Part 5
There was a slight creak as the door slid open to an empty classroom, followed by the sound of soft footsteps from black dress shoes.
Dust fluttered in the air as a young female walked in.
Holding several folders to her chest, she walked to the teacher desk.
Emi Takahara.
She dressed in her school uniform, which consisted of a white button-down dress shirt with a black tie, followed by a black vest with a white patch with the school emblem. Her black skirt came up to her knees.
As she walked to the desk, the phone in her hand began to vibrate.
Removing her hand from her chest, she stared at the caller ID on the screen.
She froze as she saw the name—it was like her heart skipped a beat as a swell of emotions built up inside her.
Haruko Matsumoto.
That was the name that showed up on her phone as the person who was calling her.
The phone continued to vibrate as she put the folders on the desk.
She answered the phone.
There were a few seconds of silence.
"He… Hey, long time no see... How have you been?'
The voice was his.
Low and shaky, but this voice was his.
"How have I been?" Emi said as she started to get angry, "How have you been? No one has seen or heard from you in days"
"Trust me, I know; I know it just..." Haruko paused before exhaling. "Something came up a few days ago that I am trying to figure out going forward"
Even though she could not comprehend what happened the night of May 28th, she knew that he had powers of his own now from that event. Since then, Haruko has been out of school for the last four days.
Leaning on the desk, Emi closed her eyes and spoke.
"So you called me to let me know that you are not coming in today"
"Nonononono, I am on my way. I just hopped on a train"
Emi opened her eyes as that statement surprised her.
"Why?" was her response.
"What do you mean?" Haruko replied
"Why are you coming in today?" Emi questioned.
"Believe me, I wanted to stay home, but Reiko said I have to come in today, something about education and my future, and I quickly zoned out from there"
Reiko Matsumoto.
Alongside her, Reiko was the only semblance of order in the teen's chaotic life.
"So why did you call me?""
"Yeah, about that; there was something I wanted to ask you about" Haruko started. "Getting my metro card out, I noticed that my identification card from the city was changed"
"What do you mean?"
"So far it is a new card, with everything from the previous transferring over to this, except one part that is completely new, my classification. It says that I am a reality warper; I just wanted to know what that meant"
"It's not like you to call me like this so early in the morning, huh, sis" the voice came from Kazuhiro. "Oh me, I am doing just fine. How are you?"
His phone was between the right side of his head and his right shoulder as he carried a basket full of clothes down the hall of his house.
"Fine myself. The situation I am currently placed in says that I need a change of perspective going forward"
"Situation" Kazuhiro said, placing the basket of clothes on the floor and grabbing his phone to hold to his ear. "Is it an emergency?"
"At the moment, no, but there is no telling how Haruko is going to react forward"
Kazuhiro paused.
Haruko.
His nephew.
The brazen troublemaker
"Did something happen to him?" he asked, concerned.
"Do…" Reiko paused; she was not sure how to reveal this information without sounding crazy. "Do you know about anything that happened last week on the 28th?
The 28th of May
"Not entirely; all I know is that a huge lightning storm hit the city something crazy, but none of us at the agency were able to figure anything out" Slowly, he started to put two and two together. "Wait, you're not saying that Haruko is the reason for that, are you?"
"I don't know his exact involvement with that event, but he came out of it with some new powers no one has seen before—otherworldly powers"
That statement surprised the man.
The city was filled with those who have abilities, those who are acquiring and understanding those abilities, but she said otherworldly.
From another world
Not from this world.
And Haruko had that power.
"You're joking, right?" Kazuhiro asked.
Something like this wasn't supposed to exist. There was no evidence that something like this would exist, but
Reiko was talking like this was normal now.
"There was something I wanted to ask you since you're the only one I know who has had their powers for some time, and it's never hurt to have a second perspective on this issue"
Kazuhiro gulped.
"I am all ears"
"Reality warpers"
Emi voice spoke out over the phone as Haruko was riding in the train.
