After the wave of doom reached her, Eve thought that that was it. Her life was going to end, and like turning off a television, all will be nothing. She felt extremely bad that Tally had to share this fate, she had been like a daughter. Eve had seen it coming, she had opened the black door after accepting the stranger's-the one calling itself Lunam-proposal to ascend. Perhaps she should've done more to try and prevent it, despite the fact that her ability allowed her to see the future, not change it. She had closed her eyes during that last second, embracing the end of her life.
She had been wrong. It wasn't the end, not for her. And it wasn't like turning off a T.V. but more like changing a channel. The world around her blinked away and… where was she?
It took her a moment to compose herself, to gather her thoughts and come to terms with what had just happened. Only then did she look around. She was in a massive circular room made of gold. No, she realized, not gold. Aura. Solidified Aura. Intricate signs and symbols decorated the walls and ceiling. A large, round table stood at the center, twelve chairs surrounding it, all occupied except two. Eleven figures, strangers, people. Most were looking at her. From their chest, thin golden threads made of Aura spread out, tethered to a spherical ball made of Aura, like a miniature version of Lunam as seen in the sky, floating above the table. Those same alien signs and symbols, like the ones on the walls and ceiling, surrounded the sphere, sliding around its surface, ever changing, ever moving. But what was odd was the tethers.
"Welcome." One of the strangers said in a soft, orated voice. A young woman with braided hair sitting next to a boy who was laying back stabbing the air with his finger as if counting something. The young woman waved at Eve. "Our twelveth member."
"Your chair's that one." Another said, a slender looking man with long, brown hair. He was pointing at one of the empty chairs around the table.
Eve blinked, standing there confused, trying to understand what had happened to her. She remembered her conversation with the faceless man calling himself Lunam, offering her Ascension. She had been skeptical, but had accepted the offer out of curiosity. Was it true then? Was it really Lunam? Were these people Lunam? When she met him he had spoken with many voices superimposed on one another. "Where am I?" She asked. "Who are you?"
"Who? Me?" The young woman tapped her chest with her thumb, pointing at herself and smiling. "My name's Silla, but you'll have to ask the rest for theirs."
"Luthra here." The slender looking man pointed at himself. "Why don't you sit down and we'll explain it all. I'm pretty sure you have a few questions and unlike me, you don't have to put the pieces together."
"Eve." Eve said. "I… what pieces?" She noticed a new tether, a new golden thread, springing out from the Aura sphere, reaching out towards her. She took a few cautious steps back as the thread reached her chest, tethering her to it. Her Aura flared to life within her. "What-?" She felt power unlike anything she'd felt before. This feeling of power dwarfed what she felt when Ada amplified her ability. Her sense, her awareness as a whole, became much sharper. She felt invigorated. The Aura tether, whatever it was, seemed to be feeding her vast amount of Aura.
"Feels good doesn't it?" Said the slender looking man, Luthra. "You are now an Ascended." He added with a smile.
Eve looked at the tether connected to her chest, then at her hands. She felt… powerful. She tried to use her ability to look into her future, but it didn't work. She looked up at the strangers around the table. "Are you… Lunam?"
A chubby looking man started laughing. He was sitting opposite Luthra. "Oh gods no. We wish. But he-she-they- whatever it is that Lunam is, it spoke to all of use, as it did to you. It made us practically gods. I personally can't wait to return to Earth as one. Exercising this power will be amazing."
"Return… to Earth?" Eve said. She made her way to the empty chair that Luthra had pointed to earlier. "Are we not on Earth?" She asked after sitting down. The chair felt comfortable.
"Ah, the first of the questions." Luthra said. "Truth be told, we've no idea where we are exactly. But after much thinking and guessing, I gather we're inside Lunam."
Inside Lunam? Eve thought. Inside the second mood. She supposed it made sense, however impossible it sounded. No one knew what Lunam really was. For all she knew it could just be a giant magical rock orbiting the planet, or an egg containing a powerful sentient being, or it could even be a spaceship. The theories were numerous. Religions were even formed because of it. Because no one really knew. All anyone knew of Lunam was that it was the source of Aura. It's creation and its origins.
"We have yet to answer the most important questions." The man who spoke was balding, muscular in stature. He was sitting like a military man, his face stuck in a scowl. "Why has Lunam chosen us? And why now?"
"I'm sure we'll know once our final member arrives." Silla said. "Any guesses as to who it could be?"
Eve looked towards the last empty chair. Was Lunam recruiting? She looked around the table. These people seem to have been picked from every nationality. Of varying genders, ages, personality.
A vibrating humming sound suddenly rang throughout the room. "And speaking of..." Said Luthra, looking to the spot where Eve had arrived. Eve followed his gaze and saw symbols appear on the floor, right where she had stood, surrounded by a circle. A pillar of light flashed upwards, like a cylinder. A second later a familiar old man with white hair appeared. He was smiling, looking at his hands much the same way Eve had done.
"Welcome." Silla said. "Mr. Thirteenth member."
Where Eve had been curious, this newcomer looked pleased with himself, like he had expected to be here. She couldn't put her mind to it, but he looked familiar. She'd seen him before.
A new golden thread emerged from the Aura sphere floating above the table and tethered to his chest. His smile grew wider. "Interesting." He looked up, now realizing that he wasn't alone.
"Your chair's that one." Luthra said, pointing to the last empty chair. The thirteenth of Lunam's chosen walked slowly towards it, looking around at everyone on the table. His eyes met Eve's but she didn't see any recognition in them. She still felt like she knew him though.
"Now…" The voice, or voices, as it spoke with many, all overlapping one another, seemed to come from everywhere. Eve remembered hearing those voices when she was given the choice. It was Lunam. "Our roster is complete." Lunam said. "In a few moments we will address your ascension and what it will entail. Until then, stand by. Acquaint yourself with your new power. Familiarize yourselves with it." There was a low humming noise, then silence.
"So…" Luthra said, looking at their last member. "What do we call you?" Eve looked at him over again, then it clicked. She remembered.
The old man smiled. "Adrian Doe." He said. "But I'd like to be called Lord Ruler."
"Yeah well, you're not ruling over us, that's for sure." A short, chubby woman said. She was sitting next to Eve.
"Guess now we wait for Lunam." Luthra said. "But now that we're all here, why don't we get to know each other?"
Eve didn't know what Lunam had planned for them, but whatever it was, it was going to bring about another great change in the world.