Gnosis

PART I: PROLOGUE

Word Count: 1680
--------------------------------------------------

On the first day of October 1984, forty-three women around the world simultaneously gave birth.

None of the women showed any prior signs of pregnancy.

Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and playboy adventurer, made it his personal mission to find and adopt as many of these children as possible.

He got seven of them.

But it wasn't just him who got his hands on these children.

On October 1st 1998, (Y/n) was adopted by a woman called the Handler.

--------------------------------------------------

November 23, 2021

           - Somewhere in the apocalypse

--------------------------------------------------

The world around him was a desolate wasteland, silent but for the howling wind that swept through the ruins of civilization. Five lay motionless on the cracked, barren earth, his body weakened from starvation and dehydration. His mind was a fog of pain and the gnawing hunger in his belly a constant reminder of his impending demise. The boy who had once been one of the respectable heroes of the Umbrella Academy was now reduced to a mere shell of his former self, his strength slowly slipping away.

"I don't think he's breathing, Ma."

The voice sounded distant and muffled, like an echo reverberating through a tunnel. Five tried to pry his eyes open, but his eyelids felt like lead. He lacked the strength to do much more than twitch his fingers. Was he dreaming? Was there really someone out there?

"Poor guy. He's starving to death. Are you really sure about him?" he heard the same voice again.

Five strained to focus, his mind struggling to grasp the reality of the situation. His stomach, long past the point of aching, now felt like an empty void. It had been over a month since he had eaten anything. At first, the pain was a constant, gnawing presence, but as time went on, it dulled into a numbness that consumed him. He knew he was dying, yet there was nothing he could do. There was no food, no water, no hope. Not in the apocalypse. Not until now.

Hope...

With every ounce of strength he could muster, Five forced his eyes open. His vision was a blur of shadows and light, his head swimming with dizziness. He painfully swallowed a dry, dusty spit down his parched throat. A groan escaped his lips, more a whisper than a sound.

"Oh, would you look at that? He's moving."

This one was different, another voice — Older and more authoritative. Five blinked, his vision slowly clearing, and outlines of two figures became more distinct in front of him.

"I know you're kinda dying," said a girl, her features indistinct in the hard light and her tone oddly casual, "but maybe do you kinda wanna join the commission?"

"Is that really how you ask every commissioner you've invited, dear?" The other one said. Five turned his head slowly, his neck muscles protesting in agony. Another figure came into view, a woman. "It's a bit 'different,' don't you think?"

Five blinked again, his eyes straining to focus. The woman's face became clearer, her sharp features and piercing eyes unmistakable. It was the Handler, bending down to peer at him with a bemused smile.

"You're gonna do great, Number Five," she said.

Five's mind swam with confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but the world tilted and the edges of his vision darkened. Exhaustion finally took over him, and he felt himself slipping away. The faces above him blurred and faded into darkness.