Lucy Heartfilia always had a knack for sensing when to get the hell out of dodge. It had saved her more than once while growing up with her father after her mother passed. The gold band around her wrist seemed to guide her away from danger and toward safety. The band was a symbol of her bond to the celestial realm—a promise.
As a celestial wizard from a prominent family, Lucy had been educated about the celestial promise. This ancient ritual, originating from the early days of celestial wizards, involved a powerful spell that binds a wizard to their spirit for protection. In return, the wizard promises themselves to the spirit world, bridging the gap between humans and spirits. It was a way to maintain balance between celestial wizards and their companion spirits, reminding wizards that spirits were not merely tools for their use. The stronger the spirit, the stronger the wizard had to be, or there was a risk of the bond slowly draining the wizard's magical power until they died.
From the stories Lucy had read, no one had ever successfully bonded with a zodiac spirit. Many had tried, lasting only a few months to a year before the bond consumed them. Most celestial wizards chose to bond with the weaker silver spirits. Often, the bonded spirit was under contract with the wizard it was bound to, but that wasn't always the case. Bonded spirits were sought after for their extraordinary strength. Bonds were rare now, and Lucy had never heard of or met another bonded. Her gold band was a testament to her strength as a wizard—a successful zodiac bond with the strongest of the zodiac spirits. The fact that she had survived the process was a miracle. She had only met her spirit once, the night the bond was established.
She remembered that night vividly, unable to forget the agonizing pain that coursed through her body or the boy who had comforted her as she felt like dying from the pain. She had woken up alone, covered in sweat, with pain coursing through her entire body. The band had slowly taken shape, wrapping itself delicately around her arm and sending a torturous burning sensation up her arm. She had cried out, calling for her mother, father, anyone to help the pain go away. She had begged and pleaded with the stars until he arrived in a flash of golden light—a young man in a suit with odd blue sunglasses. Though she couldn't make out his features due to the pain, he held her tight and whispered comforting words, pushing back the hair on her forehead. His touch seemed to lessen the pain. When her mother had arrived, he wouldn't let her near, protecting Lucy from what he perceived as a threat while she was vulnerable to the bond. When the bond was complete, he vanished, leaving only the echo of his words in the room. "It's nice to meet you, princess. You will never be alone from now on. I will protect you." Lucy remembered the relief on her mother's face.
Shortly after, her mother had passed from magical deficiency disease. The reason was unclear to Lucy, though she had her own suspicions that had never been confirmed.
It had been six years since that day. She had never seen the young man again, though she could feel different sensations through the bond—almost like hearing his voice but not quite. A celestial spirit bonding contract with the strongest of the zodiacs, the marked companion to Leo the lion bound for eternity. Anyone who tried to harm her would suffer the wrath of the stars.
So on days like today, when that gold band pulsed, Lucy knew she had to move. She had been about to talk to her father when it happened. Instinctively, she turned the other way and slipped out of sight, just in time for the doors to her father's office to open. An older man stepped out with her father.
"Heartfilia, I assure you my son is a perfect match for your beautiful daughter, but I understand your hands are tied. However, I have a feeling all will work out soon. Let me be off, and we will discuss the Konzern merger at a later date."
"I suppose you're right. Until next time, Junelle."
Lucy pressed herself further into the corner as the man walked toward her. She couldn't shake the shiver that ran up her spine. She glanced at the golden mark on her arm, a feeling of dread washing over her. In recent months, she had felt the bond flicker—dimming and then lighting up again. It terrified her. The bond was supposed to be unbreakable, but something was interfering. Lucy had done her research and knew the potential consequences if the bond failed—not just the risk of being married off to some creep, but her own life could be at stake. The very thing that had saved her so many times could be the thing that ended her. She might not be contracted to the spirit whose bond she held, but she could sense their emotions—anger, frustration. It had only gotten worse. The desolate feeling that plagued her at night gave her nightmares—always the same. A falling star cast from the sky in a burning flame while she stood screaming as pain coursed through her body, splintering her apart. She always awoke gasping for breath, heart pounding. She would stare at the mark on her arm, watching it snake around her wrist, trying to find a hiding spot like a wounded animal. She stroked the mark, sending as much love and appreciation as she could to the spirit on the other side. A comforting purr always echoed back, lulling her back to sleep.
It should have felt strange to know what this virtual stranger was feeling at all times or to feel their touch ghost over her skin, but they had been her guardian since that day, and she trusted them with her life. If her bond was in trouble, she needed to get to the bottom of it, and it seemed like the time to leave. She felt an undeniable pull to leave this house behind. There was nothing left here for her anyway.
She stayed hidden until the man walked past. Sawarr Junelle was a creep, and his son was worse. Every time he was around, the bond reacted negatively. There was something off about him, and Lucy didn't want to stick around for whatever plan he and her father had cooked up. She had hoped her father would be smarter than to try to find a way around the mark on her arm, but since the day it had appeared, he had done nothing but search for a way to break it without killing her.
Deciding not to press her luck, Lucy darted from her hiding spot and hurried back to her room. Only the essentials, and then she would be gone, disappearing without a trace.
