I had stepped through the door to find myself standing in an endless white void.
It was all empty and hollow and void of anything familiar. It felt warm, and the floor itself was almost like a liquid and almost like a solid but not quite either. I turned around as the door shut behind me and locked me in the strange room.
I tried the knob. It wouldn't budge.
"Hello?! Mrs. Amelia?! Erika?! Jack?! This isn't funny!"
I turned back around again, seeing as the door wasn't opening any time soon. It felt like someone closed it, even though nobody did. I wasn't sure what was worse: being trapped here or the fact that the door had shut so easily, as if it was meant to.
My gaze instantly drifted to my right — a stack of colossal, island-sized tortoises stacked vertically as far as the eye could see.
"What..."
The infinite stack of tortoises seemed to go below the 'floor' and through the 'ceiling' of this strange place. They slept soundly, their breaths hot and rhythmic, stirring the air like volcanic winds.
I drew closer. The air was thick with a heavy stillness, as if nothing could possibly happen in here, wherever 'here' was. The only other objects in this void were a rickety acacia table and two chairs. A tea set steamed atop it, out of place, yet inviting. It was a bizarre juxtaposition: the colossal tortoises and the humble, almost domestic table.
As I pulled out a chair to sit down, the floor rippled. Suddenly a girl with silver hair cascading like liquid mercury emerged, her gray school uniform and silver skirt pristine against the void.
"Whuh?! What the—"
She poured herself tea without saying anything, her movements unnervingly calm. Her presence seemed strangely familiar and comforting. She belonged here. She had her chin resting on her right hand, smiling at me gently.
The steam from the tea rose in soft tendrils, and I almost reached for the teapot myself, but I had no idea what to expect from this strange place. She reached out to take a sip from her teacup, a soft gesture, but the voice I heard next was even softer and more gentle.
"Welcome, James. It's been a long, long time since we've seen each other."
"Who are you? And what's with the reptile skyscraper? What the heck is this place...?" I pointed out the giant tortoises to our right.
Everything felt wrong and right about this moment, but I couldn't figure out why.
"Reno Kusagawa. 19th special ranked member of The Syndicate. One of the nine Celestials, the designated Special Rank, Pluto. You can just call me Reno." She smirked at me and slowly pushed a teacup towards me.
"I figured you'd be one of them. So what's the deal with this place? Considering you're drinking tea, I assume you won't try and kill me."
Chuckling, Reno leaned over and tilted her head, resting her chin in her right hand.
"This place is called The Null. It's a realm outside of time — that would be the fourth dimension to you. I'd say it's outside of space, but that wouldn't make sense, since we're here, occupying some form of space. I like to call it The Quiet Room; it's my favorite place to stay... I guess. I'm also technically supposed to remain here as a part of the job." She said this as her gaze dropped to her lap, looking troubled for a split second before looking back at me with a gentle smile.
"Quiet? With those snoring dinosaurs?" I gestured to the endless void around us. "This is — I mean, what is this 'Null' doing in Jack's family library? If this place is outside of time... That doesn't make sense."
"The door was not a result of my Divinity, it's from Mr. Ariston. There's a different way of getting here just for me. You don't need to worry about it. My job in The Null is to watch and guard the timelines."
"Mr. Ariston... Cathy's father put this here? Wow… Sorry, I'm a little overwhelmed... Timelines? Mr. Ariston? Why — what do you want from me?"
Reno chuckled and reached out to grab my hand, but I pulled it away before she could. She straightened up and took another sip from her teacup, seemingly unphased.
"I knew you were going to be here, James. I just wanted to talk to you. I know you and your friends have been through quite a lot lately... I'm not really supposed to be here talking with you either, but I managed to spare some time. The Syndicate has blind spots, as you'll come to understand."
"You know me? You've been spying on me?" I glanced around, trying to justify her reasoning, and decided I was in no immediate danger. "Alright, we'll talk. What did you have in mind? I'd rather not sit down and talk about my war crimes. Anything else."
She leaned back and giggled, covering her mouth with her left palm.
