ZODIAC FILES

Chapter 1

Old Haven

Hello.

My name is Elias Veyne.

I investigate things people would rather remain buried.

Missing people.

Unsolved crimes.

Vanished records.

Dead men with secrets.

And occasionally, things that should not exist.

People call me an investigative reporter.

That is the polite version.

The truth is simpler.

I am a man who asks questions until someone becomes afraid of the answers.

And on the evening I arrived in Old Haven, I already knew someone was afraid.

I just didn't know who.

Yet.

---

The town appeared through the dust at exactly 6:17 in the evening.

Old Haven.

A forgotten settlement surrounded by dry hills and endless stretches of brown earth.

The road leading into it was little more than mud and broken stone.

Wooden buildings stood on both sides of the street, their walls faded by years of sun and dust.

A saloon sign swung lazily in the wind.

A blacksmith's shop stood abandoned.

A church tower leaned slightly to the east.

And at the end of the main road stood an old clock tower.

Its hands were frozen at 3:17.

Elias Veyne stepped down from the carriage.

His boots touched the muddy ground.

He looked around.

Round spectacles rested on the bridge of his nose.

His black coat disappeared beneath a long zodiac cape.

Golden constellations covered the fabric.

Aries.

Taurus.

Gemini.

Cancer.

Leo.

Virgo.

Libra.

Scorpio.

Sagittarius.

Capricorn.

Aquarius.

Pisces.

The symbols were embroidered so carefully that they almost seemed to move whenever the wind caught the cape.

Elias adjusted his spectacles.

"Old Haven."

He looked at the empty street.

"Not exactly welcoming."

The carriage driver laughed nervously.

"People here don't like strangers."

Elias glanced at him.

"People everywhere don't like strangers."

The driver lowered his voice.

"Not like here."

Elias said nothing.

The driver quickly climbed back onto his carriage.

Before leaving, he called:

"Don't stay after dark."

Elias watched him disappear down the road.

Then he heard a familiar voice.

"You should have listened."

Elias sighed.

"I was wondering how long you'd wait before giving me advice."

An old man emerged from the carriage.

Silas Crowe.

Sixty-eight years old.

Former investigator.

Former professor of astronomy.

Former something else that Elias had never managed to discover.

Silas wore a dark western hat, a long brown coat and worn leather boots.

Around his neck hung an old brass astrolabe.

He carried a wooden walking stick.

But Elias knew better than to mistake the stick for a simple walking aid.

Silas looked at the town.

His expression changed.

Elias noticed immediately.

"You've seen something."

Silas didn't answer.

"Silas."

The old man slowly touched the astrolabe.

"I've seen this place before."

"You've never been here."

Silas looked at him.

"Not with my body."

Elias stared at him.

There were many things Silas said that Elias had learned not to question.

This was one of them.

Silas could see fragments of the future.

Not perfectly.

Not whenever he wanted.

Sometimes he saw seconds.

Sometimes minutes.

Sometimes years.

And sometimes—

he saw things that had no explanation.

Elias had spent years trying to understand his mentor's ability.

He had failed.

So he stopped trying.

"Tell me," Elias said.

Silas looked toward the clock tower.

"I saw you standing there."

Elias followed his gaze.

"Doing what?"

"Looking at a dead man."

Elias was silent.

"Who?"

Silas's eyes darkened.

"You."

The wind passed between them.

Elias slowly adjusted his glasses.

"That's inconvenient."

Silas almost smiled.

"You always joke when you're worried."

"I'm not worried."

"You should be."

"About dying?"

"No."

Silas looked toward the town.

"About surviving."

---

THE CASE

They had come to Old Haven because of a missing girl.

Lila Morgan.

Nineteen years old.

Brown hair.

Green eyes.

Last seen three nights earlier.

No body.

No ransom.

No witnesses.

No footprints leaving the town.

The local sheriff had classified the case as a runaway.

Elias disagreed.

A runaway usually takes something with them.

Clothes.

Money.

Food.

A letter.

Lila had taken nothing.

Not even her coat.

That meant one of two things.

Either she had never planned to leave—

or someone had made the decision for her.

Elias opened his notebook.

On the first page was a photograph of Lila.

He studied it again.

Silas watched him.

"What do you see?"

"A girl."

"Look again."

Elias looked.

"The photograph was taken recently."

"How recently?"

"Two weeks."

Silas raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know?"

"The shadows."

He pointed toward Lila's face.

"Sun is coming from the west."

Silas nodded.

"And?"

"The photographer stood below her."

"Meaning?"

"Lila was standing on something."

Silas smiled.

"Good."

Elias turned the photograph over.

There was a handwritten sentence.

SHE LOOKED UP BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED.

Elias frowned.

"Who wrote this?"

Silas shook his head.

"I don't know."

"Then why bring me here?"

"I didn't."

Elias looked at him.

Silas smiled faintly.

"You received the letter."

Elias remembered.

The letter had arrived without a sender.

Inside had been only three things.

Lila's photograph.

A map of Old Haven.

And six words:

THE STARS KNOW WHERE SHE WENT.

Elias had almost thrown it away.

Then he noticed something.

The paper wasn't modern.

It was forty years old.

Someone had written a message about a girl who disappeared only three days ago—

on paper manufactured decades earlier.

That was enough to make him come.

---

THE MORGAN HOUSE

The Morgan residence stood at the eastern edge of town.

The house was larger than the others.

Two floors.

White wooden walls.

A dead garden.

And a broken fountain in front.

Elias knocked.

Nothing.

He knocked again.

Still nothing.

Silas looked through the window.

"Nobody inside."

Elias looked at him.

"You're certain?"

"I can see the future."

