The first sign that the world was falling apart was the rain. For days on end, the rain would fall without stop; not limited to one side of the globe or the other. Storms would build up everywhere, all at once.

It was only after the world was half flooded that the rain and storms began to subside. Still, that was not the end of what would become considered the beginning of the end.

After the rain, came the searing heat. Temperatures so high, that the only salvation from death was found in the very water that had just flooded the world hours before. The heat lasted for weeks, and only those who had found their way into the water had lived.

Just these two events alone caused millions to perish. Those who lived too high above sea level, or in areas where the flooded water quickly dispersed were the first to die when the heat came. With nowhere to run, the heat overtook those millions of lives without mercy.

Again, this was not the end. After the heat came the cold. Only those fortunate enough to find themselves in groups or with a significant amount of heat sources could stand the biting winds.

Finally, after the cold came the emptiness. The emptiness was the least dangerous to the physical body, yet it seemed to be everlasting. No light, natural or artificial could establish itself in this world that seemed to be falling apart. No sound could be made or heard, no matter how close you were to another. There was no smell, or touch, or even taste within the emptiness.

The emptiness was the least harmful to the human body. But to the human mind, the emptiness that seemed to last days, weeks, and months, the emptiness could be considered the most lethal of them all.

The human mind is a fragile thing. Trapped within itself for merely a few days, yet over half the remaining population was pushed to madness. Even after senses were regained, the feeling that came from the emptiness was enough to push most of those who broke apart to suicide.

Yet that was all just the beginning. After the storms and rains displaced the civilized world. After the heat baked those who had no where to run and the cold froze those did so alone. After the emptiness broke those who were already falling apart at the thought that the world was ending. Less than 2 billion humans remained living on this Earth.

And then came The Rupture. For some it was the End. For those who lived, and for those who are living now, it was just the beginning. An opening of a whole new and explosive world.

***

243 AR. Earth. United Federation. City 17.

"So, kid, you ready?"

A gruff voice came from an older looking man. It was the kind of voice you would expect from his mouth, his face covered in a thick bush of graying hair, deep blue eyes, and a head full of wavy, near chrome colored hair.

His question was directed towards the middle school aged student in the back seat, but it pulled the attention of the lady in the passenger seat, too.

"Don't tease him too much today," she spoke. A smooth and soft voice, the opposite of the man. "Even if today is important, awakening is something that only a few percent of the population experiences. It doesn't matter if our son awakens or not, there are plenty of ways to live life without it."

The man smiled at the reminder of the woman next to him. He looked over at her before turning back to the road, and his smile shifted into a mischievous grin.

"Still," the man looked into the rearview mirror, directly at the younger individual in the back, "Wouldn't it be a little embarrassing if he didn't awaken. I mean, let alone how many kids in his class are awakened already, both you and I are awakeners."

A sigh came out of the woman's mouth as her eyebrows seemed to furrow, upset at how the gruff man had ignored what she just said.

"Frank, don't listen to your father. Even if awakening is more likely if you come from a family of awakeners, nothing is going to happen if you don't awaken. It especially won't change how much we--"

"I know, mom. But dad is right, I mean, I would feel a little awkward if I didn't awaken today." A smile formed on Frank's lips as he finished speaking. "Plus, if I don't awaken its gonna be a normie school for me while all my friends go to the districts awakened academy. It would totally blow, if I had to restart somewhere new."

"Your mom's right, Frank. You don't have to worry at all. Not only have the past 3 generations of my family awoken, but the past six of your mothers have. You got this in the bag." The gruff man looked into the rearview mirror once more. "You don't have to worry about making new friends. Though I don't know how you made the one you do ha--"

"CONNOR LOOK OUT!!" The soft and smooth voice of Frank's mother rang out. A pair of headlights came into view as a large truck veered into the family of three's lane. The truck, now too close to avoid, flicked on it's high beam lights. With the sun shining in the sky, the lights were all but necessary. The sudden increase in light caused both of Frank's parents to shut their eyes. 

A sickening crunch sounded as the front of the car began to be pushed in. In less than a second, the vehicle that the family was riding in was reduced to half of its size.

The truck vanished just as it had appeared.

It didn't take long for the emergency services of the city to arrive at the scene, yet they could do nothing for the two in the front that had taken most of the impact.

Most did not mean all, however. The first responders to the scene were forced to call in several strength based awakeners to the scene in order to pull apart and separate enough space to remove Frank from the back.

From what could be seen on sight, most of the bones in both legs had been crushed or fractured, and while current technology and awakened ability could restore the bone and tendon, the nerves had been shredded with the accident and nothing short of a miracle could give Frank back the ability to walk.

***

City 17, 1st Precinct. 10 minutes after the accident.

"Joan, Ortega. We just got a call about a head on collision between a large truck and a civilian vehicle. Word it that the truck is missing. I need you two to go check on the survivor and find this truck."

A groan came from the woman named Joan. "Since when do we investigate hit and runs, huh? This is the awakened investigation department, not traffic safety."

"Since right now, that's when. Both victims of the crash were awakened individuals, and now a truck that flattened a civilian vehicle is completely vanished."

"Joan's right, sir. Even if there were two awakened that died in the accident, it still doesn't warrant our department's investigation. What aren't you telling us?"

"The crash happened 10 minutes ago. 5 minutes ago I received a call from Wilmington Technology, directly telling us to investigate."

"Sir, don't joke. Everyone knows that the only people that can reach your line is the Police Chief, District Awakened Director, and District Administrator. How could they have called you direct-- OH."

"Yup."

"We're on it, sir."