"I always liked your sense of humor. So, you might have been wondering why The Syndicate is after you. A random boy from Darrilyn. You're special, James — a Divinity host. I'm sure you've seen one in action already, haven't you?" She clasped her hands together and stared at me with an expectant smile.
"Yeah, I have. Cathy has one of those. And apparently so did her brother, Normand. What exactly is a Divinity? And what about those 'Holiness' things? Mr. Nakamura had one of those..."
She paused, glancing towards the stack of tortoises for a moment.
"Well... It is a lot to go over. Only we know why they exist — we and a few… stragglers." She stood up and snapped her fingers, and a book fell from the endless 'ceiling' above and into her right hand. "It's simple history though, even if forgotten by mankind. Due to some wanting it to be forgotten."
She opened the book up and began reading from it.
"It is believed thusly, that since the beginning of man, Holies have been found in people from all over Tera. It's a known fact that everyone has a Holiness. In the ancient world, before The Fracture, the holders of the twelve Primordial Divinities taught others how to use and activate their innate powers, that being their Holiness, through the use of Flow. It was also soon found out that many others were born with different types of Divinities. Many that weren't primordial."
She began pacing around the table, glancing at me every now and then.
"A long time ago there used to be many people with both Divinities and Holies, but after The Fracture everyone seemed to forget about them due to all Flow being dormant. And with nobody around to teach about these things or help awaken others… Ever since Year 0 AF, which means after-fracture, people have been unable to realize that they are born with such abilities. The common man nowadays goes through life with a great power completely dormant within them."
She sat back down, closing the book and snapping her fingers again as it floated back towards the 'ceiling' and disappeared.
"So, again, to clarify: everyone has three Holies within them or a Divinity or both from birth. They are just dormant until awakened, and nobody can have more than three Holies unless under very special circumstances, like the effects of other Holies or Divinities. And likewise, nobody can have more than one Divinity unless under special circumstances. And some Divinities or Holies are more special than others while some are less special. They are all awakened through Flow."
I sat there, taken aback by her revelation. I crossed my arms.
"That's… A lot... Are you trying to tell me that Cathy and I are both immortal beings from the beginning of time? What the heck?!"
"Oh no, not at all. You are yourself, James, but a Divinity is within you, and you are its host. All Divinities represent an emotion and a concept that defines a Divinity's power."
"Emotions? Concept? What... Look — I'm not proud to say this, but I'm not that big on emotions. I mean, I didn't cry when Cathy's brother died... But then again, I cried for Mr. Nakamura…? Anyway, it's been rough for me."
Reno looked a little saddened by my words and also crossed her arms, mirroring me.
"I'm sorry to hear that, James... That must have been difficult for you. You're lacking in that area."
I uncrossed my arms and sighed.
"Of course you'd know… It's fine, I'm used to it by now... I have a question though. How did I absorb Mr. Nakamura's powers? His Holiness? That doesn't really make sense to me. It happened when I took a white rose from him, a simple decoration to remember him by. My fingers brushed against his and I saw memories that weren't mine… I saw what led him to join The Syndicate, and since then—" I raised my hand, creating a small rainbow rose in the palm of my hand. "I got this... And a strange new energy flowing through me. I decided to call it Serene Garden, to remember him by... To make sure nobody has to go through that again. To try and protect people. The same thing happened when I touched Normand's body right before he died. I saw his whole life in my mind, like I was there. So, are you sure I have a Divinity or whatever?"
Reno sighed and finished drinking all the tea from her teacup, setting it down onto the table gently.
"I'm sorry you feel so overwhelmed, James, and confused. I hope you can find the man who stole your memories and emotions. You've been hurt."
"Uh, thanks. I hope to find him too... Shujin Hakomaru. Mr. Nakamura told me his name."
Reno tapped her chin, glancing around The Null, almost impatiently.
"To answer your question: yes, your Flow has been awakened and as such you have begun awakening your Divinity. Hm… It's interesting, you bear the emotion of love. It's good you're asking a lot of questions. Yes, Mr. Hakomaru is quite efficient at his job. You'll find him in Taured. I'm sure of it."
I sighed, rubbing my forehead in frustration.
