noveltune Chapter 1: How it started
Chapter 1: How it started
Students gathered in the school compound, the cool afternoon air gently brushing their skin and their faces alight with anticipation.
Most students engaged in animated conversations with their friends, while others maintained a calm and composed demeanor.
Today was the day they had all eagerly awaited—the day when high mages would visit the academy to assist the students in awakening their unique mutant abilities.
Several years prior, a strange lightning bolt struck the earth, creating a rift at the world's center. From this rift emerged vicious creatures that flooded the planet. These creatures, known as Mutants, possessed tough, indestructible scales, incredible strength capable of toppling skyscrapers with a single finger.
But that was not all.
The mutants also had other extraordinary abilities such as elemental manipulation, telekinesis, and powers previously unknown to humanity. Their rampage caused immense destruction, and humanity's attempts to fight back with conventional weapons proved futile.
After years of relentless conflict, Earth's soldiers succeeded in defeating one of these mutants and bringing it back to their laboratories. Experienced scientists then began their work, eventually discovering a method to transfer the mutant's abilities to humans.
By extracting the ability from the mutant's core and integrating the raw energy with the human body, they created a new kind of mutant with their own powers.
With this breakthrough, humanity regained hope, as they began to combat mutants using their own abilities. Any mutant killed was taken to the lab, where its ability core was extracted and bestowed upon a human.
The war continued for many years. When the mutants, now on the defensive, began retreating and withdrawing into their lairs, they had already decimated 99 percent of the world's population.
Years after the war, surviving families who had acquired mutant abilities passed these powers down through generations. The only way for the new generation to fully hone these abilities was with the assistance of the high mages who had been present during the war. Once individuals reached the age of sixteen, a mage would come to the academy to perform the awakening ritual.
"I wonder what grade of mutant ability I'll awaken today. I've heard so many stories. My great-grandparents were among the most powerful mutant ability users during the war. They made significant contributions. If they were so powerful, then I must have such potential within me.
All I need now is for the mage to perform the ritual, and I'll handle the rest," a frail-looking boy with rough brown hair and sunken cheeks muttered, his eyes filled with anticipation.
"Shut up, Moses. It doesn't work that way," a boy standing beside Moses interrupted. "Haven't you heard stories about people from powerful families awakening grade-one mutant abilities? It doesn't matter who your parents or grandparents were. What matters is how many mutant cells they passed down to you and whether your body can handle a high-grade ability." The boy, known as Jerry, added.
"That won't be my fate. I know I am destined for greatness. All I need now is the mage's help to start the ritual, and then I'll prove myself," Moses declared confidently, clenching his fists.
As the two boys discussed, they noticed three teachers carrying what appeared to be a gigantic crystals. Despite the combined effort of the three, the crystal was cumbersome and difficult to manage.
They placed the crystal on a raised platform in front of the students and stepped back, taking their positions behind it.
The students observed the teachers and the enormous crystal on the platform with bewilderment.
After a few minutes, a blinding light appeared at the center of the platform, prompting the students to shield their eyes. The light grew more intense by the second until it finally faded.
Once the light dissipated, the students cautiously opened their eyes and refocused on the raised platform.
"Is that the mage?" a female student exclaimed, spotting a man standing tall in the center of the platform.
Moses strapped the belt around his waist. The moment it was fastened, he felt raw energy coursing through his veins, circulating throughout his body. The sensation was calming and invigorating, giving Moses a sense of lasting energy.
With the skill slot secured, Moses stomped his foot, causing a rock to rise from the ground and float before him. The students below watched in awe and began clapping.
"You are free to leave now, Moses! Next student, please step forward! Brandon Steele!" Winchester announced.
Moses descended the platform and returned to his friend joyfully.
Brandon Steele approached the platform, trembling with nerves and drenched in sweat. A look of apprehension marked his face as he stood before the crystal.
"Please, place your hands on the crystal and concentrate," Winchester instructed.
Brandon exhaled deeply, slowly extended his hands to touch the crystal, and closed his eyes, focusing with all his might.
Unlike Moses, whose crystal had glowed brilliantly, Brandon's crystal emitted only a faint blue light barely visible in daylight.
The environment remained calm and quiet, with no significant energy fluctuations.
Winchester glanced at the side of the crystal and his expression shifted to one of disappointment as he saw the number written on it.
"Brandon Steele has awakened a Grade One Air mutant ability!" Winchester's voice echoed throughout the compound.
Laughter erupted among the students, and some began taunting Brandon.
Brandon lowered his head in embarrassment, wishing he could disappear.
Winchester summoned a skill slot with a single glowing bar and handed it to Brandon, who accepted it listlessly before leaving the platform. As he returned to his place, the students continued to mock him for awakening the weakest grade.
"Shall we continue?" Winchester cleared his throat.
He resumed calling out names, and students quickly moved to the platform to awaken their mutant abilities.
Most students awakened grade-two abilities, while a few achieved grade-three, like Moses. No one else awakened a grade-one ability after Brandon, and no one surpassed grade-three.
The ritual continued until Winchester finally called the name everyone had been waiting for.
"Angelica Wesley, please step forward!" Winchester announced, and the crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
Angelica walked gracefully toward the platform. She had long blue hair that reached her waist, piercing blue eyes, and a doll-like, pretty face. Her appearance was captivating, leaving many of the boys in awe.
She hailed from a powerful family renowned for their Ice mutant abilities, with both her parents being grade-five users. This background made everyone eager to see what grade she would awaken.