《Just a Human》


 The Dream

    "The concept of strength has always been subjective. To an ant, a single step from a human can seem like an unbelievably powerful movement. To humans, the muscular strength of a gorilla is something that we can never achieve. To planets, the sheer mass and energy emitted from a star make their own existence seem negligible. However, to those who know the deepest and darkest secrets of the universe, there are beings who can objectively be called the strongest. The Ascendants: Lifeforms who, through a variety of ways, go through a phenomenon called ascension to gain immense power. Through this process, they lose their physical forms and cause ripples across space and time known as Paradigm Shifts. Among them, there are three whose existences reign supreme above all other Ascendants: The Illuminator, The Warden, and The _____."


    I heard my name being called out¡ªWren! My eyes shot open, and I turned towards the source of the voice. I found myself sitting on a log in what seemed to be a forest, with a campfire crackling in front of me. Beside me sat a young woman wearing silver armor and a sword strapped to her waist, her face reflecting annoyance. Though I couldn''t recall ever meeting her, a strange sense of familiarity washed over me.


    As I surveyed my surroundings, I noticed other individuals gathered around the campfire. Sitting across from me was a middle-aged man, muscular and solemn, with bandages wrapped around his hands. Resting on his shoulder was a woman wearing a white cloak and hat, sound asleep, clutching a staff in her hands. To my right stood a figure clad in a suit of armor, their face hidden from view. Engaging in conversation with them was an old woman sporting an eyepatch and multiple daggers hanging from her belt.


    It was an odd scene, one that should have perplexed any sensible person, and yet, an inexplicable sense of tranquility washed over me. "Wren, I understand you have much on your mind, but you shouldn''t space out when someone is speaking to you," the girl in armor, Clara, said with a pout.


    "Ah, Clara, leave him be. He''s probably preoccupied with our next battle, as usual," remarked the man with bandaged hands.


    Clara retorted, "That''s why I was trying to lighten the mood with some conversation. We''ve been fine-tuning our plan for months. There''s nothing left to improve, so why not savor this brief moment of peace?"


    The atmosphere lightened as everyone around the campfire smiled. I watched as they continued their lively chatter, and a warmth filled my heart. Questions swirled within me¡ªwhy did this scene bring me such joy? Who were these people?


    Suddenly, my mouth moved involuntarily, as if controlled by an external force. I became a mere spectator in my own body, as words spilled forth against my will. "Yes, let''s cherish this moment now. Our fallen comrades would have wanted it."


    Muscles in my face shifted, forming a smile. My body convulsed, and a whirlwind of emotions swept through me¡ªsadness, regret, guilt, anger, and more.


    An awkward silence settled over the group, and heads hung low. It was broken when the old woman looked up and replied, "Tomorrow, we''ll settle things. We''ll ensure their sacrifices were not in vain."


    "Not in vain?" The middle-aged man rose to his feet, awakening the young woman sleeping on his shoulder. "Are you suggesting their deaths were justified, mere means to an


    end? Hundreds of lives¡ªsons, daughters, fathers, and mothers¡ªwere stolen from us just to reach this point! Don''t you remember? We started as a thousand, and now only the six of us remain!"


    Both the man in armor and the young woman stood up, attempting to calm the rising tension. "I was merely suggesting that wallowing in our survivor''s guilt serves no purpose," the old woman sighed.


    She stood up, gesturing towards me. "Besides, as long as he survives, their deaths won''t be in vain."


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    The man''s expression darkened, and he took a step toward the woman. Just as he was about to speak, an icy-cold voice interjected. "How can you say that?" I turned to see Clara, tears glistening in her eyes. "HOW DARE YOU ACT LIKE YOU KNOW HOW WREN FEELS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE PAIN HE EXPERIENCES WHEN ONE OF US DIES?! EVEN A FRACTION OF THAT PAIN¡ª"


    "Clara, that''s enough," I uttered, my words once again controlled by an external force.


    "I''m fine. I made this choice. I made a promise to everyone, and I will see it through to the end¡ªfor all of their sakes."


    "Wren... you''re right. I''m sorry for losing my temper."