"You didn't answer my question fully. Sorry, I'm a bit stressed… Everything's strange lately."
Reno chuckled and spun the teapot's lid on the table gently. Seemingly bored.
"I guess you're right. Everything is strange, James."
"What did you mean when you said I bear the emotion of Love? I'm afraid I am way too young for that."
Reno blushed and let go of the lid, clutching the edge of the table with both hands.
"That's not what I meant—" She stood up again, snapping her fingers as the tea set flew up into the ceiling.
"Wha— Hey! I was enjoying that..."
"Divinities represent both concepts and emotions. In the age of heroes, as many call it, once a host died, a Divinity simply moved on to another newborn host. There is only one of each Divinity on Tera. Thus, the process repeated for eons, until the modern day. This process isn't the same for a Holiness, as those seem to be completely unique based on the host's mind, body, and spirit. Everyone is born with three, but not all are born with Divinities. So, again, you bear Infinity, which represents love."
I laid my hands on the table as I listened to her explanation.
"Huh... That's kind of cool. Yeah, I had no idea about any of this. I don't think the others know either. Not really. So I'm a host then, huh? I've always dreamed of having cool powers or abilities. I always wanted to be a superhero when I was younger. Just like in the movies! But... Nevermind. If that's the case, and since you know so much, you must be strong."
She went over to me and flicked my forehead, smirking.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"You're right." Reno sat back down and leaned back into her chair. "If you want to stay here, you can stay for a week."
"And... Why is that? Why should I stay?"
"It's up to you. Time won't flow here like usual — a day here is a minute out there. I can't keep you here for longer than a week. Your body won't be able to handle the changes, probably, but until then, I plan on telling you everything, if you choose to stay... I'm sorry we don't have more time to spend together, James."
I looked around the strange realm once again, my gaze landing on the tortoises and back to her. I rubbed my forehead in frustration.
"I guess I can stay and chat if time won't flow as usual..."
Reno nodded and smiled.
"I have a question, if you don't mind. I didn't really get a chance to get through high school, considering now that I probably won't be able to go back to any school again… Maybe ever? And the fact that I lost my memories... Can you tell me more about the world? I mean, how big is it? What's it called? I have... A lot of questions, actually. I'm glad you don't mind me staying, even though I find you suspicious."
Reno threw her head back in laughter, covering her mouth, the sound like two tinkling bells.
"My, you've really grown up to be charming… That's endearing. Yes, I suppose I am suspicious! I thank you for your patience, honestly, and I am happy you have questions for me... I mean you no harm, James, truly." She looked down at her lap once again with a sad look in her eyes. "This world is called Tera. There are four large continents that don't have names per se; people have usually called them in accordance with the cardinal directions. East, West, South, North. The world is quite big, James. Quite, quite big. There are a lot of countries, and there is one ocean that fills the world, known as The Great Fill. Every other body of water comes into the main continents from it."
"Wow... I wish I could see the world. I wish... I wish I could understand myself better and help others. I don't want to do too much, I'd cause problems, but just enough… Enough to help." I glanced up at her and scratched my chin, then turned away and put on an awkward smile. "Sorry... didn't mean to get all sappy on you. You don't care about my story."
Reno once again tried grabbing my right hand on the table. I let her. Her thumb gently rubbed circles into my palm.
"Don't worry, I already know. You'll be okay, James. You're a good boy, I'm sure you'll do good things." She looked at me with affection and something much harder to define. "You know... We call those who have awakened their Flow, and in turn either their Holiness or Divinity or both, Ultra-humans?"
"I know, Mr. Nakamura said that during our — hey, you haven't questioned me so far. You really do know what's going on, don't you?"
She didn't say anything, just smiled and tapped the side of her nose.
I sighed and pulled my hand back from her.
"So... So everyone is just like Mr. Nakamura and Normand then? But dormant... That's kind of crazy."
Reno grabbed my hand with both of hers, clutching it tightly and nodding.
"That's correct, James. Very good. I'll let you in on one tiny secret, I suppose... I for one, have The Divinity Of Time."