Her room, fit for a princess, contained a canopy bed big enough for several people with white gauzy curtains pulled back in the center of the room. Large windows covered the far wall, easily accessible to climb out of, but she would have to wait for the cover of night. She turned to her wardrobe and dug through the bottom for a bag to pack her belongings. She pulled out a dark blue duffle bag with stars drawn on it. Unzipping it and setting it to the side, she resumed looking through the closet for casual clothes to take with her. She would burn the princess dresses if she could, but there wasn't time for petty revenge against her father. Her mark pulsed at her, and she quickly hid the bag and sat at her desk, shoved up into the corner, just as a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," she hoped her voice didn't sound shaky. The door slowly opened, and one of the maids walked in. Lucy almost sighed in relief.
"Ms. Heartfilia, your father wants to know if you will be present at dinner tonight?"
"Not tonight, Spetto. I'm not feeling well. I think I'm just going to go to bed early."
"Certainly, Ms. Heartfilia. I will let your father know. Do you need any help getting ready for bed?"
"No, it's okay. You may go, and will you let the others know I do not wish to be disturbed? Thank you." Spetto bowed and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her. Alone in the room once more, Lucy continued her preparations. The bond pulsing reminded her that if she didn't want to be recognized, she would need to cover it. Once she could make it to Magnolia, there wouldn't be a need to hide it, at least she hoped that would be the case. The Heartfilia Konzern was well known, but she wasn't sure how far their influence reached. The only people who knew about the bond were the high society groups Lucy interacted with daily, as there was no way to really hide it. But her father had made sure to keep it out of the public eye. Although she had heard whispers from traveling wizards about her bond, most people wrote it off as rumor and myth, considering its significance. She couldn't take any chances. Rustling through her wardrobe, she pulled out every long sleeve she owned, which was not a lot. She would need to buy more clothes, as her usual revealing outfits would not work to cover the mark. Throwing a mix of skirts and pants into the bag along with her boots and a pair of tennis shoes, she glanced around the room once more, looking for anything else she needed. Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror next to the wardrobe. Wide brown eyes and long blonde hair, reminiscent of her mother. Her outfit made her look like royalty—a long pink gown with ribbons and bows strung about a wide skirt. She needed to change her clothes and do something about her hair. She was too recognizable as she was.
She moved to search for an outfit when her eyes caught a photo tucked into the side of the mirror. Her mother stood with her arm thrown over a man's shoulder, her head tilted back into a laugh, her other hand thrown up in a peace sign. A younger version of her father stood on the opposite side, his arm around her mother's back. Both men were grinning at the camera. She didn't know who the other man was. Whenever she asked, her mother responded with "an old friend." He was a mystery. Quickly, she grabbed the photo and stashed it in the bag. Carefully, she removed her dress piece by piece and hung it back up in the wardrobe. In its place, she donned a black long sleeve shirt and dark jeans. She slipped her feet into a pair of sneakers. Now to deal with her hair. Eyeing her key ring, she grabbed Cancer's key.
"Open the gate of the crab, Cancer," a flash of gold, and the spirit stood in front of her. A tan man with sunglasses and crab legs sprouting from his back.
"How would you like your hair today, Ebi?"
"I need to look unrecognizable—maybe shorter with bangs," she nodded to herself in the mirror, a hand on her chin. The man nodded and got to work on her hair. Lock after lock fell to the floor, and after what felt like hours, but was probably an hour at most, the man was done.
Lucy glanced at her reflection and gasped. She looked like a different person. Cancer had cut her hair to her chin and styled bangs that swooped across her forehead. That, along with the outfit she had picked out, made her look nothing like the heiress Lucy Heartfilia and more like a commoner walking the street. It was perfect.
"Thank you, Cancer. You can go now."
"Anytime, Ms. Lucy. Goodbye, Ebi." With a flash of gold, the spirit was gone.
Lucy's heart pounded with anticipation as she prepared for the final phase of her escape. She took the pouch of jewels from her bag and made sure it was securely fastened. It was a modest amount but would be enough to sustain her as she began her new life. The moonlight bathed the room in a silver glow, a stark contrast to the golden warmth of her old life. With everything in place, she moved to the window, carefully slipping out and lowering herself to the ground.
The garden lay before her, a sea of shadows and moonlit paths. She darted through the undergrowth, keeping low and silent. The servants' routines were her biggest concern. She could hear their footsteps in the distance, their chatter faint but unmistakable. She navigated through the hedges and around the statues, avoiding the beams of light from the lamps placed along the paths.
At last, she reached the outer wall, her tree standing tall and sturdy as she had hoped. Climbing the tree with practiced ease, she reached the top of the wall and peered down at the world beyond. It was a sight both daunting and exhilarating. With a deep breath, she swung her legs over the wall and dropped down to the other side.
Lucy landed softly, her heart racing with a mix of fear and exhilaration. She glanced back one last time at the Heartfilia estate, her home and prison. The world outside awaited her—a realm of possibilities and uncertainties. She needed to find the spirit she was bound to and get to the bottom of the fading bond. She tightened her grip on the duffle bag and set off into the night, ready to embrace the unknown and finally get the answers she'd been searching for. She placed a hand to the mark on arm covered by a dark sleeve. "I'm coming, Leo. Wait for me." The mark pulsed in response as if to say come and find me.