    "You''re right, brat," Anastasia chimed in, scratching the back of her head. "I apologize for being insensitive."


    "Well, it''s good to see you''re not brooding anymore," the middle-aged man shook his head, patting my shoulder. "And if worse comes to worst, we can always leave Orsted behind and escape. Nothing can breach his armor, anyway."


    "Hey! I''m not some disposable meat shield for you guys!" Orsted exclaimed.


    "And at least leave me with Yelena." Orsted pointed at the girl in white clothing. "By the time enemies break through her barriers, the demon lord would¡¯ve died of old age."


    "Huh?! My mana pool might be large, but it can still be depleted! Besides, leaving an innocent girl like me to face a group of enemies would be cruel!"


    "You two need to go get a room. "


    "SHUT UP, ARES!"


    Laughter bubbled up within me as I watched their banter, despite having no memory of meeting these people before. Their faces, their voices, their aura¡ªall felt strangely familiar. Yet, I couldn''t recall any previous encounters with them.


    As my laughter escaped against my will, they all stared at me for a moment before joining in the mirth.


    "Ah, but tomorrow marks the end, doesn''t it?" Ares said with a tinge of sadness.


    He stood up abruptly and declared, "If I survive tomorrow and return to my world, I, Ares Dola, want to go back to my wife and child and spend a happy life with them!"


    Orsted, too, rose and shouted, "I, Orsted Cantor, want to return to running my business!"


    "I, Anastasia Thurber, plan to enjoy the rest of my days with my grandchildren!"


    "I, Yelena Ghildyal, intend to go back to my lab and continue my research!"


    "I, Clara Hong, want to reunite with my little brother and fulfill our promise!"


    One by one, they stood and proclaimed their deepest desires upon returning to their respective worlds. As their expectant gazes turned toward me, my body moved without my control.


    Standing up, I smiled and declared, "I, Wren Aspectrum, will fulfill the promises I made to everyone by living a normal life!"


    Our eyes locked, brimming with newfound determination. Afterward, we began preparing to turn in for the night.


    My body, guided by an external force, led me to a nearby stream for washing up. As I peered into the water, a sense of unease washed over me. My reflection revealed a different face from what I remembered¡ªolder, with scars adorning my arms and face. A particularly deep one crossed my cheek.


    My once-black hair had turned nearly white, with only a few remnants of black at the top. However, the most striking change was my eyes. The brown irises of the past had transformed into gleaming silver orbs.


    What was happening? Was this my appearance in the future? Was this entire sequence of events a glimpse into my destiny? It all felt inexplicably familiar.


    Suddenly, a sense of dread crept over me, causing the hairs on my neck to stand. Despite my efforts, I couldn''t turn my head to investigate. Then, I heard the sound of a deafening explosion and anguished screams erupting from behind me. As I managed to shift my gaze, I beheld the campsite engulfed in a raging inferno.


    A second, even more powerful explosion shook the ground, knocking me off balance. The world continued to tremble as I struggled to regain my footing. Amidst the chaos, I faintly heard a voice calling out.


    "Wren! Wake up!"


    Wait, that voice... it felt oddly familiar.


    "We''re going to be late for school!"


    _____________________________________________


    And for the second time today, I awoke, this time to the forceful prodding of my adorable yet violent younger sister, Layla Aspectrum.


    "You know, it''s not necessary to be so aggressive so early in the morning," I groaned, sitting up groggily in bed.


    "And you know, you don''t have to be so bad at waking up," Layla retorted. "Jeez, Wren, my condolences to your future girlfriend."


    "At least my future partner won''t have to deal with an abusive¡ª" I stopped abruptly, feeling a menacing dark aura emanating from behind me.


    "Why did you stop talking, Wren~?" my sister said, her smile a stark contrast to the coldness in her eyes.


    "Oh, it''s nothing," I replied, beads of cold sweat forming on my back as I narrowly avoided a tragic demise by blunt trauma. "Anyway, I''ll go wash up now. I''ll be downstairs in 10 minutes."


    Layla shot me one final glare before storming out of my room. I yawned and stretched before making my way to the bathroom adjacent to my bedroom.

