"Hey, you okay?" Kai called out, his voice echoing through the alley as he approached the trembling figure.
Niamh looked up, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. She nodded, though the tremble in her voice suggested otherwise. "I... I just need a minute."
Her ability to travel between worlds was something she had kept hidden for so long, even from herself. It was a gift that felt more like a burden, a secret that isolated her from everyone she had ever known. The air around her shimmered briefly, hinting at the veil she had just crossed. It was a subtle, unnoticeable thing to the untrained eye, but to Kai, who had seen it before, it was as clear as day.
"You're doing it again," he said with a mix of awe and concern.
Niamh took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her gift. Her eyes refocused on the grimy alley walls, and she pushed herself to her feet. "I know. It's just... I saw something. Something that shouldn't be possible."
Kai offered a lopsided grin. "You mean, aside from the whole 'sliding through dimensions' thing?" He tried to keep the mood light, tossing a pebble at a nearby trash can, which clanked satisfyingly. "Come on, Ni. You're the coolest thing that's ever happened to me. Let's go grab some grub. Maybe a bowl of rice will help you keep your head in this world."
Niamh managed a smile and followed Kai to the neon-lit diner at the end of the alley. The bell above the door jingled as they entered, and the smell of sizzling meat and frying onions filled the air. It was a stark contrast to the shadowy worlds she had been visiting. The normalcy of it all was comforting, a reminder that there was still good in the multiverse.
Once seated in a booth, Niamh pulled out the Infinity Prism. It was a simple crystal, but it hummed with an energy that seemed to defy the very fabric of existence. "How did I get this?" she murmured, tracing her finger along its smooth edges.
Kai leaned in, his eyes reflecting the prism's glow. "Remember what you told me? You found it in that old antique shop, right?"
Niamh nodded, her gaze lost in the depths of the crystal. "The shop... it's never there when I'm not looking for it. It's like it appears just for me." She paused, recalling the warmth she felt every time she stepped inside. "And the old lady who runs it... she always smiles at me. It's like she's been waiting for me to come back."
The prism pulsed gently in her hand, and she could feel the power within it. It was a power that went beyond mere physical strength—it was the power to shape reality itself. She had seen glimpses of it in her travels, had felt it coursing through her when she wielded the prism. It was intoxicating, but also terrifying. With a single thought, she could change everything she knew to be true.
"Hey, Ni, you've got that look again," Kai said, snapping her out of her trance. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Niamh blinked, realizing she had been lost in thought. "I was just wondering... what if I'm not the only one with this gift?"
Kai's eyes widened. "You think there are others like you?"
Niamh shrugged, her grip tightening around the prism. "It's just a feeling. But if there are, they might be in danger too."
Kai's expression grew serious as he leaned back in the booth, considering her words. "You're probably right. If the Seeker's after you, she's not going to stop at just one world."
The diner's chatter faded into the background as Niamh met Kai's gaze. He was more than just a street-smart teen; he was her confidant, her guide through the chaos of her new reality. His tech-savvy mind had been instrumental in their escapes, his humour a beacon in the darkest moments.
"What do we do?" she asked, her voice small.
Just as Kai opened his mouth to respond, a figure slid into the booth across from them. It was Dr. Zakia Shipra, her sharp eyes fixed on the prism in Niamh's hand. She took a sip of her coffee, the steam curling around her face like a halo. "I think I might have some answers," she said, her voice a mix of curiosity and challenge.
Niamh's grip tightened around the prism, and she raised an eyebrow. "How did you find us?"
Dr. Zakia Shipra smirked, placing her coffee cup down with a gentle clink. "I've had my eye on you for quite some time, Niamh. The Infinity Prism's energy signature isn't easy to miss."
Her eyes, sharp and gleaming with a hint of obsession, bore into Niamh. "But let's not dance around the subject. You're in over your head, and I can help you understand the true power of that prism. I've studied it for years."
The diner's owner, a burly man with a stern gaze, stomped over to their booth, his brow furrowed. "Look, you kids, if you're going to sit here and whisper about the weird stuff, you gotta take it outside. This is a place for good food and good times, not conspiracy theories and... whatever it is you're into."
Dr. Zakia Shipra gave him a tight smile, the kind that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Our apologies," she said, sliding out of the booth with surprising grace. "We'll take it to go."
As they stepped out into the cool night air, Niamh couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. "What's your deal, Doc?" Kai asked bluntly, his hands shoved into his pockets. "You're not exactly the 'let's be friends' type."
Dr. Zakia Shipra's smile was brittle. "My 'deal' is simple. I need the Infinity Prism to set things right." She paused, her eyes lingering on Niamh's. "And your past is intertwined with my vendetta."
Niamh's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
Dr. Zakia Shipra's gaze drifted to the sky, where the stars twinkled in patterns unfamiliar to Niamh. "Every time you use the prism, you leave echoes behind. Imprints of your existence that resonate through the fabric of reality. The Seeker is drawn to those echoes, like a shark to blood in the water."
Niamh felt the weight of her responsibility pressing down on her. "So, every time I jump to a new world, I'm leaving a trail?"