"Time... That's how you know so much? How old are you? Why exactly are you here in this... Null? Where did you come from? How do you work for The Syndicate? And what's Cathy's deal? Why can't she touch anything physical? And what's my deal? Why did I absorb Mr. Nakamura's power?! And earlier, when I reached out to Cathy, I touched her shoulder! It bypassed her barrier! How?!" I stood up, my voice rising with each question, my hands slamming the table.
Reno looked out into the distance at the sleeping tortoises, crossing her arms before turning back to me.
"You're very excitable... Every Divinity has a downside, or an upside, depending how you look at it. We call those Fractures. All Divinities have fractures, but not all Holies do. It's not really clear as to why. My theory is that the more a Holiness is tied to a fundamental concept of reality, the less are the chances for it to have a Fracture, or it could just be strength based. I don't really know. Fractures are not punishments — they are consequences of concept embodiment, or usually, spirit embodiment for Holies. And Divinities represent everything after all, or mostly everything that exists. Only a few are truly abstract. Time is immortal in age and memory; the host can access The Null whenever they please, so that's why I am here. Gravity is also... very interesting. Her Fracture makes her body repel anything that's physical; I'm not sure why. And Infinity…"
She paused, grinning at me.
"Nobody knows anything about how it truly works, not even me. According to Syndicate investigation, historical records, and the solar calendar, there hasn't been a host of Infinity in over 2500 years."
"2500 years?! Wow, talk about something special... And you're immortal? How long have you been alive for? And what about the other ones? What about me...? Why am I so special? Why is Infinity so special? This is insane... I-It sounds like something straight out of a comic book or manga! I'm not sure I understand or like this feeling… You're… Ugh…"
"Well, technically, I am immortal. I cannot die from simple old age. I am forever young. So is everything else about me, like my mind, memory, cells… You get the point. The last user of Time died — that's because they were killed. And I am only twenty years old. I'm pretty young despite the fact that I can live for a while. As for the others? I can't say much more, not yet. We are all under specific orders. I barely even managed to meet with you because I'm technically on vacation. I'm not sure why you're special. Like I said, nobody knows anything about Infinity, James... but I like it."
She reached again for my hand, but I stood up and put my hands on the table, leaning over to look at her.
"I don't know where this is going, but I want to leave. I'm already, uh... I have things to do. Thank you for sharing everything with me, but I'd like to leave now—"
Just then, the tortoises all opened their eyes in sync and groaned. The sound was a yawn — enormous, ancient, so loud it rang through the void like a bell struck by a star. I clutched my ears, expecting to feel pain, but all I felt was a strange tingle.
"James Karawei. I'm not letting you go until you learn everything about yourself and me, and it looks like neither will they. Please don't take this the wrong way. I care about you, James... Just hear me out. I apologize if I scared you. I didn't mean to... Please, sit."
I sat back down as the tortoises fell back asleep. I gently put my hands back on the table and looked at her, annoyed.
She took a deep breath and flipped her hair over her shoulders.
"Listen, James—" Reno grabbed my hands again and looked into my eyes with a serious expression. "The Boss wants you. I don't know what for, but... He needs Infinity, and you are special for this reason..."
"That's not very reassuring. What do you expect me to do? Die? Get captured? And why are you helping me? Erika's already too friendly despite being a member, now you show up out of nowhere to tell me all of this for free? This is wrong…" I stood up once more, but I didn't move just yet.
"It's hard to say honestly... I-I care for you, um... And Erika has her own goals. I'm not sure exactly what she's after, but be wary of her. Do as she says but don't get too close. You're important, James. You have to keep pushing through…"
A silence fell between us for a moment. I sat there and just... took everything in.
"Is there anything else I should know? Or can I go now? You're confusing me with this whole push and pull thing... I'm not sure I'm comfortable being here anymore. I don't mean to be rude, but everyone would be worried anyway if I actually stayed here for a week, even if time works differently here. So... yeah, sorry." I gave a flimsy excuse, turning and heading for the door.
At my question, Reno's gaze dropped to her lap where her fingers were nervously running down the hem of her silver skirt. She glanced up at me through her lashes.
"I don't know how you're going to take this... But... I'm your sister, James."