[The Null, ???, ???, ???, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
James Karawei: "You... you're my sister?!"
I turned to face her again and walked back towards the table.
Reno Karawei: "Yes James, I'm your sister... Reno Karawei. My family name isn't Kusagawa, that's a cover name that I got from... let's say a dear friend."
I sat down at the table, trying to process the information, everything that she had told me.
James Karawei: "But why...? Why now? Why would you hide your family name? I don't get it..."
She smiled and reached for my hand again, covering it with hers. I let her.
Reno Karawei: "You probably won't understand for a long time. And that's okay. This had to happen, everything has a beginning and it must go along it's own path until it reaches a certain end, that's the beauty of time. I hid my family name not just from you, but from others, for various reasons."
James Karawei: "What...? What was I like when I was younger? What did we use to do together? And... what's your favorite color?" I asked, feeling a gentle smile creep on my face, despite how I was feeling.
I was pretty angry at her, overwhelmed and a little sad.
Reno Karawei: "You were small, adorable, and still super handsome. You were definitely funner than you are now, more mischievous and happy. We used to do many things together, like playing, helping around the house, talking... Just like this. But then I got hired, and... a lot has happened since then. I particularly love gray."
She smiled and looked quite content. I wasn't.
James Karawei: "That's it? That's all you have for me?"
Reno Karawei: "I'm sorry James... If you wish to know more, go to Taured. You know what you have to do. I'm sure you'll get there one day. This is a part of the plan, this is how things are."
I had no idea where Taured even was anymore. Her being cryptic didn't help.
James Karawei: "What else do you like to do?"
Reno Karawei: "I read, a lot actually. It helps, considering my eternal memory. And I paint."
[The Null, ???, ???, ???, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
The 'second day' was filled with us walking continuously in one line.
James Karawei: "Hey... How long have we been walking in a line for? And why aren't we getting tired?"
Reno chuckled and put her hands behind her back.
Reno Karawei: "At least a minute outside, and in here? A day. You're not getting tired due to your Divinity, it has some hidden properties that I don't know about. It allows you to 'continue'. As for me, the fracture of Time makes me 'eternal' in more ways than one, that would include energy. I have no need for sleep anymore."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
Reno Karawei: "The Null itself is infinite in every direction, including up and down despite there being a floor and seemingly a ceiling, both are see-through and liquid-like in property. I've tried examining both, I don't know what the strange material is. Despite this however, it loops back around due to a certain rule I've set up here. I can control The Null to some extent."
She didn't elaborate.
James Karawei: "What about your job? What do you do?"
Reno Karawei: "I... I'm meant to remain here in The Null and watch over the timelines. You see, this world is one of many and they all have their own lines of time flowing from High Heaven. The Null is a control room for such things. The Null is somewhere outside of all the other four dimensions, including time."
We kept walking past the coffee table and the tortoises over and over.
James Karawei: "That's a lot... So, how do you keep the timelines in check?"
She smiled at me and looked back at the tortoises behind us.
Reno Karawei: "That's a question for another time."
[The Null, ???, ???, ???, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
The third day, we sat down at the table, talking about how I felt about all of this.
James Karawei: "I don't know... Misunderstood? This new life isn't easy or fun but it was... I guess it made me happier? It's strange, I know. But... I do not have all my feelings with me, I only managed to take joy and sadness and anger back, everything else was empty though."
Reno Karawei: "I see... And you still manage to keep going, you're strong, I always liked that."
James Karawei: "Yeah. I'm sorry... I... I didn't want my school to be destroyed. I didn't want those cops to be destroyed. I didn't want Mr. Nakamura and Normand to be destroyed. I didn't want anyone else to be destroyed. I didn't want my life to—"
I looked up at her, exhausted and defeated, a lone tear falling from my right eye.
James Karawei: "Well, that doesn't really matter anymore. I have to work to become stronger, to understand my power, to stop The Syndicate. I'm going to stop you. I'm going to stop The Boss. You're not getting in my way."
She once again held my hand, smiling.
Reno Karawei: "I don't plan to, James..."
[The Null, ???, ???, ???, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
The fourth day, we laid down on the floor and looked up at the tortoises as they slept.
Reno Karawei: "You know... They represent time itself. Without beginning or end, they all mirror each other, all the way to the bottom."
James Karawei: "But there's no bottom... That's nonsense."
Reno Karawei: "I find it beautiful."
She turned her head to smile at me and look back up at the tortoises.
James Karawei: "Hey, I've been meaning to ask... What makes Holies so different from Divinities?"
Reno Karawei: "Shush... You should not pry further until you meet one of the dragons."
She once again refused to elaborate.
[The Null, ???, ???, ???, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
I woke up on the 'floor' and saw the island-sized tortoises flying high above the endless sky.
