Metro News

==Issue==
Source from Official Dislyte Facebook
Metro News: You and the Esper World 1: Miracles
How y’all doing today?
This is Boomboom here at Metro News. I have the pleasure of bringing you the first in a series on Espers, Miracles, and our shared history today.
The first Miracle, an enormous structure that emerged from underneath the Earth, shocked the entire world a little over 10 years ago. No one knew what it was or where it came from. That is where today’s story begins—the moment when everything changed and the “Miracles” arrived.
Miracles
“No one knows exactly what they are, what they do, where they came from, or who sent them. But that Miracle changed all life on Earth as we knew it.” — A resident of Gyrate city.
The very first Miracle emerged from the subterranean depths of the Earth on a winter day a little over 10 years ago.
This stunning development was soon followed by other Miracles, which began popping up without warning all over the world.
Unfortunately, these surprise arrivals brought general death and disaster, chiefly because the Miracles (with one or two exceptions) constantly generate large numbers of Miramon. Miramon are a deadly new predatory life form that frequently attack human beings and our cities.
Nothing in human history had prepared us for such behemoths from under the Earth. Humanity received no forewarning, nor was any prior attempt made to contact us. They simply turned up, the product of what must be a very powerful intelligence. Another notable element of the Miracles is that they continually broadcast what we call “divine waves”. These waves pass through most people harmlessly, and yet trigger an extraordinary transformation in a small number of individuals.
The innermost depths of every Miracle are guarded by an extremely powerful entity, commonly referred to as a “Sentinel”. It goes without saying that Miracles are extremely dangerous places, and yet the promise of untapped powers or artifacts serves as a continual enticement to hardy explorers.
Metro News: You and the Esper World 2: Divine Waves
Welcome to our second Metro News briefing on the “World of the Espers” hosted by yours truly, Boomboom.
Let’s delve a little further into the mysterious world of the Espers!
The first scientist to discover the surprising nature of the divine waves emanating from the Miracles was a Union researcher by the name of Meredith.
It was she who named these emanations “divine waves” on account of the unpredictable and honestly quite miraculous nature of the effects uncovered...
Divine Waves
“You can choose to believe me or not. I know I’m right. I have the ‘treasure chest’ in my hands and I’ve had it all along. All I need is simply the key to open it.”
— Meredith of the Esper Union
We have Meredith to thank for kickstarting humanity’s investigations into the nature and functions of the so-called “divine waves”. It was she who discovered the emanations coming from within the Miracles that are not of this world and undetectable by the human ear. This insight led to her uncovering more of their true nature.
Meredith’s original findings have been challenged multiple times, which has only further strengthened our confidence in their accuracy. Her findings also have done much to help us understand why the waves unlock a tremendous transformation in a select few individuals, granting them “Esper” powers.
It was Meredith’s view that the “divine waves” were emanations from what you could call the “beating heart” of each Miracle—its “Nexus”. She found each Nexus is actually sending out powerful celestial energies and potential catalysts for Esper transformation via the medium of sound. This is the “sonic catalyst” we refer to by the term “divine waves”.
These waves are powerful, yet somehow flawed. There does appear to be some sort of process of “atrophy” in the course of transmission. These waves seem to attach themselves to certain individuals, which inevitably results in an Esper “transformation”. It is likely that the waves themselves are also responsible for the creation of Miramon. We speculate Miramon might be the result if and when the waves return to the Nexus “empty-handed”, that is, without finding any human counterpart to bind to and “transform”.
We call the process of waves binding to individuals “resonance”. The resonance affects individuals on a profound cellular level, starting a complete transformation that endows an individual with what effectively are “celestial powers”. The molecular changes birth what we call the “Esper”. This binding endows exclusivity too, that is, transformed individuals will become immune to other types of divine waves. This is perhaps why we have observed very few repeat transformations.
Meredith’s groundbreaking research inspired the Esper Union to construct an enormous device to hoover up divine waves emanating from the Miracles to hopefully protect the rest of humanity from their influence. As of now, all these efforts seem to have been largely unsuccessful. Even the best Union scientists have constantly underestimated the power and breadth of the Miracle emanations.
