The morning sun cast long shadows across the manicured lawn of the Night family house.
Sparrow, all sharp angles and coiled muscle, moved with a fluid grace that belied his imposing frame. His bare feet were silent on the grass as he transitioned from a sweeping leg strike to a lightning-fast series of punches, each blow precise and powerful. The scar slicing across his left forehead and cheek seemed to deepen with each focused movement, a permanent reminder of battles fought and survived.
"Birdbro, you're going to break the backyard again!" Canary's voice, bright and cheerful as a morning songbird, cut through the air.
She was perched atop a thin balance beam, her small frame a study in controlled motion. A perfect handstand flowed into a flawless cartwheel, her long, braided black hair swaying behind her like a silken rope. A small beauty mark beneath her left eye danced in the sunlight as she grinned.
Sparrow grunted in response, his single dark-green eye narrowed in concentration. He ignored the playful jab, his thoughts drifting back to the events of the past week.
The fight against the Evil Hermit in Lushwood Forest felt like a distant nightmare, a stark contrast to the peaceful rhythm of their current life.
He executed a spinning back kick, the force of the blow sending a small tremor through the ground. Despite the normalcy, he knew the threat lurking beneath the surface of Mearth was very real, a constant hum of anxiety in the back of his mind.
The Secret Library Dreamscape… it was there they truly prepared. It had been three more visits there this week, three more steps towards building a bulwark against the encroaching darkness.
Canary dismounted the beam with a graceful leap, landing silently on the grass. "Still brooding, Birdbro? You'll get wrinkles!" She giggled and hummed a new melodic tones.
Sparrow ignored her teasing, his mind replaying the events of their latest Dreamscape visit. Two more guests for the library. Two more strings of knowledge to learn and to use.
The first guest they had invited that week, following their aunt Autumn Elheart's suggestion, was Georb Barmint, codenamed Silver Warlord. He was the ex-primeleader of MIST Union, a gruff and imposing figure, radiating an aura of power and authority.
Using the privilege of the secret librarian of the dreamscape, Sparrow forced him to share his knowledge, providing them with three tightly bound volumes of MIST Union Secret Information, categorized into Basic Level, Intermediate Level, and Advanced Level.
Sparrow had read these books and they truly held critical information about the inner workings and past operations of MIST Union, secrets that could prove invaluable in the battles to come.
He remembered the weight of the advanced level of intelligence in the final book. The brown pages were filled with complex web of alliances, betrayals, and hidden agendas that defined MIST Union's history. MIST Union was not as perfect as the heroic organization they wanted to portray. There were dark stains in their past histories... and there were probably some at present too.
The second guest of the week was also an awakened figure from MIST Union, Professor Lamoth Tallsayer, codenamed Mr. Scholar.
He had been a stark contrast to the Silver Warlord. Thin and bespectacled, with a perpetually worried expression, the awakened historian had seemed to be aware and overwhelmed by the Dreamscape.
However, his forced contribution was no less significant. He provided them with the Chronicles of Hidden Mearth History, a series of seven books meticulously documenting the hidden history of their world, from the ancient First Era to the present Seventh Era.
Sparrow could imagine the professor hunched over ancient texts, poring over forgotten languages and deciphering cryptic prophecies. The Chronicles were a treasure trove of information, detailing the rise and fall of mystery power in forgotten civilizations, the origins of magical artifacts, and the identities of awakened powerful beings who had shaped the course of Mearth's history.
He paused in his kata, his fist clenched. The weight of knowledge was a heavy burden, but it was a necessary one. He needed to understand the past to protect the future.
"Birdbro! Mearth to Birdbro!" Canary waved her hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his reverie.
"What is it, Tweety?" Sparrow asked, his voice a low rumble.
"What are you thinking Birdbro? It's weekend. We were too busy with Zeen's matter last weekend. Today... Come on, let's do something fun! The town fair is today!" Canary's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Sparrow hesitated. The town fair... crowds, noise, unnecessary shopping spree. He couldn't say he liked it. But Canary loved it. It was one of her simple pleasures.
