Aries the Ram

The sun had barely begun to rise when Cancer stepped beyond the protective circle of the clearing. The morning mist still clung low to the earth, reluctant to let go of the night. Her legs ached, and sleep tugged at her eyes, but she pressed on, driven by something greater than exhaustion—purpose.

She had walked only an hour when she saw it: a stone ruin nestled at the edge of the forest, half-swallowed by vines and time. The air around it crackled faintly with energy, like the remnants of a long-forgotten spell. The stone archway at its center stood unbroken, crowned with moss and carved markings that reminded her of the runes from the night before.

As she approached cautiously, a figure stepped out from behind a crumbling pillar.

Cancer froze.

He looked no older than she was—tall, lean, with skin as pale as the moonlight that had guided her here. His hair was a striking silver-white, glinting under the weak light of dawn, and curling from beneath it were two small, sharp horns—twisted like a ram’s. His eyes were a deep, burning gold, watching her with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. His cloak, a dull crimson, billowed slightly in the wind, and in his right hand, he held a blade that shimmered faintly with magical energy.

He didn’t speak. Instead, he lowered himself into a loose fighting stance, blade forward, like a silent warning.

Cancer’s breath caught in her throat. She raised her hands in front of her chest, stepping back instinctively. “Wait—I don’t want to fight!”

He didn’t move, but his eyes narrowed. “Then why are you here?”

His voice was calm but carried the quiet strength of someone who had fought before—and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again.

“I…” Cancer hesitated, searching for the words. His presence was overwhelming, his energy as wild and ancient as the forest around them. “I didn’t come to fight. I was guided here. I followed the moon, the dream, the prophecy.”

That made him pause. His stance loosened slightly, the blade lowering just a fraction.

Still wary, he asked, “Who are you?”

“Cancer,” she said softly.

The name seemed to strike him. His gaze sharpened. Slowly, he sheathed his blade. “Cancer… as in the Cancer?”

She nodded, then tilted her head, studying him more carefully now. Something about him… his name was right on the edge of her memory. Her gaze dropped briefly to the horns on his head—and then it clicked.

“Wait,” she said. “You’re Aries, aren’t you?”

He raised an eyebrow, then smiled faintly. “Aries, guardian of this ruin. And apparently, your first obstacle.”

“No,” Cancer shook her head. “You’re not my obstacle. You’re my answer.”

He looked puzzled.

She took a step forward. “The dream I had—it told me the world would fall unless the twelve chosen found each other. Chosen by the stars. I didn’t understand it until now. Aries… Cancer... They’re not just names. They’re us. The Zodiac.”

Realization dawned in his eyes then, and with it came something softer—an understanding.

“You’re one of the twelve,” she said. “And so am I.”

The ruin around them seemed to shift, the wind whispering through broken stones like it, too, had been waiting for this meeting.

Aries crossed his arms, his expression still unreadable. “So the stars are moving again,” he murmured. “It’s beginning.”

Cancer nodded, the truth settling in her chest like a weight—and a promise.

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