[The Next Morning]
As Cyrus stared at his bedroom ceiling from underneath the covers, he couldn't help but replay the events that transpired last night in his mind.
Part of him was hoping that all of it was just some crazy dream and nothing more. A figment of his imagination that his brain concocted for some unknown reason. However, that notion was quickly pushed to the side when he looked through his phone and found Ayako Watanabe's number in his contacts list.
Cyrus truly didn't know what to make of any of this. The idea of magic and sorcerers being real was almost too ridiculous for him to accept. And who could blame him? The notion that humans and monsters capable of performing supernatural feats were hiding in plain sight was simply crazy. Actually, crazy might not even be a good enough word to describe it. The whole thing bordered on downright lunacy.
The young man glanced at his phone once again. Letting his finger hover over the call button on the screen before placing the device down on his bed.
'What the hell am I going to do?' He wondered.
On one hand, Cyrus could just completely ignore everything that happened. Simply chalk it up to just some crazy nonsense and continue going about his business as he normally would. That was certainly the most reasonable option in front of him.
On the other hand, the idea of him joining the Department of Paranormal Activity was certainly tempting. If nothing else, it definitely sounded like it wouldn't be boring. And boring is exactly what Cyrus was hoping to escape from. He had always hoped that something would come along in life that would finally make him think that living was actually worth it. And working for the DPA might actually give him what he desired.
But was this really such a good idea, though?
On the surface, this whole thing seemed pretty dangerous. Hunting down and killing these creatures, these cryptids, definitely involved a high level of risk. If the one from last night was anything to go by at least. And Cyrus certainly wasn't looking to end up in a casket anytime soon. Not that anyone else was.
However, there were definitely some benefits to this as well.
For starters, Cyrus really wanted to learn more about magic and sorcerers. The fact that he was now privy to what was basically a secret society was truly something to think about. The young man would be lying if he said that he never imagined what experiencing that kind of thing would be like. All of the comics, manga, and television shows that he's consumed in his life sure as hell have romanticized it enough already. But actually being a part of it himself was simply insane to think about.
Cyrus also wanted to see what he himself could do with magic. It was every boy's dream at one point to be able to do cool and mystical things with just a flick of the wrist. And here he was with the capacity to do so himself. He'd be foolish not to at least try and see what he was now capable of.
'Is this going to be worth it, though?' The young man then thought while rubbing his hand across his face as he continued to weigh his options.
After a few more minutes of contemplation, Cyrus finally came to a decision. One that was certainly going to affect his life moving forward. However, when an opportunity like this arises, you never know if or when it'll show up again. So with his mind made up, the young man picked up his phone and pressed the green button on his screen.
"Hello?" The voice of Ayako Watanabe said on the other side of the line.
"Uh, yes...Ms. Watanabe? This is Cyrus. Cyrus Moore. From last night at the park."
"It sure is! How's it going, kid? Have you thought about my offer?"
"I did." Cyrus replied. "However, I have one question before I give you an answer."
"What is it?"
"Is it worth it?"
"Of course it is!" The woman replied with no hesitation. "Sure, the job has its fair share of risks. Like a lot of other non-sorcerer-related occupations. But the work is fulfilling, and you'll be properly compensated for your time and effort. So long as you do your job."
"I see."
"So...are you in?"
"Sure...why not?"
-(o)-
Later that afternoon, Cyrus found himself standing outside of a rather plain-looking office building on the western side of town. On the surface, there was nothing that stood out to him as particularly weird or supernatural about this place. It just looked like a regular office building to him. Bland and only one story tall. However, judging by the near-constant buzzing going on in the freckle-faced youth's head, there was more to this place than meets the eye.
After a quick breath, Cyrus steeled his nerves and mentally prepared himself for whatever he was about to witness. And after a slight bit of hesitation on his part, the young man then walked into the building. Only to immediately find himself standing face-to-face with the woman he met the night before.
"Moore, good to see you!" The woman greeted the man with a smile.
"Nice to see you too." Cyrus replied with a slightly stunned expression on his face.
"I'm glad that you accepted my offer. I have a feeling that you're going to fit in just fine around here."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Just call it a hunch." Ayako replied before leading him down a nearby hallway and into the elevator. Which Cyrus immediately found suspicious, considering this building only had one floor.