He glanced at the bamboo gazebo, the meticulously arranged flower gardens, the artistic fish pond shimmering in the sunlight. This was their haven, their refuge from the darkness. He couldn't let supernatural concerns dominate their life and steal their simple joy.
"Alright, Tweety," he conceded with a rare smile. "Let's go to the fair."
Canary squealed with delight, throwing her arms around his neck. "Yay! You're paying this time, Birdbro!"
"This time? I'm paying all the time." Sparrow grumbled.
Canary smirked evilly and made an unreasonable argument. "That's the risk for being born earlier. I don't complain being treated all the time, do I? Come on, Birdbro! Play your role correctly."
As they walked into their house to take a shower and get ready to leave, Sparrow reached up and adjusted the black eyepatch that covered his artificial purple left eye. He knew, deep in his heart, that their peaceful existence was fragile, a temporary respite before the next storm.
But for now, he would savor this moment of normalcy, this fleeting glimpse of joy.
...
The Soragant Town fair was just beginning to stir to life. Stalls were still being set up, their colorful banners flapping gently in the morning breeze.
The aroma of freshly baked pastries mingled with the savory scent of grilling meats, creating an enticing olfactory symphony that promised a day of indulgence.
Canary, her eyes wide with anticipation, tugged on Sparrow's sleeve. "Birdbro, let's go see if Old Man Fitz is selling his sugared plums! They're the best!"
Sparrow, however, was lost in thought, his mind recalling the supernatural spaces brought into existence by their maternal genetics, the soulworld... his Eldritch Mechworld and Canary's Arcane Spriteworld.
He remembered the mixed feeling of envy and pride he felt when Canary showed off her new card sprite, Breeze, the Wind Rider Sprite. Canary's unrestrained joy and positivity allowed her to connect with the new sprite with ease.
Breeze, a shimmering wisp of windy energy, was able to manipulate wind and act as a silent scout. It would undoubtedly prove invaluable in their future endeavors.
His own progress, while less flashy, was no less significant. The Power Gauntlets, born from countless hours of experiments full with trials and errors in Eldritch Mechworld, were a testament to his ingenuity and determination.
He envisioned them coated with elemental energy provided by attached elemental shard, amplifying his already formidable strength and allowing him to unleash devastatingly powerful blows imbued with elements. It should be perfect for targeting the opponent's elemental weakness, if any.
The five-minute limitation was a frustrating constraint, but he was determined to refine the design and create additional cards to mitigate the cooldown issue.
Furthermore, he also crafted, in the real world, the new utility belts specially designed for the elemental shards. From his previous experience, Sparrow knew that randomly pocketing mixture of elemental shards was not really effective. Finding the correct shard would be difficult during crucial moments of a battle and so, he must prepare for that.
Then there was the Surreal Phenomenon Radar, a soultool card completely forgotten in their last adventure. It was pretty pointless as he had his {Eye of Wisdom} and Canary had her Clairvoyant Glasses.
Its existence, however, had sparked an idea, a vision of a real-world device capable of detecting the subtle ripples in reality that signified the approach of surreal entities. If he could do it, it would be a truly valuable project, one that he could sell to MIST Union for mistpoints or money.
Canary, sensing his distraction, nudged him playfully. "Birdbro! You're in faraway land again! Sugared plums await!"
Sparrow blinked, shaking off the lingering images of soultool creation. He looked at her, her face alive with youthful excitement, and he couldn't help but smile.
"Sorry, Tweety," he said, his voice softening. "Just thinking about… things."
"Thinking about your soulworld again, aren't you?" Canary guessed, her tone knowing. "What's on your mind this time?"
He hesitated for a moment before deciding to share his idea about recreating the Surreal Phenomenon Radar in the real world. "I was thinking about the Radar," he began. "It's pretty useless for us, but if I could build something similar in the real world, using what I learned in Eldritch Mechworld..."
Canary's eyes widened. "Seriously? A real-life surreal detector? If it can be mass produced... That would be amazing, Birdbro! Mystery agents could finally anticipate those creeps!"
"Problem is...," Sparrow poured cold water to her enthusiasm. "Where would we get the materials?"
