[Zenith; Onis City {A few hours earlier}]
Kaia knocked on the door, the sound echoing off the apartment hallway. She was on the 13th floor of this towering beast of a building, and now, standing in front of the door, she couldn't help but feel like she was about to face the wrath of a very angry... soup-ladle-wielding goddess.
The door swung open, revealing a woman in a delicate white frock that looked like it belonged in a dream. Her sky-blue apron practically screamed cottagecore chic, while her long black hair cascaded around her shoulders—seriously, it was almost touching the floor. The breeze gave it that dramatic flourish, like something straight out of a fairytale.
If there was such a thing as enchantment by looks, this woman had it down to an art. She had that kind of beauty that made heads spin and left men staring like confused puppies.
"Kaia?" Her voice was soft, almost angelic, like she was announcing the arrival of a celestial being.
Kaia blinked. For a moment, she almost forgot why she was there. She mentally scrambled for an excuse. What had she done for the last five days? Where had she been?
But before she could piece together a coherent lie, the woman's expression shifted—frown, arms crossed, ladle brandished like a weapon. "You have some explaining to do!"
Kaia flinched. Her brain froze, processing the ladle more than the words.
"I—uh—" Kaia rubbed her head, trying to come up with something believable. "I'm sorry… I wasn't conscious and all…"
The woman's eyes narrowed, her voice turning into a high-pitched squeal of horror. "What? Did you drink on your trip? You're only 18!" And then, without warning, she smacked Kaia—smacked her—with the ladle.
Kaia instinctively flung her arms up, blocking the attack. "Wait—trip? What trip?" she yelped, dodging another ladle swing.
The woman's expression morphed from angry to concerned in about 0.5 seconds. "Looks like you had a lot to drink, huh? Oh dear." She placed her hand over her mouth, her voice now soft and genuine. "You were supposed to be at the Museum of Flummox, visiting cultural sites and all that. But nooo, you didn't tell us. The uni called us. Did you forget?" She was practically wringing her hands now.
Kaia's mind short-circuited. The memories rushed back—the monster chasing her, her heart pounding like a drum. She winced. "Oh no... I really did drink a lot, didn't I?"
(She won't believe me even if I tell the whole truth.) She thought.
"I know you don't have any friends, but it's still dangerous to drink alone!" the woman yelled, her voice rising in volume as she paced back and forth. "You shouldn't have been drinking at all!"
Kaia winced at her words, the volume hitting her like a thousand jackhammers. (I'm going to go deaf if she keeps this up.)
"Look, sis," Kaia started, attempting to calm the storm. "I wasn't drinking, okay? I... uh... forgot something?" She threw in a nervous chuckle, her hands raised like she was signalling peace.
She raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "So you don't remember?"
"No, no, I do remember!" Kaia grinned, but it was one of those nervous, too-wide smiles. "I wasn't drinking! I got dehydrated—yeah! I just passed out from dehydration. Totally normal, right?" She laughed, sweat breaking out on her forehead as she prayed this wasn't about to escalate.
Her sister stared at her for a long moment, blinking as though trying to process the lie. Then, with a huff, she sighed dramatically. "Oh? Well, you should've told me sooner then!" She pouted, her eyes flashing with the kind of mischief Kaia knew all too well.
Kaia sighed in relief, her heart still racing but at least no ladle was coming at her. Yet. "Right, totally… you know how it is. I'll make sure to drink more water next time—"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Next time don't get dehydrated, okay?"
Kaia stared at the ladle still clenched in her sister's hand. "I... I'm glad you didn't hit me with it." Her voice was small, her eyes wide, completely terrified of the potential for Round Two.
***
[(Few hours after the conference of the world) Zenith; J- City]
Ananya sat under the blazing sun, her coffee in one hand, the other holding a straw that poked out from beneath her massive straw hat like some sort of secret agent device. The rays tried—tried—to invade, but her hat was clearly in charge here. She wore a sky-blue frock, which was the perfect blend of summer vibes and (I didn't just roll out of bed, promise.)
