The Guardians of Light

A False Awakening

A month passed by, during which we solved a plethora of cases, moreover capturing many bad guys.

By this time, I felt like I had been a part of this team for a long time. We grew so much closer.

One day, Mr. Reynolds called me and asked me to meet him to discuss something, plus he asked to keep our meeting discreet.

I wondered what he could possibly talk about with me discreetly. 

Since no one was awake at that time, it saved me from lying to them.

' May I come in, sir? '

' Yes, Mr. Bloom. I've been waiting for you. Come, have a seat. '

' What is it that you want to talk about with me alone rather than the team? '

' The team already knows the matter, Mr. Bloom. It's you who is in the dark. I thought perhaps you might just be enough to persuade your fellow mates to change their decision regarding the matter that I am about to tell you. '

' I'm listening. '

' We've offered your team a promotion to L2 before your arrival; however, Eve rejected it and stayed behind while Leonard accepted it and moved forward. After the capture of The Blood, and many others, the board offered the promotion to your team once again and yet she rejected it. It seems like Bob and Justin stood by her word. Your team is very talented and experienced, Mr. Bloom; furthermore, with your arrival, the team's capacity has potentially raised by a large scale. You guys deserve to be in L2, and your services are required there. I now hope that you can talk some sense into her, as it appears that she might have a soft spot for you. ' 

' It's really shocking that they have kept such a big thing from me. I hat the fact that I was in dark. I can't make any promises, Mr. R R, but I'm surely going to have a thorough discussion with my team. '

' Let's hope for the best. '

When I reached back, all were up.

Justin: Where did you go so early, Ryan?

Ryan: To uncover a huge thing that you guys were keeping from me.

Justin: What huge thing?

Ryan: Now's your chance to spill, Justin.

Evelyn: Looks like he finally found out about the promotion. Damn Reynolds.

Bob: I wanted to inform you, Ryan, but they insisted to keep my mouth shut.

Ryan: Why would you do this, Eve? I thought you considered me as your friend.

Evelyn: That's why I had to hide it, Ryan. I don't want you to leave us.

Ryan: But why wouldn't you want to go to L2?

Evelyn: The promotions may seem like a ladder of development, but is a ladder of death indeed. The thirst for power and position will only doom you.

Ryan: It's not about power or status, Eve. When you have a shot at doing the greater good, why repudiate it? My father used to say, ' Never compromise on anything when you have a greater shot at something. Always aim for the big. '

Evelyn: Nothing you say or do will change my mind, Ryan. We love having you here, and if going to L2 matters more than being with us, I say, you accept the promotion and abandon us just like Leo.

Justin and Bob stood silently. They neither supported her nor me. I couldn't think of anything convincing at that moment, so I decided not to push her hard about her decision.

Ryan: I need to blow off my steam. I guess I'll see you all later.

Saying that I left to my room and locked it.

                                                                            -----*------

As I walked out of my room, I saw my mother.

' Ryan, you are so late for school today. Have breakfast and leave immediately. '

' Where is Mia? '

' She left already. We tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't open the door. I want the door unlocked from today. '

' Fine, mom. '

While packing my bag, I couldn't find some of my books.

' Mom? Few books are missing. Do you know where they are? '

' Maybe they got mixed up with your father's books. Check in his workroom. '

Oh boy, I haven't been to my father's workroom in ages. On realizing that my father is taking a shower, I decided to do a quick grab of my notes.

There were many files and books scattered all across. The place was a mess.

Upon searching, I found my copies in the pile of all the books and files. When I grabbed my notes and was about to leave, a file caught my eye.

The file was beneath a lot of other files; however, I could see the name " Blue Shells Corporation. "

' Why does this name sound familiar? Where have I heard it? '

' Right, Officer Barney mentioned it to me a few weeks ago. What does my dad have to do with this corporation? '

It piqued my interest to learn the truth. I took out the file.

It contained profiles of many comatose patients that Blue Shells Corporation was funding. I turned the pages looking at the profiles.

I was appalled when I saw Master Asahi's photo. Apparently, Master Asahi is an archaeologist who worked with my father.

I wondered what an archaeologist possibly had in common with my father, who is a scientist and a doctor.

As I kept turning the pages, I saw many people who I met in Orpheus.

It perplexed me. I had no idea why the Blue Shells Corporation is funding these specific comatose patients. I needed an immediate answer, or I felt like my brain would explode.

I went into a trance, thinking about everything, and that's when my dad came out of the shower.

