In the morning, Jake could be seen lying in his bed. His mind went back to what transpired yesterday. After becoming Blaze and facing off against a monster, he helped Pilot transport the man to a hospital… by dropping him off at the front entrance as they ran by. Not a cool way to ditch a man enslaved by a strange woman in pink with an umbrella and an eerie, strange, alluring, dangerous face.

After he reverted to his ordinary self, he felt exhausted. Pilot informed his body was getting used to the power, plus putting all his power in one attack. In order to handle the fire element, training would start soon. Returning to the house prompted his sister to bombard him with questions, expressed how worried she was, and asked to join him at the Hub.

Hub? Their base of operations. Yes, that place he will be going to today. Then, after his mom came home and had dinner, he retired early, around nine.

"So that's what being… 'burnt out' is… heh. Thirteen hours is no joke."

He raised his hand and closed his eyes as he began to concentrate. When he opened his eyes, he saw his hand glowing faintly for a few moments before it faded. He felt excitement at the feeling of being a superhero, scared at the thought of risking his life against threats he thought were only in books, movies, and games, and anger at the man dead in front of him and the woman who did not care. Who was she?

"I need to get stronger." He muttered.

The bedroom door opened, and in popped his sister, looking as if last night never happened. She walked toward him and sat on his bed. She stared at him for a bit before he grew annoyed.

"What are you staring at, squirt?"

"You feel you, right?"

"Of course… what's going on?"

"What's going on is you slept for 13 hours."

"It's summer."

"You didn't stay up late." The girl rolled her eyes.

"Possibly for the best." He gazed at his hand. "Man, this is cool."

"Cool? You blockhead, you just became a mutant or something. Your life won't be normal."

"You say that if it's a bad thing."

She sighed. "I just… I'm worried."

The new warrior showed a small smile as he pulled her into a hug.

"Me too, but... I think it will be okay.

"Hmm." She sighed. "Just be careful, okay? I don't know how to tell mom."

"Huh." He gave a sad chuckle. "We'll tell her... when I graduate college."

"Ha, yeah." She looked up at him. "It's your choice, but don't expect girls to throw themselves at you."

"I don't expect them to. Pilot told me to keep this a secret. Besides, I'm sure superheroes should never reveal their identities."

"Iron Man did."

"But Spiderman and Superman never did."

"That you know of."

"The point is," Jake gazed at her with a small smile. "I get a not-so-normal life."

Tina sighed. "Yep, but.. as I said, it's your choice even if I don't like it," She smirked at him. "He mentioned the Hub, right? Take me with you next time, I want to try to help."

"Huh?" gasped the teen. "But."

"I'm not going out in the field, brother. It's scary. I'm not spending the summer in the house now that there are aliens."

"They are Canokian or Galvanian"

"Whatever." She turned the window and looked outside. "I want to hang out there sometimes, then give words of encouragement to Blaze."

Jake chuckled. "Thanks."

"That's what siblings are for."

Suddenly, the closet door opened quickly, startling them. Reinstar sat there looking tired, her hair unraveled, and sent them a blank stare. The duo stared at her with gaping mouths, shocked at her presence. Reinstar yawned without care before speaking.

"Hi."

Jake recovered first, then angrily pointed an accusing finger at her. "WERE YOU THERE THE WHOLE TIME?!"

"Yes." She stated as if it was a normal thing.

"Wh… my mom could've seen you in there!" The boy started panicking.

"She could…, but then..." A flash of light appeared, and the girl changed her appearance to look more human. Her long ears and ninja gear disappeared, and her face altered slightly. She gave a smirk. "Now I'm an ordinary female human."

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" He shouted as a heavy blush developed on his face. "How am I supposed to explain a woman in her 20s in my closet?"

She gave a coy smile. "Isn't it normal for you young people to hide their partners in their rooms?"

"Yes.. no... I don't know... why are you acting like an old woman?"

"Because I have a longer lifespan by about an extra hundred compared to humans."

"So... how old?"

"A graceful maiden like myself does not need to reveal facts about the age of a maiden."

The young girl scowled. "Maiden... huh. I'm on to you."

The boy smacked his forehead, feeling annoyed and embarrassed. "No… no…. no… that's not..."

