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

Chapter 6

"You’re awake. Finally."

The voice wasn’t mine.

It wasn’t anyone I knew. But it was there. Clear as day. Echoing inside my head.

I blinked. My eyes struggling to focus. I wasn’t in the alley anymore.

I wasn’t even sure I was... anywhere. Everything around me was dark. No, not dark. Just blank. 

Empty.

Like I was floating in some kind of void.

“Who... who are you?” I said.

My voice sounded distant, even to me.

"I am your Guide."

The voice was calm. Almost soothing.

This.. didn't feel comfortable, at all.

It wasn’t *really* a voice. More like... an idea.

A thought that had somehow turned into words.

“My... Guide?” I repeated. Trying to sit up, but my body didn’t move.

I wasn’t sure if I even had a body here.

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

I frowned. The system. Right.

The hologram. The energy. The way I’d thrown Jared and his friends across the yard like they weighed nothing.

It all came flooding back, hitting me like a wave.

“What... what is this?” I asked.

My voice was more unsteady than I hoped for. “What’s happening to me?”

The Guide didn’t answer right away. I could feel it. Him? Her?Thinking. Processing. Then:

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

“Activated?” I repeated. A build-up of tension in my stomach. “What does that mean? What system?”

"The system. Is your interface for managing and controlling your powers. It is unique to you. It has been dormant until now."

Whoa.

I had to let that sink in for a second.

Powers. Interface. Dormant. It all seemed like a plot. Straight out of a cheesy science fiction film.

I could still feel the energy humming beneath my skin. Even here. In this weird.. empty space.

“Why me?” I asked. More to myself than to the Guide. “Why now?”

"Your activation was triggered by extreme stress. The system responds to physical and emotional thresholds. You have met those requirements."

I let out a sharp laugh. The sound was bitter in the stillness. 

“So, what? Getting the crap kicked out of me by Jared was some kind of... initiation?”

"In a way, yes."

I blinked. That wasn’t the answer I was expecting.

"You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The Guide didn’t respond to that. Probably because it wasn’t a question.

I took a deep breath. Or at least, I thought I did.

It was hard to tell in this place. “Okay,” I said slowly.

“So, I’ve been ‘activated.’ What does that even mean? What am I supposed to do now?”

"You will learn to control your powers. The system will assist with that."

“Control them?” I asked. My mind flashed back to Jared flying through the air. His face. Twisted in fear.

“I couldn’t control anything back there. I didn’t even know what was happening.”

"That is because you have not trained. The system will provide guidance."

"But you must learn to control the power within you."

I rubbed a hand over my face. Or tried to, anyway.

It was hard to tell if I even had a face in this place.

“Great. So, I’m supposed to just... train? Like, what? Go to some secret superhero boot camp or something?”

The Guide’s voice remained calm. Amost annoyingly so.

"Training can begin anywhere. The system will adapt to your environment."

I sighed.

“And what if I don’t want this? What if I don’t want to be part of your... system?”

There was a pause. A long one. Then, finally.

"The system is now part of you. It cannot be undone."

“Ooooof course it can’t." 

Face slap.

I ran my hand through my hair. Again. I imagined that I did. 

“You know, a heads-up would’ve been nice."

"Maybe a little warning before I started throwing people across the yard like I’m in some kind of Marvel movie.”

"Your activation was inevitable. The timing.. was not."

I snorted. “Doesn’t make it any less weird.”

"Weirdness is subjective."

I blinked. “Did you just... make a joke?”

Another pause. "I am designed to adapt to your communication style."

“Well, you’re nailing it so far,"  

“So. What’s next, oh wise and powerful Guide? Do I get a cape? Maybe a cool mask?”

"Your sarcasm is noted," 

"But unnecessary. The next step is to understand the limits of your power."

I paused.

My previous irritation transformed into a different feeling. Something more sinister.

“Limits?” I asked quietly. “What kind of limits?”

"Every action you take with your power expends energy."

"You must learn to balance the energy you have with the actions you take."

"Overuse can lead to... consequences."

“Consequences,” I repeated. My voice was flat. “What kind of consequences?”

"Physical exhaustion. Temporary loss of control. In extreme cases.. unconsciousness."

I frowned. “Unconsciousness? Like... passing out?”

"Yes."

Gulp.

The memory of collapsing in the alley crossed through my mind again.

“So, thaaat’s what happened to me back there. After I... after I used the power.”

"Correct. You overexerted yourself. Your body was not yet accustomed to the energy output required."

I leaned back. I leaned.. You know what? I think you already get the gist by now.

“Great. So, I’m some kind of walking battery with a short fuse.”

"That is an oversimplification. But not entirely inaccurate."

I sighed again. This was heavy information fr.

“Okay. So, how do I stop that from happening again? How do I control it?”

"Through practice. The system will guide you."

I shook my head, i could feel a headache coming on.

“You keep saying that. The system will guide me. But how? What am I supposed to do?”

The Guide paused again. I could feel it thinking. Processing. Then:

"You must understand the nature of your power."

"It is not unlimited. It is not invincible. It must be respected."

I narrowed my eyes. “Respected? What is that supposed to mean?”

"Your power is tied to your emotions. To your mental state. If you are not careful.. It can overwhelm you."

Gulp.

Jared.

Sigh.

“So, what? If I get too angry, I’ll just... explode or something?”

"Not explode. But lose control, yes."

I shivered, even though the air around me was perfectly still. 

"That sounds... dangerous.”

"It can be. But with time, you will learn to control it."

I didn’t say anything for a while.

I just let the silence hang between us. 

This wasn’t just some weird dream. This was my life now. My *reality*. 

And as much as I wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening. I knew I couldn’t. 

“Why me?” I asked quietly. “Why did this happen to me?”

The Guide didn’t answer right away. When it finally spoke, its voice was softer somehow. More... human.

"You were chosen."

“Chosen?” I repeated. Puzzled face. Frowning. “By who? By *what*?”

"That is not for me to explain."

I let out a frustrated breath. “Of course it’s not.”

The Guide paused again.

Its presence pulsing faintly in the back of my mind.

Then. Before I could say anything else. It spoke again. Its tone shifted slightly.

"You’re not alone."

I blinked, my heart skipping a beat. “What?”

"There are others," the Guide continued, its voice calm but firm. 

"Others like you. Others who have been activated."

I sat up straighter.

“Others? You mean there are more people with... with *this*?”

"Yes."

My mind was spinning now.

Others. 

There were others like me. 

People who had the same powers. The same system, the same... everything.

“How many?” I asked. My voice was sharper now. “Where are they?”

The Guide didn’t respond right away. When it did.. its voice was quieter. Almost hesitant.

"That... is something you will discover in time."

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling up inside me again.

"In time? I need to know now. Who are they? Where are they?”

But the Guide remained silent.

Its presence fading slightly in the back of my mind.

I could feel it pulling away. Retreating. Like it wasn’t ready to give me all the answers just yet.

“I want to know,” I said. My voice was rising. “Tell me who they are.”

But the Guide didn’t respond.

The void around me began to shift. 

The emptiness started to give way to something else. Shapes. Sounds. The real world.

And then. Just before everything went completely dark again. I heard the Guide’s voice. Soft and distant.

"You’re not alone, Orion."