3rd Pov
Around 400 years ago, as everyday life was progressing on Earth as always, something occurred that changed the Earth forever.
Similar to every day, People on Earth were doing their daily life routines, for some working to excellence and for some wasting their time on minor matters, such as scrolling down the social media endlessly.
Nonetheless, all these people's lives changed on the day of reckoning, the day that the world was thrown into chaos.
During a normal day the streets were buzzing with crowds and everyone was minding their own business, a bright green light appeared out of nowhere and shone over all around the world and thus the beginning of changes was seen.
The said light affected the whole world, and no one was safe from it. Especially most of the life forms which made them undergo various changes.
Animals began to mutate and experience visible changes in their appearance, one that gave mankind fear for their life and safety.
Not only did their appearance change, they also gained abilities that gave some of them the power to bring destruction and mayhem to wherever they stumble upon.
To make the situation worse than it was, the mutations didn't only affect and change animals.
Any form of life such as plants, Insects and many other life forms underwent the said change.
Due to this change, Panic rose everywhere. People screaming and running away from these mutated creatures.
Blood was shed all around the world, with people hopelessly running away from these beasts, only to fall and be massacred by these beasts.
Even the military forces couldn't amount to much against these abnormal anomalies, not like they were supposed to be useful at all.
But alas hope wasn't yet lost for humanity as humans also were affected by the green light and gained access to controlling elements.
People who managed to control elements were called Visionaries, and came up together to create new forces to stand against the beasts.
Not only that, some people were lucky to even awaken abilities that to most would seem like a dream while to others a curse as it wasn't helpful, nevertheless the amount of people that awakened such abilities were lower than those who only awakened the power to control elements.
With the new weapon at the hands of mankind, humans fought back against these mutants and struggled against them to keep the dominance of humanity race over the earth.
As time went on due to the changes that happened the previous societies were destroyed and new ones were born. New kingdoms were made and each kingdom had its own set of rules.
In the Humanities Kingdom, a city filled with bright light through the light which showed the existence of technology in this area, a young boy clad in a black cloak who was no older than nine, was seen running through the streets, as if running away from something.
A few seconds later, two men clad in Blue militaristic uniforms ran after the young boy.
As the chase went on, the kid used the busy street environment to his advantage and managed to get away from his pursuers.
Arriving in front of a dark alleyway, the boy entered the alley without a second thought and hid in there.
By the boy's logic, he should be safe in a dark alley that is empty of any presence.
The two officers who were chasing the boy shortly arrived at the alley and the younger one chose to explain his plan to his partner.
"Let's spread out. You check up the alley for that damn thief and I will run down the rest of the main street to find a trace of him."
The other man who was an old man with white hair and an appearance that showed wisdom nodded and ran in the direction of the main street.
Meanwhile the young officer ventured into the alley while examining the area in hopes of finding the robber.
The man heard a rustle from a box that was piled up on another and smiled.
A mark similar to a tattoo was then lit up on the man's hand which made all the sounds coming from him silent. Using his ability to his advantage, he slowly made his way towards the boxes.
"I got you now kid. Be a good boy and don't make any noises," he said as he kicked the boxes to reveal whoever was hiding behind them, but alas no one was seen there.
"Wha-" Before the man could even finish what he was saying, something hit him on the back of his head.
*thud*
The man fell to the ground and lost consciousness, not knowing who was the person that did this to him.
"Huff... huff..." the sound of young boys' ragged breathing could be heard as he was standing on top of him while holding an iron bar.
"I'm safe for now..." He muttered weakly and sat on the ground. He then took out a piece of bread that he stole and bit on it.
After chewing and gulping the bread down he stood up again "I better get going or his partner might show up." he spoke to no one but himself.
"Well you shouldn't have spoken loudly if you wanted to hide." An old voice replied making the boy freeze in his place due to being caught.
Turning around he saw the appearance of the man that had caught him, who was an old man that was standing firmly In front of him.
The old man saw the boy's wry expression and chuckled to himself. He then took out a loaf of bread that was sealed in a paper bag and gave it to the boy.
"Hmm I wonder, where did that boy go? Did you see anything?"
A smile adorned the boy's face as he shook his head, though the old man couldn't see it due to his face being covered by the cloak he was wearing.
"What a shame. Guess I'll have to look somewhere else for him."
The boy without saying anything further left the alley, leaving the old man with the young officer.
The old officer picked up his partner and chuckled seeing his partner's condition.
"Guess that boy did a number on you."
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As the boy ventured through the city, he stumbled upon a sight that captivated him.
