Paradox Saga: Rising Sun

Saiko's Grandfather Shuts Our Mouths

My eyes were blinded when we went outside, literally. The moment we got out of the car, cameras clicked and flashed on our direction. I turned around. Barricades with yellow Do-Not-Cross lines were built around the area. Military personnel were surrounding the entire place, keeping the reporters and the onlookers from going inside. We wouldn't have seen them since the car's windows were pitch black but the limo must've been soundproof as we didn't hear them when we passed by. 

"Where did you get your powers?"

"Are you the final part of human evolution?" 

"Did you come from outer space?"

Everybody was shouting questions as video cameras and phones were pointed on us. I was glad I wore my mask. I'd rather eat some Crawler sushi than see my face on the news. 

"Please follow us," Mark said. 

I turned around and followed them. Blossoming sakura trees stood tall besides the path that we were taking. A large track-and-field oval was situated meters away from us. 

"Is this the public park?" I asked Mark. 

"Yes.Security already evacuated people within a 250-meter radius around the Sports and Activity Center," he answered. 

Nothing changed much of it. I come here often with Saiko and Nami, or sometimes, with Thyme and Fritz and watch trainings or just walk around and enjoy the smooth and cool breeze. Green bushes were laid above short walls beside drinking fountains. The benches beside the light posts would've also looked romantic in a quiet night. We passed by a playground which looked sad without the usual kids playing around it. A swing was moving on its own, by the wind, I hope. 

As we walked, the activity center slowly appeared in our visions.It was a big-domed building that was in the middle of the public park. It would be okay to use it as an emergency facility as it was built to withstand strong earthquakes and hurricanes. Its size was also enormous and was even bigger and wider than three ten-storey buildings put together. 

"This way, please," Kate ushered us inside. 

A white rectangle with a red circle on the center, the flag of Japan, was put above the main entrance. There was already some people inside, looking anxiously around, and were in different ages and status. Some were almost the same age as mine and some looked like they were in their twenties, but most looked young, maybe 20 or so. There were also students still in their uniforms, men with formal suits and black cases like they were pulled out from their business meetings, teenagers scrolling down their phones and even policemen. Majority of them sitting on the bleachers while a handful was waiting in the chairs placed on the wide area below the bleachers.

Kate led us to the chairs situated at the center of the dome. Only a few people sat there and they were the only ones who didn't look anxious. My arms tingled for no apparent reason as we walked to our seats. All of them seemed to look at me as we passed by and talked to one another in hushed tones. 

We sat at the first line of seats. A  stage was in front of us with a large screen placed on the wall behind the stage. maybe that's why the people looked anxious. It's like we were students waiting for our teacher to lecture us about the end of the world. 

"What's with this many people?" I asked Nami as she sat beside me. "And why are the people in the back staring at me now?" I added in a whisper. 

"They're the ones that was hit by the light beams, Shiro. You may not sense it but they are somewhat similar to us now," Nami answered. "As for the people in the back..." She turned around, looked at some of them, and nodded. "They are Figures like us, though I think you know why they're looking at you."

I though for a second. "Oh...yeah, the prophecy stuff"

Nami nodded. "Yes, but don't worry, they're not talking negatively of you," she assured.

Minutes passed and more people also started to fill the place. I sat unsteadily. I rarely get any attention and with this people behind me talking about me, I can't help but get nervous. They know me so much but I don't recognize even one of them. Go figure. Thinking about it made my throat feel dry. 

I called Mark who was standing beside our seats. "C-Can I ask for some drink?" 

He nodded and walked outside. 

'Don't be nervous," Saiko, who sat on my right, said. "Nothing's going to be wrong."

"I'm sorry but I can't help but get anxious. I hate being in a crowd, if you don't know." 

She was about to say something when a woman suddenly came to the stage. Her hair was tied in a bun and she wore a formal white suit and a pantsuit while holding a tablet on her hand. 

She looked for a bit on her tablet, tapped the microphone to check it, and spoke. "Good day to everyone present in here today. We request that you stay in your seats patiently. Agents are all around the place in case you need something. We will begin shortly." 

The woman turned around and disappeared at a door beside the stage's stairs. 

