It was a sunny day. The sky was a perfect blue canvas, scattered with a few lazy white clouds. Everybody was out doing something: walking through the park with ice creams in hand, laughing loudly on romantic dates, shopping in bustling markets, children chasing each other along the sidewalks. A day so wonderful, in fact, that some might say something bad had to happen.
Among those people was Nina — a beautiful young lady with blonde hair and bright blue eyes — but at that moment, those eyes were clouded with tears, brimming with a sorrow too heavy for someone her age.
She was sobbing quietly on her bed, her knees pulled tightly to her chest, her whole body trembling under the weight of her emotions. She barely heard the door creak open before a woman rushed into the room, her heart full of worry.
"Dear God! Nina! What are you doing here?" Mrs. Lopez exclaimed, her voice trembling with concern. This wasn't the first time Nina had broken down like this, and a deep part of Mrs. Lopez feared it wouldn't be the last.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Lopez," Nina whispered, her voice cracking. "I just… I don't want to meet that man…" Her words spilled out between sobs.
Mrs. Lopez closed her eyes briefly, as though praying for strength. Then she sighed, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed. Her hand reached out and brushed a lock of hair from Nina's tear-streaked face.
"Of course you don't want to," she said gently. "Sweetheart, listen. You know I love you with all my heart. This man… he's offering you a scholarship. A real one. This—" Her voice broke. She steadied herself before continuing. "This is the dream your mother and I had since we were little girls. We dreamed of escaping this place. Now you have the chance to do what none of us could."
Nina lifted her head slightly, her face red and blotchy. "What if I don't want it? What if this life, this dream you have for me, isn't the one I want?" Her voice was filled with anguish, with a desperation that stabbed straight through Mrs. Lopez's heart.
"You know how hard it is to live in this city," Mrs. Lopez whispered, her eyes glistening with tears. "Nobody says this has to be your life forever. But for now, this could put you on your feet, Nina. You could have choices... freedom. And after that, you can chase whatever dreams you want. But now... please, for me, for her... take this chance."
There was a long, heavy silence between them. The room felt suffocating, filled with unspoken fears and half-formed hopes. Finally, Nina nodded slowly, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand.
"I have a bad feeling about this," she muttered, almost to herself.
A big, relieved smile broke across Mrs. Lopez's face, a smile so fragile it looked like it might shatter if touched. "You always do."
And she was always right.
Nina forced a smile, though her heart was nowhere near it.
She dragged herself off the bed and followed Mrs. Lopez to the kitchen, every step heavy, reluctant. Sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for them, was a man dressed in an impeccably pressed black suit, a red tie tucked neatly under his jacket. His tie caught Nina's eye immediately — it had a black feather embroidered on it, a symbol she didn't recognize. Strange. Nina prided herself on knowing every brand worth knowing.
"Wow," the man said, standing as they entered. "You sure you're just in high school, my lady?"
Nina's eyes narrowed. She crossed her arms. "Yes. Why? Did you fall for me, sir?" she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
The man chuckled awkwardly, clearly caught off guard. "No, no, of course not," he said quickly. "In fact, you know why I'm here."
"Yeah, you're here to change my life," Nina said dryly, flopping into a chair across from him.
For such an emotional girl, she could hide them really well.
The man smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Do you know why this city is called Forever City?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "It's called like that because opportunity is everywhere here. You just have to be smart enough to seize it when it comes."
Nina raised an eyebrow. "And this scholarship you're offering... it's real? Covers everything?"
"Exactly," he said smoothly. "Tuition, room, board. All expenses paid. It's a dream come true, really."
"Dreams don't come true that easily though," said Nina skeptically. "What's the trick?"
"That's why we like you," the man said. "It's perfectly clear from your essays how you think and you're the perfect type of person we need."
"Need for?" Nina asked, not letting her guard down.
"Listen," the man finally gave in. "The way you write and the amout of books you read — We also checked that at the library. These days, kids like you are rare. If you keep at it, you'll make it big."
Mrs. Lopez hovered nervously behind Nina, wringing her hands.
"But the schedule is tight," the man continued, "and while you are impressive, we have many strong candidates. We especially value those who value us."
He placed special emphasis on that last part.
"If you have time today," he said, "we could start the tour immediately and maybe even get some of the paperwork signed."
"This fast?" Mrs. Lopez asked.
"Just some formalities that only ensure that she has been reserved a place at the University," the man explained to her.
Mrs. Lopez smiled. "She— I mean, we— would be delighted to come."
The man's expression tightened slightly. "I'm sorry, but that won't be possible. Families can't accompany the candidates. We wouldn't want to overwhelm the admissions offices."
"So she can't visit me?" Nina asked.
"Of course she can," he said with a placating smile. "After you're officially a student. Until then, it's standard procedure. I hope you understand."
Nina turned to Mrs. Lopez. Her guardian's eyes were full of desperate hope. Nina swallowed the lump in her throat. She had no choice.
"Ok, let's go!" the girl said as she got up from her chair.
