Crimson.
The world below is consumed by purgatory fire; there is no escape from the flames of hell or refuge from the apocalyptic reckoning.
From above, the scene is unspeakably dreadful. Perhaps the appropriate word to use here is hopeless. A world beyond redemption, smothered in ash and agony. Yeah, that's how the world looks like right now, at least from my perspective. But then again, I doubt there's anyone left alive to argue otherwise. And if there were, I wonder how they could possibly survive destruction on this scale.
Speaking of which... should I really be sitting here, wasting time, thinking about all these meaningless things?
Not that it matters anyway. What the hell can I even do?
Even if I tried, I couldn't save everyone. People were going to die, whether I helped or not.
So I wonder… should I even bother trying, especially given my peculiar condition?
I really am a waste, aren't I?
Believe it or not, they are special beings that walks this planet. Beings who are human… and yet not.
At first glance, they seem no different from you or me. They could be the janitor sweeping the school courtyard, the stranger on a train, or even the idol dancing beneath a cascade of stage lights.
They are called 'Genomorphs.'
A new species evolved from humanity, but no longer entirely human. Genomorphs are individuals whose bodies have been genetically altered, triggering internal anomalies that ordinary humans do not possess. These anomalies cause their very atoms to mutate, granting powers that defy natural law and physics.
For example, it's impossible for a normal human to lift an empty school bus. The human body simply doesn't possess the necessary strength to perform such a feat. Even if someone trained relentlessly for five to ten years and built exceptional muscle mass, they still wouldn't be able to carry a school bus.
The reason is simple: The human body has biological limitations hardwired into its structure such as limits in muscular density, tendon strength, skeletal load-bearing capacity, and neural inhibition. Our muscles may be powerful, but they're governed by protective mechanisms within the brain that prevent us from exerting full force, lest we tear ourselves apart.
After all, bones can only withstand so much stress before snapping. Joints can only rotate so far before dislocating. And even if someone were to override the mental inhibitors that limit strength, like during an adrenaline spike, the physical body would still give out under the strain. Well, that's not to say it's entirely impossible for a normal human to perform feats that border on the superhuman. Extreme conditions and circumstances can push people to achieve the unimaginable.
And of course, as a scientist myself, I fully understand that while such occurrences are rare, the probability isn't zero, just astronomically low.
But then again, so was the probability of someone bending metal or punching through concrete walls with their bare hands.
So was the chance of a person flying.
Or stretching their body to impossible lengths like rubber.
Or teleporting from point A to point B in the blink of an eye.
Or conjuring flames from their fingertips and becoming a living inferno.
And perhaps most incredibly of all, so was the probability of someone running fast enough to outrun their own shadow, skim across water, race up skyscrapers, or dodge bullets mid-air.
No matter how crazy it sounds, no matter how delusional or out of touch with reality it may seem, all the things that were once deemed impossible or purely theoretical became possible after that 'incident.'
Yes, everything began on that fateful day. I remember it as if it were yesterday, even though it feels like a lifetime ago.
The day the world split in two.
The day humanity changed.
The day everything went to hell.
That was the day my life and my misfortune truly began.
How could I forget it after all this time?