"Oh, well, well, look who's here," Ananya said, setting her coffee down with a thud as Kaia stepped through the door. Her gaze shifted to the faceless kid in Kaia's arms. "And what's that with you?" She wrinkled her nose like she'd just smelled something foul.
The kid, still clinging to Kaia like a human-shaped backpack, whispered in panic, "Why's she looking at me like that? Please, I don't want to die yet."
Kaia, stone-faced as ever, shrugged. "I'm keeping him as a pet. He helped me during my first mission."
Ananya raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing. "So, you've got a thing for murderers now? Why not ask him about his kill count?"
The kid immediately started fidgeting, hands wriggling in the air. "Uh, well, it's kind of embarrassing... I haven't... um, killed anyone. Not even a fly." He winced as if he'd just confessed to something criminal.
"That's... not something you should be proud of," Ananya shot back, clearly unimpressed.
(Maybe bringing Shortie with me was a bad idea.) Kaia thought, eyeing Ananya. (Is she overreacting, or does she just hate them that much? Eh, probably the latter.)
"Anyway..." Ananya said, pulling her hair back into a ponytail, her voice cutting through the tension. "Got any questions? Or are we just chatting? Oh, and can you get your pet out of here?"
Kaia nodded, and the kid scurried out of the room, clearly relieved to escape the hostility. The office was cluttered with piles of papers, endless shelves of files, and desks that looked like they hadn't been tidied up since the 90s. Kaia took a seat in one of the office chairs, ready to lay out the events of her recent mission.
Ananya didn't say a word as Kaia explained everything. She just listened, her expression unreadable, until the last word left Kaia's mouth. Then, with an almost eerie calm, she walked over to a shelf and pulled out a thick folder.
"A feather? You still have it?" Ananya's voice was casual, but there was an underlying edge to it.
Kaia nodded, pulling at her necklace. "Yeah, still attached. Can't get rid of the thing." She handed the delicate feather to Ananya, who examined it closely, as if it held the secret to the universe.
"And the locket... who gave it to you?" Ananya's gaze shifted from the feather to the locket around Kaia's neck, a faint curiosity in her tone.
"Oh, this?" Kaia blinked, surprised by the question. "We've had these since we were kids. My sister and I. Our mom doesn't remember where they came from. Probably a relative or someone. No clue."
Ananya's lips curled into a small, cryptic smile as she ran her fingers over the stone embedded in the locket. "This isn't just any stone. That moon carved into it? Not something you find on Earth. It's magic. But not the type you're familiar with." She paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "Mana-made things like this don't have mana. But when the creator holds it... well, it shows its mana. That's why I couldn't sense it before."
Kaia blinked, a little lost. "Someone who uses magic? I don't remember anyone like that."
Ananya's eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. "Invite me to your house. I'm dying to taste your mother's cooking."
"Uh, sure. But... my sister usually does the cooking," Kaia said, confused but willing to humor her.
"Perfect," Ananya grinned, clearly pleased with the answer. "Also, about the Chameleon... didn't expect you to actually convince him."
Kaia rolled her eyes. "I've been through worse, Ananya. If I can survive those, convincing a guy like him was a piece of cake."
Ananya let out a playful laugh, clearly enjoying herself. "So... how did you manage it?"
"Let's just say, my sister probably had a hand in it," Kaia muttered, rubbing her temples. "That guy kept asking me for her number, and I kept having to turn him down. What happened to him, by the way?"
Ananya's smile turned a shade darker. "He's now part of the Halcyon Unit. They need power, so they stuck him there. Oh, and Sir Kai is the leader. The one who wiped out your apartment."
Kaia's face darkened at the mention of Kai. "Don't remind me. That guy's lucky I haven't run into him yet. If he ever pulls something like that again..." She clenched her fists, the anger bubbling up inside her.
Ananya's smile widened, but there was something unsettling about it, a shift in the air. "Maybe... you could show him a little humility. Break him down, torture him a bit. Doom his life, yeah? We could make it fun."
Kaia laughed nervously, trying to brush it off. "Ha, yeah. Just a joke, right?"
But something in Ananya's gaze made her second-guess that assumption. The air felt heavy, thick with an unspoken tension.
(Okay, she definitely has a personal vendetta against him.) Kaia thought, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
"So, why is this room so empty?" Kaia asked, changing the subject with a raised brow. "I thought there'd be more people working here."
Ananya smirked, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Oh, they? They're off to the president's office. Some 'secret mission,' apparently."
"Secret mission?" Kaia leaned in, skeptical. "And why the secrecy? Who's it hidden from?"
Ananya's lips curved into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Me." She let the words hang in the air for a moment, before sipping her coffee. "Clever, huh? Using my own people without telling me anything."
"Huh. So they spilled the beans?" Kaia raised an eyebrow, waiting for the punchline.
"Nope. I found out everything myself," Ananya chuckled darkly. "I have my ways." She winked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Don't ask how."
"But, seriously, why the secrecy?" Kaia frowned, leaning back in her chair. "You're in Apostle, too. This mission should be your business."
Ananya let out a soft sigh, her smile fading just slightly. "Let's just say the current president isn't exactly a fan of mine," she said with a shrug, eyes narrowing. "He's powerful and all, but..."
"Yeah? And?" Kaia leaned forward, curious despite herself.
Ananya's gaze sharpened, and she tilted her head as if sizing Kaia up. "It's a gut feeling." Her voice dropped to a near whisper. "You're not ready to hear it yet."
Kaia blinked, thrown off by the sudden shift in energy. "Okay, then. Keep me in suspense."
Ananya stalked closer, her hands gripping the edges of Kaia's chair, her face now inches from hers. Kaia stiffened, caught off guard by the closeness. "Tell you what," Ananya purred, her lips curling into a playful smirk, "there's a place I want you to visit."
She slipped a small paper into Kaia's collar, and Kaia jumped slightly at the touch. "Someone's there," Ananya continued, "If you manage to tie that person's wrist with your tie, I'll tell you everything. All the juicy secrets."
Kaia stared at her, blinking rapidly. "Wait, what? Are you trying to make me look like a pervert or something?"
Ananya's face was a blank mask, unreadable. She leaned back, giving a lazy wave of her hand. "Good luck." Her smile was sweet, but there was something just a bit too... unsettling about it.
Kaia stood there for a moment, unsure whether she should be outraged or amused. (What am I even doing?) She thought, but before she could talk herself out of it, she was already heading toward the location Ananya had mentioned.
(Why am I so curious to do this dumb thing?)