*Hello dear inner circles, because window cracks is over, here's a new winner fanfic for winner. Hope you enjoy it, and it's based on a story I made when I was much younger, and after seeing it due to fixing things in the house, I decided to use and incorporate winner to it.

*Lovelots!

 

Angels don’t want to interfere with human’s way of living, with their decision making, of their will, but demons, that’s just a form of past time. Something worth playing with. No matter what we do, they’re around us, they live with us, and some, even reside within us.

                                                                                                                                                                                -Jinwoo

 

“Case 22-5240, Kim Jinwoo, killed 14 people at once just last week, history of other killings unknown. If you were at the scene, you’ll probably feel dizzy like me. it was a bloody mess, all rips throat open, carotid arteries severed. All in all, he could be a paid killer, or consider it as a sport, I couldn’t say for sure. But let me tell you, the first time I throw a glance at his face, I couldn’t believe that he did that brutality himself.”

Without any reactions, the subject of the guardian’s conversations just sat still, lowering his head more to let the hood of his parka cover his whole face. With his hands tied by one of the guardian’s red string, a special ability that forbids the individual bonded with it to use any form of magic or brute force to go against his or her captors, all he could do was flinch when one to whom his tale was told tried removing his hood to see the face of a killer himself.

What he saw made his forehead crinkle, and he would have kept on just looking the gentle face if not for his partner who nudged him strongly.

“Are you sure he did that crime you have just said earlier?”

“That’s why I’m telling you just let his face covered like this,” he said in a hushed tone while returning the hood on Jinwoo’s head, tugging it harder than necessary.

“And don’t try to treat him differently just because, well, he looks so innocent. I know you’re smart so don’t be deceived.”

“I know that, it’s just that, I got used to seeing brawns coming in every single day that I find caging this guy here pretty unusual.”

Sound of metal against concrete floor rang from the hallway, making the two guardians scramble on their feet to seem as if they were not slacking a bit. They stopped on their tracks though after hearing the forced cough making them glance at its source.

The head might be a woman but she’s stronger, more agile, and an intelligent planner that any of those that have lower ranks either admire her, or fear her. Her shawl made of dried and preserved skin of creatures she have destroyed with her bare hands, voice emanating command and dark cat-like eyes add more to the intimidating aura surrounding her.

And when it comes to assuring the escape-proof quality of the facility where they work, there’s no other one that they trust better.

“I’ll take over from here, hand the prisoner to me.”

 Slowly, the two lower ranking guards backed away and watch how would their leader handle the fragile looking criminal without breaking him or snapping at him. They know a bunch of prisoners who tremble when they catch a glimpse of her. And they have witnessed it themselves, that one should never try provoking Chaerin to lose her calm while you’re an arm’s length away from her scythe. Not minding of the consequences or the punishment for being reckless, she could sentence you on her own.

”Stand up young man, and follow my lead.”

Even the other officers and staffs who are busy with their own worls started to slow down and take a look at the newcomer about to be dragged by the lead commander.

Without any word of resentment or question out of curiosity came from the hooded guy’s lips. He simply followed the directions like a robot  manually operated yet even the guards within the room could feel the heavy tension between their warden and the innocent-looking convict.

The sudden break of silence by him brought her into a halt.

“Well, aren’t you once like us as well? So you decided to give it up and turn into someone who dare to oppose and imprison her once comrades. It’s sad though, since you’re a disciple of Leo, other members admire your strength  and you left just like that.”

This revelation made all the guards under her power crease their foreheads, confusion showing up in everyone’s faces. All she could do though, is grit her teeth and scrape her palm from the tight closing of fist, trying to avoid venting her anger and harm the other workers present in the area.

Or she’ll lose their trust as well in the process.

She was once part of the Zodiac, and she knows by heart how deceiving and merciless the members are. It’ll always be a part of her, but she would never want to return to that life of endless killings, especially when it’s her own adored sister who was killed brutally by her once mentor.

