Eryndor scrolled through his phone, his eyes widening as he took in just how much the world had shifted during the three months he'd been trapped.
Three months.
He confirmed after double-checking the date.
Surprisingly, no one had questioned him about how long he'd been buried beneath the rubble or how he had managed to survive without food or water.
It seemed people had grown accustomed to the possibility of miracles in a world where the extraordinary was becoming increasingly commonplace.
Surprisingly, the Human Federation, which had long operated in the shadows, had publicly revealed its existence, along with the truth about the Eight Outer Domains and the threat of Anomalies.
As for what had triggered such a monumental shift, Eryndor could only speculate. His best guess was that the Cosmic Limit had increased yet again.
With this rise, the four energies—Qi, Mana, Spiritual Energy, and Internal Energy—must have surged in both quality and quantity, this time becoming noticeable even to ordinary people.
But this wasn't just a boon. The increase in the Cosmic Limit had likely raised the upper potential of Anomalies as well, creating an immediate and overwhelming challenge for the organizations.
Judging by the chaos reflected in the news, those organizations were clearly losing control.
Eryndor skimmed through countless reports of mass killings, with descriptions of strange, monstrous beings wreaking havoc across regions.
Anomalies really do come in all shapes and sizes.
Earth's technological advantage over the Eight Outer Domains seemed to have diminished as well.
The hot weapons and other types of weapons were less of a threat than before.
Sightings of their forces operating openly were now frequent.
Some groups were abducting humans en masse and disappearing without a trace.
Others committed genocides, seized territories, or even declared dominion over certain areas.
A few groups even began distributing cultivation techniques to the masses.
In short, the world was descending into utter chaos.
Therefore, The Human Federation could no longer operate from the shadows, suppressing information and managing threats behind closed doors.
The escalating chaos had forced them to step forward and inform the public about the dramatic changes unfolding in the world.
As for why they had concealed the truth for so long? Eryndor could only guess.
Either the reasons for secrecy had been resolved, or the situation had spiraled so far out of control that silence was no longer an option.
Having spent 20 years on Earth, Eryndor held a deep, albeit complicated, fondness for the planet. It was his home—at least as far as he knew.
Naturally, this made him inclined to side with the Human Federation, the one entity seemingly trying to hold everything together.
But beyond that, he saw an opportunity. If anyone could help him unravel the mystery of who—or what—he truly was, it would be them.
He set a goal to find a way to contact the Federation.
A few minutes later, as Eryndor continued catching up on the latest developments, the door to his hospital room creaked open.
Looking up, he quickly realized it was his parents. Switching off his phone, he straightened up in bed, ready to greet them.
His father, Jordan Noctis, was like an older version of himself—black hair, sharp jawline, pointed nose, and piercing black eyes.
Clad in a simple black sweater over white pants, he radiated an air of calm simplicity.
His mother, Elena Noctis, in contrast, had a bolder presence.
Despite her modest attire, her long, fiery red hair, aquamarine eyes, and high cheekbones gave her a wild charm.
Time had only added a touch of grace and maturity to her beauty.
But something about their expressions unsettled Eryndor. Their mournful gazes were fixed on him, and he could sense their sadness.
But he couldn't understand why it wasn't mixed with relief or joy at seeing him alive.
The weight of the silence grew until his father finally broke it.
"Son, you have already updated yourself on what's happening in the world outside I hope?"
He simply nodded, intending to continue listening to his dad.
"There are incomprehensible things happening everywhere. Your mom came across one such Anomaly."
Eryndor's pupils dilated as he looked at his mom, who gently nodded his way. His dad continued.
"It wasn't a malicious Anomaly, not even a conscious one. It was a simple stone looking like any other.
"It had the power of triggering and resurfacing hidden memories as informed by agents who arrived to capture it later."
His dad took a deep breath and continued, "You see, it triggered some memories hidden deep within your mother.
"Probably those which were suppressed by The Human Federation"
Eryndor sensed the shift in his dad's tone. His tone sped up, as if he wanted to finish everything in one go.
"You are not Eryndor Noctis. At least not the one we named. Our child went missing when he was ten years old.
"According to the memories your mom recovered, you were handed to us ten years ago by a man covered in black clothes from head to toe, when you were ten years old.
"They somehow made it such that you would henceforth be Eryndor Noctis.
"No one, our relatives, our neighbours, your friends, or even us, sensed anything wrong.
"We have always loved you, and we still love you.
"We will continue to love you as our child, we have raised you and watched you grow. The memories we shared for ten years aren't false.
"We simply thought you had the right to know as the person involved.
"We know. You might have something to do with The Human Federation. That man in black clothes had the same symbol The Human Federation has.
"You might even be an Anomaly for all we know. But remember, you'll always have a place at home.
"And lastly, since you were both raised by the same parents, the previous Eryndor Noctis could be considered your brother too.
"He went missing but his body was never found.
"With all the miracles taking place we have a small hope that one of them might help us reunite with our child.
"Could you keep a look out for him?"
Eryndor dumbly nodded his head.
Without replying to anything, he closed his eyes and reclined back on his bed. His mind was a jumbled mess.
His mom softly spoke for the first time.
"We love you, son. Take your time thinking about it. We won't tell anyone about this."
Eryndor took the extra pillow by his side and stuffed his face with it, finding comfort in the suffocating darkness and silence.
Turns out 10 years of his 20 years, that is, nearly half of the life he lived on Earth was fabricated lies.
His memory when he was before 10 consisted of living with the same parents, but turns out he had been handed over to them when he was 10 years old.
Doesn't that mean those memories he had of before turning 10 were all a set of lies injected into his brain?
It took him nearly half an hour to get over the existential crisis. Patting himself on the cheek, Eryndor forced a smile.
This also means that nearly half of my life was still true. Half of my memories are all genuine.
Keeping a positive outlook helped him stabilize his mentality.
He looked down at his hands, realizing that his body was regenerating faster than expected. It was really like he had speculated.
His regeneration depended on the energy of the surroundings, the hospital had far better and higher concentration of energy than a narrow cramped space beneath a fallen building.
The question was, even if no one asked him about how he survived and how he was regenerating so fast, it was sure to attract attention from organizations who might invite him to their ranks without asking about the specifics of his abilities.
Eryndor was already prepared on how to answer them.
He anticipated their arrival, particularly of The Human Federation.