The violet-haired woman chuckled. "Alright, let's be serious for a bit." She waved her hands. "The reason I was in here is to make sure nothing else happened until you are adjusted to your powers." She crossed her arms. "Now that you have, do you have any questions?"

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Pilot said Galvania... are you from outer space?"

"No, our worlds exist in different dimensions and are in sync. The amount of time here is the same as the time there. You could say our worlds are connected in a way where we need to exist. Too complicated."

"Dimension crossing will be a thing, right." The boy nodded. "The other question I have is..."

"No," The older woman raised her hand to him. "No more questions until the Hub. Besides, you still look annoyed."

The teen boy gazed on in a deadpan tone. "Because a strange woman slept in my closet for most of the night."

"I'm a shinobi. How else can I keep an eye on you?"

"Can't you blend into the shadows?"

"I hid in the closet." She stated, as a matter of fact.

The siblings stared at her like she was crazy. She shrugged in return.

Reinstar sighed and stood up. "Get dressed and into the closet. I'm taking you to the Hub."

"What?" shouted Jake in shock. "Did you turn my closet into a warp gate? Isn't that dangerous? My mom will find out."

"As long as you don't access it in front of her, you will be fine. It will only recognize you and Tina. Also, you will have to confirm you want to teleport."

The boy sighed. "I guess that's better."

"But this is... crazy." The young girl facepalmed. "Mom is going to kill you."

"Why me?"

"You accepted the job, bro. It's your funeral."

----------------------------------------

-Amy's House-

The girl sat up from her bed with a squeak. She looked terrified as she clenched her dark blue blanket. Her pants echoed throughout the room as she tried to calm herself down.

"What…. Was that?" She grimaced and placed her hand on her chest. "That claw felt real." She gazed toward the window, noticing the blue sky of the day. "Oh, it's morning?" She calmly got out of bed, wearing a pink nightgown, and moved toward the window. She opened the curtains to reveal another bright day. She looked out as a smile manifested on her face. "A nightmare like that isn't going to cause any problems for me!" She pumped her fist. "Yeah!"

She looked down at her dresser, where a picture caught her eye. In the picture, there was herself, Christina, a boy with wild red spiky hair, a girl with blonde hair, another boy with reddish brown hair, a tanned boy with curly hair, a girl with auburn hair, a girl with purple hair, a girl with green hair, and another boy with blonde hair. She gazed fondly at the picture, analyzing it. However, she frowned slightly as her gaze lingered.

"We took that last summer. Things have changed." She spoke softly, placed the picture down, and walked toward the bathroom. "But... who knows, things may turn out alright." Her mind flashed to Jake, and her smile returned. "Maybe we'll run into each other."

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-The Hub-

Three balls of light dropped from above and then transformed, revealing Jake, Tina, and Reinstar. The siblings were feeling disoriented from the unusual experience. Reinstar noticed the unfocused demeanor. Jake wobbled back and forth while Tina rubbed her eyes.

"Don't worry, it's just one or two times, then you'll get used to it."

"Er.." Jake groaned as he finally took in the room. They were on a large circular platform in a metallic gray room. The other thing in the room was a console.

"Cool."

"This is only the Transport Room." Reinstar walked toward the door and gave a sly smile. "Beyond here is where you might be impressed

The door opened by sliding to the right. The trio walked out of the Transport Room and into a metallic hallway leading to another door just a short distance away. The duo was led across the way and approached the door. Once the door opened, the group walked through.

After Jake and Tina walk through the door, they are immediately met with a large living area with a fountain. There was an expensive-looking carpet, various couches, chairs, and other seating arrangements. There were light fixtures that gave the room an elegant appearance. Monitors were stationed around the area, as well as doors leading to other rooms. There was a staircase leading to an upper level with another set of rooms.

"Wow." The siblings spoke at the same time with amazement. Tina looked around with interest until her eyes saw a counter with a bowl of candy. She marched forward and took a piece.

"You like it?" A melodic voice caught Tina's attention. She looked to her left and jumped back at the strange person. The person stood about 5'10 and wore a white coat and black capri pants. However, the person's features were close to those of a bird. Yellow feathers littered her body, wings on her back. She stared at the girl with navy blue eyes, smiling with her beak. Tina's mouth gaped at the woman.

"Surprised to see someone like me?"

