Chapter 11: The Great Chaos

Several hours after the dark fog had vanished, absorbed into the very essence of all living things, approximately a twentieth of the world's population had manifested special abilities, which would later be dubbed 'gifts'. These gifts could be broadly categorised into three distinct types: physical power, transformational power, and memorial power.

One out of every twenty individuals had acquired these remarkable abilities, setting them apart from the rest of humanity.

Consequently of gaining potent power, the newfound super-humans saw themselves as omnipotent beings, akin to gods, believing that they were the chosen ones, the sole recipients of these extraordinary powers.

The innate greed of human nature revealed its fangs, and chaos erupted. Stores were plundered and left barren, towering skyscrapers in the cityscape were reduced to rubble.

The world's great evolution gave birth to catastrophe, and this period would forever be remembered as the apex of greed. The chaos reigned for an entire week, until the five popes harnessed their newfound powers to combat the unrest and quell the insatiable desires of the super-humans.

"In breaking news: The upcoming weeks have been designated as a time of mourning, as our estimates indicate that roughly an eighth of the global population has tragically perished. Many unfortunate individuals either received weak powers or, even worse, no powers at all, leaving them defenceless. This period will be etched into the annals of history."

"More breaking news: Regrettably, we have just learned of the passing of Pope Lucetta Acidinus of the Church of Phoebus. She made a great sacrifice to suppress the chaos but was ultimately defeated by one of the super-humans."

From this moment forth, the catastrophic event was known as 'The Great Chaos.'

Three months later.

During 'The Great Chaos,' countless homes had been laid to waste, including Runo's. Consequently, he and his mother had sought refuge in a shelter until new policies, funded by the five churches, provided them with high-rise apartments.

In their modern new apartment, kitchen utensils danced through the air, as if they had a mind of their own, working in harmony to create a cake. Runo's mother, wielding her newfound gift, effortlessly controlled these objects, much like a fairy godmother.

The rift in Runo's mother's heart was now slowly stitching itself back together. Happiness had returned to her, and this brought a radiant smile to Runo's face.

"La la la, la la, la la la!" his mother sang, her heart filled with joy.

While Runo hadn't received any extraordinary abilities, he didn't mind in the least, as long as his mother was happy.

Over time, scientists had developed advanced technologies, including a gift testing kit, designed to determine if one harboured the dark energy within their body. A small drop of blood was all that was needed for the test. The five churches had since employed this technology to compile a comprehensive database of the 'gifted'.

Today marked the day when Runo and his mother would undergo testing, administered by members of the Church of Noblesse. They arrived at their apartment, placing a computer equipped with the testing kit on the countertop. A quick puncture to Runo's and his mother's pinky finger produced the necessary blood sample.

The computer began its analysis, and unsurprisingly, Runo's mother's result came back positive. It was promptly added to the database. However, the computer chimed once more, and when Runo's test result was displayed as positive, his eyes widened, and his mouth hung agape in sheer astonishment.

"How could this be? I don't even have any sort of power!" Runo exclaimed, utterly flabbergasted.