' What are you doing here, Ryan? You know that you are not allowed here, right? '

' Of course, I know, dad. Would you care to explain what these files are about? '

' I have nothing to explain to you. Keep the file there and get out of the room. '

' I am not going to leave until you tell me everything about Blue Shells Corporation. '

' Don't test my patience, kid. '

' Oh, I am going to test it today. '

' Don't make me do anything that'll make us both regret later. '

' I am not afraid of you anymore, dad. I demand you to tell the truth. '

' You should be. I am not going to warn you again. '

While we were arguing, my mother stepped in.

Mom: Enough, James. I think it's time for Ryan to know the truth.

Me: What truth?

Dad: Jenna, stay out of this.

Mom: I am not going to agree with you this time, James. I have already lost many years with my sweetheart because of your stupid purpose. Not anymore. 

Me: Will someone please tell me what's going on?

Dad: Fine. First of all, I am so very sorry, Ryan. I'm the reason for your pathetic childhood. Even though I loved you more than anything in the world, I had to make your childhood bitter.

Listening to his words stunned me. For a second, I doubted whether I was in a third world where my dad really loved me.

Dad: Let me tell you everything, and then I am ready for whatever punishment you want to give me.

His stern and sturdy voice turned into an affectionate and caring one. I couldn't imagine this version of him.

This felt like a false awakening. I couldn't convince myself that this is real; however, I continued to listen to what my dad has to say. Because he hasn't talked to me more than a sentence until now, and despite his cold behaviour and contempt towards me, I wanted to listen to him.

Dad: Jenna, you deserve to know the truth too. Long ago, even before you and I were born, a family admitted one of their member who was in a coma. 

Many doctors and specialists checked him thoroughly but couldn't understand what's wrong with him. Generally, a comatose patient has minimal brain activity, but the patient's brain activity was normal, just like us. This was the first time, where we witnessed a usual brain activity in a comatose patient. This was beyond our comprehension. The doctors asked his family that they need to perform some tests before they could tell them anything. Weeks passed by, and there is no change in the state of the patient. They even called in the expert Neurologists, and they were awe-struck too.

This continued for years, and gradually it caught our attention one day. Consequently, in search of the answer, we contacted the other hospitals to check if there were any patients admitted with the same condition.

To our amazement, it turned out that there were hundreds of patients or maybe more who fit into that category. If only Cleveland had that many patients, what about the whole of America? And what about the whole world?

We contacted other countries too and found out that they also had patients that fall into the category. We even held a meeting of all the experts in Neurology, hoping that together they would come up with a treatment, but in vain. 

All science and technology seemed useless over time.  We ran out of options.   

At such time, when we were in a desperate search for the solution, an Archaeologist named Asahi approached us.

He told that when he was excavating in a place in search of an ancient book, he found out that someone had already obtained the book, and it was missing.

He told us that the book is very powerful and is capable of creating a new world even. Based on the condition of the excavated place, he gave an approximate date about when the book might be used, and surprisingly, the patients with such conditions started to show up a few months after that.

Some of the influential people were fascinated by this idea, and they together started "Blue Shells Corporation," which funded the patients who fit the category.

You were born to us right when the company emerged. I was afraid sometimes that I would lose you in that way.

Anyway, after a few years, everyone started to feel like this was all a big mistake; however, the firm regained its power when a comatose patient came back to his consciousness as a ray of hope.

He informed us that there existed a whole new world called ' Orpheus," and people with disturbed minds usually wound up there. He couldn't give us any information about how he was able to come back.

With the data he gave us, we started to survey the families of all the patients to know how they were before they went into a coma.

According to the survey, 98% of the people felt detached from the world. A majority proportion of them had a complicated childhood. The parents either abused them or were expired.  The individuals might've gone through something traumatic that left a scar inside them.

We tried a lot of things on the patients, but nothing brought them back. It was then I decided to turn you into an individual that would fit into the category. I thought I could monitor you every day and come up with a solution.

All the strict parenthood was to make you feel detached from the world. It killed me to hurt my own blood, but I had to do it to save thousands of others.

I never hated you, son. I always loved you with all my heart. I haven't told your mother the reason, but I told her that it is a matter of life and death. 

I manipulated her to stay away from the emotional support you needed.

I know you can never forgive me for the things I did to you. I know nothing that I do would give me the redemption or your forgiveness.

Salvation doesn't matter to me. All that matters is your forgiveness.