Her voice was soft, but also anxious.
But Caren didn’t answer.
He just stared at a billboard.
How?
How?
How?
Was that even the right question?
What was happening?
Suddenly, it all became logical.
Calling it logical was sick.
His dad didn’t know him.
He was alive, even though he had jumped from the bridge, and his dad looked younger.
There was no possible way for that to happen.
Unless he had somehow been teleported to that jungle.
Caren read the billboard again.
He wanted to make sure.
(Happy New Year.
Wish 2001 would be a great year.)
He had traveled through time.
The September 11 attacks hadn’t happened yet.
The Twin Towers hadn’t been destroyed.
But that wasn’t the point.
He hadn’t been born yet!
He would be born eight years later.
So that was why his dad didn’t know him.
“Shit, shit, shit.”
“There is no way my family would remember me if I’m not even born yet.”
So he had tried for nothing.
He was alive, but alone, with no family, no friends, and no home.
Caren looked at another billboard.
(Buy the best Spoils from here.
West Street, Gum Mall, second floor.)
It wasn’t time travel.
It wasn’t time travel.
“I’m in another world!”
Another world where Upside Downers existed.
They lived alongside other people.
Someone chose them, and they fought to become Starters.
There were shops for Spoils, and…
Caren didn’t know anything more.
He clenched his teeth.
“I’m fucked.”
But then he paused.
Wasn’t this the thing he had always wanted?
Another chance at a better life, where he was successful, where he was important.
He was an Upside Downer now.
He had a great future ahead of him.
At least, that’s what he thought.
But for now, he had to find a home.
Then he could start building a better life.
Caren noticed that Nyla had been silent for a while, so he cleared his throat and smiled at her.
I was just thinking about how interesting the design of that billboard is.
Can we go now?”
But then he paused.
Wasn’t this the thing he always wanted?
Another chance at a better life, where he was successful, where he was important.
He was an Upside Downer now.
He had a great future ahead of him.
At least, that’s what he thought.
But for now, he had to find a home.
Then he could start building a better life.
Caren noticed that Nyla had been silent for a while, so he cleared his throat and smiled at her.
“Ah, it’s nothing.
I was just thinking about how interesting the design of that billboard is.
Can we go now?”
Nyla narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but then nodded.
One of the officers opened the car door, and Caren got in.
Nyla smiled weakly.
“It was nice to see you.
But I have responsibilities, so I can’t come with you.”
Caren smiled back, then closed the door.
The two officers got in as well.
The car started and pulled away.
Caren looked out the window.
He had to research his new life.
About Upside Downers.
About Nyla.
How could he get used to living in another world?
“I mean, it’s like an anime.
But I think…
it’s not as easy as anime makes it look.
As far as I know, I’m not overpowered.
I’m not a genius, and I don’t have any information.
There is no one to explain things to me, and I’m not the chosen one.”
Caren sighed and made the texts appear.
Chosen Name: Matter Manipulator
His Chosen Name was promising.
But what if it was a way to gain more abilities?
If there wasn’t a way, his abilities didn’t sound that broken.
Chosen Abilities: Air Compression, Ground Slicking, Object Sharpening
Ground Slicking sounded stupid as a power.
But if he used it the right way, it could be useful.
Object Sharpening was good.
He could make a weapon out of anything.
If there was no limit, maybe he could even use his nails for fighting.
And the last power: Air Compression.
It seemed great.
He could use it for attacks, speed, and…
But for what?
He didn’t need to fight.
Friends and maybe even a family.
All he needed was that.
The problem was, he didn’t know how to use his Chosen Abilities.
Would someone explain them at the academy?
But at the same time, he was curious.
What was the difference between his world and this one?
Was the internet fast?
Any special features?
“Let’s just wait and see.”
The worst part was that he didn’t know anything about this world.
What did they eat?
How did they act?
What kind of music did they like?
What was the place of the Upside Downers in this world?
What were the other Grades?
And what were all these things?
And the most important part: the Water Core.
“Uh, how the hell am I supposed to know these things?”
The car stopped, snapping Caren out of his thoughts.
The officers got out, and one of them opened the door for Caren.
When he looked around, his eyes widened.
In front of him stood a building.
But not a normal one.
The walls were made of a hard metal that Caren had never seen before.
They were painted a beautiful white.
The building stretched far in every direction, perhaps ten times larger than the biggest universities in his world.
Solar panels were installed throughout the academy’s courtyard to generate electricity.
The courtyard was full of trees and flowers, and a massive fence made of a strange stone Caren had never seen before surrounded the building.
Its black surface created a striking contrast with the rest of the academy.
There was only one way to describe the building: a masterpiece of architecture and engineering.
Caren turned back to the officers.
“Is this the academy?”
One of the officers answered casually, as if it were the most normal thing he had ever seen.
“Yes, sir.
You will stay here for a while.”
Caren smiled excitedly.
Maybe the only bad part was the time he had spent with Ren, and now he could rest and live in this beautiful building.
“Okay, then can I go in?”
The officer answered immediately.
“Yes, but you have to get prepared for your test.
You have two days before the test, and then you have to take it.”
Caren raised his eyebrows.
“What test exactly?”
The officers looked at each other, confused about how he didn’t know.
“Well, they’re going to assign you to a group based on your abilities.
Though, I don’t know exactly what criteria they use to form a team.”
After that, they led Caren to another building next to the academy.
It was still large, but not as large as the academy.
When Caren reached the building, he frowned.
A long line had formed outside, with people waiting to enter.