Cynosure, the Guiding Star

In the past century, society stopped growing outward and began to grow upward. The world changed after the war, leading to the Hollow Unification for Mutual Obligation and Solidarity treaty being signed. An agreement to allow the remaining populous to recover and regroup, giving the new societies formed sovereignty. In addition it redistributed territories allowing for more middle-ground international wild lands.

A quarter of the world was lost in corporations fighting proxy wars and governments having border fights over arbitrary lines drawn on land. The remaining were left to pick up the pieces.

The economy around the world afterward grew stagnant, with no wars to boost it. Upstarts like Buster Goods found success in agricultural advancements. They could manufacture more food than was needed, and their products were incredibly cost-effective. In a few years after their discovery, world hunger was resolved. Another was East Echo Pharmaceuticals. They made staggering advancements in research. They developed the first cure all medicine that could heal common injuries and ailments almost instantly.

In the quest to make everything more affordable, society began to overlap rather than continue growing outward and making an effort to develop new cities. Mostly everyone gave up on the countryside and moved to their closest mega-city. 

There was no need to farm since food became a basic right. No need to earn money since a universal basic income was applied. With the decrease in population, healthcare became affordable.

People did what they wanted, living out their dream careers. Whether it was a glorified unemployed person catching a glimpse of the sun rising and setting every day, or an entertainer transmitting moments live with their cameras.

A fraction of the world's population did not accept this lazy, purposeless lifestyle and opposed living on handouts. They opted to stay out of big cities. Instead, they took up the abandoned farms and grew their own produce and livestock.

Others lived on the road, making it their purpose in life to explore the world. These were Nomads. They traveled all over visiting settlements and cities, stopping at every scenic location, and taking in what Earth had to offer. Along the way, they restocked on supplies where they could or took on jobs to earn what they needed. That's where Siegfried and Erika's parents came from.

One parent from the east met the other from the west. Living out many moments on the road, they became a pair. Years later, after a job in Cynosure City, they decided it was the end of their nomadic lifestyle because the woman would give birth. They took up a home on the outskirts of the city with the money they had saved up while on the road. It was a dull-looking place, but it was quiet and had enough room for three, maybe four people.

Here, the mother gave birth to twins born only minutes apart.

...

"Gosh, I never get enough of it. It's so pretty." Erika exclaimed, looking out at the city skyline. "It's such a marvel and an incredible testament to human ingenuity."

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep your eyes on the road. I don't mind you driving fast, but I will mind if we end up jammed under a trailer."

"Come on, bro. Just take it in. The sights, the smell. It's the dawn of our new lives. We finally got a lead on what happened to mom and dad. Cheer up a little."

“Yeah, the smell.” Sieg, was lost in thought, thinking of the premonition he had received earlier. “What did they mean by ascend?”

Switching gears, he thought of taking his sister's advice for a moment and looked up. His heart skipped a beat and he gasped. She was driving—not looking at the road, but looking at him!

Sieg recoiled. "What the hell are you doing!? Look at the damn road!"

Erika continued to stare him down and gave her brother a sly smirk, turning into a cheesy, mischievous grin. She increased speed. Her right eye started to glow a spectral purplish glow. While not looking, she quickly approached another vehicle ahead of them. She whipped the sports car to the right lane, closed the gap with the next vehicle ahead. Then she cut in between that car and the last one behind them, back into the left lane.

"Erika, that's enough!" Sieg commanded while gripping the overhead grab handle for dear life with his clammy hands. His left eye began glowing as well a reddish hue.  She began to feel pressure and eased up on the gas in return. Her eye losing the purple spectral color it had.

"I told you it's too risky to use that power, especially for reckless things like cutting up in traffic. We still don't know everything about it."

"Would ya loosen up, would ya?" Erika said to an odd rhythm, waving off and dismissing her brother's warnings. "We've had these for five years ever since they died. We know that my ability is some kind of clairvoyance. It lets me see the path to success and max my reflexes, and we know your power lets you command others and max your strength. We can both also hear ghouls and ghosts, which is why we moved out of the old home."

"Yeah. Thanks for pointing out what little we know. We can't be sure that something else might happen if we overdo it. We've been blessed getting this far practicing our abilities with our delivery work, and according to the contact we should be able to learn more at Twilight Myth. So let's not get ahead of ourselves and go on dying before we even start our first day. Please!"

"Where even is this place?" Erika said, again dismissing what her brother was saying.

"The GPS navigation says we're headed to a music shop named Sin Studios. It could be a front for the organization, given how hush-hush it seems to be."

"So exciting!" Erika said as she perked up her shoulders and did a little jiggle. "We get to be secret agents, basically."

Sieg crossed his arms and closed his eyes in contemplation. "I'm not going to lie, it is pretty cool to think we'll be working such a high-profile job."

"And the paaaay!" Erika immediately followed up, again looking at Sieg with a big smile and not at the road ahead!

Sieg grunted, annoyed, and activated his command skill, snapping Erika back to attention.

"Sorry," Erika said, slightly embarrassed. "The universal basic income covers our needs, but we still have to work for our wants, and that courier nonsense barely made the cut."

"Just remember we got through it together and be happy," Sieg said lightheartedly.

...

"The destination is on your left!"

"Thank you, compu-tah," Erika said jokingly, referring to an internet comedy skit she had seen on her phone.

Sieg got out of the car first as Erika was still gathering her things. "What a weird place to hide a secret organization." 

Sin Studios was in a two-story building. The first floor was the music shop as far as they could tell seeing through the windows. The top floor in contrast, was opaque. The outside was brick all around and lastly, it had a black-colored awning with Sin Studios printed on it.

“There is no one a secret organization is stationed in here,” he skeptically commented.

As Erika stepped out of the car, with her bag rattling from her keys and accessories packed inside, two men exited the store and approached.