Orion's Rise: From Zero to Hero in Two Worlds

Where Did My Body Go?

Everything was dark.

No, not dark. Empty. The kind of nothing that makes you question if your eyes are even open. The kind that makes you wonder if you still have eyes at all.

*Am I dead?*

The thought drifted through my mind, strangely calm. Detached. Maybe this was what shock felt like. The calm before the reality of everything hit you.

"You're awake. Finally."

The voice wasn't mine. Wasn't anyone's, really. It was more of a thought than a sound - clear in my head but impossible to place. Not male, not female. Just... present.

My stomach lurched as the memories crashed back. The hallway. Jared. The power surging out of control. The interface flashing red warnings I couldn't understand. The alley...

"Who-" I hesitated. Did I even have a voice here? "Who are you?"

"I am your Guide."

The voice-that-wasn't-a-voice remained steady. Calm. Like this was totally normal. Like materializing in someone's head after they've had some kind of supernatural meltdown was just another Tuesday.

"My Guide?" I tried to laugh, but nothing came out. "What is this, some kind of twisted RPG tutorial?"

*Try to move. Just... try something.* But my body didn't respond. Couldn't respond. Because I wasn't sure I had one anymore. The panic started then, bubbling up from somewhere deep inside what was left of me.

"I am here to help you understand the system."

The system. Right. That thing that had turned my life into a sci-fi nightmare. The holographic interface that had appeared out of nowhere. The power that had sent Jared and his friends running.

"Understanding would be great," I managed, barely controlling the hysteria in my voice. "But maybe we could start with why I can't feel my body? Or where I am? Or literally anything about what's happening to me?"

A pause. Not empty, but thoughtful. Like the voice was choosing its words carefully.

"You are in a transitional space. Your physical form is... processing."

"Processing?" The hysteria crept higher. "Processing what? What did that power do to me?"

Another pause. Longer this time. The presence in my mind shifted, almost like someone leaning forward in conversation.

"You have been activated. The system is now part of you."

*Part of me. The system is part of me.* The words bounced around in my head, each repetition making less sense than the last.

"That's not-" I struggled to form coherent thoughts through the rising panic. "You can't just *activate* someone. I'm not a phone or a computer or-"

"Your understanding of activation is limited," the Guide interrupted, its tone gentle but firm. "This was always your potential. Recent events simply... awakened it."

"Recent events?" Now I did laugh, the sound sharp and brittle in the void. "You mean getting cornered by Jared and his goon squad? That was some kind of cosmic trigger?"

"Extreme stress can catalyze dormant abilities."

"Dormant abilities," I repeated numbly. "Right. Because that makes total sense. Everyone just has superpowers lying around in their DNA, waiting for a good beating to wake them up."

The Guide's presence shifted again. Was that... amusement I felt?

"Your sarcasm suggests fear."

"No shit," I snapped, then immediately regretted it. Arguing with the only... whatever it was... that could explain what was happening probably wasn't smart. But fear and confusion had a way of sharpening my tongue.

To my surprise, the Guide didn't seem offended.

"Fear is natural. Change is difficult. But this transformation was inevitable."

"Inevitable," I whispered. The word felt bitter. "So I never had a choice?"

The silence that followed felt heavy. Weighted with unspoken implications.

"The choice," the Guide finally said, "is not in whether you have these abilities. The choice is in how you use them."

I let myself drift in the emptiness, trying to process everything. Trying to make sense of a world that had suddenly stopped making any sense at all.

"I didn't ask for this." I said quietly. Not arguing anymore. Just... stating a fact.

"Few ask for their destiny."

"Please don't-" I cut myself off, exhaustion seeping through me. "Please don't start with destiny and chosen ones and all that. I can't... I can't handle that right now."

The Guide's presence softened somehow. Became less instructor, more... companion.

"Then let us start with what you can handle. Would you like to understand how the system works?"

I considered saying no. Considered demanding to go back, to wake up, to return to my normal life. But normal had shattered the moment that interface had appeared in my vision. The moment I'd sent seven guys flying without touching them.

"Yeah," I finally said, resignation and curiosity mixing in my voice. "Yeah, I guess I would."

---

"The system," the Guide began, "responds to your emotional and physical state."