Despite the Union’s best efforts, little else has changed for the better in the meantime. The wave emanations from the Miracles continue unabated, leading to the creation of more and more destructive Miramon, which inevitably threaten humanity and our cities.
Metro News: You and the Esper World 3: Espers	
Welcome to our third Metro News briefing on the “World of the Espers” hosted by yours truly, Boomboom.	(˵¯ꇴ¯˵)౨~
This is the briefing where we finally get to talk about the hows and whys of Esperhood...
As I said before, “divine waves” from Miracles act as a catalyst for transforming certain “lucky” individuals into Espers.
Whether or not these people are truly lucky is up to you to decide. As many Espers will tell you if you get to know them, Esperhood can be as much a curse as a blessing...
Espers
“I believe anyone can potentially become an Esper, but it’s completely up to fate and luck. You could call it a ticket to power, but at what price?” — Pritzker, in “What They Didn’t Tell You About Esperhood”.
An “Esper” refers to those individuals who have been transformed by the wavelike emanations from a Miracle, and consequently endowed with extraordinary, near-supernatural powers.
The way this process seems to work is that the emanations “resonate” with certain individuals, gradually infusing them with more and more power. These emanations bind deeply to the person on a genetic or even molecular level, gradually building up until a certain threshold is reached which triggers the catalyst for the transformation proper. A sudden metamorphosis then takes place bringing huge physical, mental, emotional changes. The Esper Union refers to this process whereby ordinary individuals become Espers as “transformation”.
All “transformations” are considered fundamentally dangerous because they are unpredictable and unknowable. It can also fail in some cases, leading to the loss of that individual’s life, their Esper powers disappearing as inexplicably as had been gained.
“Esperhood” is also something of a difficult emotional journey for most, which we think is greatly intensified by the transformation itself. The process tends to dramatically highlight certain “emotional tones”. That is, certain attitudes, thoughts, feelings will often be heavily imprinted on the transformed individual’s mind. Unfortunately, many of these are negative in some way. Many new Espers undergo a profound, unwanted change to their appearance which exerts a significant emotional toll, and is one of the main ways we can easily distinguish most Espers from ordinary people at first glance.
This is why those who study Miracles are hesitant to describe Esperhood as a blessing. It is a mark of power, certainly, but for many individuals it is also a lifelong curse.
The number of recorded Espers remained extremely low in the early years following the emergence of the first Miracle. This number increased dramatically after what we now refer to as the “Collective Resonance”, which saw a supercharged pulse of divine waves from all the world’s Miracles in unison. Espers suddenly became relatively common. It is around this time that we also saw two main Esper factions emerge: the Esper Union and the so-called “Shadow Decree”.
The philosophical differences between these two camps have been intensified hugely by the subsequent discovery of many valuable resources within the Miracles, which has led to a number of Esper vs Esper conflicts.
Metro News: You and the Esper World 4: Sentinels
Welcome to our fourth Metro News briefing on the “World of the Espers” hosted by yours truly, Boomboom.
I, your host Boomboom, have the pleasure of taking you on a brief overview of Sentinels today.
Sentinels are the guardians of the innermost core of each Miracle.
These are powerful entities roused by any imminent threat to the Miracle itself...
Sentinels
“We might describe Miramon as a kind of creature, but not in any ordinary sense of the word. These creatures do not procreate, nor experience real change or metamorphosis over time as we do.
And yet we are in some ways similar. If we look at a Miracle as the ‘mother’ of its Miramon, and the driving force of their evolution, then perhaps their ways are no longer quite so mysterious?
Each generation of new Miramon produced is somehow different, somehow more evolved than its predecessors. Is this not a kind of ‘evolution’?” — “Miramon and You”
We think that Miramon are also products of the mysterious divine waves generated by the Miracles and are, unfortunately, the single greatest threat facing humanity today.
Much like the alien invaders of science fiction, Miramon have ravaged a significant number of the world’s greatest cities and population centers. Many communities have been entirely wiped out by these devastating creatures, forcing much of the world’s population to “huddle” together in massive, fortified cities. Vast sections of the Earth’s landscape have become effectively uninhabited or “No Man’s Land”, too dangerous to set foot upon with a nearby Miracle present.
