Paradox Saga: Rising Sun

We Get Our Update

As the light beams hit us, I thought it was the end of me. Fortunately, they didn't kill us. The laser-like rays hit my chest ,though it didn't hurt for some reason. The rays were white at first. However, as they continued to shine on our bodies, they began to change in color - Nami's turned cloudy white, Fritz's was cold blue, Thyme's was a mixture of scarlet and green, Saiko's beam seemed to be switching from red and gold, and Midorima's was clear sky blue. 

"What in the world is happening?" I asked as the beam of light in my chest glowed some more. I tried to touch it but my hands just went through it. I tried to swerve my chest to the right but the light still followed. 

"It's the first lines of the Prophecy...it...it's really happening," Nami said in a tone of disbelief, like she can't believe the Prophecy whatever is happening. 

"What is this prophecy you're saying?!"

"We'll explain, but your light..." Nami replied and pointed at my beam. 

I looked at the light beam going through my chat. It started to glow brighter as different colors started to appear inside the beam. A message popped out. 

"Your data is now being updated. Please wait."

I swiped the message away and looked at the light in my chest. My chest looked like it was being plugged with computer wires. Separate lines of light in different colors were bundled like wires and connected to the white light. 

"Is this another dream?" I muttered. 

"How I would wish it was Shiro, but this is not a dream," Saiko answered. "Besides, this update thing is weird. For all I know, this is the first time this happened."

The light beams continued to connect on us for a minute before another message showed up again. A simple "Data has been updated" showed up. I pressed OK with my finger and the light beam on my chest slowly disappeared. The light's source must be out of batteries. 

"What..." Nami asked herself. "Why did my Status change?"

"What do you mean?" I asked them. 

Saiko answered for Nami. "Try looking at your Status."

I summoned my Menu screen and pressed my Status. There ware a lot of changes on it. 

Shiro Alonio Mamoru [Level 5]

HP: 500/500

MP: 700/700

Rank: F

Class: Mage

Metaphor: ?

Vitality: 52

Agility: 47

Arcanery: 60

I showed them my Status. "Is this because of the 'update' or I just earned some experience with my battle last night?" 

Saiko examined my Status. "Maybe both, but even with both of them combined, you should be at least Level 4."

Nami took a look at my Status screen. "Saiko is speaking the truth. The rise on your Status and Attributes is really abnormal. With the rainbow light going through your chest and this irregular increase, I must say you're one powerful Figure."

I tried not to blush. "I wouldn't be someone special. I'm just Shiro, the nerd who loves being silent, in school or at home." 

"Don't be silly. You're the son of two Rank-S Figures. Of course, you're special," Nami said and summoned her Menu screen. "Besides, something's off. Some of my skills disappeared for no reason and..." she pointed her hands to the window and shouted Pyroshot. 

I covered my eyes with my hands, thinking Nami may summon fireballs and hit me, but nothing happened. No fireballs came out from her hand. 

"Even if I tried to chant the skill, nothing happens as if I'm not compatible with that skill," Nami said and frowned. 

"Excuse me but what class are you, Nami-san?" I asked. 

"I'm a Ranger. Wait..." She scrolled up her screen and scanned her skills, which were a lot. "All skills except for Ranger-specific skills remained. You're a genius, Shiro!" 

Nami hugged me and kissed my cheeks, almost plugging out the tubes in my hands. 

"Ouch..." I grunted. 

She stopped for a bit and quickly removed her hands from me. "I'm sorry, Shiro!"

"It's fine, don't worry. Besides, you all owe me an explanation," I told them and sat up properly. 

The girls looked at one another before Nami let out a deep sigh and sat beside me. 

"We cannot tell you everything today, Shiro but I'll tell you the basics. We Figures are people that were granted supernatural abilities to battle monsters and dangerous creatures. Figures compose only a small percentage of the human population in the world, and for a good reason. Anaphoras or the portals to another dimensions started to appear back in ancient times and still continues until today. Who makes these or where the monsters in these portals came from, no one knows but all that we know is that these Anaphoras need to be cleared," Nami said and started to peel an orange. 

"Can't we let these Anaphoras lie around? I mean, do they do anything to the people?" I asked.

"Yes, they do, Shiro. Monsters will start to break out from the Anaphoras after a certain duration. The higher the rank of a portal is, the less its duration is for the monsters to break out. Anaphoras also appear only in remote or silent areas like forests or ruins," Nami explained.

I was about to ask something when the door opened suddenly and two people in tuxedo suits suddenly went in. They looked like the people on The Matrix. As the military personnel were starting to gather outside our room, they bowed and showed us their ID's and badge. 

"Hello. I'm Mark and this is Kate," the man introduced and pointed on the woman behind her, who nodded. "We are from the Special Investigation Team and we cannot reveal anything yet, such as how we contacted you and the other superhumans, as it is confidential but we can only give you this before we escort you to the special facility," he continued and put his hands inside her tux. 

Mark got out a small ball and threw it at Nami. "We'll be waiting outside."

After Mark and Kate got outside, Nami opened her palms and looked at the palm. She looked at us. 

"Ready?" she asked.

I raised my hands quickly. "Wait, what do you mean?" 

"This, Shiro, is a Message Orb. It is one of our magical means of communication. The precautionary measures has likely been executed," Nami explained. 

"I just think Gramps might be announcing something bad," Saiko added.

"Gramps? Who is this 'Gramps'? I asked and drew two quotation lines in the air.

"You'll know," Nami replied in the place of Saiko and broke the orb with her bare hands. 

Glowing dusts came out her hands and slowly clumped into the shape of a 2-Dimensional box. It slowly became whole and I realized it was a screen. The screen was hazy at first like wet smeary windows. However, as it got clearer,  a middle-aged man, probably at his 40's, wearing a hakama (a typical formal attire for Japanese men) appeared. He was sitting on a bench and fishes swam on the aquarium behind him. His face seemed familiar like I've seen it somewhere. 

"Hello, Gramps!" Saiko shouted. That's why he looked so familiar. He was Saiko's grandpa. 

The man smiled widely and waved at us. "Hello, Saiko-chan! Hello, girls!" 

The girls waved. "Hello, Takao-san!" they shouted in unison. 

"You did a good job clearing the Anaphora! I guess I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow night," the old man said. 

"The usual, okay?" Fritz said. 

I looked down and tried not to listen to what they were saying. I felt out of place. The peeled orange on the table sat aimlessly. I got it and ate one piece. I still can't accept that everything around me has been a lie. The only people that I cared for and befriended were actually my superhuman babysitters, and my parents that I taught were dead were actually alive but are missing. My life is so messed up I tried not to pull out the tubes in my hands. 

"And if it isn't Shiro," the man in the screen said. 

I looked at him. "You know me?" 

"Of course, you would. I'm your godfather!" 

"What? Why don't I remember you?" I asked, then bit back my tongue. Of course, I wouldn't remember him. Mom put some amnesia spell on my back when I was still a kid. 

The man laughed. "Mayumi's spells are really amazing," he said as if he was reading my mind. 

I ate another piece of orange. "You know my Mom?"

"I know your Dad and Mom, young child. After all, it was me who helped you live."

My body started to tingle again, like I was starting to remember something. "What do you mean?" 

The man put his two hands together and laid his chin on them. "That is not of the matter, as of now, dear Shiro. However, you must listen to me to what I'm about to say," he leaned in closer to the screen, "Don't be surprised to what I'm about to say. You will be one of the people that will decide the end of the world."