Canary's eyes flickered with a hint of a smile. "What about the Mystery Market, Birdbro? We can check it there, can't we?"
"The one Li'l Aunt take us to?" Sparrow responded. "I don't think I've seen the materials needed there last time. But, we haven't really checked every shop there, have we?"
"It's worth a shot," Canary replied. "Besides," she added, glancing at her backpack, "I need to restock our supplies. I used up almost all my holy water and many bullets during the Lushwood Forest incident. And more crystal shards won't hurt."
"Then it's settled," Sparrow declared. "Sugared plums can wait. We're going on a supply run."
As they turned away from the fair and headed towards the heart of Soragant, Canary couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. A trip to the Mystery Market was always an adventure, a descent into the hidden underbelly of their seemingly peaceful town.
...
The siblings once again returned to the hushed stillness of the Mystery Market. The orderly arrangement of a small mall with bright lights illuminating the peculiar wares displayed in each shop window. As always, the sounds in the place were muffled, almost reverential, as if the market itself was holding its breath, guarding its secrets closely.
First stop was 'Mystery Medicine', followed by 'Basic Mystery Agent Armory' and 'Jade's Gemstones and Crystals'. Canary, ever practical despite her unrestrained enthusiasm, efficiently restocked their supplies. Holy water shimmered in glass vials, silver bullets gleamed under the soft light, and crystal shards filled small pouches.
Sparrow watched, leaning against a nearby wall, his gaze sweeping the market, assessing the subtle changes, the barely perceptible shifts in atmosphere that hinted at the unseen currents flowing beneath the surface.
Once Canary was done restocking her supplies, they wandered to the other stores. Sparrow found most of the components required for his Surreal Phenomenon Radar project at the spare parts section in 'MIST Cybertech' and an obscure store selling strange assortment of unidentified objects, the 'Unknown Paradise'.
As Sparrow dealt with his purchase, Canary, flitted between the stores, her bright energy a stark contrast to the market's subdued ambiance. Even before they were involved with supernatural things, she had always shown a knack for spotting hidden treasures, for unearthing the unusual items that often proved surprisingly useful or valuable.
Sparrow mentally tallied the components. Void resistors, arcane capacitors, coils of enchanted wire, sensor arrays... he had about eighty percent of what he needed. Enough to build the housing, the basic circuitry, but not enough to truly bring the device to life. The core component, something that could reliably detect the subtle fluctuations in the surreal energies, remained elusive.
"Birdbro, come look at this!" Canary's voice, chirping with excitement, cut through his thoughts. He found her standing in front of a small, unassuming bookstore tucked away in a quiet corner of the market. The sign above the door read "Grimoires and Tomes" in elegant, faded lettering.
The interior was even more intriguing. Shelves lined every wall, overflowing with leather-bound books of all shapes and sizes. The air smelled of aged paper and forgotten spells. An elderly woman with spectacles perched on her nose sat behind the counter, her eyes magnified to an unsettling degree.
"What is it, Tweety?" Sparrow asked, his gaze scanning the crowded shelves.
Canary pointed to a small, leather-bound volume tucked away on a high shelf. "Philosophy of Poker Cards by Alk Elheart. It's a limited edition, Birdbro! Alk Elheart! One of our ancestors!"
Sparrow's eyebrows rose. Alk Elheart was a legendary figure in their maternal family history, someone he always suspected to be a reincarnator like him. His works were extremely popular and considered classic. Yet, he never heard this book title.
He carefully retrieved the book, its pages brittle and yellowed with age. The cover was embossed with a stylized design of playing cards. "Think it's worth it?" he asked, turning to Canary.
"Definitely!" she insisted, her eyes sparkling. "It's a piece of our history! And who knows what secrets it might contain?"
He turned to the shopkeeper. "How much?"
The old woman peered at him over her spectacles. "For you, young man," she croaked, "Twenty mistpoints or three hundred kaels. A fair price, no bargaining."
Sparrow nodded, handing over the required payment in kaels, the currency mainly used in their country, Aphardea. It was quite expensive for a book, but Sparrow did not really lack money. They left the bookstore, Canary clutching the book like a priceless treasure.