"I… wha… who are you?"

"My name is Luka; my species is Aviana. I am here as the Hub's physician."

The shinobi smiled. "As you can see, there are more races than Canokian."

"How many?"

"It's not important right now." Walking downstairs was Pilot and another man with brown skin. The brown-skinned individual was a muscular man wearing a vest, orange pants, and sandals. He had a cheeky smile on his face. Upon seeing Jake, he chuckled. "Ha, ha! This is the lad with the fire element. Scrawny little boy, isn't he?" His voice, deep and boisterous

Pilot shrugged. "The Fire Crystal not only grants him fire, it also increases his mana and physical status. Children, this is our unit, designated Team Sword. Jake, you are a vital part of Team Sword due to the power gifted to you. We will be your guide, helping you train your power to handle chaotic threats. I am the current team leader. Javo and Reinstar will also act in your training and aid you if the situation becomes too extreme for you. Think of the current threat as part of your training."

"Sounds convenient."

"However, in the event I am called away on a mission. Rely on Javo, Reinstar, and Luka to lead. If all of us, another Guardian will be assigned temporarily until one of us returns."

Jake nodded. "So, I take it I'm not going to Galvania yet?"

"Not until you are strong enough to handle yourself against the dangers of our world. It's different from your world; ferocious beasts roam, and stronger individuals will make you bleed. Do you have questions?"

"Can you tell me a little more about Guardian?"

"We are an elite force funded solely by jobs and various benefactors. Our purpose is to protect the people and act as a stand-in until new Radiant are picked. When they arrive, we are to aid them against forces that require their expertise. Before you, six Radiant have awakened, but they are handling other businesses. Three of them are in your world right now."

The black-haired boy nodded. "How long have they been active?"

"The ones in your world have been active for nearly seven weeks. The others stationed in Galvania, for over four months. Based on their current missions, you won't meet them for some time."

"And Galvania?

"It's different from Earth in every aspect. While we have technology, we don't allow it to consume our lives or nature. About 500 years ago, a new energy source was discovered and implemented, but used sparingly."

"What? Then… what? Is it mana?"

"Yes and no. Mana is the energy source of all life. I'm not going to complicate it for you right now."

Jake nodded, feeling like he understood their world a little. "Can you tell me about the Radiant?"

"The Radiant harnesses the power of Order and Balance to overcome Chaos and Ruin. Over 5,000 years ago, the Radiant first emerged when an evil being known as Valcron emerged. He sought to rule and destroy everything our ancestors built. Then, a miracle came in the form of 12 Element Crystals. They chose 12 warriors to fight against Valcron, also known as the Tyrant of Chaos. After the war was over, the chosen died, leaving the crystals behind. At first, it was thought they weren't needed anymore, but 400 years later, the Radiant were needed again to handle another threat."

Pilot folded his arms. "Counting their initial appearance, there have been six instances where the Radiant were called upon to handle various threats. These threats were not as serious as Valcron, yet still dangerous. The last documented sighting of the Radiant was over 300 years ago. By then, there were four Radiant from the human world."

"Was that the first time they chose humans?"

"No, the second time… " Luka spoke. "The first time it happened, two humans were chosen. There were detailed reports of their time as Radiant and their visits to Galvania. Their experience was met with good moments, but with some scrutiny. Fortunately, they were able to bond with the ten other Radiant well enough."

"So there were other humans that were Radiant." Jake let the information sink in. This still felt very strange to him, as if this was a dream. "This still feels really weird."

"Kid, once you're settled in, 'weird' doesn't begin to describe it." Javo gave a hearty laugh and flexed his muscles. "You'll see things differently soon and embrace life by showing the power of your muscles!"

"Right." Jake snorted while Tina stared at him like he was odd.

Reinstar rolled her eyes. "Javo takes some getting used to. He can be… lively."

The brown-skinned giant laughed happily. "Lively doesn't describe me in the slightest."

"Anyway," Pilot spoke up. "I assume nothing strange happened after the battle, correct?" Reinstar nodded. "Good, Jake, join me in the training room. Reinstar, Javo, I want you to look into more sightings of the strange woman from yesterday."

Reinstar turned to Tina. "Want to join me in researching."

"Sure."

Luka gazed at the fire warrior. "After training, come see me."

"Right."