Lilia: A New Dawn

James sat in the back of his biology classroom, the teacher's words on cellular division washing over him like background noise. His mind was elsewhere, thinking of last night's occurrences. The experience had been too real to ignore, yet too fantastical to believe.

He pondered over the possible causes for his transformation. Was it something to the energy wave from Operation Wraith that brought superpowers into this world? Was it hereditary, some dormant gene passed down from his father, the retired hero? Or perhaps it was something new, an anomaly yet to be recognized by the world.

The piercing sound of the school bell interrupted his reverie, and he nearly jumped out of his seat. He gathered his books in a hurry, thoughts still racing. It was time for a visit to the school library, the best place to begin his search for answers.

The hallways blurred past him as he navigated the familiar route. He pushed through the library's heavy doors, the scent of books and the hush of studious silence enveloping him. Rows upon rows of shelves brimming with knowledge, just waiting to be discovered—this was where he could find clues.

James made a beeline for the superhero section, scanning the spines of books and periodicals for anything that might hint at his bizarre condition.

As he reached out to retrieve a book titled "1962: Birth of Heroes and Villains," a familiar voice called out to him.

"Unearthing a secret skill, James?" It was Mia, her grey eyes sparkling with intrigue, balancing a precarious collection of tomes like a seasoned treasure hunter.

He laughed awkwardly, returning the book to its place. "Just doing some extra digging," he replied, his gaze flitting back to the spines. "I'm delving into the Pulse and its ramifications."

Mia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You mean the energy wave from Operation Wraith? That's ancient history, though. All it did was give people powers or turn them into monsters."

Yeah," James agreed, pulling out another book, "but everyone's powers manifested differently. You have speedsters, elementals, brutes... the list goes on." He hesitated, then added, "I'm on the lookout for... outliers. Something out of the ordinary."

Mia nodded thoughtfully, a strand of her brown hair falling across her face as she considered his words. "I see. Well, I'm no expert, but I can help you look. What kind of 'unusual cases' are we talking about?"

"Transformative ones, primarily," James admitted, his tone light but laced with underlying tension. "There are heroes that can alter their shape, but I'm after something different."

Together, they combed through the library's collection, pulling out volumes that chronicled the rise of heroes and the fall of villains in the wake of the Pulse. They found stories of children born with reptilian eyes or wings, of people who could conjure fire or ice, and of those who could bend the laws of physics to their will.

But nothing they uncovered bore any resemblance to James' own experience. Although shapeshifters dotted the literature, their abilities diverged from his own.

Feeling a twinge of disappointment, James sighed and glanced at Mia. "Thanks for the help, Mia, but it looks like nothing here explains... what I'm looking for."

Mia gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, James. The library's not the only place to find information. There are other ways to do research, like talking to experts or... you know, the internet?"

A hopeful smile crossed his face. "You have a point. I won't stop here."

As they replaced the books on the shelves, Mia nudged him playfully. "You know, if you do end up with superpowers, you'd make a pretty good hero."

He managed a weak chuckle, feeling the weight of his secret pressing down on him. "I don't know about that," he mumbled, and with a final wave to Mia, he left the library.

As James pushed open the heavy door of the school building, a burst of afternoon sunlight greeted him, momentarily blinding him as he stepped outside. His mind was still awash with the fruitless search for answers when a figure caught his attention. She was leaning casually against the school's stone facade, her eyes scanning the crowd until they landed squarely on him.

She wore the school uniform, skirt pleated, and blazer creased just so, but there was something about her that didn't exactly fit. Perhaps it was the intensity of her gaze or the way she held herself—like a falcon perched and ready. James couldn't immediately place where he'd seen her before.

"James Brooks?" The girl's voice had a melodic lilt to it that seemed at odds with her serious demeanour.

He paused, studying her face more closely. Recognition dawned on him, and he felt a knot tighten in his stomach. It was the shrine maiden from the night before, but now she looked like any other student. "Yes, that's me," James replied cautiously, wondering what business a girl like her could have with him.