One of the most difficult aspects of fighting Miramon is the utter uselessness of conventional weaponry. Neither conventional firearms nor tanks and missiles have any effect. The only “weapon” in humanity’s arsenal capable of harming a Miramon is an “Esper”.
We don’t know exactly how many Miramon there are, but we suspect their numbers are effectively infinite as long as the Miracles exist. That is, so long as a single Miracle exists, the Miramon will never stop.
Miramon within a Miracle are also much more powerful than Miramon located at a far distance. This is probably because they are much closer to the source of their power—the Nexus—which works continually to enhance and evolve them.
The “Sentinel” is the “leader” or “champion” of all Miramon within a particular Miracle. The Sentinel possesses vastly more power than any Miramon generated within. It reflects the full power and abilities of the Miracle.
Sentinels are enormous entities of nearly limitless energy that guard the heart of each Miracle.
Sentinels mostly seem to exist in a state of hibernation but will be aroused by anything deemed to threaten a Miracle’s existence.
Researchers believe the Sentinel’s enormous power is also the reason why no Sentinel has ever been located outside a Miracle. Sentinels channel power from their Nexus, a connection that must become tenuous at a distance. Sentinels that have (with great difficulty) been removed from Miracles in the past have simply crumbled to dust.
This is why we think Sentinels also guard Miracles as an act of self-defense.
This is what we can be sure of about the nature of Miramon and Miracles thus far.
Espers are humanity’s first and last line of defense against the existential threats that are the Miramon and behind them, the Miracles. Espers routinely enter Miracles and fight their Sentinels valiantly on behalf of most of humanity.
What will be the ultimate outcome of this seemingly endless war against the Miramon, Miracles, and Sentinels? Nobody has yet figured out an answer to this question or even proved that there can be an end.
We must simply have faith that it is within the Miracles that the answers, and humanity’s best hopes, are hidden.
Metro News: You and the Esper World 5: The Esper Union
Welcome to our fifth segment covering “the World of the Espers” on Metro News.
I am your host, Boomboom. Today we take an in-depth look at the Esper Union.
With the appearance of the Miracles and Miramon seeking to destroy the world, special individuals arose to face them. But individually, they were not strong enough.
For the sake of humankind and to defeat the Miracles, a special group was established...
Esper Union
"We hold our sorrows and frustrations deep in our hearts. We give our smiles and our fiery will to those who come after. We are humanity's last bastion, the people chasing the dawn of a new era." — Esper Union Hub Member, Pritzker
The Esper Union is an organization of Espers dedicated to protecting humanity and fighting against the Miramon that are attacking our society.
The predecessor to the Esper Union was a group of individuals that worked at the research center located on the Sunrise Isles. They included Narmer and his colleagues, who would later become the first seven Esper heroes that the world would come to know.
As new Miracles and Miramon appeared, humanity was fighting for its survival. The seven Espers heroes realized that only by uniting together can they hope to defeat the Miracles and overcome the challenges ahead. They called upon all Espers in the world to unite as one and fight together for humanity. With the support of people from all walks of life, the Esper Union was finally established.
Under the leadership of the Esper Union, the Union Alliance Pact was signed between the major cities of Grandis and the organization. The agreement stipulates that the Esper Union will protect the cities of Grandis against Miramon attacks and deal with all Miracle-related disasters in exchange for funding and support for their scientific research. The signing of the Pact marked the establishment of a geopolitical system of having the Esper Union at the core of their alliance. The Esper Union is also currently the only Esper organization that is officially recognized by all the cities of Grandis.
The Esper Union participated and continues to participate in various Miracle-related missions, and the lives of the citizens of Grandis have gradually become more stable. Through their missions, the Esper Union discovered a great secret hidden in the Miracles. A secret that was not only a great lure of power but also a source of devastating chaos.
In a choice between the pursuit of power or controlling calamity, the Esper Union undoubtedly chose to protect humanity.
The Union firmly believes that only by destroying the Miracles can humanity usher in a new era of peace and prosperity...
Metro News: You and the Esper World 6: The Shadow Decree
Wow! Metro News is already on its sixth issue |(˵¯ꇴ¯˵)౨~
In our last issue, Boomboom introduced you to the Esper Union.
In this issue, Boomboom will take you behind the curtain to learn about a mysterious group of seekers—Shadow Decree.
