In 2022, a abominable ball of light fell down upon the earth, massacring nearly four billions people and exterminating almost all ecosystems that have ever existed.
That day, everything changed. Nothing was the same as before. People were neither laughing nor crying. No one was able to speak, only writhing in pain that seemed to corrode their system.
Radiation filled the air. More than half of the lands on earth were poisoned. No people dared to come, the inhabitants were all gone, animal and humans. The city, the country, the continents, were left empty.
Survivors were not be able to hold on much longer, especially those who were directly exposed to the radiation.
They were either died on the spot or unluckily lived for another couple of days to continue their unwanted suffering. They would rather died peacefully rather than to open their eyes only to see their body begin to deteriorate.
That was only the beginning.
As if that was not enough to torment them, fate decided to give them more.
Aside from melting down humans body, radiation also gave birth to the most dangerous and bloodthirsty beast, The Corrupted. It was a chimera-like monster, a mixed between humans and animals, or even humans, animals, and things. The appearances were grotesque, very traumatizing and terrifying.
They hunt down people, killed them, and devoured them.
Brought more chaos and misery to the world that had been abandoned by Gods.
Among 3 billions survivors, 60% of them died soon.
Humans had given up.
For them, the world had already ended. Lives had already reached their limit. The earth was done for.
However, not all of them was hopeless.
Around 35% of them was able to preserve.
Despite the radiation that kept on eating away their insides, their body was still able to resist it. It was not a great resistance though, just enough to help them temporarily cease away the pain.
These people were very lucky to still be able to walk around without feeling so much pain.
At least they had enough power to hide themselves from The Corrupted, and stay alive for a couple of decades ahead. That was already a miracle.
At last, God had not yet abandoned them. There was still hope.
As for the remaining 5%....
They would be the exceptions.
500 years later.
The population was slowly growing back but was no way near enough. It was still to little, and considering the amount of people that died everyday, every weeks, every months, the progress was barely moving.
On the other hand, the civilization was completely different from before. Countries were gone, districts were born. Technology were far more advanced, and all public facilities were built new.
Radiation still exist, though, and the air on those contaminated lands was still able to turn human body into dust just by being near there. There were transparent wall everywhere near the border between the restricted lands and the cities. People absolutely could never find a way to get outside no matter what. That was for the best.
Other than that, the relationship between former countries were better than before. They could find this 'comrade-in-arms' feeling on each other, thus they were joining hands together to attain prosperity during the days of apocalypse. All for the sake of the greater good. Fine enough.
The rather unfortunate things was that, the life expectancy all around the world kept on declining all because of the radiation. The longest was 50 years as it was recorded on the latest report. Therefore, to prevent it to go down any deeper, each of previous country leaders decided to establish a new policy regarding child birth.
Every married couple should have children, three or more, in their family. Those who were considered as adults should get married, and no same-sex relationships were allowed.
In other words, all humans must reproduce. There are no exception.
It was fine, though. Everyone accepted this new regulations willingly, no objection.
The only problem here was, satisfaction.
Humans are greedy, envious creature that has ever been created by God.
They have their common sense, they have their needs, and they have their wants.
Once they were given the taste of a miracle, they wanted more.
Just being alive was not enough.
People like to dream big, and hope they could turn it to be real.
Now with the limit of 50 years, no more than that, what could they actually achieve?
They wanted to live longer, they wanted to have more time to do this and that. To experience things.
If they could not do their dreams, what was the purpose of them living in the first place? What is the purpose of postponing their deaths?
There was a bitter taste left in their mouth, and they were forced to swallow it.
And there were also 'the exceptions', and people hated them to the core.
The exceptions are the most perfect of them all. Those who did not have any difficulties, people said, those who were blessed. The true survivors.
Their population were the smallest, yet, it was getting bigger and bigger by years.
From 5% turned to 6%, from 7% turned to 8%, 9 to 10%. These people seemed to be doing more than just 'great'.
Radiation did not seem to bother them-
No, it did affect them.
They once were dying too, yes.
They too were once suffering from never ending pain, just like the others.
For they too were once,
humans.
However, their story soon turned out to be different in the end. They suffered, they died, they reborn.
They did not continue dying, like others, their body soon were able to get accustomed to the radiation. Their immune system grew stronger causing their health to improve and keep on improving exponentially until they were no longer feel any pain.
Radiation was no enemy to them anymore, for they was not resistant but immune to it.
And, there is more.
It was...magic.
Fear.
That was what they feel when they first discovered their hidden ability.
It was magically appear there, like a man suddenly able to shoot fire from their finger tips when they tried to light his fireplace.
It was terrific.
Yet soon, it became their main weapon to fight The Corrupted.
No one was able to repel The Corrupted, but they could.
Everything was possible with magic.
This was the enlightenment.
This was evolution.
They were the only exceptions.
The lucky one, the chosen one.
Maybe it was the grace of the lady luck, or maybe it was their destiny from the start.
That they would be the ones who would bring the world to the new era.
To live as those who were the true survivors of this apocalypse world.
To whom the people referred as, The Immortal.
But, were their life truly as beautiful as how it supposed to be?
Having a great power, did it guarantee them to have an easy life too?
By being chosen, it looked like they were loved by Gods. But was it really the case?
Being The Immortal.
Being the only exceptions.
For me, was the other way around.
It was a curse.
My name is Alleen, and this is my story.
As The Immortal.