"I asked about the present."

Silas chuckled.

"Then no."

Elias examined the door.

Locked.

He crouched.

The lock was scratched.

Not forced.

Picked.

Recently.

He stood.

"Someone entered."

Silas nodded.

"How do you know?"

"Fresh scratches."

Elias touched the wood.

"Whoever did it didn't want to damage the door."

"Why?"

"Because they intended to come back."

Silas looked at him.

"You're learning."

"I've been learning for twenty years."

"Exactly."

Elias looked at the door.

"How do we get inside?"

Silas pointed toward the roof.

"The chimney."

Elias stared at him.

"Absolutely not."

"You asked."

"I was hoping for a door."

"You investigate mysteries."

"I don't climb chimneys."

Silas smiled.

"Then investigate from outside."

Elias sighed.

Five minutes later, he was inside.

---

The house was silent.

Too silent.

Elias stood in the hallway.

A grandfather clock ticked beside him.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

He looked at it.

The clock was stopped.

Yet he could hear it.

He slowly approached.

The sound wasn't coming from the clock.

It was coming from behind the wall.

Elias placed his ear against the wood.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Silas entered behind him.

"What is it?"

"Something mechanical."

Elias searched the wall.

A small panel opened.

Inside was a hidden compartment.

There was a box.

Inside the box were twelve envelopes.

Each had one zodiac symbol.

Elias stared.

Silas went completely still.

"Don't touch them."

Elias looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because I know where this ends."

Elias reached toward the envelopes.

Silas grabbed his wrist.

"Elias."

It was the first time Elias had heard genuine fear in his mentor's voice.

He slowly withdrew his hand.

"What did you see?"

Silas stared at the box.

"Your funeral."

Elias was silent.

"Mine?"

"No."

Silas looked at him.

"Mine."

---

A noise came from upstairs.

Both men turned.

Footsteps.

Slow.

Someone was walking across the second floor.

Elias immediately reached beneath his cape.

His fingers touched the concealed weapon hidden beneath his coat.

Silas noticed.

"Don't."

Elias whispered:

"Someone's inside."

"I know."

"Then why shouldn't I?"

"Because the person upstairs wants you to."

Elias paused.

That was enough.

He removed his hand.

Instead, he pulled a small notebook from his pocket.

"Plan?"

Silas looked toward the staircase.

"Let them think we haven't noticed."

Elias smiled.

"Finally."

He whispered:

"Something intelligent."

They stepped away from the compartment.

The footsteps stopped.

Silence.

Then—

A voice came from upstairs.

"Mr. Veyne."

Elias froze.

The voice was female.

Young.

Calm.

"You're looking for Lila Morgan."

Silas's eyes widened.

Elias looked toward the ceiling.

"Who are you?"

No answer.

Then the voice spoke again.

"You're asking the wrong question."

Elias waited.

"What should I ask?"

The girl laughed softly.

"Ask why Lila wanted to disappear."

Elias glanced at Silas.

His mentor had gone pale.

Elias noticed.

"Silas."

No response.

"Silas."

The old man finally whispered:

"I know that voice."

The footsteps began again.

They moved toward the stairs.

One step.

Two.

Three.

Then a young woman appeared.

Dark coat.

Dust-covered boots.

Long brown hair.

Green eyes.

Elias stopped breathing.

He knew that face.

He had studied the photograph dozens of times.

The woman standing before him was—

Lila Morgan.

Alive.

Elias stared.

"You're Lila."

She smiled.

"Yes."

"You've been missing for three days."

"I know."

"Your father reported you missing."

"I know."

"The sheriff is searching for you."

"I know."

Elias's expression hardened.

"Then why didn't you go home?"

Lila's smile disappeared.

"Because my father isn't my father."

Silas stepped forward.

"Lila..."

She looked at him.

And immediately stepped backward.

"You."

Silas stopped.

"You remember me?"

Lila's eyes narrowed.

"I remember what you did."

Elias looked between them.

"What did he do?"

Lila didn't answer.

Instead, she looked at the zodiac cape around Elias's shoulders.

Her expression changed.

Fear.

Not surprise.

Fear.

"You shouldn't be wearing that."

Elias glanced at his cape.

"Why?"

"Because they will recognize you."

"Who?"

Lila looked toward the window.

Outside, a horse suddenly screamed.

Then another.

Then another.

The entire town seemed to wake at once.

Lila whispered:

"They're here."

Elias walked toward the window.

At the end of the street stood six riders.

All dressed in black.

All wearing identical silver masks.

And on every mask—

was a zodiac symbol.

Elias's expression became cold.

Silas whispered:

"The Twelve."

Lila looked at him.

"No."

She shook her head.

"There aren't twelve."

Elias turned.

"How many?"

Lila looked directly into his eyes.

"Thirteen."

Silas dropped his astrolabe.

It struck the wooden floor.

Clink.

Elias looked at it.

Then at his mentor.

"What does thirteen mean?"

Silas didn't answer.

Lila did.

"It means..."

She looked at Elias's zodiac cape.

"...one of them is you."

A gunshot exploded outside.

The window shattered.

Elias pulled Lila down.

Silas grabbed his astrolabe.

And somewhere in the darkness of Old Haven—

the clock tower began to move.

For the first time in twenty years.

The hands slowly turned.

From 3:17...

to 3:18.

Then the bells rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

And on the fourth bell—

every light in Old Haven went out.

Elias looked into the darkness.

His hand tightened around his notebook.

For the first time since becoming an investigator, he had no theory.

No explanation.

No strategy.

Only one certainty.

Lila Morgan had never been missing.

She had been hiding.

And whatever she had been hiding from—

had just found them.

End of Chapter 1.