Rian sat on his bed, his ZephyrTab in his hands, his eyes wide with disbelief as he scrolled through article after article. His fingers trembled slightly with each swipe, his mind racing to process the shocking information in front of him.
Just hours earlier, at dinner, he had struggled to mask his bewilderment. Kala's fervent obsession with Crimson Nova and the casual way his family had spoken about Radiants left him feeling completely out of place. The realization that the world he thought he knew was vastly different gnawed at him.
He had been unusually calm and silent during the meal, methodically finishing his plate while barely contributing to the lively family chatter. The questions swirling in his mind made it impossible to focus on anything else. How had the world changed so drastically without him realizing it? And more importantly, why was he the only one who seemed to be unaware?
His mother, Tilisha, had been the first to notice his strange behavior. "Rian, are you okay? You've been awfully quiet," she asked, her sharp eyes scanning him with concern.
Aston, his father, chimed in. "You're not coming down with something, are you, champ?"
Rian had hesitated, the weight of their gazes making his throat tighten. If he told them the truth—that he felt like he had woken up in a completely different world—they might think he was losing his mind. Or worse, they might suspect something supernatural was at play. In a world where strange phenomena were not uncommon, he didn't want to risk it.
"I'm fine," he lied, forcing a small smile. "I just remembered I have some homework I need to finish."
His dad nodded slowly, though the movement was tinged with skepticism. "Alright, but don't push yourself too hard."
His mom didn't look convinced, her worried eyes following him as he excused himself from the table. Kala and Veeona, on the other hand, exchanged amused looks, clearly finding his behavior odd but not concerning.
Now, back in the safety of his room, Rian finally allowed himself to face the mounting questions. He opened Whoogle, the search engine installed on his ZephyrTab, and began typing furiously.
"Radiants history," he typed, his heart pounding as the results loaded.
The headlines leapt out at him:
"500 Years of Radiants: How Superhumans Reshaped Society" "The Origin of Radiants: A Global Phenomenon" "Crimson Nova and the Modern Pantheon of Heroes"
He clicked on the first link, his eyes scanning the text hungrily. Radiants had existed for over five centuries, their emergence marking a turning point in human history. The article detailed how individuals with extraordinary abilities began appearing across the globe, forever altering the fabric of society. Governments adapted, economies shifted, and entire cultures revolved around these powerful beings.
Rian leaned back against the headboard, his mind reeling. "Five hundred years? How did I miss this?" he whispered to himself. He scrolled further, reading about how Radiants became the ultimate celebrities, with their powers ranging from awe-inspiring strength to reality-bending capabilities.
Everything else seemed the same—technology, culture, and even mundane aspects of daily life. But the existence of Radiants stood out like a glaring anomaly, an impossible addition to a world he had thought he understood.
He clicked through more articles, piecing together a picture of a world that had coexisted with these extraordinary beings for centuries. And yet, for reasons he couldn't begin to comprehend, he had no memory or knowledge of any of it.
"This isn't the world I grew up in," Rian muttered, gripping the ZephyrTab tighter. "It's like... everything changed, and I didn't even notice."
He leaned forward, his determination growing. But then a chilling realization struck him, making him pause. The novels he loved so much—stories of transmigration and reincarnation—echoed in his mind. "This... this is like one of those," he whispered, his heart pounding.
But in his case, it wasn't a simple adventure or a grand quest. If he had transmigrated, how had it happened? And why hadn't he received any memories, like the main characters in those stories? The headache he had earlier flashed in his mind. Could that have been the moment everything changed?
Fear began to creep in as the questions multiplied. "What if my parents and siblings have different personalities in this world? What if I have different likes and dislikes? What about my school? My classmates?" he muttered, his voice trembling.
Overwhelmed, Rian slid off the bed and sat on the floor, clutching his head. The room felt like it was closing in on him, the weight of uncertainty pressing down. "What the hell is going on?" he whispered, his confusion turning to dread.
Needing some sort of reassurance—or perhaps just another clue—he decided to check his conversation history on ChatterLink. If his contacts were still the same, it might mean some semblance of familiarity remained in this strange new reality.
Grabbing his ZephyrTab, he quickly opened the ChatterLink app. His heart raced as the familiar interface loaded, and to his relief, his contacts were still there: friends, family, and classmates he recognized.
But as he opened his DMs, confusion replaced relief. The conversations were completely different. Threads with his closest friends contained jokes and topics he had no memory of discussing. Messages from acquaintances hinted at events he didn't recall attending. It was as if someone else had been living his life.
What shocked him even more was his group memberships. His eyes scanned the list of groups he was in, each one more bewildering than the last. Groups like "Crimson Skeptics," "Heroes and Villains," and "Cosmic Champions" stood out immediately, their names suggesting deep discussions about Radiants. But then there were others—funnier and far spicier—like "Lustrous League" and "Lustra's Lightbearers."
"What the hell?" Rian muttered, his mouth slightly agape as he scrolled through the list. The sheer number of groups, from intellectual debates to seemingly risqué ones, left him speechless.
He sat back, the tablet resting on his lap. "Is this... really my account?" he asked aloud, his voice tinged with disbelief. The version of himself reflected in these messages and groups felt like a stranger, someone he didn't recognize at all.
Suddenly, a notification popped up at the top of his screen. It was from his class group: "Quick reminder: Mid-term exams start next week!"
Rian froze, his eyes wide. The weight of everything he had learned about this strange, altered world compounded with the sudden reality of exams. Without thinking, he shouted, "Fuck! Are you kidding me? Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck!"
He buried his face in his hands, his voice trembling as desperation seeped in. "System, please respond," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "If this is a joke, just stop. I need you right now. Please..."
But to his greatest dismay, nothing happened. The silence was deafening, and his frustration boiled over into tears. His chest heaved as he whispered, "Why? Why is this happening to me?"
Unable to hold himself together, Rian sank to the floor, his arms sprawled out as he stared blankly at the ceiling. "Why?" he muttered again, his voice barely audible.
Meanwhile, outside his room, his parents stood by the door. Tilisha raised her hand to knock but paused as Aston gently touched her arm. "Leave him be," Aston said in a low voice. "Maybe he's just going through one of those tough moments."
Tilisha hesitated. "Are you sure? He sounded really upset."
Aston shrugged with a small grin. "It's probably just a girl breaking up with him or something. He'll bounce back."
Tilisha gave him a dubious look but nodded reluctantly. The two of them quietly stepped away, deciding to give Rian the space they thought he needed.
Unaware of his parents' presence or their assumptions, Rian remained on the floor, his mind spiraling as exhaustion overtook him. His eyelids grew heavy, and his breathing slowed as he began drifting into uneasy sleep.
As the room fell silent, a faint sense of mystery hung in the air. Perhaps this was all a dream. Or perhaps... it was real.