 Headaches

    As I finished brushing my teeth, my mind wandered back to the dream I had earlier. It felt incredibly vivid, even though I experienced the events from a third-person perspective. The emotions I felt during that dream were intense and lingered even now.


    A sense of nostalgia enveloped me, as if something deeply meaningful to me was missing, yet I couldn''t grasp what it was. Lost in my thoughts, a sudden, sharp pain pierced through my head, as if a blunt object had struck me.


    Normally, such a sensation would raise concern, but I had been experiencing these occasional pains since I was five years old. Countless visits to doctors had yielded no explanation for these random bouts of pain. Eventually, I learned to live with it, dismissing them as fleeting waves of discomfort. I continued to wash my face, brushing off the pain as just another occurrence.


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    As I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, memories of my dream resurfaced. This time, my reflection matched my recollection of myself¡ªblack hair, no facial hair, no scars, and the most noticeable difference: brown eyes instead of silver.


    Realizing that I was taking too long, I hurriedly washed my face and changed out of my sleepwear. Making my way downstairs, I noticed my sister already wearing her shoes and waiting impatiently by the door.


    "Hurry up, Wren, or we''ll be late," she exclaimed, tapping her foot on the floor in annoyance.


    "Yeah, yeah, give me a sec. At least let your brother grab something to eat," I replied, dismissing her impatience.


    "You only have yourself to blame for oversleeping! Oh, and Mom will pick me up today because I have practice after school."


    After grabbing a sandwich, my schoolbag, and my keys, I headed out to the driveway and unlocked the car.

 Encounter

    After I pulled up to our school parking lot and parked the car, my sister got out and went to find her friends. I locked the car and started to head to my first period class when I saw three familiar faces that I haven¡¯t seen in months.


    Vincent Alarie and his twin brother Nathaniel Alarie along with Elena Merceri were making their way to the school.


    It seemed that I was not the only person to notice this since every student in the vicinity stopped and stared at the trio like they were some sort of newly discovered creature.


    The reason for such a reaction was obvious. The last time anyone had seen them was in a mall together in late June and according to the security footage they seemed to have vanished into thin air.


    This strange case of disappearance sparked many discussions online and even made it to the national news. Officially, it was ruled out as kidnapping. The internet, however, had much more unrealistic theories such as being spirited away, being transported to another world, and falling into a space-time rift to name a few.


    In the end, no one figured out what happened to them which is why their sudden reappearance has drawn so much attention.


    The reason I was also staring at them was a little different from everyone else¡¯s. The four of us were what you would call childhood friends and I was extremely worried when the three of them suddenly disappeared. Therefore, the moment I got over the shock of seeing them, I immediately started sprinting towards them.


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    Vincent was the first one to notice me approaching but before he could even greet me, I tackled all three of them into a hug.


    ¡°Holy shit I¡¯m so glad you guys are okay!¡± I yelled as tears started forming in my eyes.


    ¡°I was so worried about you guys. What happened? Where the hell have you guys be¨C¡± I noticed the look on their faces and realized that now was probably not the time nor the place to be bombarding them with questions.


    ¡°Well never mind that. Welcome back!¡±


    ¡°Thanks Wren, and sorry for worrying you.¡± Said Vincent who was finally able to get a word in after I had calmed down.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine Wren, in fact we¡¯re better than fine.¡± Said Nathaniel who had an excited look on his face.


    ¡°What do you mea¨C¡±


    *cough*


    I turned towards Elena and before I could even say anything she leaned close to my ear and whispered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll fill you in on the details later. Just¡­ Just not right now, okay?¡±


    She shared a look with the other two which made me even more concerned, but I kept quiet for now since I knew they¡¯d tell me later.


    ¡°Well anyways, we should probably head to class. Oh wait, you guys know what classes you have right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah don¡¯t worry Wren, we got our schedules.¡± Vincent said as he showed me his schedule on his phone.


    ¡°Ugh, can you imagine how much catching up we¡¯re gonna have to do? It¡¯s already mid October.¡± groaned Nathaniel, his shoulders slumping and his expression turning gloomy.