He was standing in front of a two storey store that was decorated with bright colours and hand crafts.
What caught the boys attention was what the store sold, that being chocolates, candy and different kinds of sweets.
He walked inside the store and looked at all the cadies that were put up for sale and his mouth began to water.
But the price tag stopped the boy from choosing and buying one of those delicious looking chocolates.
As he sighed and looked down with slumped shoulders, he couldn't help but feel a tang of sadness.
After all he could see the children inside the store with their parents who spoiled them, something he didn't have.
As he turned around to leave, the store's door sprung open and an old lady walked inside of the store while holding onto a wooden cane.
The old lady then bought two packets of milky chocolates and after paying the price, she put one of them in her bag.
She then turned around and looked at the young boy who was wearing shabby clothes Infront of her and gave the packet to him.
"But these are yours..." The boy said as he rejected the packet.
The old lady giggled slightly and didn't retreat her hand "Just pay me when you grow up to a fine man."
The boy still was recletant to take the packet but the sight of chocolates was enough for him to finally take it.
"Thank you." He muttered in a low voice and ran out of store, seemingly to be in hurry.
After a long walk and exiting the central part of the city and walking towards the direction opposite of it, the boy finally arrived at the slum district.
Slum district was the name of this part of the city that was true to its name, was the living place of poor people and shelter for the homeless and the weak.
As the young boy walked beside an empty street and passed many people with ragged and tattered clothes, he reached a shabby looking hut.
The hut was made out of wood and hay, showing that it wasn't built by a bright mind.
It was made with the help of other people in the slum district with the least of necessary materials.
A Bald man with tanned skin and btulky body saw the boy and whistled, gaining the boys attention.
"I'm surprised that you made it out safely again. Did you get it?" He asked the boy.
The boy took out a bottle of cheap alcohol that he had stolen from a shop and threw it towards the man.
He caught the booze effortlessly and smiled widely "As expected of you. Here's your payment."
He said as he gave the boy a box that contained several ripped but usable clothes.
The boy didn't converse with the tanned skin man and entered the shabby-looking hut.
Entering the hunt without making any noise, he put down the box that contained the clothes and took a sigh from relief.
His eyes then met up with another group of people and their eyes shone upon seeing him.
"Brother!" they yelled in union while rushing towards him.
The boy took off his cloak and his appearance was revealed. Smooth but dirty white Hair, Silver eyes, and a face that insured that he wouldn't be maidenless in future.
The boy's face lit up upon seeing people that he considered his family and smiled gently at them.
"Come here everyone, I brought food."
The kids ran to him and hugged him dearly, after that the boy gave them the bread that he had stolen and the one that the old man gave him.
Everyone sat on the ground around a makeshift table and they all started eating the bread he brought.
A small 4-year-old boy with brown hair and brown eyes locked eyes with him "You don't eat with us, Claude?"
The boy that had brought the food, which his name was revealed to be Claude smiled at him.
"No I already ate my fill on the way." Claude then felt something pulling his shirt and looked to the side to see another one of his siblings looking at him blankly and offering him a piece of her bread.
"Eat." she said quietly, as she shoved the bread in Claude's face, but even then he didn't eat the bread.
Claude put his hand on her head and caressed her hair gently "Ellie don't worry I'm not lying. I really ate mine on the way."
Among his siblings, Ellie was closest to him in age, being one year and a few months younger than him.
She had short black hair with brown eyes and a face that was too good for a child that lived in the slums.
"But Big Brother said this before and he lied to us." another one rebutted.
Claude sighed "last time I might have lied but not this time. Anyway, finish eating dinner and go to bed, ok?"
"Ok." they all said in unison.
After dinner everyone used the stairs to go to the upper part of the hut, it wasn't anything special as it was filled with hay and ripped clothes to make somewhat a comfortable sleeping area for the children and to keep them warm against the cold weather.
"Claude..." Ellie said in a low voice while everyone else had already fallen asleep.
"What is it, Ellie?" Claude answered back while looking at the wooden sailing.
"Can I come with you to the city next time you go?"
"And who will look after them while we're gone?"
"..." Ellie was silent for a few seconds "Forget it." She replied as she turned her back to him.
Claude sighed and decided to spoil his sister.
"I think I spoiled you guys too much. Fine, you can come along with me."
"Good night Claude." Ellie smiled faintly and muttered before she fell asleep
"Goodnight Ellie."
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Claude Pov
A few hours passed since I fell asleep but due to a weird smell, I woke up and slowly opened my eyes.
"It feels warmer than usual, it shouldn't be like this..."
