The heavens were never meant to be divided by twelve.
In the Era of Origin, the Upper Gods descended upon the mortal realm to bestow the "Celestial Mandate." Thirteen thrones were carved from star-glass, waiting for the thirteen kings who would embody the constellations and govern the balance of the universe.
The ceremony was a blinding display of divine gold. One by one, the kings stepped forward. Aries, Leo, Scorpio—they were bathed in the radiant glow of the sun, their eyes turning into burning stars as they accepted the authority of the Zodiac.
Then came the thirteenth.
Augustino Zenorth.
Unlike the others, Augustino did not kneel before the light. As he approached the final throne, the golden radiance of the Upper Gods began to flicker. A cold, absolute silence fell over the celestial hall. The air grew heavy, smelling of ancient ozone and dying stars.
From the deepest corner of the void—a place where even the gods feared to look—a presence manifested. It wasn't a light, but a sentient darkness.
"The Twelve are the keepers of the day," a voice hissed, echoing not in the ears, but in the very souls of those present. "But the universe was born in the night. I claim this one. He shall be the Serpent Bearer. He shall be Ophiuchus."
The Upper Gods recoiled. The twelve newly crowned Kings gripped their weapons, their divine auras flaring in a panicked defense. They saw in Augustino's eyes a power that didn't come from their hierarchy—a power that couldn't be controlled or predicted.
"He is a glitch in the celestial order," the King of Leo roared, his voice trembling with a fear he tried to mask as righteous anger. "A shadow that will swallow the light!"
"To let him live," the Queen of Virgo whispered, her hands shaking, "is to invite the end of our reign."
The betrayal was instantaneous.
Before Augustino could even grasp the full extent of the dark power coursing through his veins, the twelve "protectors" of the world turned. Divine spears of light pierced the air, and elemental fury rained down upon the Thirteenth Throne.
Augustino Zenorth looked at his brothers and sisters—those he was supposed to rule alongside—and saw only the murderous glint of cowardice in their eyes.
The Dark Constellation had risen, and the Heavens were already trying to
snuff it out.