...
Back at their house's basement that evening, Sparrow carefully unpacked the components for his radar, arranging them on his workbench. Canary, meanwhile, nestled on the comfortable couch nearby, eagerly flipping through the pages of the Alk Elheart book.
"Wow, Birdbro, listen to this!" she exclaimed, reading aloud. "'The Ace of Spades represents the inevitable hand of fate, the finality of death and rebirth...'"
Sparrow grunted in acknowledgement, his attention focused on the intricate circuitry he was assembling.
As the evening wore on, Canary grew increasingly engrossed in the book. She read passage after passage, her voice hushed with wonder. Sparrow, though seemingly absorbed in his work, couldn't help but notice her increasing fascination.
Suddenly, Canary gasped. "Birdbro! Something's happening!"
As Sparrow turned his head and about to reply with another grunt, he found Canary staring intently at the book, her eyes wide with disbelief. The book was glowing faintly, emanating a soft, golden light.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice tight with apprehension.
"I... I don't know," Canary stammered. "But it feels like... it's being drawn to something."
She slowly rose from the bed, the glowing book held outstretched in her hands. Her gaze drifted across the room, finally settling on the old, battered safe tucked away in the corner.
"The safe," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's pulling the book towards the safe."
Sparrow frowned. Inside that particular safe was a collection of their most unique possessions, mostly the unused loots gathered from their last realmgate dive.
Slowly, cautiously, Canary approached the safe. The Alk Elheart's book glowed brighter as she drew closer, the air crackling with unseen energy.
With trembling hands, she unlocked the safe and opened the heavy door. Inside, nestled amongst their other treasures, lay the also-glowing Bible of Arcana, a mysterious book they had obtained within the Prosperous Kingdom realmgate.
It was bound in strange, unfamiliar materials, its pages filled with unintelligible symbols. They had been unable to decipher it, its secrets remaining stubbornly locked.
As soon as the two books came into close proximity, both books pulsed with a blinding light. The two books were lifted into the air by an unseen force. Pages fluttered wildly, the air filled with swirling energy. Sparrow shielded his eyes, bracing himself for whatever was about to happen.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the light faded. The two books landed softly on the floor, no longer separate entities. Instead, joined together, they had become a single, unified tome.
The title on the cover had changed. It now read: 'Encyclopedia of Arcana Class Cards'.
Sparrow cautiously approached the book, his heart pounding in his chest. He picked it up, its weight surprisingly familiar in his hands.
He opened the book to the first page. The symbols that had once been indecipherable now resolved themselves into clear, concise text.
"This book," he read aloud, his voice filled with awe, "contains a comprehensive guide to the Arcana Class Cards, the hidden potential within those who have awakened the power of mystery."
He turned the page, his eyes scanning the text. The book detailed the original concepts of the Arcana Classes, their strengths and weaknesses, their unique abilities and limitations. It described the intricate system of class advancement and the complex interactions between different classes.
He flipped through the pages, his mind reeling from the sheer volume of information. There were fifty-four Arcana Classes, each meticulously described. He recognized his own original class,
He paused, his eyes drawn to the final two entries in the book: "Nightmare Clown" and "Daydream Clown"... symbolized by the black and red joker card. Unlike the other classes, these entries were incomplete, filled with gaps and inconsistencies. The text was fragmented, almost nonsensical, hinting at something that defied easy categorization.
Beneath each entry was a single, cryptic sentence: "The Clown walks a tightrope between sanity and madness."
Sparrow closed the book, his mind racing. The Encyclopedia of Arcana Class Cards was a treasure trove of knowledge, a key to understanding the complexities of mystery classes. But the incomplete entries for the Nightmare Clown and Daydream Clown classes left a lingering sense of unease, a feeling that there were secrets best left undisturbed.
He looked at Canary, her pretty face excited and determined. They had actually stumbled upon something significant, something that could change everything they thought they knew about their powers of mystery.
"Tweety," he said, his voice low and serious. "We have a lot to learn."