It was entrancing and an entirely new and strange behaviour.
Reno leaned over and looked down at me with an amused look, extending her hand to help me up.
Reno Karawei: "Good morning Jamie, see something you like?" She teased, smirking at me.
James Karawei: "Uh... tortoises caught my eye.. Good morning, this floor is still hard to get used to... Or I guess lack of a floor? Whatever... So uh... What day is this? Why're the tortoises flying?"
She sighed and put her hands on her hips, pouting at me.
Reno Kusagawa: "I told you like five times already! Time works differently here. Come along, let's sit down and talk."
She led me by the hand back to the small table and the two chairs in the middle of the endless white expanse.
I sat down and pointed at the tortoises which were now flying above us, who were making a beautiful hum-like noise of presumably joy.
James Karawei: "What exactly is happening? Weren't they supposed to remain stacked on top of each other forever?"
Reno looked up at the never-ending spiral of tortoises, the giant swirling green mass, like a tornado or a rose bud, staring back at her.
She smiled.
Reno Kusagawa: "Ah, well I guess they know you have to leave... Time has a funny way of working everything out, doesn't it?"
James Karawei: "Funny? More like weird. Well, I'm glad either way, I've surprisingly enjoyed myself here, talking with you, getting a break from everything. I'm glad to have met you, again, sis. But it's been a week basically! Jack, Cathy, and Erika... They must all be worried."
Reno chuckled and rolled her eyes. She tilted her head and propped it up on her right hand.
Reno Kusagawa: "I know you're not dense. You're just messing with me. You've only been missing for 5 minutes. At worst, they think you're hogging the bathroom. At best, you haven't moved an inch."
I smiled back at her, putting my right hand through my hair.
James Karawei: "Yeah, I'm kidding... It's really cool though, being here. This is basically like a time chamber!"
Her eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together.
Reno Kusagawa: "That's precisely it! A minute in the real world is only 1 day in here. The farthest you could go without going crazy could be a year? But that's just a guess."
James Karawei: "That's kind of cool... But I'd rather not spend any more time here. I'm crazy enough as is."
I stood up abruptly from the chair, to which Reno also stood up.
Reno Kusagawa: "You're not crazy, you just need your memories and emotions back. James, please promise me you'll do as I said... You have to go to Taured if you want to know more about what happened to our parents, to us. I can't necessarily tell you what happened to me... But I'm sure someone else will. That's how things are."
I sighed and shook my head.
James Karawei: "You know, you're a pretty cool sister, but you're also super annoying... I promise, even if I have no idea how to get there."
Reno smiled and walked with me to the white door in the middle of The Null.
Reno Kusagawa: "Be my guest, James. If you ever need help, I'll make sure to be there. So..."
She nervously twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she kept glancing up at me. With a sudden movement, she leaned in and hugged me from behind just as I was reaching for the door.
Reno Kusagawa: "I know how sudden all of this is, James. I know how you've been living. I know how you feel, so please take care... I don't want to lose you, and I don't want you to lose yourself. I'm sorry I couldn't be there and I'm sorry this is how things are..."
The gesture was as warm as the hug and as wonderful as the kind-hearted words that left her mouth. I turned, a big grin crept up my face as I hugged her back.
James Karawei: "I think this is the first hug I've had in years... Thank you, Reno. I'll find a way back here somehow."
I let go of the hug with a pat on her shoulders and turned back to the door.
She reached out and grabbed my hand.
Reno Kusagawa: "Wait! James... There's something I need to give you. I know you're going to need this in the future."
She then took a large green ring from her pocket and handed it to me. It seemed to have lots of strange ancient markings and what looked like twelve stone eyes on it which were opened for just a split second, letting out a few glowing green particles—then instantly shut.
James Karawei: "Uh... Thank you, I'm sure this will come in handy... But what is it?"
Reno Kusagawa: "I can't tell you that. I suggest you keep it until you meet the right person. Or... 'dragon'? I trust you to know what that means. Goodbye James, I love you."
James Karawei: "Yeah... I..."
I didn't say it back, just glanced between her and the ring, nodded and I walked back through the door.
[The Daniels Estate, Piasu, Ryomania, 10:40 AM, May 7th, Tuesday, 2025]
It shut itself and disappeared in front of my eyes, collapsing into itself. Revealing another similar door behind it, it was brown and matched the library walls.
I quickly opened it, twice, and it was just a broom closet.
James Karawei: "I'll see you around, sis." I muttered to myself and put the ring in my pocket.
I found myself back in the library, where Amelia was now busy cleaning the floor.
Having moved up from the basement, since dirt can't really be cleaned.
She turned as she heard the sound of my footsteps and almost dropped her mop.
