Silence.

Pain. Guilt. Helplessness. Sadness. Rage

All those emotions converged into one feeling, one that had long been suppressed.

Hatred.

High above a gaping crater, a young man hovered, his back adorned with crackling lightning wings. Electric bolts flowed through his entire being, his eyes and hair glowing in bluish-white brilliance. Several powerful bolts shot out from him toward the ground, creating new craters while a complex white halo appeared above his head. From the sky, he looked at the world below, his gaze bearing the weight of a vengeful deity.

Down on the ground, hundreds of persons channeled the energy through their bodies, activating their abilities, and preparing to defend themselves. In the forefront, five figures locked eyes with the young man. Just as one of them was about to speak, the young man brought them all to their knees with a mere wave of his hand.

 "Kneel before your god," he declared, his will pressing upon the world.

******

[Accessing data…]

[Public knowledge information: The New World]

[New World year 219

The signing of the Humankind Cooperation Treaty in 0 N.W. and the subsequent creation of the HSA in 1 N.W., brought hope for a better future to people. Through collaboration, humanity was able to progress again. International scientific endeavors shed light on a new and profound understanding of the world, the universe, and the espers.

This collective effort resulted in the creation of groundbreaking technologies. Existing innovations were refined, while other concepts were reinvented entirely. Long-held beliefs were challenged, and our collective knowledge was rebuilt from scratch. The devastating effects of climate change were reversed. The great animal extinction was halted, and long-lost species were resurrected, once again gracing our world with their presence.

Society, scarred by its tumultuous past, underwent a process of maturation. A World Constitution was established in 7 N.W., ushering in an era of democracy that extended across three great nations and the HSA. Espers, once feared and misunderstood, seamlessly integrated into society, using their abilities to help humankind. As humanity triumphed over its differences, all forms of segregation and discrimination faded away, leaving only unity and cooperation in their wake. Crime was completely eradicated. Hunger and poverty disappeared from the world, existing only as distant memories. While some jobs were replaced by machines, a lot of new occupations also appeared.

With the end of the long period of war, also called the Dark Era, began a long era of peace and progress for humankind, an era that shall endure as we stand united.

In Unity, We Find Strength.]

[End of the record]

******

"Stop it…" a woman's feeble voice pleaded.

Then pain.

"Stop it… Please don't hurt him," she begged.

The man turned to her, relishing in her despair. A maniacal smile crept across his face as the sensations of agony and fear intensified.

The memories were fuzzy, but certain fragments remained, the fire… the fear… the pain… and then… an overwhelming power.

Pain… Weakness… Despair… and finally, darkness.

"Promise me, Seth"

In the middle of a room, a young boy with white hair jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat and gasping for breath.

'F*cking nightmare,' he thought, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his hand.

"Seth! Wake up or you'll be late for school!" a woman's voice called out.

Seth quickly looked at the clock on his nightstand.

"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed, leaping out of bed and preparing himself in a rush.

Meanwhile, the sound of a TV filled the living room.

"-Good morning Sunrise City! This is New World News, and today we have yet another beautiful day in the city of never-ending progress!

-That's right Sarah, however, today is also a day of remembrance. Today we commemorate those who lost their lives during the attack on the former fourth leading city: New Horizons City, carried out by the terrorist group known as Lux Aeterna.

-Indeed Leon, with a resulting death toll of around six hundred fifty thousand and the complete obliteration of a whole city, this remains the largest-scale terrorist attack ever seen. From brave HSA operators who gave their lives in order to protect the city, to innocent civilians who died in the crossfire, the rate of death in this attack was 48% for civilians and 92% for HSA operators.

-Six years have passed since then, but the aftermath of what Lux Aeterna declared as their first victory against the HSA lingers. The loss of the world's fourth leading city and the death of the first-ranked HSA esper, Michael Vronti also known as the Purple Raijin, as well as the former first-ranked, Mayla Fireborn also known as the Demon Phoenix, at the hands of Lux Aeterna marked humanity's darkest day since the Dark Era.

