Chapter 3
The Calling
"What the hell is all this?"
"Monitoring equipment. Her infection is rather aggressive, I need to monitor it."
"This doesn't look like normal medical equipment… it looks like it belongs to the SDC or one of the houses," I said as I picked up one of the syringes.
"Put that down, Fischer. Some of my colleagues helped with specialized equipment."
Rell looked worse.
The webbing beneath her skin had spread across her entire body. Her breathing came in rapid, shallow gasps.
"She's in full Signal integration," Dad said, finally looking up at me.
"Her primary nervous system is being rewired to accommodate dimensional awareness."
"In normal people's language?"
"Her brain is being rebuilt to handle powers that would drive an unmodified human insane."
"So she's... becoming Sacred? Is this normal?"
"There's nothing normal about Sacred transformation, but yes, this is the process. Most people don't get to see it happen… the infected usually vanish into their Trial dimension before physical changes become this pronounced."
"Why hasn't she been pulled in yet?"
"That's what concerns me. Her Signal readings are off the charts. By all accounts, she should have transitioned hours ago."
"Maybe we should take her to a SDC facility—"
"No… No SDC. They'd take her. Study her. The abnormality would interest them too much."
Before I had the chance to argue, Rell's eyes snapped open.
"Fish…"
"Hey Rell, how are you feeling?"
"Like someone's poking my brain with hot iron rods." She sat up, looking around the room, confused. "What's with the mad scientist setup?"
Dad moved to her side, checking her pupils with a penlight. "You're experiencing a Sacred transformation. Do you remember what happened last night?"
"I had nightmares… There were doors and darkness. And there was something on the other side waiting to come through."
Dad sighed, putting down the penlight. "...The three of us need to have a discussion."
◆◆◆
We sat at our kitchen table, the same one where we'd eaten thousands of meals together. It felt surreal to be sitting there discussing Rell's transformation.
"Rell's Sacred Signal has fully activated; normally, this would mean immediate transportation to a personalized Trial dimension…"
"...Dad, everyone knows this, that is common info."
"Yes, but Rell's case is unusual." Dad leaned forward. "Her Signal readings are extraordinary… potentially Legendary."
Rell and I exchanged looks. Legendary Origins were incredibly rare; there were maybe one in a million Sacred that manifested abilities of that power.
"How can you possibly know that before she even goes through her Trial?"
Dad hesitated for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device.
"This is experimental SDC technology that is not available to the public."
"You stole SDC tech?" Rell asked, sounding both impressed and concerned.
"Let's say I've borrowed it." Dad placed the device on the table. "It measures the potential power of an Origin. I've only seen readings like this three times in my life."
"So what's the problem? Shouldn't we be celebrating… my sister's going to be a badass Sacred with a Legendary Origin."
"The problem is that the higher one's potential is, the more difficult the Trial. And Rell's Trial will be—"
"Potentially fatal," Rell finished for him.
"There's more. The Signal seems to be manifesting physical changes before your Trial dimension has formed. That's extremely rare. It suggests your Origin is already trying to express itself."
"Is that why I feel like there are thousands of tiny creatures moving under my skin?"
"Yes. It's attempting to establish a presence before you've even completed your Trial."
"So what do we do?"
"The Trial could trigger at any moment, and when it does, Rell needs to be ready. The physical manifestations suggest it will happen within the next twelve hours."
"Then let's get ready. I'm not dying in some pocket dimension."
◆◆◆
"Where did you get all this stuff?"
"I've been collecting for years… in case one of you awakened."
"It's getting worse, I can feel them. Thousands of tiny... presences."
"Are you able to control them?"
"I am trying… but they want to spread, copy, and to become more."
“...That's fucking creepy.”
"I know, right? But it doesn't feel creepy to me. It feels... right."
I couldn't imagine what she was going through.
The Sacred transformation was supposed to be private, a personal journey through your own trauma to power. No one was meant to witness the physical changes. It felt invasive, watching my sister's body betray her secrets.
"Promise me you'll come back."
"Fish—"
"No, I mean it. Promise me. Whatever nightmare dimension you get sent to, whatever fucked up challenges you face, you come back."
"I promise. And when I get back, I'll be different. Stronger. I'll be able to protect us both."
"That's my job," I protested.
"Maybe we can share it." She smiled, but the smile fell as she doubled over, gasping in pain.
"Rell? Dad! Something's happening!"
Dad rushed in from his study, a device in his hand. The needle was spinning wildly.
"It's starting. The Trial dimension is forming."
Rell straightened up, her breathing ragged. "I can feel it. Like a door opening inside my head."
"What do we do?!"
"We can't do anything, this is her journey now."
"But the preparations—"
"Were to give her the best possible chance." Dad knelt beside Rell, taking her free hand. "Remember everything I taught you. Trust your instincts. The Trial will try to break you by exploiting your greatest fears. Don't let it."
Rell nodded, her eyes clear despite the pain. "I won't."
"Wait! We need more time. We need—"
"We don't get to choose, Fish… no one does. That's what being Sacred means."
The air around her began to shimmer. The Silvery lines beneath her skin brightened, and for a second, I thought I could see through her as if she were a living x-ray.
"I'll be waiting, right here. When you come back."
"I know you will."
Then her body collapsed into a point of light that hung in the air for a moment before vanishing with a thunderclap.
"Now we wait."
"...But for how long?" I asked, still staring at the spot where my sister had been.
"That's impossible to know, time moves differently in Trial dimensions. Could be hours for us, days for her. Or it could be the opposite."
"And what if she doesn't make it back to us?"
"Then we mourn. And we continue on."
Something about his tone sent a chill through me.
"I need some air."
"Be back by sunset. We should have dinner together. As a family."
"She might not be back by then."
"I know… but we'll set a place for her anyway."
◆◆◆
I sat on a bench, watching people pass by. How many of them were Sacred? How many had survived their Trials and returned changed? You couldn't always tell by looking; some Origins left no visible mark.
I wondered what Rell was facing right now. What horrors had the Trial dimension created from her deepest fears? Was she fighting for her life while I sat here feeling sorry for myself?
My phone buzzed. A message from Dad: "Come home. Dinner is almost ready."
I sighed and stood. Whatever was happening to Rell, I couldn't help her. All I could do was be there when—if—she returned.
As I turned to leave, a flicker of movement caught my attention… it was too fast to fully grasp. I spun, looking around.
Nothing.
But for a moment, I could have sworn I'd seen a small human only about a foot tall darting between the benches.
A figure with Rell's face.