    *whack*


    ¡°Ow Elena! What was that for?!¡±


    ¡°Come on Nathaniel, is schoolwork seriously your biggest concern right now?¡± Said Elena, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Did you forget that as far as everyone else knows, we ¡°mysteriously disappeared¡±? I can¡¯t wait to be bombarded with questions by all our classmates and teachers.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, Wren, meet us after school. We have something to show you and we¡¯ll also explain what we¡¯ve been doing for the past few months.¡±


    Just as she finished, the bell rang and we all hurriedly started heading towards our classes.

 Vision

    I found myself once again sitting around a campfire, but this time in a cave. There was only one other person with me, a girl wearing black robes and a witch hat. She sat across from me, gazing into the fire. It dawned on me that I was in a dream, much like this morning, but it felt different now. It felt more like a vision.


    As I contemplated the nature of my experience, the girl suddenly looked up and addressed me, "Hey Wren, you don''t have to answer this if you don''t want to, but you don''t really talk about your previous summoning. Is there a reason for that?"


    I remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Sensing my hesitation, she quickly added, "Ah, I see. I won''t pry then. I''ll ask another question instead. That god... Why did he refer to you as a ''Calamity''?"


    I lowered my gaze to the floor and replied, "...It''s related to my previous summoning."


    "Oh... sorry..."


    I felt my hands trembling, the weight of my past actions weighing heavily on my shoulders. "I... I did a lot of things. Things that I shouldn''t have done. And there were many things I should''ve done but didn''t."


    The girl offered reassurance, waving her hands and saying, "You don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to."


    "No... It''s fine. It''s time for me to accept what I''ve done," I replied, my voice tinged with a mix of guilt and regret.


    There was a moment of silence, and then I continued, "I was weak. My weakness caused countless people to die..."


    The girl remained quiet, her expression hidden by the lighting. Emboldened by her presence, I continued to open up, "Because I was weak. Because I was selfish. Because... because I couldn''t keep even one promise that I made. Because of my incompetence, I didn''t even realize my own shortcomings until it was too late. And as a result, more people died, until eventually, I brought destruction upon an entire world. So the title of ''calamity'' is very fitting for someone like me."


    Her understanding gaze gave me a glimmer of hope, but the fear of her reaction still lingered within me. The silence stretched on until she spoke again.


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    "That''s not all of it, right? There''s more to the story, isn''t there?"


    I hesitated for a moment before responding, "Yes, there is more. But it''s irrelevant. All that matters is the end of the story."


    "That''s not true! You''re not that kind of person! You''re not some harbinger of destruction! I know it! So how could you just accept being called a ''Calamity''?" The girl''s voice rose as she stood up, tears streaming down her face.


    Her words caught me off guard, and anger surged within me. "What would you know about me? You''ve only known me for three weeks, and you think you know everything about me?!"


    "No... No, I don''t know everything about you. In fact, I know very little," she responded, her voice trembling. "But the little that I do know is enough for me to understand that you can''t be that kind of person."


    Caught between conflicting emotions, I struggled to find words. She continued, her voice filled with compassion, "I know that although you appear cold to your allies, deep down, you care very much about them. I know that even though you pretend to show no mercy to your enemies, you try to give them as many chances to surrender as you can. I know that being summoned again must bring back painful memories, yet you hide it all under that expressionless face. Why can¡¯t you see that you aren¡¯t a monster?"


    Her understanding touched me deeply, but I couldn''t shake the weight of my past. Faces of the fallen flashed through my mind, their lifeless eyes and the bloodshed. In a fit of despair, I began laughing.


    "What''s so funny?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.


    "Why? Why does everyone who hears this story always ask that same question?" I laughed bitterly. "Of all people, I thought maybe you could understand. But it seems I was wrong. I should''ve never shared any of this with you. I should''ve known you would react like everyone else."


    She reached out to me, attempting to bridge the growing divide. "Wren, I won''t push you away. I''d never reject you for what you''ve done."


    "Push me away? That''s where you''re wrong. I was never afraid of you pushing me away. In fact, it would''ve been better if you had, princess," I retorted, feeling a mix of pain and frustration. "I had my doubts that you, like everyone else, would try to forgive me. To console me. To tell me that I did my best and that it wasn''t my fault."