"Most of the building is actually underground." The woman then explained. Almost as if she could read his mind. "Everything above ground is just for administrative stuff."
"I see."
The elevator doors silently closed and began descending. Cyrus stole a quick glance at Ayako before the woman suddenly turned and smiled his way.
"Fair warning, since you're still new to all of this, try not to act too surprised."
"I'll try." The young man replied. "But I don't exactly know what I'm walking into."
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the two stopped on what Cyrus assumed to be the next floor of the building. The young man then turned to face the door. And when it opened, his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"Wow...." Was all that Cyrus could say as he took in his surroundings.
The young man didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was walking into. But what he was looking at now certainly wasn't what he expected. The bottom floor of the building wasn't even a floor at all. Calling the room before him an aircraft hangar might have been closer to the mark. But even that doesn't do it justice.
The first thing that Cyrus did was glance up towards the rafters. Where a series of strange machines and large monitors were suspended from lengths of chain and wire. By his best guess, the young man deduced the ceiling to be somewhere close to three or four stories up.
The next thing that the new arrival observed was the ground floor. From what Cyrus could tell, the place was divided into sections. Several of them, judging by the walls separating each area of the floor. The first section that he could see was some sort of office space, if you could even call it that. One where a small group of men and women were observing a series of monitors with serious looks on their faces.
The second section was definitely some sort of storage or supply area based on what Cyrus could see. There were cages full of military-style equipment spread out over a large area. But that was all that he could see from where he was standing. The rest of the sections were either too far away or the walls obstructed his view.
"Welcome!" Ayako then caught Cyrus's attention. "To DPA Investigations Unit Nine!"
"This is...quite the place you guys have here." The young man replied.
"Sure is!" The woman shot back before leading him down the nearby staircase. "Come on, we need to introduce you to the boss. You'll need to have a little sit-down with her before we can get started."
"Okay..." Cyrus simply nodded.
-(o)-
About three minutes later, Cyrus was standing outside a large office door near the back of the building. The young man may have still been new to this whole sorcerer thing, but even a "newbie" like him could feel the person on the other side of the door. Whoever the "Boss" was, they weren't like him or Ayako. The buzzing in the back of his head was going off like crazy. Reacting in a way that it hadn't done before. On the way over here, the closer the two got to the office, the more intense the feeling got.
Sensing that he was starting to get nervous, Ayako placed a hand on Cyrus' shoulder and gave him a smile. As a bit of reassurance that he was alright. The young man seemed to understand what the woman was trying to do and gave her his own short grin after letting out a quick breath. Once she felt like they were good to go, the 'water magic' user fixed her posture and placed her hand on the door.
"Who is it?!" A feminine voice called out.
"Ayako Watanabe, ma'am! I'm here to introduce you to the new guy I told you about." The 'water magic' user said with confidence.
"Excellent, I was waiting for you to get him. Come in!"
With no hesitation, Ayako did as she was told and entered the office. And Cyrus quickly followed suit.
Once they were inside, the young man locked eyes with the "Boss". The person in charge of this whole operation appeared to be a middle-aged woman. One with olive skin, blue eyes, and shiny brown hair styled in a long ponytail, sporting an expensive-looking pantsuit, sitting behind a large wooden desk. The first thing that Cyrus noticed about the woman was that she was fairly good-looking. Her skin was almost flawless aside from the large vertical scar underneath her right eye that went all the way down to her chin.
"Good afternoon." The woman said as she stood up from her seat and approached the duo. "My name is Chief Agent Zoe Chandler. I'm the one currently in charge of this outfit."
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Cyrus responded as he shook the woman's hand. "My name is Cyrus Moore."
With the introductions out of the way, the trio sat down in their respective seats. Cyrus was definitely still nervous about this entire thing. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he actually wanted to do this. But now that he was here, all that he could do was just go with the flow and see where things went.
"So, Mr. Moore...." The Chief Agent began. "Ayako here tells me that you awakened your powers a few days ago. Is that true?"
"Yes ma'am." He replied in a polite tone. Trying not to show his nerves. "I was in a car accident last week and was in the hospital for a few days. After I woke up, I noticed a few changes to my body and started seeing these...cryptids all over the place."
