FORCED EVOLUTION
In the year 2056, a blinding white light flashed across the entire Earth. For a while, no one thought much of it—until people began to develop strange abilities. They all had one thing in common: they were under extreme stress when their powers awakened.
Ten years later, more and more individuals had awakened. The internet dubbed it "Forced Evolution"—a name inspired by how these abilities appeared in survival-like moments, almost like a supernatural version of an adrenaline spike. Society quickly realized that not everyone could awaken this evolution. As a result, schools were separated: one system for those with powers, and another for those without. These specialized schools helped students understand their abilities while still teaching traditional subjects—and in some cases, how to counter people with powers.
In a dark room sat a slightly overweight boy, surrounded by a mess of cups, snack wrappers, and bowls.
"Alright! Finally got the sword!" he shouted.
This was Riven Harlow, an 18-year-old gamer who spent most of his life in front of a screen. He leaned back in his creaking chair, eyes locked on the glowing display: a digital black-and-gold sword with red energy lines running down its middle. Above it, the words flashed: "The End Game Sword."
He sighed in satisfaction.
Suddenly, the door slammed open. His eyes squinted as the bright hallway light filled the room. Standing in the doorway was a woman with sharp brown hair and an even sharper expression.
"You lost the job," she said slowly.
Sweat slid down Riven's cheek.
An older man with jet-black hair—like Riven's—stormed in and dragged him by the arm into the living room.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Riven shouted as he stumbled.
Seated on the couch was a tall, athletic young man who shared the woman's brown hair. He looked about 6'4", while Riven stood at 5'7". This was Jordan Harlow, Riven's twin brother.
"How could you lose your job and not tell anyone?" the woman scolded. "We had to hear it from your brother."
"She's right," their father added. "In a month, you and your brother will be going your separate ways. Why couldn't you just be more like him?"
Riven knew exactly what his father meant. Unlike Riven, Jordan had awakened his abilities—not through trauma or stress, but naturally.
Natural Evolution. A phenomenon where people awaken powers with no trigger. It's theorized to be even more powerful than Forced Evolution, because it seems to be… random. Otherworldly. Almost divine.
Jordan was one of those rare individuals. His ability allowed him to control ink. It first appeared when he dropped a painting—and the character on the canvas began to move, looking strangely three-dimensional.
Riven, however, had no powers. Still, he had always been proud of his brother. Evolved people were in high demand. Jobs, schools, even military services chased after them.
"Anything to say for yourself?" their mother—Candice—asked.
After a pause, Riven shrugged and replied, "It was distracting me from my game. I was close to finishing."
Everyone's jaws dropped. Even Jordan, who had stayed silent, raised an eyebrow.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" their father roared. "You quit your job over some dumb game?!"
Riven nodded.
"But I completed it. I can get the job back if I want."
Candice, calm but disappointed, cut in. "You will… right?"
Riven nodded again.
His father ordered him to leave immediately and get his job back. Riven slipped on a black shirt and pants, then headed toward the door. As it clicked shut behind him, Jordan descended the stairs, a bag filled with paper in hand.
"I'm going to the park," he said.
"Okay, see you later. Good luck!" Candice called out.
"You know…" she added, turning to her husband. "We didn't have to be so hard on him."
"You're right," Kaden sighed. "But he needs something to ground him. Especially when his brother's a natural and he's not. Still… I believe, no matter what, they'll stick together."
Candice smiled and hugged him. "Yeah. You're right."
Riven walked down the street, already winded. He paused to catch his breath and glanced back at his house.
"Why am I so tired already?" he muttered. "My stamina sucks."
Around him, powered individuals filled the streets—some flying, some running too fast to see. One person had animal features. Another hovered mid-air while eating a sandwich.
As he neared the convenience store, Riven passed an alleyway. Suddenly, he felt something grip him. His feet were swept off the ground. He screamed—but no one turned.
When the pulling stopped, he faced two strangers—one with pink hair, the other with black.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Riven demanded.
"Who we are doesn't matter," the pink-haired one sneered. "What we want is your life."
"You must be wondering why we picked you. Easy. You look weak. Unevolved."
"You make me sick just looking at you," the other snapped. "Now shut up!"
Riven kept yelling for help—but no one heard.
"Realize it yet?" the pink-haired man laughed. "One of our powers blocks sound from reaching others."
Suddenly, the pink-haired man kicked Riven hard in the chest. Then the other stabbed him in the shoulder.
"AHHHHHH!"
Another stab—this time to the leg.
"AHHHHHHH!!"
Just as things seemed hopeless, a dog leapt from a nearby rooftop, biting into the attacker.
The man screamed in pain and blasted the dog into ink.
"What the hell was that?!"
Riven's eyes widened. "Jordan!!!"
His brother landed on the ground, flanked by four ink dogs.
"I knew something was up when you weren't at the store," Jordan growled.
The dogs split into pairs and tackled both attackers. Jordan rushed to Riven and drew a medic symbol on a paper, pressing it to his wounds. Riven gasped. He could feel his injuries healing. He had no idea Jordan's ink could do that.
But the black-haired attacker stood, furious. His ability blew all the dogs away.
"His power must be high-level," Jordan muttered. "I've got one move left. It'll cost me a ton of energy."
He scribbled a lion on paper and poured his energy into it. The inky beast came alive and lunged at the black-haired man, who tried to blast it away—but it only flinched. The lion roared, stunning the man, and bit deep into his shoulder.
The pink-haired attacker charged toward Jordan.
Riven tackled him—but his injuries still slowed him down. The man easily flipped Riven over and began to pummel him. Over and over.
Jordan called his name, but Riven's vision blurred.
Everything faded.
Until he saw a glowing prompt appear in front of him:
[FORCED EVOLUTION: ACTIVATED]