They share a similar yet different philosophy from the Esper Union.
They vie for Miracles with the Esper Union, in the belief that they "will ultimately lead humanity into a new era"...
Shadow Decree
"The road ahead beckons. We'll climb the ladder of progress until a new era dawns." — Hyde, Shadow Decree Representative
They covertly spy on the Miracles to attain what they desire—They are the Shadow Decree, the seekers cloaked in darkness.
The Shadow Decree was born from a philosophical rift between members of the Esper Union. Some researchers believed that the Esper Transformation unleashed great power but also unspeakable disaster. Others scoffed at this, believing that they were on a fruitful path that would benefit the human race once their research was complete.
The confrontation between the two sides grew more and more intense, inflicting great damage on the Union and drawing the public's scrutiny. In the end, those who refused to abandon the research left the Union to continue pursuing the secrets of the Miracles. Thus, the Shadow Decree was born.
They adhere to a similar yet different philosophy from the Union, seeking to use the power of Miracles to achieve their goals. They loath social and moral constraints and will do anything to serve their purposes.
In order to proceed with their research, the Shadow Decree vied for Miracles with the Union. This often created conflicts, but they could care less about an external factor like the Union getting in the way of their pursuit of Miracles.
Finally, a conflict between the Shadow Decree and the Esper Union erupted into unprecedented violence. The Shadow Decree was rejected by every city, and they had no choice but to take refuge in the darkness.
They bided their time and waited for a brighter future, clinging to the belief that they would eventually lead humanity into a new era.
The Esper Union refused to allow such reckless actions and followed any trace of the Shadow Decree to deter their plans. But it seems the Shadow Decree refuses to be stopped...
Metro News: You and the Esper World 7: Hazlitt, The Abandoned Capital of Culture
"...I’m afraid the people of Hazlitt did not expect that the disaster would hit so close to home. The saying ‘art is enduring’ is a joke when Miramon are flooding the city." — D.H. Chronicles, The Hazlitt Migration
Hazlitt is located on Hazlitt Peninsula in the eastern regions of the continent of Grandis. On the west side of Hazlitt is the Estero Harbor, which was destroyed by the Cube Miracle. On the eastern side of the city is the Sea of Giant Whales, where abundant marine life is present all year round.
Before the Miracles arrived, Hazlitt was one of the many megacities on Grandis. The city’s economy mainly depended on its cultural industries, and it had several large cultural facilities such as the Hazlitt Theatre. Hazlitt directly influenced the global economy, culture, and the arts. It was known as the "Capital of Culture."
In the year 2025 D.H., the Shackled Miracle arrived near the city, and Hazlitt was destroyed under the onslaught of Miramon. A large number of Hazlitt citizens left the city and migrated to Gyrate. Gyrate, previously a satellite city, quickly became one of the largest cities on the continent. The establishment of the Esper Union headquarters in Gyrate also made this city a gathering place for Espers. The uninhabited Hazlitt was left to history, and only the residents of Amuse Street would sometimes reminisce about the old days there.
Today, the abandoned Hazlitt consists of three areas:
1. Downtown Hazlitt
Hazlitt's most chaotic neighborhood. Due to the lack of law enforcement in the area, there were a number of residents of the unsavory type. There were also many residents who embraced the cultural spirit of freedom that the city espoused. Graffiti artists in the area used the whole neighborhood as their canvas. There were a large number of music bars, cabarets, and entertaining establishments that supported Downtown Hazlitt and its local economy.
2. Hazlitt Main District
The main neighborhood and city center of Hazlitt. The buildings and facilities here were more advanced and modern compared with other areas. The Hazlitt Theatre was located here. The leaders of Hazlitt had specially installed power generators to ensure that the place stayed brightly lit even during power outages.
3. Gemstone Bay
A neighborhood located in the southwestern part of Hazlitt. It was said that Gemstone Bay was the most peaceful bay on Grandis. After Hazlitt rose to prominence, Gemstone Bay became the community where the rich and famous resided. Unfortunately, it was closer to the Miracle than the other districts. The whole region was attacked by Miramon shortly after the appearance of the Shackled Miracle. The degree of destruction far exceeded that of the other two neighborhoods.
