The Apostle Corporation

The harbour was a chaotic buzz of activity. Workers shouted over each other, juggling crates and packages like it was some kind of Olympic sport. Sailors darted around, adjusting ropes and preparing ferries. The usual, everyday hustle.

But none of that mattered to Kaia.

Her eyes were glued to the dark, towering buildings looming ahead, nearly lost in the clouds. They weren't just tall—no, they were like obsidian spires stabbing at the sky, impossibly black, as if the paint had been made from the abyss itself. She squinted, completely baffled. (What kind of paint is that? It looked so... new. So dark. Not the kind of dark you get on a car. This was something else.)

Ananya, as if reading Kaia's thoughts, flashed her a mischievous grin. "So, what do you think of the sight? Those towers are taller than the ones at the tourist trap spots."

Kaia blinked. "That's... magnificent." She couldn't deny the beauty, even if her mind was still busy trying to figure out what that paint was.

"The tallest one's where the President's office is," Ananya added with a smug little twinkle in her eye.

Kaia's gaze shot back to the skyscrapers, narrowing as she tried to pick out the tallest one. "Tallest?" She scanned every single one, all of them seemingly hidden in a sea of clouds. (How is this even a thing?)

Ananya sighed dramatically, placing a hand on her forehead. "The one in the middle."

Kaia blinked again. "Oh..."

Ananya couldn't help but chuckle internally. (This is gonna be a long day. I'll let Kiaan do the explaining. It's safer that way.)

Kaia's eyes darted around at the sea of tiny, black houses surrounding them. "It's like a whole city..."

Ananya's grin turned fond. "A lot of the organization's members live here. Some of them have been here for generations."

Kaia raised an eyebrow. "Luminous Cosmos, huh? This place is surrounded by water, right? Is it, an island?"

Ananya gave a small nod. "Yep. Luminous Cosmos doesn't exist on regular maps. This island is kept hidden from the public. You can't just sail here. You need a mana-powered ship."

Kaia whistled low. "Phew. That's... cool."

Ananya pointed toward the entrance. "Alright, time to head inside."

***

The lift hummed as it ascended, and Kaia found herself taking in the surroundings. Everywhere she looked, people in matching uniforms—just like Ananya's, minus the coat—were busy with their own work. The atmosphere was corporate but... off. Serious faces, hurried footsteps, quiet chatter. But then...

"Miss!" A voice rang out from behind, and Kaia turned to see employees greeting Ananya like she was some kind of celebrity. A few even whispered to each other and shot excited glances as if they'd seen a rare celebrity.

Kaia cringed. (For real?)

"So, you're their boss, huh?" Kaia asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Ananya flinched at the question, her smirk growing wider. "Yep. Looks like I've made you jealous." She chuckled, clearly amused by Kaia's discomfort.

Kaia raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect that... And you're not even in your work outfit."

Ananya shrugged nonchalantly. "Oops, totally forgot about the outfit. Guess I'll have to change soon, or the President will never let me hear the end of it."

Before Kaia could respond, Ananya pressed the button for the 63rd floor. The numbers on the lift's display climbed... and climbed... and Kaia's brain lagged behind.

"Wait, did I just see that right?" She blinked rapidly. "It's up to 100? Are you serious? What happens if the lift breaks down? You're telling me we're walking up... a hundred floors?"

Ananya waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, the lifts here have never broken down. Don't worry about it."

Kaia opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, the doors of the lift flew open on the 63rd floor, and a girl—young, energetic, and with a sense of absolutely no spatial awareness—barreled into the lift.

The girl crashed straight into Kaia, sending her sprawling to the floor. Ananya, of course, dodged nimbly like a cat.

Kaia, on the other hand, was less graceful.

"Eeekk!" The girl yelped, scrambling to her feet. She had curly short brown hair, bright eyes, and a look on her face that screamed "I totally didn't mean to do that."

"I should have been more careful..." she muttered, brushing herself off.

Kaia gritted her teeth. "Excuse me? Aren't you gonna apologize?" She growled. "And get off me already!"

The girl blinked at her, surprised, before standing up and offering a hand to help Kaia. Kaia slapped it away and hoisted herself up without any help.

The girl pouted. "Geez, no need to be so rude." Then, her eyes snapped to Ananya—and suddenly she was glowing. No, seriously. She looked like a fan at a concert, starry-eyed and practically vibrating with excitement.

"Kyaaa~! It's Miss Ananya~!" Her voice was a full octave higher as she practically squealed.

Ananya didn't flinch. Her professional smile stayed intact as she greeted the girl coolly. "Good afternoon. You work under Kiaan, right? Perfect timing."

The girl's face lit up. "Oh~! You need my help, Miss Ananya? Anything! My life is yours, just say the word!" She dropped to her knees dramatically, as if she'd just been asked to carry Ananya's crown.

Kaia's eye twitched. (Seriously? This girl's acting like Ananya's some kind of goddess...)

Her expression soured. (I'm surrounded by weirdos, aren't I?)

Ananya gestured toward Kaia. "The person behind you" she commanded. "I need you to take her to Kiaan."

The girl's eyes sparkled with an energy Kaia wasn't sure was entirely healthy. "Your wish is my command, Miss! I'll take her to the moon, to hell, or even to heaven if that's what you need!"

Kaia blinked, unamused.