The hut we lived in even with the best of my efforts, felt cold around this time of season so the temperature couldn't be warm.
I still remember how we almost got sick because of it last year.
My eyes roamed around and I finally took in the horror that was happening.
"No..." I muttered as I saw something that would never leave my mind for the rest of my life.
The hut we lived in, the same place we shared memories, the place that I called a home in this shitty world, was set on fire and was burning.
If that wasn't enough, we were in it and was in danger of being burnt with it any second.
The smoke from burnt wood was finally apparent. Without a second thought, I yelled loudly to wake up my siblings.
Everyone woke up and was confused by my action, but upon seeing the horrified look on my face they came out of their daze.
"Everyone listen to me. I don't know why but this place is burning. Ellie take Chris with you and I'll take Emma and Max" I told her and she did what I ordered without questioning me.
It's always good to have someone like her with you that doesn't question you.
Using the ladder while carrying the other siblings who were shrouded with fear was a hard task but Ellie and I managed to successfully climb down with them.
"Quick, get out of the hut," I yelled and tried to run for it but unfortunately, something happened that will always haunt me in my memories.
The wooden roof began to collapse on us. The same roof that had protected us from the hardships of nature, was now set on killing us.
I hurriedly tried to push Ellie with the kids out to at least save them, but it seemed Ellie had the same thought as me and had already pushed me.
"Why..." I said as I looked at her eyes while a part of the sailing was falling on her.
Everything at that moment passed in slow motion for me.
I saw Ellie that from the motion of her mouth was muttering the word "Thank you." before closing her eye and getting ready to die.
The sad smile on her face was the last thing and last time that I saw Her before the falling part of the roof devoured her and Chris with its fall.
She had pushed me out of the way because I was carrying two of our siblings. She decided to do it so only two of us dies instead of three.
"Why her... Why why why-" I kept repeating as tears fell from my eyes, but then I remembered that I still had to get what was left of my family out of the hut.
I quickly picked up Emma and Max and tried to get out of the hut but that was when I was met with yet another despairing scene. The collapsed sailing had blocked the way out.
'Its over. There's nothing I could do. If only I was also one of those awakened people.' I thought to myself.
As despair was consuming me I felt the tight hold of Emma and Max as they were scared and were clutching my shirt while crying.
Seeing their situation I got a reality check up that I can't be crying and despairing like this, not when my siblings are in this situation.
'Right, I can't lose myself now, I need to save them even if it means sacrificing myself.' I resolved myself and quickly examined the hut to find a way out.
What if I break one of the wooden walls? No, I can't as I might not be able to break it, and breaking it might cause the rest of the sailing to fall on us.
The next option would be using the space opened by the collapse of sailing.
We can get out of here through there but to do that I need to carry these two up the ladders by myself again.
And most of the upper part is already set on fire cause it's filled with hay and clothes, but then again if I can get through it then we will surely escape.
If Getting a few burns is the only way to save my family then so be it.
"Hold on to me tightly and don't let go ok?" I said to Emma and Max with a reassuring voice, trying to calm them down.
In response, they nodded and held on to me tightly.
"Alright, here we go." I then ran to the ladder and tried to use it to ascend as fast as possible.
But then a problem came up that I didn't think about. Carrying small kids like them wouldn't normally be a problem as their weight is less than normal kids their age cause of the situation we live in, but even then carrying someone while walking or even descending is easier than when you are carrying them and moving upwards.
Not only that, due to the heat in the environment the ladder was grown to be hot and was burning my hand.
As we were getting closer to the upper part of the hut, the pressure that came from their weight was increasing.
While clenching my teeth together and enduring the pain and the sensation of being burnt in my hands, we finally reached the upper part.
As I expected our made-shift beds were on fire and the smoke made from them was intoxicating as it made breathing harder.
"Now how should I get over these?" I asked no one but then I heard the sound of coughing and noticed that Emma and Max had inhaled some of the smoke and it was hurting them.
I cursed my luck as it seemed They couldn't hold on any longer.
"This is going to hurt a lot."
I ran as fast as possible while carrying them to our exit and due to the hut almost being broken the wood under my foot began to crack to fall.
The sensation of burning spread across my body as my legs were burning from walking on fire, but I didn't have the time to cry in pain as our lives were more important now.
'Endure it... This is nothing compared to what Ellie must have felt while being burned alive.'
As I reached the exit, I mustered all the strength I had in my legs and jumped.
Crashing to the ground cause of the height I jumped from sent another wave of pain through my body.
I got up and coughed a little and took in the fresh air. My body hurts like hell, But it's ok now I was safe, we were safe from that fire.