"It is an umbrella term to refer to the classifications of those who have powers by the city"
"Classification" Haruko repeated slowly.
"Officially, on paper, there are three classifications; an individual with powers would fall under given by the city, but in actuality, there are five. Magicians- those born into certain families that can perform magic tied to their blood. Naturally, people outside of those families also started to gain the ability to use magic, which in turn created the second designation, "spellcaster; it is what your sister falls under"
Haruko stopped spinning his identification card and began looking at it.
"Espers refers to those who can use their powers due to increased brain activity to understand the higher world"
Looking at his card, Haruko spoke.
"And the other classes?"
Emi sighed.
"Everyone refers to them as phantom classes, though I prefer labeling them Schrödinger classes after the thought experiment"
Haruko groaned.
"You just love making things difficult"
"Shut up" Emi quickly retorted "Listen, the reason the classes are referred to that way is because no one can prove that the class or the individuals that would make up the class exist"
That statement stumped Haruko.
"Can't be proven….what does that mean?"
"The first of the two is called fragments; like magicians and spell-casters, they exist all over the world, but the problem is that it is not known how their powers work or what they are fragments of. Right now, the city is trying to understand their abilities to the best of her abilities, and the next class is even harder to prove exist"
Haruko listened closely.
"The last class is called an anomaly"
"What kind of class is that?" Haruko asked.
"It is a class outside what the city considers normal, even by its standards. Magic-based and science-based abilities are able to be distinguished; even if there is some overlap between the two, it is one or the other. The ability a person would have in this class does not have an origin or some nature that is rooted in magic or science, hence the name"
"According to Alexis, the power Haruko has may exist outside the laws of magic"
Kazuhiro did not reply as he heard that statement.
Though he knew magic existed, he was not well versed in that subject.
A power that exists outside the laws—even warped laws—was something unheard of to him.
"My next option to ask was Jayden and..."
"We both know how hard it is to get in contact with him" Kazuhiro said with a light chuckle. "But if Jayden saw it, he would probably come to the same conclusion via his powers. Does Haruko have some understanding of his new abilities?"
"Some, but not all. His power, in his words, is very difficult to control, and left to his own devices, I am not sure he has the thought process to control it"
Which was true.
Haruko never had any powers before last week, so his thought process regarding the gaining and understanding of his powers would be different than that of someone who has had their powers for a longer time.
"The only thing I could recommend, and this might be pushing it a bit. You could try putting him in a program that will help him understand his powers, like the espers use"
"Would that help him with his powers?" Reiko asked, a little hopeful.
"Helping control his power, probably not since it is something outside of what they are expecting, but it can create a situation where he can understand it"
Kazuhiro began putting his clothes in the washers.
"Espers powers function differently from those who can perform magic due to their brains perceiving reality differently, even slightly," he continued, closing the door. "The city way of creating espers is by inducing some sort of reaction in the brain. For me, it was through drugs and deep sleep. I don't remember much about what my dream was, but something was there, something that even now I can't tell what it was"
Reiko listened closely, not saying anything.
"After the process was done and after a few brain scans, they told me that my brain and perception were at a level that was 5 percent higher than that of an ordinary human. Whether it is one percent or a hundred, that higher level of perception is where our powers come from. It seems in Haruko's case that even though he has powers and can bring them out with varying results, it may come down to a mental block he has yet to overcome"
"And these programs?"
"He may not have to undergo the complete process itself, but it can help build the mental fortitude for his powers. That part is essential to any espers power"
Sitting in the train car, having hung up the phone, Haruko continued staring at the white identification card in his hand.
NEO New York City State
Identification Card
ID Number: 945 641 805
Name: Matsumoto Haruko
3416 Burnside Ave.
Bronx, NEO NEW YORK CITY
Birthplace: Oslo, Norway
Sex M Height 5'-11" Eyes Blu
D.O.B: 05/29/1993
Expires 05/29/2012
E NONE
R NONE
Issued 05/31/2009
Classification Reality Warper-Anomaly