"The noise is loud and clear. The thoughts are running here, whether you want them or not. The end is near."— Author
The studio lights flared to life, casting a golden sheen on the sleek stage set. Applause thundered through the room, echoing off walls padded with soundproofing and adorned with holographic banners.
"Welcome to The C&T Show!" chirped the host, her pearly-white smile beaming brighter than the spotlights. "I'm your one and only beloved host, Yukimura Chisaki."
The audience roared in response.
"And tonight, with another riveting episode, we bring you none other than a legendary figure known worldwide as The Conspiracy Hunter, please welcome Mr. Rohit Mehra!"
More applause. Some even whistled.
The man himself entered stage left with a sheepish wave, adjusting his worn leather jacket as he settled into the seat beside Yukimura.
"Well, it's a pleasure to be here," Rohit said, letting out a modest laugh. "As the very beautiful Miss Chisaki has already told you, I am indeed a Conspiracy Hunter. I've been digging through the shadows of history for over a decade now. Most folks know me for my work on the Wendigo phenomenon, which, "he let out a sigh," rather unfortunately, earned me this god awful nickname 'The Wendigo Whisperer.' " he let out a nervous laugh.
"Well, I think that sounds pretty awesome," Yukimura interjected, eyes twinkling.
Rohit smirked. "Maybe it gives me just enough edge to strike up a conversation with fine women like you, Miss Chisaki."
The studio erupted with a collective "Oooh!" from both audience and crew.
Yukimura chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, thank you, Rohit. With lines like that, you might be a lady hunter too."
"That's just part of the charm," he replied with a grin.
She turned to the camera. "We'll see how charming you stay as the night goes on. For now, let's dive into some audience questions, shall we?"
Rohit nodded. "Very well."
A young man from the second row stood up, mic in hand. "Do you believe aliens exist?"
"I most certainly do," Rohit answered. "In fact, my team and I at the research center are hell-bent on proving it."
"Ooh, that sounds exciting," Yukimura said, leaning forward.
"It actually is," Rohit replied, matching her enthusiasm.
Another audience member stood up.
"How do you go about proving something like that? I mean, isn't there a real chance we're alone out there?"
Rohit shrugged. "Well, that's a pretty depressing thought, isn't it? If we are alone in this vast universe, that would make us gods… and I don't buy that. I prefer to believe we're just one among many."
"But we've been sending radio waves for decades," the same person continued. "And space exploration has barely scratched the surface. We haven't even gone beyond the Moon properly."
"Well, my friend," Rohit said, adjusting his collar, "that's where my research comes in."
Yukimura raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "How so?"
"You see, for years, I looked to the skies for answers. I studied signals, stars, anomalies, everything, you name it. But then, something clicked. I realized I was looking the wrong way."
She blinked. "Wrong way?"
"Yes. The answer, Miss Chisaki, lies with us. It has been with us for generations, maybe forever. In fact, we're all connected to it in one way or another."
Yukimura laughed softly. "You're saying everyone is connected to aliens somehow? That's a stretch."
"Is it?" Rohit smiled, "Throughout human history, countless civilizations have risen and fallen. Some vanished mysteriously. Others left behind myths, legends, and scriptures. But the one thread I've found running through all of them is the concept of existence, of something more."
"Something more like… what?"
"A supreme being." his tone heavy.
She raised a skeptical brow. "Wait, are you saying you believe gods are aliens?"
"Not exactly. I'm not trying to defame any religion, mind you," Rohit replied. "But have you ever noticed how, despite the vast differences in geography, language, and time, most ancient cultures had strikingly similar mythologies? And what was the one thing that always united people, even in chaos?"
Yukimura's voice dropped. "Faith."
"Exactly," Rohit nodded. "And I'm not saying that faith is wrong. I'm saying that maybe, just maybe, what we call gods were something else entirely."
Yukimura tilted her head. "This is starting to sound like a late-night show on ancient aliens."
"That's what I thought, too." He smiled, "Until I met someone who changed everything."
"Someone? Who?"
He chuckled. "Back before I became a full-time theorist, I worked part-time at a library. One day, I overheard this teenager talking to a girl, maybe his crush, I don't know, and he said something that stuck with me."
"Oh?" Yukimura grinned. "So you're telling me your big theory came from high school romance?"
The crowd burst into laughter. Rohit joined in.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he admitted. "But what he said was simple and brilliant. He said: 'Don't you find it strange that civilizations separated by oceans and millennia all had similar concepts of gods and myths? Isn't it weird how they all had stories of beings descending from the sky, or giving them knowledge?"
Yukimura leaned in. "And?"
"And then he said the thing that really got me: 'Each and every one of them had one thing in common'"
"Which was?"
Rohit's eyes glinted.
"A catastrophe. An end of days. A Ragnarök."