    Her words carried a sense of wisdom, and I felt a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness. "Time heals all wounds, Wren, but only if you let it. Stop living in the past."


    Countless faces flashed through my mind, and I questioned whether I deserved a happy life. But her words struck a chord within me. "Wren, losing others is not life''s deepest sorrow. The greatest tragedy is letting their demise linger within us."


    As her words resonated within me, another face overlapped with hers¡ªClara''s face. She had said something similar once. There was truth in those words but they do not apply in this situation.


    Yes, the dead may reside within me, but it is precisely because of their lingering presence that they remain vividly alive, defying true death. If the price of keeping them alive means enduring a great tragedy, then I''ll bear the greatest tragedy of them all.


    The school bell snapped me back to reality, and I realized I had fallen asleep in class. I began packing my belongings, determined to reflect on what I had seen later. But for now, there were more pressing questions that needed answers.

 Interrogation

    I stood atop the hill, near the main entrance of our school, eagerly waiting for the trio to emerge from their respective classes. The sun bathed the campus in a warm glow, but my excitement made me oblivious to the pleasant weather. First, I spotted Vincent, his long brown hair obscuring one of his bright blue eyes. When he saw me, a grin spread across his face, and he made his way towards me. Together, we stood at the hill''s crest, sharing an unspoken anticipation for the arrival of the others.


    A few minutes later, amidst the sea of heads, I caught sight of Elena''s signature hairpin, a pink accent against her black hair. Her eyes scanned the surroundings before finally locking onto ours, and she gracefully joined our small group.


    As we conversed, there was a small gust of wind. Then, I felt a playful tap on my shoulder and turned to see Nathaniel, wearing a mischievous grin. To our surprise, he had somehow managed to sneak up on us without either Vincent or me noticing. His arrival added an extra layer of excitement to our gathering.


    With all four of us now together, we decided to head to our usual meeting spot: the nearby park. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the ground. I chose to sit down at the bottom of one of the slides, feeling a sense of comfort in its familiar presence, while the other three settled on an empty bench.


    "So¡­" I began, excitement and curiosity bubbling in my voice, "How do we want to start this?"


    "Well, we can start with where we''ve been," replied Elena, her eyes lighting up with a mix of joy and nostalgia.


    "Do you think other worlds exist?" Vincent asked, his voice tinged with excitement.


    "Do you mean like parallel universes? Or those fantasy worlds they show in anime?"


    "Both," responded Nathaniel, trying his hardest to keep a straight face.


    "Uhh¡­ I guess I wouldn''t be surprised if they did exist."


    "Well, they do, Wren! We''ve spent the past few months in one!" exclaimed Nathaniel with an infectious enthusiasm that drew us all in.


    "Yeah! It was so cool! There were these amazing creatures, and there were kingdoms with knights, and the food there was amazing!" added Vincent, his eyes gleaming with the memories of adventures past. "The world also had¡ª"


    "Okay, guys, slow down! You''re gonna make his head explode with unanswered questions if you keep going on a rant," chuckled Elena, her warm smile grounding us in the present.


    "But yeah, basically what they said. It''s like those anime you were talking about. We got summoned to another world as heroes, and they asked us to defeat the demon king and all the other shenanigans."


    "Wait, so you guys actually fought a demon king?!" I exclaimed, my imagination running wild with images of epic battles. "What did he look like? Was he strong? Were there other people? How did you guys beat him?"


    "Ahem!"


    "Ah, my bad," I sheepishly apologized, realizing that I might have let my excitement get the better of me.


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    "Thank you, Wren. Anyways, before we arrived in that other world, we met a goddess who called herself Nysara. She explained that the world we were going to be summoned into had magic, but as heroes, we would also be gifted with additional abilities."


    "Wow, that''s insane! So what abilities do you guys have?"


    "Well, I''ll let the twins demonstrate first."


    As Vincent and Nathaniel stood up and started walking towards me, I eagerly watched, eager to witness their newfound powers in action.