Amelia Orwell: "Oh! Master James! What have you been doing in the broom closet...? Is there something I can help you with?"
James Karawei: "Right... That's what it was..."
I rubbed the back of my neck, smiling gently.
James Karawei: "No, that's okay. I just, uh... I was just reading, yeah... That's it."
Amelia flashed a gentle smile and returned to mopping the floor.
Amelia Orwell: "You should go talk to Mistress Erika, she's been looking for you. And don't mind the mess, we've had a bit of a training session!"
Amelia herself had a distinct aura of calmness and mystery about her. She didn't say much, but there was something off about her, she didn't act surprised when I came out of the 'broom closet'.
James Karawei: "Hey, Amelia, you've been working for the Daniels family for a long time right?"
She looked up from her sweeping, her brown eyes meeting mine with an unreadable expression.
Amelia Orwell: "Y-yes, sir. I've been here for several years now. It's... been a good place to work. Everyone here is like family to me!"
She nodded curtly, continuing to sweep.
I leaned against one of the bookshelves, keeping my tone casual but curious. I had a lot of questions that I hadn't really gotten a chance to ask anyone yet.
James Karawei: "That's cool... I've been wondering about you though, Amelia, you're quite young. How did you end up here?"
Amelia gave a soft smile as she finished sweeping the floor and put the mop back in the bucket, leaning it against the wall.
She paused for a moment, then spoke with a soft but steady voice.
Amelia Orwell: "Well, I came from a small town in Hana. I've always had a knack for keeping things in order, making sure everything runs smoothly. But there was a... situation in my past. Something I needed to leave behind. This place, it offered me a fresh start."
Her voice faltered slightly, but she didn't seem to want to delve into the specifics.
James Karawei: "Hana? A situation? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I get it."
She looked at me with gratitude in her eyes before glancing down at the broom in her hands, almost as if considering something.
Amelia Orwell: "It's not that. It's just... My village was attacked by a bunch of strangers, they were part of something called Iris. When I escaped from them, that's when Mistress Erika found me, she took me in and..."
I raised an eyebrow. This was the same Iris Jasmine had mentioned prior to the battle with Keito.
James Karawei: "Iris? Who are they? And do you know about powers... like mine?"
Amelia Orwell: "I know only a little about them from Mistress Erika. Iris deals with people who have special abilities—powers like yours and Mistress Cathy. They want to control those with powers, to use them for their own purposes. I don't know much about how they work now, but... I didn't trust them, s-so I fled, They were taking people and they burnt the village! I'm just glad I'm here, away from all of that. Compared to them, I don't think The Syndicate is bad, no sir!"
I took in everything she said, the weight of it all sinking in.
James Karawei: "So, you've been here in hiding? And you've been kept safe here? Because for some reason they want you..."
Amelia nodded slowly, her expression softening with a touch of respect.
Amelia Orwell: "The Daniels family offered me safety. Mistress Erika and Master Jack, their parents, they've all been kind to me. More than I ever deserved. They understand what it's like to be caught up in something you can't control. That's why I stay. I know this family isn't perfect, but they protect those they care about. And I... I want to protect them too."
Her words hung in the air for a moment, and I nodded, understanding her loyalty and the burden she carried.
James Karawei: "I get it... Thanks for telling me, Amelia. You've been a huge help. Sometimes, people have a past they don't want to remember, but they keep pushing forward for a reason, I just learned that today. I'm glad you're here. I'll... I'll go see where Erika is."
She gave me a small, grateful smile, and it made me feel like I had learned something important today.
Amelia Orwell: "Thank you, Master James. I appreciate that!"
With a quiet nod, I turned and headed off to find Erika, my mind spinning with everything I had just learned. Iris, the Daniels family's connections to The Syndicate, and Amelia's past.
One thing was clear: I couldn't sit back and let it all happen. If I was going to stop The Syndicate, I needed to learn as much as I could—and fast.
This new group seemed just as dangerous.
I went around the mansion, once again taking in the sights. Getting lost again, and making my way to Erika's room, which was on the lower floor.
I walked past the foyer and saw a bunch of broken glass from a mosaic above the front door, I didn't question it, probably something Erika did.
Eventually, I found Erika's room. I knocked on the door.
Erika opened it and immediately hugged me.
Erika Daniels: "Jamie!~ Where have you been? I looked for you in your room but couldn't find ya! We have much to do! So very much."
She stepped back and beckoned me inside. It was a luxurious bedroom with pink pastel wallpaper and a fluffy pink carpet. In fact, everything was pink except her hair.
It was almost dizzying.
James Karawei: "Uh... Erika, what's up with the white door in the library? Why didn't you tell me my sister was here? And why's the mosaic at the entrance destroyed? I swear the railing was also—"
Erika sat down on her bed and threw her baseball bat back onto her pillow. She propped herself on her elbows as she looked at me.