The man was pleased.
Minutes later, Mrs. Lopez was all alone. She couldnt believe what happened. I have to call everybody, she tought, rushing for her phone.
There it was, sitting on a table. When she finally reached it, something strange began to happen. Her body refused to move. Moments later, she collapsed on the floor, barely conscious, eyes wide open in silent shock. Glancing at her arms, she saw them — terribly wrinkled, like those of a ninety-year-old woman. A scream tried to force its way out, but her throat was so dry that no sound came. By now, over fifteen percent of her body's water had been drained away.
How could this be? The question echoed inside her mind again and again. All she wanted now was to see her face — the face of her best friend's daughter, the girl she had raised as her own ever since the tragedy — and know she was safe.
"Ni...na," she said with her lips barely moving. She used all her remaining strength to do this last thing before her body completely dried out.
Meanwhile, Nina found herself stepping out into the golden afternoon light, trailing behind the man who was constantly checking his phone. They stopped in an alley between the big buildings.
"A car will pick us up shortly," he said without looking at her. His voice was flat now, mechanical, as if she was speaking with a puppet..
Nina turned to a window on the first floor — where her kitchen was — expecting to see Mrs. Lopez waving at her. But no one was there. Her heart sank. Maybe Mrs. Lopez couldn't bear to watch her leave.
And then something strange happened.
Red ash fell from the sky. It was fascinating. Gorgeous. She watched, entranced, as it danced wherever the wind blew it. Some even landed on her window.
That's when the explosion began.
A shockwave knocked her back as flames erupted from the apartment. She screamed as smoke billowed into the clear sky, turning the day dark.
"Mrs. Lopez!" she cried, her instincts taking over as she tried to run toward the burning building.
But before she could get far, a hand tangled itself in her hair, pulling her backward. She hit the ground hard.
"The woman died from the explosion," the man in the black suit said coldly. "And the only other person living there is missing. This doesn't look good for you, my lady."
Nina gasped, trying to fight back, but her body refused to obey. Panic had locked her muscles. All she could do was watch helplessly as the man held her down.
A black car pulled up near them. The driver wore the same red-feathered tie. The symbol gleamed in the ash-filled air.
"Let's go," the man said, tightening his grip on her. "He is waiting."
Nina's heart pounded in her chest. She was sure there was no escape. But then—
The man's head hit the ground, followed by his body. A clean cut.
Nina stumbled back, wide-eyed with horror. Standing between her and the car was a beautiful woman with short black hair.
The driver got out and pulled a gun, aiming at the woman.
"Hey, hey, let's not do that," said a man who stood behind him in a casual, almost cheerful way.
Before the driver could react, a blade pierced the back of his head. He slumped over, revealing a man with neatly styled blond hair wearing a brown suit, who leaned against the open car door.
The woman turned to Nina, her face softening. "Hey, you're Nina, right?"
Nina nodded, terrified.
"We have to move. Now."
"I don't know you— Mrs. Lopez— we have to save her—!" Nina stammered, grief clawing at her chest.
"I'm sorry," the blond man said. "There's nothing we can do."
"But maybe someone—" Nina protested.
The woman interrupted gently but firmly, "No. There's probably not a single soul left in that building."
The reality hit Nina like another explosion. Her chest tightened painfully. She staggered, struggling to breathe.
"My name's Kima," the woman said softly. "And right now, we're the only ones who can protect you."
"Protect me from what?" Nina asked, her voice shaking.
"Really bad people," Kima answered. "But we don't have time to explain now."
"The cops will be here in six minutes," Nina said suddenly, surprising even herself with the certainty of it.
Both rescuers stared at her.
"Will you trust us?" Kima asked, holding out her hand.
Nina hesitated only a second. Then she grabbed Kima's hand tightly.
They raced to the car. Kima leapt into the passenger seat. Nina scrambled into the back, slamming the door behind her.
"Why six minutes?" the blond man asked as he started the engine. "How do you know?"
"I just... know things," Nina said, staring out the window.
The man smiled. It's definitely her, he tought.
The car peeled away just as sirens began to wail in the distance.
Far above, on a rooftop, two men watched the whole scene unfold.
Both wore long black cloaks with the same red feather symbol on the back.
"Damn, those guys were useless," said one of them. "You should have let me do it."
"You know the rules," said the other. "We don't mess with the plan."
"So that guy was him, right? The Mirrorborn?" the first one asked, being very excited.
"Yeah," the second replied grimly.
"He didn't seem that strong. Maybe I should've tested him."
The second man turned sharply. "You know he is not to be approached by any of us. That man is dangerous."
The first one sighed, disappointed. "Sure, sure… I know..."
They stood in silence for a long moment, watching the car carrying Nina disappear into the city's twisting streets.
Finally, the second man spoke, "The boss is waiting. We need to report back. I'm sure he'll be proud of you. You did well."
A dark grin spread across the first man's face. "Don't mention it. I know i did."
And with that, they vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but a few bits of red ash.