“Yup,” Loir nodded. “I checked and double-checked. It’s real, and it was broadcasted just half an hour ago on all the channels they don’t have in the Core. I guess our Old Dragon Grandpa really wanted to be sure he got everyone’s attention. ...He looks in shape for someone who’s, what, just seventy years old? Eighty? How old is he again?”
“No one knows,” muttered Eden.
She kept nervously rubbing her finger against her lips, completely absorbed in the screen. The Dragon. Old Man Long was alone on the screen addressing the camera. He was speaking in Chinese, but they had even put on some subtitles for everyone to understand him.
Eden could feel Dante’s arm around her, and he was also tense. They had both rushed out of their bath to see this downstairs. In fact, she was only wearing a silk bathrobe, and her hair was still a bit wet. Dante had also merely put on pants, and he was half-naked behind her, his bare torso distracting Eden a bit. They were alone in Loir’s room, except for Rolf, standing a few steps behind with his usual stern expression. It was their third time playing the video, but Eden kept wanting to see it again, worried she had missed something. However, there was no hidden message. The Old Man appeared with a very simple wooden background, and a large dragon statue behind him, most likely his headquarters. He was sitting and confidently talking to the camera with a calm expression, and certainly not with the appearance of a dying old man.
“I don’t understand,” muttered Eden. “If he’s upset that we destroyed the Snake, why would he invite all the Zodiacs to the Dragon Palace? Everyone knows all of you don’t get along, this is obviously some sort of trap...”
“I don’t think so,” muttered Dante. “He hated the Snake too. He’s just upset we broke the harmony between the Zodiacs at such a critical time.”
“Isn’t he the one who... created it?”
“Sort of. The Mafia Lords existed long before the Core, but they never got along or respected each other. When the wall was built to keep the people of the Suburbs out, the Dragon held a meeting exactly like this to involve them all. There were no rules, only some tacit agreement they wouldn’t murder each other. At the time, they didn’t really have a need to, either. He came up with the Zodiac system so all would be able to know who the Mafia Lords were. They didn’t need to know their names, just who was associated with each Zodiac. This way, it didn’t matter if one of them was killed, they would be replaced and their... community would be safe.”
“No wonder he didn’t like us blowing up Punky Snakey like a firework on Chinese New Year...” muttered Loir.
Eden sighed, and turned to Dante, who already had his eyes on her.
“Has a meeting with all the Zodiacs ever happened again since the first time?” she asked.
“No. Not with all of them. The only ones who were in the first meeting were Long, Sanyam, who represents the Ox, and Lecky, the Goat. All the other Mafia Lords have died since, except for King’s father, who somehow... retired.”
“I wonder what the Zodiac’s pension plan is like,” chuckled Loir. “I guess you can’t have them drink tea and play backgammon nicely with each other...”
Eden glared at him, a bit annoyed, and the hacker made a grimace before rolling his chair back to his keyboards, putting his Pac-Man game back on the screen. She sighed and turned to Dante once again.
“Do you think the others will come?”
He remained silent for a second, visibly thinking. Meanwhile, he brushed her wet hair with his fingers, untangling it slowly.
“Most likely... We all get along, except for a couple of them, and they won’t want to be left out. Moreover, we all have respect for the Old Man, and with what happened these past few days, no one will want to miss this opportunity...”
Eden faintly nodded, but she was nervous just thinking about it. All the Zodiacs in one room... It felt like a terrifying thing to happen. Why now, of all times? Between their attack on the Snake’s territory and the Zebra and the Dog bombing one of the Core’s entrances, it felt like they had triggered a chain of events. What would come next? Most of the Zodiacs were aware of the Core’s plan to wipe more of their territories out by now. Was that the beginning of their response? If they did gather as the Dragon wished, what would come out of it? Most Zodiacs didn’t trust each other. In fact, it would be shocking if they could even gather without a murder or two happening...
“Eden.”
Dante gently calling her name took Eden out of her deep thinking. She raised her eyes, realizing he was gently caressing her neck.
“Don’t worry,” he said.
“Are you going?”
“Yes.”
Eden slowly nodded. She expected as much... The Dragon was very straightforward, asking all the Zodiacs to come to his palace the next day at midday. There wasn’t much time left to send a refusal or even hesitate. After the long day they’d had, it felt like the world wasn’t going to offer them much time to rest. She sighed, a little glad that Dante’s large hand was supporting her neck a bit. Even if she had caught a short nap in the afternoon and taken a bath, Eden felt tired. Not just physically, but emotionally drained too. It had been a long day of sneaking into the Snake’s territory, surviving the fight, and then finding out about her own mother’s death...
“Loir, have you heard from the other Zodiacs?” she finally asked.
“Uh... I don’t think we’re friends on any social media...?”
“In the Dark Reality. Look it up, maybe another one made a move today. I’m surprised there would have been no notable hack after you and Circé fought all day, and destroyed the Japanese server too. It must have made some ripples.”
Loir grimaced.
“I’m not sure I want to go and sniff that, Kitty. You know, now that I’ve been identified, I’m pretty sure there are a few people who didn’t like Warlock who might be hanging around to slap my skinny butt...”
“I don’t care. Even if they hate you, they probably hate the Core even more. It may be time to gather the Edge once again, so you and Circé might as well show that it’s not completely dead yet.”