"That's usually how it goes for a lot of us." The woman then said with a nod. "She also tells me that you're interested in joining the DPA."
Cyrus hesitated for a moment before answering. "That is true. I'm not going to say that I'm all the way committed to it just yet. All of this is still pretty new to me. But I am interested in this...sorcerer stuff. And Ayako told me that you people would be able to help me out at the very least. Apparently, since I've now awakened, that means that I'm more likely to be targeted by cryptids."
The Chief Agent shot a quick glance at her subordinate, to which Ayako simply gave the woman a grin. "She was telling you the truth. We do offer our assistance to newly awakened sorcerers to help them get control of their abilities. So we can certainly help out on that front. And for those who show talent, we extend them the offer to join our team here."
"That's good to hear."
"However, before we get to all of that, I'd like to ask you a few questions, young man."
"Okay...."
"Aside from learning to control your powers. What's your purpose for being here?"
Cyrus took a moment to think as he tried to find the right way to form his words. "I'm interested in learning more about sorcerers and magic. Ayako gave me a brief explanation when we met each other the other day, but I'm genuinely fascinated and want to learn more."
"I see...so you're the curious type, huh?"
"I guess you could say that."
"And what do you plan to do with this knowledge once you obtain it?"
"I..." Cyrus paused. "I'm not really sure what you mean, ma'am."
"What do you intend to do with the knowledge you'll gain here?" The Chief Agent repeated. "Let's say that we teach you all that you'll need to properly defend yourself against cryptids. What will you do then?"
"I'm not really sure."
The was an awkward silence in the room. One that lasted for a full ten seconds. In that time, the woman stared at Cyrus with a look that he couldn't immediately recognize. The best way that he could describe it was that the Chief Agent appeared to be appraising him in some way.
"The reason I'm asking you this question is because cryptids aren't the only issue that we in the DPA have to deal with."
"They're not?" Cyrus questioned.
"Not in the slightest." Ayako then spoke up for the first time in this conversation.
"What do you mean?"
"There are two primary issues that we as members of the DPA deal with." The Chief Agent leaned back in her chair. Pausing for a moment before continuing her explanation. "The first, as you can probably guess, is cryptids. The magical lifeforms similar to the one that you encountered the other day."
"Okay."
"In any given year, roughly 33,000 Americans die due to unknown causes. And a significant portion of those deaths are caused by cryptids."
Cyrus would be lying if he said that he wasn't shocked to hear that. It didn't even occur to him until now how much damage those creatures caused all across the country. "That's insane."
"I agree." Chief Agent Chandler crossed her arms. "The main reason why we as a department even exist is to keep that number as low as possible. Which gets increasingly more difficult every single year. Especially since cryptid attacks are random and hard to predict."
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"And would you like to guess as to what the second reason for why we exist is?"
The newly awakened sorcerer folded his arms over his chest as he tried to come up with a response. Unfortunately for him, there wasn't anything that he could immediately think of. So the young man quickly gave up the attempt and looked at the woman sitting across from him. "I have no clue."
Surprisingly, Ayako was the one who decided to feed him the answer. "Currently, there are estimated to be about ninety-five thousand awakened sorcerers in the U.S. alone. A significant portion of whom work for the DPA or other government agencies, while the rest live simple and ordinary lives for the most part. Tell me, how do you think we're able to keep such a tight lid on information regarding something as spectacular as magic and sorcerers without word getting out?"
The young man took a few seconds to think before coming up with an answer. "I'm assuming that information regarding magic and sorcerers is heavily regulated and monitored. It also helps that cryptids can only be seen by sorcerers or the small population of humans that have the potential to perceive mana."
"You're on the right track." The Chief Agent smiled. "Despite what you just said, there are still people and groups out there that use sorcerers and their abilities to cause chaos all over the place. Because of this, our department also acts as the "police force" for the country's sorcerer population. Although not nearly as frequent as cryptid attacks, there will be times when agents like myself or Ayako here need to go deal with unruly sorcerers who break the law. Which occasionally means having to...put them down."
All of a sudden, Cyrus felt a lump appear in his throat. He hadn't even considered the possibility of there being sorcerer criminals. Which was foolish on his part now that he thought about it. It made sense, though. Humans were destructive and chaotic creatures by nature, at least in his opinion. Of course, there would be some out there who used their abilities for nefarious means.
