A loud thud echoed as the metallic door creaked open. The small, run-down apartment looked like it hadn't been touched in years: broken windows, dust coating the furniture, and an eerie silence. What caught Kaia's attention, though, was the set of stairs leading down—into the unknown.
Ananya stepped forward without hesitation, her footsteps soft but purposeful. Kaia, after a second's pause, followed. The end of the staircase? Nowhere in sight.
"What is this place?" Kaia asked, eyeing the endless void below. "You said you wanted a quiet place to tell me about this prophecy. I wasn't expecting a cave."
Ananya didn't even look back. "This is a mana-realm, created by our former President." She continued down the stairs. "We can talk as we go. It's not a long story, I promise."
Kaia snorted, hands shoved deep into her pockets. "Former President, huh? You're really killing my curiosity here. So, where do you work? What exactly does your 'company' do?"
Ananya laughed, not turning around. "Company? No, no. It's an organization. We keep tabs on magic users, magical artifacts... all that kind of stuff. We're called the Apostle Corporation."
"I figured that much," Kaia said, her voice flat as she continued down. She narrowed her eyes at Ananya's back. "So, how do I stop the prophecy? I'm guessing you don't have all the answers, huh?"
"Bingo," Ananya said, a playful grin tugging at her lips. She started her tale like it was a casual chat over coffee. "Five hundred years ago, during the age of powerful sorcerers, a prophecy was made: In six hundred years—the time is near, by the way—humanity will cease to exist."
"Great," Kaia muttered. "And where do I fit in?"
"Hold on," Ananya continued, clearly on a roll now. "Back then, nine of the strongest sorcerers sealed something powerful to stop this. The thing they sealed is called the Cosmic Hollow, hidden inside a sacred land known as Luminous Cosmos. This seal... only works if all nine sorcerers are present when it's broken."
Kaia scoffed. "Wow, that sounds like something straight out of a bad fantasy novel."
Ananya's face remained serious. "But here's the catch. Even those sorcerers couldn't live for hundreds of years. So they made a pact. They would reincarnate over and over again, until all nine could reunite and destroy the Cosmic Hollow. They called them 'The Splinters.'"
Kaia tilted her head. "And I'm supposed to be one of these Splinters?"
"Exactly," Ananya said, her voice quieting. "The Nyxdith clan, one of the original sorcerers, founded the Apostle Corporation to find all the Splinters before the prophecy hits. The heir to this clan becomes the President, and they hold a secret weapon. Right now, we've only found five of the nine."
Kaia processed this in silence. "So... you need four more. But why me?"
Ananya stopped, turning to face her. "That's the thing. We don't know why you regenerate. You don't have mana, you're human... so why are you different?"
Kaia gave a dry laugh. "I don't have any answers for you. I just regenerate. That's all I got."
Ananya's voice lowered, a desperate edge creeping in. "I've been studying humans for years. And then I finally found one special kind and that's you, so I need you to join the Apostles. Please, we need to know why you're different."
Kaia's expression softened for a moment, then hardened again. "My regeneration won't save the world, Ananya. You have to accept that. I hate to say it, but this power can only save my own ass not the whole world."
Ananya clenched her fists. "I have a plan... but I can't tell everything...to anyone. Just... please, join us. I need your help. We need your help." (I don't think she would agree to that. I need something more convincing.)
Kaia raised an eyebrow. "Fine. But I'm not making any promises. I might destroy your plan, for all I know."
Ananya stopped and blinked processing what she said, (What? For real? She just agreed?) Ananya's eyes glittered with a mixture of relief and uncertainty. She quickly turned towards Kaia, her eyes almost teary. "T-thank you... I really didn't expect you to agree."
Kaia grinned. "Hey, I might change my mind if you keep calling me stupid."
Finally, a door opened at the far end, revealing a chilly sea breeze and a harbor filled with ferries. The sun shone brightly over a distant row of towering, pitch-black buildings.
Ananya stepped forward. "Welcome to Luminous Cosmos. This is where our headquarters is located."