Erika Daniels: "Nah, nah. There's no such thing, Jamie— Oh! Kusagawa-san... Riiiight... Yeah, she's been looking forward to seeing you. I think she wasn't alone, though. The House helped her."
I sat next to her on the bed.
James Karawei: "The House? It's not really alive... Is it? I mean, it's big enough to the point where I wouldn't notice the rooms changing."
Erika chuckled. She crossed her arms as she shifted her weight on her left foot.
Erika Daniels: "No, idiot... Cathy's father, Obadiah 'The House' Ariston. He's kind of like The Boss's right-hand man. He's interesting... Very much so."
James Karawei: "Okay... Amelia said you wanted to see me, what did you exactly want to see me about? I'm not here to hear about these weirdos you work for. I sort of actually wanted to ask—"
She suddenly stood up and grabbed my cheeks, her smile turned into a feral grin.
Erika Daniels: "You're lucky you're cute enough... I would've slapped you for that. Don't insult The Syndicate again, got it? Good boy. I'm here to teach you everything you need to know about your Divinity, although if you met that brainiac, she probably told you quite a lot."
She grabbed my hand and led me out of her room.
Erika Daniels: "Your Divinity, Infinity, is one of the most mysterious Divinities as there hasn't been a host in over 2500 years. Among the other Divinities, it's entirely unique, even when compared to something like Dark or Light. Nobody seems to understand it... Except The Boss."
She glanced back at me with the same feral grin.
James Karawei: "I see. Infinity... That sounds like... way too much, no?"
Erika Daniels: "Mhm... Your power, James, your Divinity, it allows you to do a lot of things, and I mean A LOT... Liiiike copying any Holiness you can get your grubby hands on, because you technically contain everything... That's how you got your little rose powers, and yes, I already knew. Obviously~"
James Karawei: "Great, I'm being spied on. Everything huh? By the way, what exactly are those Holiness things? I still don't understand them."
Suddenly, she stops and leans over a windowsill, overlooking the garden.
Erika Daniels: "Divinities and Holies are both innate, it's just that Divinities directly control certain concepts of existence itself while Holies are completely different complex abilities which defy most classifications and based more on an individual than anything else, which is why everyone has one, even if dormant. These concepts, by nature, are intrinsically absolute."
She turns to me with a smug smirk on her face.
Erika Daniels: "Can you fucking imagine absolute Infinity? Or Gravity? Or Space? I sure can't... And I find that amazing! Hah.. And as for Holies, well, you get the gist."
My eyes widened as I processed the information, absolute concepts.
James Karawei: "Wow, that's... I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that so I don't have to go through the mental gymnastics to even begin to understand it!"
Erika chuckled and took my hand as she kept leading me down the hallway.
Erika Daniels: "James, when The White Rose died in battle, did you absorb his Holiness, yes or no?"
James Karawei: "I did... It's sort of cool, but I haven't used it much. I can shoot out rainbow bubbles, but I guess when I was pumped with adrenaline and wasn't really thinking, I made some cool swords and vines during the fight with Normand."
She finally led me outside into the garden where Jack was. He ran up to us.
Jack Daniels: "Yo sis! James! What's up? Are we here to do gardening or some cool stunts?! I unlocked The Third Step, I want to keep practicing it! Come on, come on!"
He tugged on Erika's sleeve.
Erika let go of my hand and hit Jack on the head. He stuck his tongue out at her in response.
Erika Daniels: "You don't unlock them, you idiot. This isn't one of your JRPG's. You have to master your body and be in tune with the world around you, like Cathy."
Erika pointed up to where Cathy was lounging in the sky, listening to some music on Jack's headphones.
Jack Daniels: "What?! I knew someone took them! Hey! Cat-girl!"
Jack threw a pebble at her. Cathy glanced down as she flipped over and threw the rock back at Jack, who narrowly dodged out of the way, laughing.
She floated down towards us as she put the headphones down around her neck.
Cathy Ariston: "Hey James... I'm feeling better now, after all that happened. What did you want, idiot?"
Jack Daniels: "My headphones! Duh."
Cathy groaned and gave them to him begrudgingly.
Jack Daniels: "That's the spirit, Cat-girl! You're going to break a leg today!"
Cathy shot him a dangerous glance as she crossed her arms.
Cathy Ariston: "Won't be my leg, that's for sure..."
Erika held her hands up in a placating gesture.
Erika Daniels: "Alright, alright, that's enough chit-chat... Is everyone ready? Have you relaxed?"
James Karawei: "Ready? For what exactly...?"
Erika Daniels: "For what's necessary, duh. To train and adapt!"