The young man wasn't too keen on the idea of potentially having to kill someone. Even now, the thought couldn't seem to properly rationalize itself in his head. Cyrus wasn't that kind of guy. Sure, he had gotten into a few schoolyard fights when he was younger. But the violence never got to that level. Not even close.
Before Cyrus' mind could wander further down that road, Ayako quickly snapped him out of his thoughts.
"You don't really have to worry about that, though." The 'water magic' user said with a cool grin. "We have specific teams that deal with that kind of stuff. Among a few other specialty sections. So you won't be randomly sent out to arrest or subdue someone. Not unless you want to join one of those squads."
"I see." The young man nodded with a weak smile. "That does make me feel a bit better."
Chief Agent Chandler then spoke up. "I just want to make sure that you understand the potential risks that come with this gig. Although we have a number of different teams and squads here that perform specific duties, everyone has to do a minimum amount of field time before joining one of those. So no matter what, you'll be fighting off cryptids at some point. And the possibility of you running into sorcerer criminals isn't zero."
Cyrus wanted to know a bit more about these specialty squads, but the young man held his tongue for the time being.
"Anyway...with that in mind, are you still interested in joining?"
Once again, Cyrus had to take some time to think about his answer. On one hand, this was a golden opportunity for him. One that he doubted he would get again anytime soon. The chance to learn and experience more about the world of magic and sorcerers was too tantalizing to pass up. It was just the kind of thing that would help him break his boredom.
On the flip side, he'd be walking into a potentially dangerous situation. One that could possibly lead to him being hurt. Or worse. In the grand scheme of things, plenty of jobs had their fair share of danger attached to them. Hell, the military was never short on soldiers even in times of war. And there were people who worked on fishing boats for a living. So it wasn't that big of a deal.
All it took was a solid ten seconds before the young man had his answer. Sometimes it was best to just follow your gut. You only live once after all.
"Yes ma'am!" Cyrus said with confidence. "I'm definitely interested in joining."
The Chief Agent sent Ayako a quick glance before turning her attention back to Cyrus.
"Good." The woman said. "Assuming that you have nothing else going on, you'll begin your training in two days. We'll have all of the necessary paperwork and preparations done by the time you arrive. Since Watanabe was the one who referred you to us, she'll be the one in charge of your training."
"Yes, ma'am." The young man replied while still maintaining his polite tone.
"That means that the two of us are going to spend a lot of time together." Ayako smiled. "Training up new recruits usually takes about three months. But if you're good, we'll be done a lot sooner than that."
"I understand."
"Watanabe, take him upstairs and have Jackson get his information. Once you're done, send him home and meet me back down here."
"Understood." The duo stood up and said their goodbyes to the woman before taking their leave. Stopping by the main office on the way before Cyrus was allowed to go home and rest up.
-(o)-
[30 Minutes Later]
Once the newly awakened sorcerer was gone, Ayako found herself right back in Chief Agent Chandler's office.
"So, you think this guy has what it takes?" The boss said from behind her desk.
"The kid outran a howler barely a few days after awakening." Ayako replied with a smirk. "That's enough for Deputy Chief Mubele and Stillwater to at least take a look at him. On top of that, it's been almost a week since he's gotten his powers, and he hasn't had a single accidental discharge since then."
"Really?" Chandler looked genuinely surprised after hearing that. "None at all?"
Ayako folded her arms and leaned against the door frame. "Which means that he naturally has great mana control. Way better than most people, judging by the fact that he did a 'body reinforcement' without even thinking or knowing about it. And his mana reserves are decent from what I could sense. The kid has talent."
"I can't argue with you there."
"Don't worry, ma'am. I'll be sure to break him properly. I honestly think that we stumbled upon a gem."
"I'll trust your judgment for now. Just don't disappoint me."
"No problem."
With that, Ayako left Chief Agent Chandler's office to begin preparations for the new recruit. Honestly, the woman was looking forward to this. Not everyone gets the chance to train new agents whom they personally discovered. Especially those on the younger end of the spectrum like her. And if her gut was right, she had something special on her hands.