    "Ours are pretty simple, actually. I have an ability called [Acceleration] which allows me to move very fast, and Vincent has an ability called [Deceleration] which allows him to slow things down. Watch."


    With a swift step, Nathaniel disappeared in a gust of wind, only to reappear behind me with a playful grin. Meanwhile, Vincent extended his hand, and I watched in awe as the small pebbles that were blown towards him with the wind started floating through the air very slowly, eventually descending to the ground with gentle grace.


    "Huh. So that''s how you got behind us on that hill. So what about you, Elena?" I asked, now turning my attention to her.


    "Mine is a little more complicated. It''s called [Channeling]. Essentially, I can connect myself to other objects and gain the traits of said objects, depending on the strength of my connection. I''m also able to connect to living beings, but that gets very disorienting because I can feel all their emotions and their senses."


    Her explanation intrigued me, and I found myself captivated by her unique abilities. The interplay of the supernatural and emotion seemed like a double-edged sword, offering both wondrous possibilities and potential challenges.


    ¡°Due to the negative side effects, I usually only connect to living beings when I connect to small animals to scout an unknown area or when I connect to an enemy to sense their attacks. And yes, Wren I can also use it to read minds but I usually don¡¯t do it to people who don¡¯t consent to it.¡±


    "Wait, so did you just connect to me and answer the question I was about to ask? How come I didn''t even feel anything?" I questioned, my curiosity piqued.


    "Apparently, those who aren''t on guard against it can''t feel it, but if someone is ready for it, they can weaken or even completely break off the connection. So I tend to not rely on this way of using it too much in combat," Elena explained, her eyes reflecting the wisdom that came with her newfound powers.


    "Ah, I see. That''s fascinating," I replied, admiration coloring my voice.


    "Oh, you also said something about combat. How did you guys actually fight the demon king?" I asked, eager to hear more about their experiences in a fantasy world.


    "Yes, did you forget the part where I said I can also gain the traits of objects I form connections with? Here, let me show you," Elena said with a glimmer of excitement.


    Elena looked at Nathaniel and nodded. Nathaniel picked up a big stick and he disappeared in a gust of wind only to reappear behind her with a loud cracking noise and a broken half of a stick in his hand.


    ¡°Here, I connected myself to the pavement and channeled its physical traits into my body to make me sturdier.¡±


    Her interaction with Nathaniel further showcased the versatility of her abilities. As she explained her [Channeling], connecting to the pavement to make herself sturdier, I couldn''t help but be in awe of the extraordinary that now surrounded our once ordinary lives.


    "We also learned to use magic in tandem with our abilities, and we can demonstrate that as well. Just not now. It''s getting late, and this area isn''t suitable for demonstrating magic without leaving traces," Vincent explained, a note of responsibility in his voice.


    "Yeah, Vincent is right. The magic we learned is kinda destructive, so we''ll need to find a place where a few craters and explosions won''t look suspicious," added Nathaniel while nodding in agreement.


    "Well, I think it''s time to head home for the day. We''ll contact you when we''ve found a place where we can demonstrate our magic," said Elena, picking up her bag.


    "Okay then, I still have more questions, but I think I''m gonna need a bit of time to process everything I''ve seen here today," I said, realizing that this newfound magical world opened up countless possibilities.


    "Oh wait, Wren, one last thing," said Elena with a mysterious glint in her eye. "Have you ever heard the name The Calamity of Despair?"


    "No? Is that some new game that just came out?"


    "No, it has something to do with what that goddess told us about before we came back to this world. I''ll tell you another time. See you later, Wren!"


    I waved goodbye to my friends, feeling a mix of excitement and intrigue coursing through me. On my way back home, my mind buzzed with thoughts of other worlds, magical abilities, and the mysterious name "Calamity of Despair."


    As I lay in bed that night, I couldn''t help but wonder how our lives had changed so dramatically in the past few months. The ordinary routines of school and everyday life now shared space with fantastical adventures and newfound powers. I drifted off to sleep, secretly hoping that someday, I might also find myself stepping into the realms of another world. But even then, something still bothered me.


    ¡°The Calamity of Despair, huh? Why does that name sound so familiar?¡±