Today, the city of Gyrate is able to survive thanks to the Esper Union and the city being located being outside the vicinity of any nearby Miracles. All other regions are affected by Miramon attacks all year round. Hazlitt has been identified by the Esper Union as a danger zone, and the Union does not approve of anyone entering the city unless necessary.
Metro News: You and the Esper World 8: Mysterious Forbidden Zone, the Wallis District
"Wallis District, Hazlitt's most mysterious area. We haven't been able to explore it for various reasons but one day, the truth shall light a path in the darkness and we will see what’s inside." — Esper Union, Pritzker
Located in the eastern part of the Hazlitt Peninsula, it is a region dominated by hills. The land here is barren and there are not a lot of resources or minerals in the area. Hazlitt has never bothered to develop this location.
In 2016 D.H., the Hazlitt government suddenly cordoned off this area and named it the Wallis District. The security and secrecy level of the Wallis District was so high that the rest of the city thought it was a restricted military zone. Hazlitt officials have never commented on it. Since the Esper Union had no right to interfere in the city's inner workings, they did not pay much attention to the Wallis District.
No one was allowed to enter this area, but because of human nature, many people tried. They all disappeared without a trace.
No secret stays buried forever. With the fame of the Wallis District growing, some information was leaked. Rumors spoke of a mysterious research lab deep underground. It was suspected that Hazlitt was developing a "secret weapon" there.
After the Wallis District was established, a number of people went missing annually. This was brought to the attention of the Esper Union and they were also aware of the rumors being spread from Hazlitt citizens. They tried to negotiate with Hazlitt about entering Wallis District but were met with a swift refusal.
In 2024 D.H., when disappearances increased in Hazlitt, the Union tried to investigate the Wallis District once more but Hazlitt officials continued to block their efforts. The Union knew that what was going on in Wallis District was far more important than bureaucracy and red tape. Just when the Union was about to circumvent Hazlitt authorities, the Shackled Miracle arrived. The Union's goals changed to saving people immediately, and they deployed most of their forces to help evacuate people to safety. The investigation of the Wallis District was suspended due to its proximity to the Miracle. Wallis District seems to have been forgotten by the world, and no one has ever entered the area.
Metro News: You and the Esper World 9: No. 13, The Shackled Miracle
"Yes, I’m monitoring it. It emits a Divine Wave I've never seen before... And then, all the Miracles emitted a Divine Wave at the same time as if they were celebrating the birth of a new companion..."—Meredith
Four years after the appearance of the Withered Miracle in 2021 D.H., Miracle No. 13, known as the Shackled Miracle, arrived.
Ancient ruins appeared along the base of Shackled Miracle. This region was called the “Shackled Ruins." There were engravings in a language that no one recognized. The Esper Union researchers believe that they can gain a clear understanding of the origin of the Miracles if they can analyze and decipher these engravings.
When the Shackled Miracle erupted out of the ground and appeared above the ruins, it instantly destroyed everything around it. Right after that, it emitted a Divine Wave that no one had ever seen before and it swept the entire world. Somehow, this wave triggered the other Miracles, and they started emitting similar waves. The Esper Union called this phenomenon a "Resonance."
Under the influence of the Resonance, a large number of Miramon emerged. The Miramon that appear around the Shackled Miracle are often much larger and stronger than the Miramon farther away. Unlike the Miramon on the outskirts, the Miramon close to the ruins seem to understand that their mission is to guard the Miracle, and so they almost never leave the area.
Even so, the large number of Miramon on the outskirts of the Shackle Miracle was enough to destroy the city of Hazlitt. This was the biggest loss that humanity faced since the destruction of Estero Harbor.
According to Esper Union investigations, a large number of humans underwent Esper transformation during the Resonance, and the Esper population increased significantly. The speed at which the Miramon appeared at the various Miracles also increased and all cities started being attacked by Miramon. Miramon numbers and strength were far higher than usual, and the damage done was much higher than when the other Miracles appeared. This was also why Hazlitt fell so quickly.
The Union researchers believe that the battle for survival between humanity and the Miracles has entered a new phase with the advent of the Shackled Miracle. The Esper Union soon built the Chester Observatory to monitor the data coming from the Shackled Miracle in real-time. The Union realized that it needs to analyze and study the Shackled Miracle from all fronts in order to win the coming war