Nami put her hand on my shoulder as if she knew my body was tensing. "Everything's going to be fine. We're her beside you so don't worry, okay?"

I could feel my face blush. "T-Thanks..."

Mark came back and gave me a can of apple juice. i thanked him and he only responded with a simple nod before going back to his position. I opened the can and small bubbles fizzed out with a hiss. As I gulped down the juice, I thought about my dream. The glowing blue veins in my body, my parents getting panicked about my powers, the storm that seemed to follow me as it formed in the skies, all of them was hard to forget. I decided not to tell it to them for now. 

I was still deep in thought when the light suddenly turned off. Spotlights clicked and lit the stage. I suddenly felt a strong gust of energy. My heart beat faster every second. The spotlight stayed on the stage as a man walked to the microphone stand. The light was bright, at first, so I didn't see the man's  face clearly. However, when the spotlights were lit off and the lights were turned on again, the man's face became clearer. It was Sadao-san. He was still wearing his hakama and was wearing black Ray-Ban's. A scar can be seen on his right eye.

He looked at me and cleared his throat. "Hello, everyone. I am Sadao Takao and I'm here to tell you something." 

He pointed on the screen and it glowed to life. The screen showed people being shot by the light beams in various angles. Some looked like they were shot from a CCTV camera, but most were clear like they were taken by a camera. 

"The light beams were energy particles that came from the heavens. Sattelite imagery revealed that they do not come out from outer space, unlike what the media says. However, I'm not here to tell you about alien stuff. I am here to reveal to you that all of you present here are now Figures. In fact..." He looked at our direction, "Some of the people here already know it." 

The people in the bleachers were silent. Of course, they would. They don't know what Figures are. 

The woman from earlier, probably his assistant, came and whispered something on Sadao-san's ears. 

Sadao-san cleared his throat again. "I'm sorry but I forgot to explain. Okay, so it's like this. Figures are people who have superhuman abilities that were chosen to clear Anaphoras and neutralize the dangerous monsters and creatures that is living all around Earth. Anaphoras are the portals that lead to another dimension full of monsters, like the violet F-Rank ones from earlier, if you didn't know."

The screen behind him now showed various illustrations and paintings from different timelines in history. One showed a vase in a museum that I recognize. I saw it once in the news and was a prized vase. It was an amphora or a Greek jar with two handles that showed Periclymenus fleeing from Tydeus as he killed Ismene. Last I heard, it was robbed from the museum it was put on. 

"What you are seeing now in the screen are the most known Figures, with a capital F," Sadao-san added seeing the more confused faces of the people on the bleachers,  "...in history. Da Vinci, Jack the Ripper, Setne, all of these people were Figures. Periclymenus, for an instance, was a Figure who could turn into any animal. Figures are the ones that protected this world in silence. Basically, Figures only composed 10% of the human population but now, because of this light beams, all of you are now superhumans, or so to say, Figures. We are still deciding what to call you people but for now, we will call you Rankers."

(A/N: In Greek mythology, Periclymenus was the son of Neleus and Chloris and was giften by Poseidon, god of the sea, the power to shapeshift into different animals.]

The crowd in the bleachers broke into a noise. They were shouting out questions and seemed to be in a panic. However, the hairs on my arms suddenly stood and before I knew it, a strong aura came from the stage and spread quickly into the whole place, making the people in the crowds shut their mouths. Sadao-san's body was now surrounded by a faint red aura. 

The red aura on his body disappeared and he smiled as if he did nothing bad. "As I was saying, you all are now Rankers. All of you will stay for a day here as we continue to observe you. This is for your safety, I assure you. Now, if I may, I will now take my leave." 

He turned around and left along with the woman from earlier. The crowd was awfully silent and sat at their seats whispering to one another. 

"He really knows how to shut people up," Fritz said. 

"Yeah, that's how annoying his power is," Saiko added. "Besides, he hates long talks."

The woman from earlier suddenly came and introduced herself. "I'm Cho, Sadao-san's assistant. He tells me to escort you to him. This way, please."

I swallowed hard as I stood and followed her with the girls. I hope my godfather is in a good mood already.