"Was my presence here destined?" a soothing feminine voice inquired. "Is this what humans refer to as fate?"
A striking eye emerges, its pupil widening in wonder. Reflected within that gaze is a peculiar yet oddly familiar figure. The golden yellow of her eyes sparkles more brightly as the silhouette hovers above a radiant sky—hands tucked casually in pockets against the backdrop of fiery red hues.
"For how long.....
Do I have to suffer...?"
...
The hospital bustled with throng of people yet tucked away from the chaos, there was a hidden infirmary for select patients only known by a few doctors and nurses.
In the dim light, a still brunette rests on the bed, watched over by two imposing figures - one, a powerful man with piercing slit eyes, and the other, a bespectacled man, equally menacing with his own slit eyes.
And a girl sitting on a chair beside her, reading a woman's weekly magazine.
The girl on the bed finally stirred, her eyelids opened slowly, scanning the unfamiliar figures around her.
"....A dream?" She rubbed her eyes. "Who are you guys?" She said regaining her consciousness and sitting up.
"Your well-wishers of course." A taunting smile appeared on the other girl's face as she folded the magazine back and put it on a stool near her. "I am Ananya." She extended her hand.
"I am Kaia," the brunette stated confusedly, meeting the intense gazes of the two men behind Ananya, arms crossed and eyes fixed on her. Were they there to beat the shit out of her? Why are they looking at her like that? Did she steal something? Her mind buzzed with countless questions.
"Is this?" Kaia turned to look at the unfamiliar surroundings. ".....A hospital?"
Ananya squints her eyes, glancing between her guards and then back at you. "I trust you haven't lost your memory… have you?"
"My head..." Kaia clutched her temples as a sharp ringing filled her ears and a throbbing pain set in. "I remember... I just need to... ugh..."
"Take a breath..." Ananya urged gently, rising to her feet and placing her hands on her shoulders. "No need to push yourself" Concern etched her features as the guards exchanged puzzled glances behind them.
She certainly seems like a good person, Kaia reflected, observing her with a steady, composed expression.
"I....I have recalled what happened to me..." Kaia thought and hurriedly lifted her shirt to look at her stomach. "This...?" Her eyes widened.
"Has healed..." Ananya spoke, calmly as she retook her seat. "Took you 5 days to recover from it."
"Five days?" Kaia laughed incredulously. "Are you kidding me? That... that is impossible. There isn't even a scratch." Her smile faded as she realized, "No... it was real. I remember that unbearable pain..... I could never forget that." She was screaming internally, too shocked to show anything on her face.
"You need to calm yourself" This time Ananya had a serious look on her face but despite her looks, she held her hand gently rubbing it to calm her down. "Try to recall everything of that day..... Just believe in your willpower."
Rubbing her hand provided the comfort she needed to regain her composure. With a deep sigh, Kaia focused on piecing together the events from the very beginning.
...
On the parallel street of J-City, morning rays illuminated a cat perched by a window high above. The cat watched a girl walking below, absorbed in her phone. Suddenly, the cat leapt out, landed on her head, and quickly scampered away.
"Damn it," Kaia scowled as she fixes her hair. "Where did it go?" Her hands clenched as she turned her head to find the cat. "First thing in the morning... is this a bad omen or something?"
She was startled when she realized her hands were empty. "Why does it look so... empty? Wait!" She ran her fingers through her hair, and drops of morning dew fell from her eyes. "M-my phone..." she sobbed. "Where did it go? Hic!" She knelt and searched for her phone on the ground.
Kaia was unaware of the fact that she was being watched by a girl sitting near a cafe dressed in a suit with two other men standing behind her.
Of course, she wouldn't know that! They were about 5 kilometres, away from her.
"I can see a girl searching for something on the ground like an idiot. Her facial features.... hmm they are the same as the picture you provided me, Chang" Ananya said, sipping into her tea, her eyes glowing violet.
"Ma'am, Zack called us," Chang said looking at his phone, a sweat dropping from his face.
"Oh?" She turned toward him, her eyes shifting back to black. "What did he say?"
"Zack told us that he is currently getting choked by Sir Kai with one hand." His face turned pale. "Sir Kai wants you in his office, he doesn't want you hanging around with .... those two Chinese worms."
"How bold of him..." Cho said, pushing his glasses up, the light catching the lenses for a brief, sharp glint. "To call someone with more intellect than him, a worm? I am not even Chinese. I will have my vengeance on him!"
Both of them side-eyed him. "All talk no work," Chang said, rolling his eyes
"Do I need to highlight my importance, muscles with no brain?"
Chang had enough and grabbed him by the collar. He lifted him up to the ground with just one hand.
"Enough, you two!" Ananya hissed. Chang let go of him, and they both fixed their attire as if nothing had happened. "Let Zack handle it; he will be fine."
(I don't think so, I heard him crying). Chang thought but didn't say anything. (I need to protect his dignity in front of Ma'am.)
"Let's have a break and grab a coffee. I had enough of using my telescopic vision magic for now." She said, cracking her shoulders. "I will check on her again after 10 minutes."
That was what she expected. After finishing the last sip of another coffee she ordered. She used her telescopic vision again, only to be startled by the horrific view.
"Quick!" she exclaimed, rising swiftly and racing toward the car. Chang and Cho shared confused looks at her abrupt urgency, yet they hurriedly pursued her without hesitation.
"What happened?" Chang said in a loud voice as he drove the car faster with the mana delivered by Ananya.
"I- I ....." She said, holding her head in dismay. "We were too late."