"I'm Akari," she said, extending her hand in greeting. "I hoped to catch you for a moment. May I?"

James nodded, though his mind raced to keep up with this unexpected encounter. As they walked a few steps away from the ebbing crowd of students, Akari's expression was unreadable, her eyes flicking to his with an intensity that made him wonder what she saw when she looked at him.

"If you don't mind me asking, have you had any unusual encounters recently? Anything out of the ordinary or... supernatural?" Her question was direct, and she watched him closely for his reaction.

James hesitated, his mind flashing back to the night's events, his transformation, and the strange conversation he'd overheard. But he worried about the implications if he admitted to anything. Was she tracking Lilia? Did she suspect him? On impulse, he decided to play it safe. "No, nothing like that. Just normal school stuff, you know?"

Akari's gaze lingered on him a moment longer, as if weighing his words, then she nodded. "I see. Well, if you do come across anything, feel free to let me know."

She handed him a business card. It was simple, with a name and a number, no other details. "Watch out for yourself, James. This city can be more than it seems."

Before he could muster a response, Akari turned on her heel and walked away, her stride purposeful. James watched her go, the card warm in his hand, a tangible connection the side of the city he never knew.

 

Meanwhile, Akari rounded the corner of the school building and approached a nondescript black car parked at the curb. The tinted window rolled down as she reached it, revealing Collins sitting in the driver's seat, his expression expectant.

"Find anything?" he asked as Akari slid into the passenger seat.

She considered for a moment, turning James' reactions over in her mind. "He's hiding something, but it's hard to say what. I found traces of astral energy on him. Similar to the signature of that succubus."

Collins frowned, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "So, he's involved somehow. Great. Now we just need to figure out how deep he's in."

Akari nodded, slipping James' profile into a case file that sat between them. "I gave him my card. Told him to call if he notices anything... unusual. He's our best shot right now."

Collins sighed and started the car's engine. "Alright, let's loop back to HQ and see if we can track him."

As the vehicle pulled away from the curb, Akari glanced back at the school through the rear window, her thoughts lingering on the young man with the guarded eyes. She had a feeling this was only the beginning.

 

James trudged home, his mind a tumult of conflicting thoughts and emotions. The encounter with Akari had left him with more questions than answers. He could feel the weight of her suspicions and the business card burning in his pocket like some kind of beacon of trouble yet to come.

He pushed open the front door of his house and was immediately greeted by the familiar sounds of family life that brought him a measure of comfort. His mother was in the kitchen, the clatter of pots and pans mixing with the sizzle of something fragrant cooking on the stove. His father was at the dining table, poring over what looked to be a stack of old photographs.

"Hey, kiddo," his father called out without looking up. "How was school?"

James managed a noncommittal grunt as he made his way over and peered at the photos. They were snapshots of his father in his hero days, images of a man in his prime, standing triumphant over various nefarious villains.

"Just school," James replied before turning his attention to his mother. "Anything I can help with, Mom?"

"No, dear. Almost done here," she said, smiling warmly at him.

Ren's voice echoed down from upstairs, a thunderous "Welcome home!" before she descended, her lab coat replaced with a comfy sweater and jeans. "Guess who just made a scientific breakthrough today?"

James couldn't suppress a smile at his sister's enthusiasm. "Nice work, Ren. Guess it's just another normal day for the Brooks family, huh?"

After a bit of small talk, James excused himself to head upstairs, claiming tiredness and a mountain of homework. Once in his room, he closed the door and let out a deep sigh. It was a relief to be alone with his thoughts, but there was one other thing he had been itching to do—play Endless Fantasy II.

Sitting down at his computer, he powered it up. The mundane act felt strangely grounding after the chaos that had become his life. As he waited for the system to boot up, he fiddled with the business card from Akari, flipping it over in his fingers. Deciding he wasn't sure what to do with it yet, he slid it into his desk drawer and focused on the screen.

It had been two days since he last logged into the game, and he was anxious about maintaining his status as a top player. He entered his credentials, and his character, Lilia, appeared on the screen, her avatar just as he remembered. A wave of relief washed over him—until he tried to log in.

