find your center of gravity
they meet under the light of the moon, the twelve, the way they must, the way they always would. it’s nothing short of the force of gravity that pulls them together, letters they can’t ignore, words they can’t unread, destiny they can’t escape. fight as they might, run as they wish, they have already passed the point of the event horizon and curiosity is a strong motivator.
we’re speeding through space, stardust in our hair
they come to the astrology center at midnight, like the notes describe, follow the white, pristine hallways around the building to the common area, couches and chairs littering the area, described to them as though the fruit of all knowledge would be held there. they come with questions on their tongues, worry on their hearts, too much power and not enough guidance, and what they find are two figures, two men, seemingly no older than they are, with enough information to fill a galaxy--or at least an astrology book. The very same astrology book that has already been found by the twelve, in fact.
These are the two authors, these are the two who started it all.
space is constantly expanding at 90% the speed of light
“you’ve come so far,” they speak, old drawls, old accents, strangely in-tune with each other as if they know what to say and exactly when to say it, as if honed with practice. something eerie and ancient hides in their countenance, their eyes far older than their bodies. “we’re sorry it’s taken us so long to get to you all, but the magic of the locket wouldn’t let us near you until now. it needs a pure environment to cast the summoning spell, and only you twelve were allowed anywhere near it that night on the beach. You are the chosen ones.”
oh yes, magic. great and terrible magic, the kind that rules the stars and pieces all of humanity together. the mighty zodiac, each one of twelve a fragment of a larger puzzle, like keys to a lock, all needed for a specific purpose, with a specific role to fill. these two men are ernie hensley and hershel glass, the capricorn and aquarius of their own prospective group, many years ago. make no mistake, the magic is a curse, and they have been cursed with the worst scourge of all: immortality. their duty now revolves around the new twelve, to help them, to save them, to ensure they do not let their powers consume them, as has happened to all the others before them.
it takes saturn nearly thirty years to complete its journey around the sun and return to the place from which it began. on january 16, 1841- the night glass and hensley received their powers, along with the other ten from their zodiacal group- saturn found itself in the 33rhd minute of the 27th degree of the sign sagittarius. Ever since, every time Saturn returns to this particular degree in this particular sign, the stars select a new group of twelve students, all twenty years old within that astrological year, all students at durham university, all born for zodiac magic. the locket calls them to the beach to take on the mantel of the curse; if the do not find a way to expel it before saturn reaches the 33rd minute of the 27th degree of capricorn, their powers will overwhelm and kill them.
matter that is torn open by black holes glows more brightly than anything in the entire universe
“we weren’t sure if you would believe us, so we’ve brought some obituaries.” the documents are handed out and passed around, mostly featuring drowning. it’s bizarre, but explainable; the two authors have deemed it their responsibility to give the twelve enough information to save themselves, by performing various spells and rituals, not necessarily strengthening their magics, but strengthening their control over those magics. the twelve need to be more focused and more interconnected with their abilities, in order to eventually discharge the forces. they’ve conjured up enough of a guide for the twelve on their journey and, once they have become strong enough, perform a final ritual involving water to relinquish their powers, before their powers destroy them.
it’s the only hope they have to survive, but the final ritual is very dangerous. past zodiac groups have been injured or died trying.
look into the universe and let it look into you
“you must all create a grimoire together, a book of spells designed to refine and better command each of your powers separately and cohesively, the same way that we have.” they reveal to them that the astrology book itself is a grimoire, containing basic spells, incantations, and potion recipes needed to get them started. they must work fast and they must work together, or there is no hope. the magic is dangerous and with each passing day, grows more and more destructive to not only them, but the world around them also.
“because of the repellent nature of the locket, we won’t be able to physically guide you on this journey. our time with the locket has already ended; even now it is draining us of our life-force as we sit here. we will do our best to stay in touch through any means we can, but this task is left to you now. stay true, and work hard, and when the time is right, we’ll come back to you and help you with the final ritual.”
and with that they are gone, faded from the space they once occupied, like sand sifting through the cracks of the universe. they leave the book and the knowledge, the mandate and the world, changed forever. saturn will reach that fateful degree on february 24, 2020, and they’ve already wasted six months of their time. a new purpose fills their blood, new reasoning in their bones, and one hell of a project to work on.
for further information about what comes next, click here.