-To prevent such a tragedy from happening again, the HSA implemented significant changes, including the formation of their elite esper group.

-The Black Guard, a group of the most powerful HSA espers from Control up to Unity stage, specifically trained in combat to defeat Lux Aeterna operators and their elite group: "The Envoys", as well as any threats to humanity's survival.

-Since the creation of this new specialized unit, Lux Aeterna's attacks have waned in magnitude, with none reaching the scale of the New Horizons City attack. Their attempts have also grown increasingly rare, and all their operatives have been defeated by Black Guard members.

-Nevertheless, the HSA authorities continue to devote their efforts to locating the 'Envoys' and their leader, Adam Wagner, who has remained hidden since the attack on New Horizons City.

-You're absolutely right, Leon. And now, like every year for the past five years, the "Rising Espers Tournament" is just around the corner.

-That's correct! In three weeks, the 'Rising Espers Tournament', an event where the HSA will recruit the most promising first-year and second-year high school espers to join its ranks or the Black Guard, will be held worldwide.

-We'll provide you with more information about the tournament in the coming days.

-In other news, yesterday..."

'F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, I'm gonna be late for school' Seth cursed in his mind, bolting through the living room toward the door.

"Hey, Aunt, Uncle, I'm off!" he called out as he reached the threshold.

"Have a good day!" Seth's aunt and uncle replied from the kitchen just before the door closed.

"I swear that kid would forget his head if it wasn't attached to his body," chuckled the uncle as he washed the dishes.

"He's truly something special. Despite everything he's been through, he hasn't lost that spark," the aunt said with a smile while setting the table.

"Yeah…" the uncle nodded, a smile lingering on his face.

After losing his parents at the age of eight in the Lux Aeterna attack, Seth moved in with his mother's sister, his aunt, and her husband. They lived in the residential area just outside Sunrise City. This had been Seth's home for the past 6 years, nearly half his life.

As Seth dashed through the streets, he arrived at a colossal ring, about twenty meters in diameter, standing proudly in the center of a public square. Several people dressed for work or school were already gathered in front of it.

Suddenly, the ring lit up, filling its interior with vibrant purple light. Seth ran faster as he saw the teleportation turning on.

Shing!

Stepping into the teleportation ring, the world blurred around him, and in an instant, he found himself at the heart of a square surrounded by towering skyscrapers. Without wasting a second, Seth started running again.

Another glorious day bathed Sunrise City in radiant sunlight. The skyscrapers sparkled as the sun's rays weaved through them, casting a breathtaking glow. Advertisements for various products and services adorned the sides of the buildings, while the sky teemed with flying vehicles and hovering teleportation rings that accelerated movement across the city. On the ground, a multitude of people filled the streets, from diligent workers to students. Everyone had a destination and a purpose, some in a hurry, others more relaxed.

This sight never failed to captivate Seth, the vibrant pulse of a living city, the joyous faces of its inhabitants, and the sheer beauty of the world.

Smiling as he absorbed the panorama while running, Seth focused his gaze ahead. "The next teleportation ring is just two blocks away. It'll drop me a block from the academy, and I still have five minutes left... I can make it," he thought, increasing his speed.

As he arrived at the teleportation ring two boys the same age as him passed flying above him, clad in black uniforms with striking red details, the same as Seth's.

"Come on hurry up! We are gonna be late!" one of them urged.

"I'm going as fast as I can," answered the other one.

"Really? I'm not even going at half my maximum speed," the first taunted with a smirk.

"Oh shut up!"

Shing! Shing!

'Integration stage espers' Seth thought in amazement while looking at the espers disappear through the teleportation ring. At Seth's age, most espers were still at the manifestation stage, those who were at the integration stage represented a small portion and hence were usually considered talented. In fact, getting to the integration stage was the first bottleneck for espers. Most of the espers would never be able to get past the step 5 manifestation stage.

Shing!

Without hesitation, Seth followed suit and stepped into the teleportation ring.