"Yeah, I figured that out," I said, remembering the surge of power when Jared had cornered me. "Kind of hard to miss when you're floating three feet off the ground."

"That was an uncontrolled response. A defense mechanism."

The interface flickered into view - or whatever passed for view in this place. Numbers. Graphs. Status indicators. My heart rate kicked up just seeing them.

"These readings," the Guide continued, "represent your current energy levels."

I stared at the fluctuating numbers. "They're all in red."

"Yes. You exceeded safe operating parameters."

"Safe operating-" I caught myself. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of machine."

"The system is not mechanical. It is part of your biology now."

Great. Because that made it so much better.

"What happens if I exceed these... parameters again?"

The Guide's presence dimmed slightly. "You experienced the consequences already."

The alley. The collapse. The darkness.

"The blackout," I said quietly.

"A failsafe. To prevent permanent damage."

"Permanent damage?" My non-existent stomach clenched. "What kind of permanent damage are we talking about here?"

A pause. "Your mind and body require time to adapt. Pushing beyond their limits could result in neural strain. Physical exhaustion. In extreme cases..."

"In extreme cases what?"

"System collapse."

The words hung in the emptiness. Heavy. Final.

"And what exactly happens during a system collapse?"

Another pause. Longer this time. "It is better to focus on prevention."

"That's not an answer."

"It is the answer you need right now."

I would have gritted my teeth if I had any. "You know, for a Guide? You're not very good at actually explaining things."

"I am explaining what you are ready to understand."

"Ready to understand?" Anger flared, hot and sudden. "I just threw seven guys across a hallway with my mind. I passed out in an alley. I'm stuck in some kind of void talking to a voice in my head. I think I'm ready to understand whatever the hell is happening to me!"

The interface pulsed, numbers spiking. A warning flashed:

*Energy Surge Detected*

*Stabilization Required*

"Your emotional state affects the system," the Guide said calmly. "Even here."

I forced myself to breathe. Or whatever passed for breathing in this place.

"How am I supposed to control something I don't understand?"

"Understanding comes with time. Control comes with practice."

"Practice," I repeated. "What kind of practice?"

"You must learn to recognize the energy within you. To feel its ebb and flow."

The interface shifted, displaying new readings. A pulsing core of light at its center.

"This represents your current energy reserve," the Guide explained. "Think of it as... a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. But like any muscle, it can be strained. Torn. Damaged through overuse."

I studied the pulsing light. It seemed... dimmer than before.

"Is that why I collapsed? Because I... pulled a muscle?"

"In simple terms, yes. You expended more energy than your system could safely process."

"So how do I stop that from happening again?"

"By learning your limits. By understanding the warnings the interface provides."

The display changed again, showing a series of indicators I didn't understand.

"These readings will help you monitor your energy levels. When they approach critical thresholds, you must pull back. Allow your system to stabilize."

"And if I don't?"

"Then the failsafes activate. As they did in the alley."

I absorbed that. "So either I learn to control it, or it knocks me out to protect me from myself."

"Essentially, yes."

"Fantastic." The word dripped sarcasm. "Any other fun surprises I should know about?"

The Guide's presence shifted. "Many. But we should focus on basics first."

"Basics," I muttered. "Right. Because throwing people around with my mind is basic."

"That display of power was crude. Uncontrolled. With training, you will learn finesse."

"Finesse?" I almost laughed. "I don't want finesse. I want normal. I want my life back."

"That life ended the moment you were activated."

The bluntness of it hit me like a punch to the gut.

"There must be a way to... turn it off. T-to go back."

"The system is part of you now. As much as your heart or your lungs."

"So I'm stuck with it."

"You are... evolving."

I let that sink in. Evolving. Like this was some kind of upgrade instead of a complete derailment of my entire existence.

"And if I refuse? If I just... don't use it?"

The Guide's response was immediate. "The power would build. Eventually, it would release itself. Violently. Uncontrollably."

Like in the hallway. Only worse.

"So those are my options?" My voice cracked. "Learn to control it or let it control me?"

"Those are your immediate options, yes."

I noticed what it didn't say. "What about long-term options?"

The Guide's presence dimmed again. "Let us focus on the present."

"You keep doing that. Avoiding certain questions."