“I’m actually thankful that I’ve been once like you, ‘cause I know clearly what should I do to catch every single member of the Zodiac. Don’t be agonized by my loss, nor show me any sympathy, since you don’t understand the meaning of sadness, at all. And you,” she strongly said while glaring at the others inside the waiting room, “return to your posts and do your duties! Stop lazing around!”

Her booming voice made the lower ranking officers scramble on their feet as she regained her calm yet tough façade, her composure showing confidence once again. Now half-dragging the still emotionless Jinwoo using the red cord, she glanced at the others who were whispering to each other and looked like they were caught red-handed when she glared their way.

Zodiac was once a legend.

The old natives once told the tale to their grandchildren who helped in spreading it far and wide. It was said that they were once 12 tribes living in harmony within their country when it was only grasslands and prairies surrounded by mountain ranges, exchanging produce and even weapons and armors. If an outsider tries to harm just one person from any of the tribes, he becomes the enemy of the remaining 11 clans.

They stood together in times of war and attempts of colonization, and shared with each other in times of famine and disasters. A single crack almost destroyed the peace though, when strange cases of people injured and goods, even fowls and cattle, stolen from each town. This caused some disputes since hidden treasures and the likes, who started missing as well, were only known within the ring of 12.

The issue was later cleared when one daughter of a chieftain saw with her own two eyes who the real culprit is. When she was about to take her rest from the day within the comforts of her own room, she saw an unusually large coal black scorpion already present, which almost kidnapped her after stealing golden ornaments settled in a casket under her own bed. It caused panic to erupt, so they sent out their strongest warriors to hunt the creature down, yet many were killed, they were always at the side of the prey, and those who have survived returned empty-handed,  always describing the creature differently.

The elder shamans, who were not given proper attention during  the commotion offered their help, thus they became the last resort to capture the beast. So, after constructing a plan, they searched for the feared creature, now believing that it is a shape-shifting demon of some sort. But  they were never harmed much with the help of protective charms and spells they planned on using to bind him onto an almost non-existent state, without any chance of escape.

Using the same young lady as a bait, they were finally able to catch him, yet the demon proved to be a strong casket of power, making the shamans lives drain faster, thus they decided to divide the demon’s essence into twelve parts symbolizing the twelve tribes who defeated him, locking each into twelve infants, one from each clan, in order to seal the demon’s weakened parts for longer rather than trying to tone down the whole being  which is quite hard for the old and already weak shamans.

It has been quite since then, and the twelve tribes were able to return to their old ways. The shamans seemed to look older though and the traces of their success were shown in their hair that turned white instantly. The twelve unlucky children who were chosen as containers for the dreaded being were treated like outcasts once they reached the age where they could walk on their own and speak out their thoughts. People fear them, thinking that anytime they could turn into monsters as well, that the demon might take control of their bodies. Even their own family treats them the same way.

The arguments about them only heightened when one of the children fought back with one of his bullies, almost killing the bigger boy in the process. Their difference in strength and skills are slowly showing as they grow older, and the chieftains afraid for a possibility of outburst from their people, agreed upon chasing the children away into the uninhabited area across the mountain range blocking their hones away from other places out there. They were not even allowed to bring anything from their own families’ resources and wealth.

Everyone believed that once the children die, which they could bear to see for themselves, it would mean that the demon would vanish as well.

Though, years after, a group of 12 young men and women were said to visit the tribes and killed over half of the population, leaving the children and newborns unharmed yet made them orphans. They were labeled as the zodiac in the present based on their special abilities, and were rumored to be the ill-fated children who were left to starve and die a natural death, but actually survived and have learned to use and control the essence embedded into them for their own convenience.

Though it is believed that the original members were already dead, as the tale was passed from generations to generations, the zodiac emerges from the shadows with new members who are widely known for their skills and talents yet the real individuals are always hard to meet in person, unless they reveal their selves without killing the witnesses.

How does they pass on the demon’s essence? No one really knows. Many believe though that the presence of any zodiac member would mean havoc is about to happen. And if their goal is to instill fear in anyone’s mind, they have succeeded in doing so.

And despite of it starting as a legend, everyone knows as well that they are very much real and could wipe out cities if all are not captured as soon as possible.