"Guys you can let go now we're safe now." but I didn't get any response from them.
I put them down and saw that their eyes were closed and they weren't breathing "No no no..."
"Come on Max... Emma... Wake up, please." I begged as tears welled up in my eyes.
"Is there Anyone to help us please?" I yelled loudly but no one came to help us.
No one could because looking around, the whole slums or at least what my eyes saw was burning in fire.
I then heard the footsteps of a person getting close to us. My hopes got up by knowing there was a person that could potentially help us, so I turned towards them.
It was Jack, the tanned skin man that I gave him that cheap booze.
"Kid what happened!??" He said as he rushed towards me and my siblings to help us.
But before he could, I saw the silhouette of a person wearing a black mask and cloak.
He held his hand towards Jack and in a fraction of a second, a bright light shone from his hand.
A brilliant light shone from his hand and the moment it reached Jack, He was set on fire, burning alive Infront of me.
I held my breath as I saw the scene unfold and as the fire went off, Jack's limp and burnt body fell Infront me.
The smell of burnt flesh made me feel nauseous, making me almost throw up.
The Cloaked figure walked towards us which made me shiver from fear, nevertheless I stood Infront of my siblings to protect them from him.
The figure smiled sadistically and chuckled "Quite bold of you to protect someone while you're powerless. I hate your kind more than anything."
He then grabbed me by my throat and held me in air, making me gag and beg for an ounce of air to breath again.
"But then again your will to survive is something admirable."
Then without saying anything more, he moved his hand towards Max and Emma.
Knowing what was going to happen I grabbed the hand that was choking me and tried to break free.
"Watch and learn. This is what happens when you want to protect someone but you are powerless to do so."
"Please no..." I muttered weakly but he didn't care about what I said and the damned cursed light shone from his hand again.
That moment, I lost the last surviving members of my family in front of me in the most gruesome way.
Their body burned to ash In front of my eyes and nothing was left of it.
The man then released his hold on my neck and I fell to the ground.
"I wont kill you so you can live with this for the rest of your life."
Without saying anything further, he left me all alone.
I unconsciously moved towards the pile of burnt bodies of my siblings. My hand touching the charred hand of max.
The moment I touched it, it fell apart like dust. I couldn't handle it anymore. To see my siblings reduced to this.
I didn't care anymore about the fire and the screams of the people that were burning alive, at that moment I only wanted this all to end.
Feeling weak, I went limp and without being able to do anything, I lost consciousness.
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3rd pov
In the slum district People were running and screaming as blood and fire were spilled everywhere. The smell of burnt bodies and blood was dominant in the air
No one was safe from the accident. Many were crushed to death under the rubble, many were burnt to death by fire that its source was unknown.
Those who managed to survive were in a critical situation because of the wounds they had suffered.
Amidst the chaos, although late help finally arrived. People clad in blue militaristic uniforms arrived and spread out to help and put out the fire.
Amongst them, a woman was wearing a different color of the uniform, a symbol of her being the leader
The woman had long blonde hair braided in a ponytail, violet eyes that brimmed with confidence, and a face and body that would gather attention due to its beauty.
"First heal those that are alive, don't focus on the building too much. We can make them again but we can't bring a dead person," she commanded in a firm and loud voice.
She also didn't sit idly and scanned the area till her eyes settled down on a young boy laying motionless on the ground, beside him was the burnt body of an adult.
"A kid survived a situation like this?"She muttered and ran towards the boy.
Burn marks had spread all over his body and most of his clothes were also tattered and burnt.
She sighed as she hated this part of her job. Being in control and having power but not be able to use it to save someone.
The woman clenched her fists and went down on her knees and picked up the boy in bridal style and carried him with her.
After a while one of the people under her command ran toward her and saluted "We have taken care of everything commander."
"I see. thank you for your hard work." she said and smiled gently. Then her face turned serious "Did you manage to find out who was behind this massacre?"
"Not yet commander." the man said while lowering his head. "Commander what about the child you are holding?"
She looked back at the boy who had yet to awake from pain and exhaustion in her hands.
"I'll take him with me."
"But he's from the slums." the man refuted
The popular belief of people was that those who come from slums are not even worth a second of their time. They were trash and so they were rightfully placed in where they belonged.
"And?" the woman said while glaring at him.
"Nothing!!" the man yelled and shrieked in terror as he felt the aura radiating from the woman.
"Good. Keep investigating and find out which psycho did this." Her glare then disappeared and she began to walk away while carrying the young boy in her hands.
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