"I provide the information you need, when you need it."

"And who decides what I need to know? You?"

"The system has protocols."

"Of course it does." I wished I had hands to throw up in frustration. "More things I'm not ready to understand?"

The interface pulsed again. Another warning:

*Emotional Instability Detected*

*Recommend Calming Exercises*

"Great," I muttered. "Now it's telling me to calm down."

"The interface exists to help you."

"Help me what? Turn into some kind of superhero? Because I've got to tell you, I'm not feeling very heroic right now."

The Guide's presence softened. "It exists to help you survive."

That stopped me cold.

"Survive what?"

But I already knew it wouldn't answer. Not yet. Not until I was "ready."

The interface flickered again, its readings shifting. Something new appeared in the corner of my vision. A countdown.

"What's that?"

"Your time in this space is limited," the Guide said. "There is one more thing you must know."

---

The countdown ticked away in my peripheral vision. Each number fading into the next.

"Wait," I said, panic rising. "I still have questions. I'm not ready-"

"You're not alone."

The words stopped me cold. Three simple words that somehow changed everything.

"What?"

"There are others." The Guide's presence grew stronger, more insistent. "Others like you. Others who have been activated."

My mind raced. Others. Other people with powers. Other people going through this same bizarre awakening.

"How many?"

"That information is restricted."

"Restricted?" The familiar frustration bubbled up. "By who? Why?"

The void around me shifted. Just slightly. Like reality was starting to seep back in at the edges.

"Your integration period is ending," the Guide said, avoiding my questions. Again.

"No. You don't get to drop something like that and then just- just disappear. I need to know who they are. Where they are."

*Integration Period: 89%*

*Neural Patterns Stabilizing*

*Preparing for System Reboot*

The interface warnings scattered across my vision, but I ignored them. "Are they in my city? My school? Have I met any of them?"

"You will find them when you are ready."

"Ready?" I would have screamed if I could. "I'm so sick of that word. Ready for what?"

The void rippled. Shapes began to form in the distance. Blurry. Indistinct. The real world trying to reclaim me.

"The others will find you," the Guide said, its presence starting to fade. "When the time is right."

"When the time is- No. No, you tell me now. You tell me everything."

*Integration Period: 93%*

*Warning: Elevated Stress Levels*

*Recommend Immediate Stabilization*

"Your emotions are affecting the reintegration process," the Guide warned. "You must calm yourself."

But I couldn't. Wouldn't. Not with answers so close.

"Are they like me? Did they get attacked too? Did they-"

The void shuddered. Pain lanced through what felt like my head. The interface flashed red.

*Warning: Neural Spike Detected*

*Forced Stabilization Initiated*

"You must stabilize," the Guide insisted. "Or the reintegration will be... unpleasant."

I tried to breathe. Tried to focus. But the questions kept coming.

"Will I recognize them? Will they recognize me? Do they have the same powers or-"

"Orion."

My name. My actual name. The Guide had never used it before. It shocked me into silence.

"Yes," it said softly. "I know who you are. As do they."

The void was dissolving faster now. Colors bleeding in. Sounds starting to filter through.

*Integration Period: 97%*

*Final Systems Check Initiated*

*Preparing Consciousness Transfer*

"They're watching," the Guide's voice grew distant. "They've been watching since before your activation."

"Who?" I managed, fighting against the pull of consciousness. "Who's watching?"

But the Guide was fading, its presence becoming gossamer-thin.

"Remember," it whispered, barely audible now. "The system will help you survive. But the others..."

"The others what?" I tried to hold on, to stay in this space just a few seconds longer. "What about the others?"

*Integration Period: 99%*

*Consciousness Transfer Imminent*

*3...*

*2...*

The Guide's final words drifted through the dissolving void:

"The others will help you understand why survival is necessary."

*1...*

Reality crashed back in like a wave, bringing with it all the sensations I'd been missing. Cold concrete under my hands. The smell of rain. The distant sound of traffic.

And one thought, burning brighter than all the others:

I wasn't alone.

But I wasn't safe either.

The interface flickered once in my vision - a reminder that everything had changed. Then it faded, leaving me alone in the alley.

Alone, but not really.

Because they were out there. Watching. Waiting.

And I had no idea if that was a good thing or not.