“Welcome to your own living hell. Enjoy your stay here as long as your name’s still not called for the death row. Since I’m sure you’ll end up there no matter what.”

Locking him in one of the hundreds of jail rooms in the facility, she then proceeded with the rotation and reviewing of new cases.

Jinwoo just sat on the gray bed, removed his hood and observed his surroundings. Gray was the only thing his eyes could render, except for the coal black rails and the white scratches on the walls and ceiling. The irises seated on his deer eyes looked like fire rubies, now clearly seen since he decided to finally open his eyes side enough, and  enhance his features. Now he could see everything in bright hues, even the sounds traversing the air resembled that of an abstract artwork.

The red cord still binds him, but it couldn’t bind the demon’s essence that well.

And he was not afraid, nor in a hurry to escape.

The central prison is composed of ten levels, three of these placed underground and serves as the containment of high profile criminals, of merciless killers, and offsprings of humans and demons named daemons who go rampage, as well as the confiscated illegal items such as waepons and riches. The remaining seven floors which could be seen outside are for low profile criminals, of small-time robbers and law breakers.

No prisoner was able to successfully escape the tight security, though many have tried, but to no avail, all failed.

Guardians are mostly trained men who are willing to serve the country and have proved themselves after a bunch of exams, but there are other daemons as well who are recruited for their heightened human senses and special skillls, as long as they are proved sane and are not part of any groups or associations associated with the Red Bullets, the circle of daemons who uses real demons as their stalwarts and fountainheads of mana, and gets humans for the sake of using them as servants, or worse as plain sacrifices.

And though there are no current proofs, the government believes that the Zodiac might be connected to the said circle, one way or another.

Now that one member is captured, it made the populace trust  the guardians and the governement as well, believeing that all the remaining members would be caught sooner or later.

 

“Scorpio has been caught.”

Despite of the news, the man clad in gray parka and leather pants and boots just laughed it off, as if nothing’s wrong and that it was an ordinary day for their group. A lady wearing coal black jacket complimenting her blood red hair tied in a ponytail just smirked and kept on playing with the one who’s still laughing, catching him off guard earning a checkmate in the process.

“Hahah- wait! I wasn’t looking-”

“That’s why. You were not giving enough attention at all, that’s why you lost.”

If it wasn’t for the swift hand motions of the one who delievered the message, the set of crystal chess pieces and board would have been crushed already.

“Yah Taurus! Remember that you don’t own this set and you dare break it!?”

“You dare raise your voice to someone older than you?! You midget!”

“I’d rather-”

“Oh shut up will you?! That’s why I don’t like seeing all four routes in one place, it’s giving me a headache.”

Her dark aura could be felt within the four corners of their meeting place that resembles an enlarged bedroom. If not for knowing her real personality after long years of being in the same group, anyone who looks at her would just see a fragile girl with a pretty face, covering a tigress who’s the second oldest among the 12. Though they all like her bubbly side that puts a smie on their faces, they respect this side of her that could put the group under control and avoid further conflicts or brawl to break out.

“Dara unnie,” the one holding the crystal chess set softly said as she his behind the gray shawl, stucking out her tongue to the man whose eyes turned into slits seeing how she found a member to side with her.

“Jiwon, you too Sohyun, shake it off already and make peace before I hide your treasures in my hidden vault.”

Hearing this, both groaned and shook their hands before whacking each other’s heads afterwards, which only made Dara sigh and leave for a good night sleep without any disturbance. And as the others left as well, leaving the two members who kept on playing chess, the silence returned with only the Grandfather’s clock breaking the solitude.

“Well then, does this mean the plans would start in a few days? We  got our eyes and ears there already. All we need to do is to let the hands in.”

“Woooh, this sounds fun. I’m excited for some action and I’ll make sure to bring everyone along.”

Night has never felt this long.

 

*Who love the zodiac? I do. Thanks for reading the first chapter! You'll see more of them in the next chapters. By the way, the first 5 chapters would be like an introduction for the winner boys, so please be patient with me.

*Take care inner circle family! And don't forget to support winner all the way!

#winner.exit.movement