And of course, she was back at the same café where the whole Kaia Stalking Saga had begun. Perfect.
A shadow fell over her, blocking the sun—and also, her perfect view of the people-watching spectacle.
"Hello~," Ananya said, smiling up at the looming figure, though the words dripped with more amusement than actual greeting.
Kaia didn't miss a beat. "I see you have an aesthetic," she said, looking her up and down with a cocked eyebrow before pulling out a chair and plopping down in a figure-four stance, her chin resting on her fist. "What's with this... girly outfit?"
Ananya's smile didn't falter, but her eyes twitched, a slight annoyance sneaking in. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had to consult you on my wardrobe choices. I'm a girl—this is my aesthetic. Your opinion is yours. I'd like to keep mine too."
Kaia blinked, a bit flustered. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that..." She paused, cheeks turning pink. "I just didn't expect you to—well, you know, wear this after I saw you in a suit all serious and stuff."
Ananya raised an eyebrow, deadpan. "It was work. You know, where you wear suits? To look professional?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it..." Kaia waved it off, but her eyes refused to meet Ananya's. "Anyway, why did you message me to meet up? Moreover, how did you get my number? This better not be another one of your schemes to make me look weird in front of my family."
Ananya shrugged, not even trying to hide her smirk. "Oops, I forgot that part. Don't worry, though, I'm not that cruel. I was kind of hoping you'd message me, honestly but you didn't so I dig some information about you and that's how I got your number. Now, go ahead. Ask your questions. All of them."
Kaia groaned, rubbing her forehead dramatically. "At least tell me... am I really a monster?"
Ananya burst into laughter, slapping the table so hard her coffee nearly tipped over. "What? You actually believed that?" She was nearly in tears. "No, no. We talked to your dad, and he—get this—said he saw you coming out of the womb and then fainted! Like father, like daughter, am I right?"
Kaia blinked, eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait... what? Are you serious?"
"Yep!" Ananya wiped a tear away, still giggling. "What's with that face? You're not even mad." She raised an eyebrow, barely containing her laughter.
"Wait... I have a father?" Kaia's voice dropped as if the ground had just shattered beneath her feet.
A cold gust of wind swept through, as the weight of that revelation hung thick in the air. The two stared at each other, both utterly blank.
"Uhh..." Ananya coughed, breaking the awkward silence like a champion. "You don't know about your father?"
Kaia scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. "Well, it was always just me, my mom, and my sister. I didn't think it was weird. No one ever asked me about my dad, and I didn't... feel the need to ask. My mom worked all the time, and my sister was always out, so I just played with the neighbourhood kids." She looked at Ananya like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Ananya raised an eyebrow, both impressed and horrified. "So, you were basically a mini-adult... at like, age five?"
Kaia shot her a look. "What happened to me now?" She huffed. "I'm still mature!" She pouted, crossing her arms defensively. "I didn't even know what a 'father' was until kindergarten. The teacher asked me what my dad's name was, so I just asked my mom."
Ananya groaned, facepalming. "Seriously, Kaia? You just went along with it? No questions asked?"
Kaia shrugged like it was no big deal. "Wasn't a problem for me. I had more important things to worry about." Her voice trailed off, her eyes distant. Something flickered in her mind, like a broken TV screen. A little girl, crying on the ground... but it was all blurry. She shook it off. "Anyway. Where did you meet my dad?"
Ananya leaned in, lowering her voice dramatically. "He's living a great new life. New woman, new kids. And get this—he didn't even hesitate to talk about you. He actually said he misses you."
Kaia blinked in surprise. "Misses me? But I've never even met him." She chuckled. "Well, that's... interesting. But hey, no hard feelings. I'm curious though... what kind of person he is."
Ananya snapped her fingers in front of her face, pulling Kaia out of her thoughts. "Stop daydreaming like an old lady! Back to business. I need a huge favor. The future of humanity depends on you."
Kaia froze, her eyes widening. "Hold up—what? Future of humanity?! Me?!"
Ananya leaned in closer, a grin spreading across her face. "You are the only one who can prevent the prophecy."