"Unknown Error! Please try again later," read the pop-up message that appeared.

He blinked in disbelief. Unknown error? He had never seen this before. His character was visible, so his account hadn't been deleted, but why couldn't he log in? He tried again and again, but the result was his frustration mounting with each failed attempt.

With a heavy heart, James composed a message to the game's support team, detailing the issue and asking for a swift resolution. His character, his escape, was now out of reach, and the sense of loss was more acute than he expected.

He slumped back in his chair, the glow of the monitor the only light in the darkening room. What had happened? Was this just a coincidence, or did it have something to do with his... transformation? Could the game somehow be connected to what he experienced?

James shut down his computer, succumbing to an unusual sense of defeat. He sprawled out on his bed, eyes tracing patterns on the ceiling above. The room was steeped in silence, a stark contrast to the cacophony in his head. He pondered whether every nascent hero endured such turmoil. His family was far from ordinary, yet he had managed to remain an average person—a typical student with an aptitude for gaming that few knew about. Now, he was grappling with the startling revelation that he might be anything but ordinary.

A diversion was essential; he needed something to eclipse his spiralling thoughts. His usual escape, the virtual realm of Endless Fantasy, was off-limits for the moment, prompting him to consider alternatives.

Engaging in a different game or crafting a new character briefly crossed his mind, yet the allure of gaming had inexplicably faded. Resigned, James decided to reach out to his friends. He settled into his chair and initiated a group call over the internet, a surge of comfort enveloping him as Nathan, Mia, and Alex joined in.

"James! What's up?" Nathan's voice brimmed with energy.

"I've had a bit of a rough day," James confessed. "I was thinking we could use a night out, just hang out and do something fun. Are you guys down?"

Mia's grin was infectious. "Absolutely! We've been buried under schoolwork; I could use a heavenly break."

Alex nodded, brushing his floppy bangs from his eyes with a casual tilt of his head. "Definitely. But any thoughts on where to go?"

Nathan's enthusiasm lit up the screen. "How about laser tag? I could totally see us owning that arena!"

James considered it briefly, the idea of running around in a high-energy game was tempting, but it wasn't quite the distraction he was looking for. "Laser tag sounds cool, but what about something less... demanding?"

Alex's calm voice chimed in, "There's a new escape room challenge downtown. They just set up a steampunk-themed room. Could be interesting to puzzle something out together."

Mia, however, had a different take. "Guys, we always do these action-packed activities. Why not change it up? Let's do... karaoke! We can relax, have some laughs, and unleash our inner pop stars!"

A brief silence followed Mia's suggestion. James thought about it; karaoke sounded like a fun way to wind down, and it was certainly different from their usual hangouts.

Nathan's face broke into a grin. "Karaoke, huh? I'll have you know my shower singing is legend in my own bathroom."

Alex laughed, a rare sound that was like a melody in itself. "Karaoke it is. I'm game if you guys are."

James nodded, the idea growing on him. "Karaoke sounds perfect. Let's do it."

With the decision made, energy surged through the group. They quickly wrapped up their call to prepare for the evening. James felt a sense of anticipation—karaoke was new territory for him, and he was curious to see how he or his friends would perform outside their comfort zone.

He threw on a casual shirt and jeans, a stark contrast to the school uniform that seemed to confine him during the day. Catching his reflection in the mirror, he hesitated, the image of Lilia briefly flashing in his mind. Shaking off the thought, he grabbed his wallet and phone, then headed downstairs.

His family was settled in for a quiet night. His mother was reading in the living room, his father was tinkering with what looked like an old radio, and Ren was back upstairs, probably diving into more research. They all wished him a good time as he announced he was heading out.

Stepping out into the cool evening, James took a deep breath. The sounds of New Atlantis filled the air—the distant roar of cars, the faint laughter of passersby, and the subtle hum of streetlights. It was a symphony of the ordinary, a reminder that life continued beyond the bounds of his troubles.