"Thanks," Ananya said, giving Kaia a quick smile. Then, she leaned in close and whispered, "This is where we part ways for now."

The girl stared at them, wide-eyed, clearly thinking she was witnessing a secret exchange of some kind.

Ananya patted Kaia on the back and gave her a knowing look. "Don't tell anyone about my little secret plan," she whispered, almost too quietly for the girl to hear.

The girl, of course, was too busy fangirling to notice, but Kaia wasn't so easily fooled. She shot Ananya a suspicious glance as she walked away.

"Yeah... I'm definitely going to remember that," Kaia muttered under her breath.

***

The girl led Kaia through the hallways, the two walking in a strange silence. The girl was practically bouncing with energy while Kaia trailed behind, arms crossed, a little lost in thought. They stopped in front of a door, and the girl pushed it open with a flourish.

Inside was a large office, the kind that screamed "I'm important" without needing to shout. A figure sat behind a mountain of paperwork, his face hidden beneath the paper avalanche.

Kaia didn't need a nameplate to figure out who he was, but there it was anyway: Crime Unit Leader: Kiaan Winters.

The girl cleared her throat. "Sir Kiaan. This is the girl Miss Ananya mentioned."

The man, who had been lounging with his legs crossed like he owned the place, stood up slowly. He didn't look like much at first—pale, dressed in a shirt that clung a little too perfectly to his chest, his bangs just the right length to cover one eye. But when he moved, there was this... dangerous presence, like a predator sizing up its prey.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aorang," Kiaan said, his voice smooth and calm.

Kaia raised an eyebrow and glared at him. "So you're Kiaan."

The guy just smiled, all serene like he hadn't just given off the vibe of someone who could kill with a glance. Kaia wasn't impressed.

"Hey, you can't just call him by his name!" The girl piped up immediately. "Sorry, Sir, she doesn't know."

Kiaan chuckled lightly. "No need to worry, Kiki. She can call me by my name. I don't mind."

Kaia's eyes narrowed at the girl's weird overreaction to the casual exchange. (So her name's Kiki... Is that even her real name?)

Kiki, clearly on edge, shot Kaia a glare. "Hey, what's with that dumb look?"

"Huh?" Kaia frowned. "I don't have a dumb look."

Kiki quickly backpedalled. "Nothing, nothing. Forget it."

Kiaan laughed, a sound that was almost too innocent for someone who could likely dismantle you with a flick of his wrist. "It's good to see you two getting along. I hope we can all be great friends."

Kaia didn't buy it. "Aren't you supposed to be some kind of 'boss'? Why the friend act?" Her voice was skeptical, to say the least.

"I don't have any ulterior motives," Kiaan said, his expression still calm. "But it would be nice if we could have a friendly environment around here, right Kiki?"

Kiki's response was immediate, almost too eager. "Yes, yes!" She nodded like a dog wagging its tail. "Sir Kiaan's the best! He never gets mad when I mess up, and he's always so chill with everyone. It's like he's the big brother we never knew we needed."

(For a boss, he's... surprisingly chill. Guess I won't be having too many problems here.) Kaia thought to herself, cracking a smile.

Kiaan seemed to read her mind. "Glad you're warming up," he said with a little smirk. Then his face grew serious. "But now, your real training begins."

Kaia tensed. "Training?"

"From now on, you'll be called 'The Wolf'," Kiaan said, his tone sharp as he stood straighter. "It's one of the splinter hexes. We'll train you until Cosmic Hollow recognizes you."

Kaia stared at him, clearly unimpressed. "'The Wolf'? Is that supposed to be some cool title or just an insult?"

Kiaan shrugged. "Call it what you want, but without the approval of Cosmic Hollow, you can't be a real splinter. For now, you're a 'fake splinter.'"

"Lovely," Kaia muttered. "If I'm saving the world, sure, I'll roll with it. So, what's my first mission?"

Kiaan's lips curled up into a smirk. "Straight to the point, huh? Well, this mission's not part of your training, but it's vital for saving the world."

Kaia crossed her arms. "What is it?"

Kiaan leaned forward, his gaze sharpening. "You know there are five splinters, right? Well, there's another one—the Chameleon Splinter."

Kaia raised an eyebrow. "The Chameleon Splinter? Sounds like a bad movie villain."

"Trust me, it's not," Kiaan said, rubbing his chin. "This guy comes from a family that's been chosen for the Chameleon Splinter for generations. He's a splinter through and through, but..." He trailed off, eyes narrowing. "The Cosmic Hollow doesn't recognize him."

"Wait, what? Why not?"

Kiaan sighed. "Because the Cosmic Hollow still recognizes the last Chameleon Splinter... who died a while ago. So this guy's been living in limbo, rejected by Cosmic Hollow and wandering off every time we try to convince him to join."

Kaia blinked. "So, you want me to go find him and convince him to join you?"

Kiaan nodded. "Yes. You're the only one who might stand a chance. Kiki, here, is a good girl, but... well, she doesn't exactly have the 'convincing' touch."

Kiki's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Greedy... she thought, her gaze flicking to Kaia.

Kaia, however, was already grinning. "Done. You don't even need to offer the reward. My convincing skills are already top-tier."

Kiki gaped. "You're just in it for the money?!"

"Of course," Kaia laughed, giving a mischievous wink. "But I'll also be saving the world. Maybe."