ticklish.
"Try again. Chi is abstract, just like emotions. It's everywhere in your body, whilst also being nowhere. You need to shut out all your thoughts, and focus entirely on finding that chi..." She taught, but I couldn't really focus with her fingers going everywhere, "For beginners, calm equals chi. Inner peace helps you discover it. Shut out all thoughts, Ivan..."
She caressed my cheeks with intents to sooth.
"Hehehehehehehehehehehehe..." But it got me more turned on than soothed, I can't shut out my thoughts like this...
"Okay..." She released her hold of me, returned to the pool table, and patted the bed cloth, "Try again."
I was aiming to reverse the gravity of the billiards balls.
Calm... Okay...
No, it's impossible with her here.
I sighed loudly.
"What's wrong?" She tilted her head curiously.
"I can't... and I'm not gonna lie..." I massaged my own shoulder, "... You're just too beautiful, it's distracting."
"Oh... Then, how would you like me to look?"
"No no no." I waved quickly, "You're perfect the way you are."
——————
Here's the cloaked Them intercepting to tell you something: Ivan did NOT know that a spirit is also a shapeshifter. Alex never mentioned it, because Ivan never complained about her appearance like Angela did. Ivan was very much enjoying the view and erected this entire chapter.
——————
"Okay." She smiled sweetly.
Oh god, this is impossible.
Think, Ivan, think... What's a peaceful situation. I now have a new strategy, I will shut my eyes and imagine myself somewhere peaceful, somewhere me and Alex, probably in a cozier and more wholesome outfit, can relax ourselves together completely.
Think...
I ended up imagining myself on top of a skyscraper, enjoying the gentle wind and stunning view: a violet twilight in the distance.
But, Alex didn't follow.
"Yeah... But it's nice like this." A feminine voice answered to no questions, but that voice wasn't Alex's, and its owner was also nowhere to be seen around me.
"Yeah, it's gorgeous." Then it happened again.
I didn't pay too much attention to it. The unfamiliar city below and the purplish sky above brought me tranquility.
...
"上! (Up!)"
"Spectacular." Alex's voice echoed.
My eyes fluttered open to an empty billiards table.
I cracked a grin in success. I turned to look up, and was greeted with a rain of glass shards.
Oh, the billiards balls shattered several ceiling lights...
"Well done." Alex clapped for me though, so none of that damage matters.
"Thanks..." I scratched my head like an idiot.
Knock. Knock. Knock
"That's Father's assistant, Petra, you better hide."
"She can't see me nor hear me, darling."
Petra's spoke through the door, "Be ready in fifteen minutes."
"You still have time." Alex suggested, "Want to fuse with me and check out your protector form?"
I would love to fuse with you in a more human way too but, "Yeah, sure. Fuse!"
She gradually sublimated into an azure cloud that engulfed me completely. The entire process felt no different from being engulfed by the white fog from dry ice used on stages, yet it transformed me completely.
When the fog subsided, I found myself crowned with Alex's two tall dark gray horns, and dressed in a stunning gray, white and cyan Hanfu. My blonde hair had been dyed raven and elongated, they were now at least 20 inches, and half of them were tied in a bun, the other half hanging free. My lower face was masked blue, and my iris gleamed emerald.
Alex in a less sexy form that is a cyan cloud in my head poked out, "How do you like your look?"
"... GOATed."
——————
The Cat, with his hands tied behind his back, was escorted by around six gang members, all wearing black with sunglasses. The Cat was still dressed the same; black coat, black mask, black gloves, black everything, unbothered by the heat of where they marched.
They marched through a wide, dark room, where only a few hanging light bulbs provided vision. The walls were cold and dusty, the floor was filthy and wet.
They were heading towards one silhouette of a man, standing under one of the flickering, hanging light bulbs. His shadow rotated, along with the light bulb's inconsistency.
That silhouette was Exo, armed and immobilised by his own exoskeleton, as a mechanic worked to renovate it.
"Name apa? (What's your name?)" Exo asked with his husky voice.
"Kau kah? Projek Exo? (Is it you? Project Exo?)" The Cat still spoke deeper.
"Mana kau tau? (How did you know?)"
"Tak penting. (Not important.)"
"Hahaha..." Exo scoffed, "Kau dah dikepung, yakin tak kan bantu sini. (You are surrounded, confidence won't help here.)"
Exo commanded the mechanic with a click of his tongue. The mechanic loosened the screws of Exo's right arm, allowing slow, robotic movements.
Exo reached straight for the Cat's sunglasses and ripped them off. He had intended to reveal the Cat's identity, failing to recognise the dangers lies in them: the cat eyes.
Exo couldn't look away. Within seconds, the Cat received a new mind-controlled slave. Exo's men also took off their sunglasses; they all were affected with cylindrical eyeballs.
Soon, the mechanic would fall victim too.
The Cat untied himself, retrieved his sunglasses and commanded, "Rob a bank for me?"
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