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.
James Karawei: "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.
James Karawei: "What..."
The infinite stack of tortoises seemed to go below the "floor" and through "ceiling" of this strange place.
They slept soundly, their breaths hot and rhythmic, stirring the air like volcanic winds.
I stepped forwards again.
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.
James Karawei: "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."
James Karawei: "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: "Reno Kusagawa. 11th ranked in The Syndicate. Pluto, Mother Time. All of those are titles given to me by my colleagues and The Boss... You can just call me Reno."
She smirked at me and slowly pushed a tea cup towards me.
James Karawei: "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 and resting her chin in her right hand.
Reno Kusagawa: "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."
She said as her gaze dropped to her lap, looking troubled for a split second before looking back at me with a gentle smile.
James Karawei: "Quiet? With those snoring dinosaurs?"
I gestured to the endless void around us.
James Karawei: "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."
Reno Kusagawa: "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."
James Karawei: "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.
Reno Kusagawa: "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."
James Karawei: "You know me? You knew about me... Alright, what did you have in mind? I'd rather not sit down and talk about my war crimes, anything else."
She leaned back and chuckled, covering her mouth with her left palm.
Reno Kusagawa: "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.
James Karawei: "Yeah, I have, Cathy has one of those. And apparently so did her brother. What exactly is a Divinity? And what about those 'holiness' things? Mr. Nakamura had one of those... I think."
She paused, glancing towards the stack of tortoises for a moment.
Reno Kusagawa: "Well... It is a lot to go over. Nobody actually knows they exist you know... Just us, 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.
Reno Kusagawa: "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.
Reno Kusagawa: "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. It was also soon found out that many others were born with different types of Divinities."
She began pacing around the table, glancing at me every now and then.
Reno Kusagawa: "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. Everyone has a holiness from birth, but only a few have a Divinity, and even fewer have both. Ever since Year 0 AF, which means after-fracture, people have been unable to realize that they are born with such abilities. 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 disappearing.
Reno Kusagawa: "So, again, to clarify, everyone has a holiness or a divinity or both from birth, they are just dormant until awakened. And some divinities or holies are more special than others."
I sat there, taken aback by her revelation. I crossed my arms.
James Karawei: "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...?"
Reno Kusagawa: "Oh no, not at all. You are yourself James, but a divinity is within you. All Divinities represent an emotion and a concept, that defines a Divinity's power."
James Karawei: "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... It's been rough for me."
Reno looked a little saddened by my words and also crossed her arms, mirroring me.
Reno Kusagawa: "I'm sorry to hear that James... That must have been difficult for you."
I uncrossed my arms and sighed.
James Karawei: "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.
James Karawei: "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. So, I'll ask... 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.
Reno Kusagawa: "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."
James Karawei: "Uh, thanks. I hope to find him too... Shujin Hakomaru."
Reno tapped her chin, glancing around The Null, almost impatiently.
Reno Kusagawa: "It is interesting though considering you're one of the good ones, bearing the concept of Infinity and the emotion of Love."
James Karawei: "Infinity? That doesn't sound right... I guess that does explain how I took Mr. Nakamura's powers. But this is so surreal, I mean... I don't know. Everything's weird nowadays."
Reno chuckled and spun the tea pot's lid on the table gently. Seemingly bored.
Reno Kusagawa: "I guess you're right, everything IS strange, James."
James Karawei: "What do you mean by Love by the way? 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.
Reno Kusagawa: "That's not what I meant... Listen, Divinities fell upon the Earth once it was created and possessed hosts, newborns that were to grow into their conceptual power and use it, hopefully for good. Not all of them were good however, obviously. But they were still people."
She stood up again, snapping her fingers as the tea set flew up into the ceiling.
James Karawei: "Wha— Hey! I was enjoying that..."
Reno Kusagawa: "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. This process isn't the same for a holiness, as those seem to be completely unique based on the host's mind, body and personality."
I laid my hands on the table as I listened to her explanation.
James Karawei: "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 superhero when I was younger... Just like in anime but... Nevermind. Do you have any strong powers?"
She went over to me and flicked my forehead, smirking.
James Karawei: "Hey! What are you doing?!"
Reno Kusagawa: "Secrets James... Secrets."
Reno sat back down and leaned back into her chair.
Reno Kusagawa: "Look, If you want to stay here you can stay for a week"
James Karawei: "And... why is that? Why should I stay?"
Reno Kusagawa: "It's up to you. Time won't flow here like usual, a week 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.
James Karawei: "I guess I can stay and chat if time won't flow as usual..."
Reno nodded and smiled.
James Karawei: "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 a school again... 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.
Reno Kusagawa: "That's endearing, yes, I suppose I am suspicious! I thank you for your patience, honesty 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.
Reno Kusagawa: "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."
James Karawei: "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, but just enough..."
I glanced up at her and scratched my chin, then turned away and put on an awkward smile.
James Karawei: "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.
Reno Kusagawa: "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.
Reno Kusagawa: "You know... We call those who have awakened their Holiness or Divinity Ultra-humans?"
James Karawei: "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.
James Karawei: "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.
Reno Kusagawa: "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."
James Karawei: "Time... wow... I've been meaning to ask about that. Also how do you know so much? And 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.
Reno Kusagawa: "You're very excitable. Every Divinity has a downside, or an upside, depending how you look at it. We call those 'Fractures' in the soul. All Divinities have fractures, but not all holies do, just the strongest or most important ones. They represent everything after all. 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. Infinity..."
She paused, grinning at me.
Reno Kusagawa: "Nobody knows anything about it... According to the calendar, there hasn't been a host of Infinity in over 2500 years."
James Karawei: "2500 years? Wow, talk about 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..."
Reno Kusagawa: "Well technically, I am immortal. I cannot die from simple old age, I am forever young. Although the last user of Time died, but 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. 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.
James Karawei: "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 an impeccable yawn, a symphony so loud it can only be described as a solar flare.
I clutched my ears, expecting to feel pain, but all I felt was a strange tingle.
Reno Kusagawa: "James Karawei... I'm not letting you go until you learn everything, and 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.
Reno Kusagawa: "You must want to know more about The Syndicate, don't you? Well... The Boss has many secrets, but I can spare you a few. There are 55 specially ranked members in The Syndicate, excluding The Boss. Their ranks are given directly by him according to his measurement of their worth or power. There are also other members like agents, technicians and such which work for the ranked members in specialized teams. The members are split into ten ranks: The White Rose. The Twins. The Magi. The Dragons .The Keys. The Gates. The Romances. The Angels. The Planets. The Laws. And of course, I'm Pluto, one of the Planets, as I've said before."
She took a deep breath and flipped her hair over her shoulders.
James Karawei: "That was quite a lot... So, uh... You're pretty strong then, huh? And it's 53 members; two have sadly passed away."
Reno Kusagawa: "Well, that's true, I suppose. Listen, James—"
Reno grabbed my hands again and looked into my eyes with a serious expression.
Reno Kusagawa: "The Boss wants you. I don't know what for, but... He needs Infinity and you are special for this reason..."
James Karawei: "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 stand up once more, but I don't move just yet.
Reno Kusagawa: "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. I... I can't really tell you much else. I'm sorry..."
A silence fell between us for a moment. I sat there and just... took everything in.
James Karawei: "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.
Reno Kusagawa: "I don't know how you're going to take this... But... I'm your sister, James."