The city was falling apart. Adrian stood still on the roof of his old apartment building, a thin shadow against the dirty sky. His dark eyes looked over the city below. The wind carried the smell of fear and excitement, a mix that made him frown.
Something was different. The air felt weird, like right before a storm hits.
A scream echoed through the city. Then another. And another. The sounds of fear and confusion grew louder, washing over the city in waves.
Adrian's mouth tightened. It's starting, he thought, his eyes narrowing.
The sky above split open with a sound like ripping cloth. Strange light poured through the tear, covering the city in an odd glow. Adrian watched, not moving, as people in the streets started to panic. Some ran screaming, others laughed like crazy as they found out they could do new things.
He felt it then - a rush of power in his body. His eyes could see better, everything around him became clearer. Colors looked brighter, sounds were sharper. In his mind, he saw something like a game screen:
ADRIAN
Level: 1
HP: 100/100
MP: 50/50
STATS:
STR: 5
DEX: 7
CON: 6
INT: 8
WIS: 9
CHA: 4
SKILLS:
[None unlocked]
EXP: 0/100
Adrian's eyes narrowed, his jaw tight. A game, he thought. Or maybe a sick joke. The idea didn't make him laugh, it just made him angry deep down.
The door to the roof slammed open. A man stumbled out, looking wild and out of breath. His clothes were messy, and he was sweating. "The world's gone crazy!" he shouted at Adrian, his voice breaking with fear and excitement. "Everyone's getting powers! I can... I can make things float!"
To show what he meant, the man waved his hand at a loose brick. It shook a little, lifting a few inches off the ground before falling back with a thud. The man's face scrunched up as he tried again and again to lift the brick higher.
Adrian said nothing, just watching as the man's excitement turned to frustration, then fear. His dark eyes took in every detail, watching the man's reactions coldly.
"Why aren't you freaking out?" the man demanded, turning to Adrian. Spit flew from his mouth as he talked, his eyes wide and searching. "Didn't you get any powers? Can you do something too?"
Adrian looked back at the chaos below. After a long moment, he spoke, his voice low and rough from not talking much. "We've been given a curse that looks like a gift."
The man blinked, looking confused. "What? No, this is amazing! We're like superheroes now! We can do anything!"
A smile with no happiness touched Adrian's lips, never reaching his eyes. No, he thought. We're test subjects in a big experiment. And it's about to get very dangerous.
Without another word, Adrian walked past the confused man and went down into the building. The hallways were noisy with panic and excitement. Neighbors yelled about new abilities - being stronger, controlling small fires, seeing quick flashes of the future. A woman ran past, her hands glowing with energy. A teenager floated a few inches off the ground, looking very focused.
Adrian walked through all of this like a ghost, not touched by the chaos. His steps were quiet, people barely noticing him as they dealt with their new realities. In his mind, he started making plans, thinking of ways to survive what was coming.
As he reached for the doorknob of his apartment, Adrian felt a strange sensation. The metal seemed to shift under his touch, becoming almost liquid-like. He pulled his hand back, startled, and the doorknob solidified again.
What was that? he thought, staring at his hand. He reached out again, this time concentrating on the feeling he'd just experienced. As his fingers touched the metal, he felt a connection, like he could sense the very atoms that made up the doorknob.
With a thought, he made the metal soften again. The doorknob lost its shape, melting into a puddle on the floor. Adrian stared, his mind racing with the implications of this new ability.
A notification popped up in his mind:
[SKILL UNLOCKED: Matter Shift (Level 1)]
[Allows limited control over the molecular structure of objects]
Adrian's eyes widened slightly. This was... interesting. Not as flashy as throwing fireballs or flying, but potentially very useful. He focused again, willing the puddle of metal to reform into a doorknob. It took effort, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but slowly the metal reshaped itself.
I need to understand this better, Adrian thought. He entered his apartment, his mind buzzing with possibilities.
Inside his plain apartment, Adrian packed a small bag with things he needed. Clothes, food that wouldn't go bad, a first aid kit. He moved quickly and smoothly, like he'd been ready for this his whole life. As a last thought, he grabbed the old hunting knife his father had given him years ago. Holding it brought back memories - lessons about surviving, about not trusting anyone but yourself.
He looked at the knife, then closed his eyes, focusing on his new ability. He could feel the structure of the metal blade, the wood of the handle. With careful concentration, he altered the edge of the blade, making it sharper than any normal knife could be.
A message popped up in his mind:
[ITEM ENHANCED: Hunting Knife]
[Sharpness increased. +2 to STR when equipped]
Adrian nodded to himself, satisfied. He put the knife in his belt, feeling its weight against his hip.
As he got ready to leave, he had one last thought. He grabbed a notebook and pen, writing down one line in neat handwriting:
"The old world died today. We don't know what's coming next."
Adrian looked at the words for a moment, then tore out the page and put it in his pocket. Maybe a record for whatever future might come. Or a reminder of when everything changed.
With that, Adrian put his bag on his shoulder and stepped out into a changed world. The hallways were empty now, everyone having rushed out to try their new abilities or find safety. His footsteps echoed in the sudden quiet, a contrast to the far-off sounds of chaos from outside.
On the street, he could see how much everything had really changed. Some people were happy about their new powers, laughing as they did small magic tricks or showed off their strength. Others huddled in groups, looking scared and talking quietly. And some... some had already started using their gifts to hurt others.
Adrian watched as a man with super strength ripped an ATM from the wall, grinning as he shook money out of it. Nearby, a woman who could control plants had trapped a group of people in vines, going through their pockets as they struggled.
And so it starts, Adrian thought, his face not showing any emotion. The strong attacking the weak. Just like always, but now it's worse.
He moved through the streets like a shadow, avoiding fights, watching everything. His better senses picked up bits of conversation, putting together a bigger picture of what was happening.
"...the government's in chaos..." "...the army's trying to control things..." "...some people are so powerful, it's scary..."
Adrian remembered each piece of information, building a map in his mind of the new world that was quickly forming. He noticed who seemed to have the strongest abilities, who was organizing, who was panicking. Every detail could be important for staying alive.
As he walked, he continued to experiment with his new ability. He touched a street sign, feeling the metal structure, and with a thought, he made it bend and twist into a new shape. A broken piece of concrete reshaped itself under his hand, becoming smoother, more compact.
I wonder what the limits are, Adrian thought. How far can I push this?
As night came, the city fell further into chaos. Fires broke out, started by those playing with new fire powers. Sirens wailed, police and emergency services overwhelmed by all the chaos.
Adrian found himself in a small park, mostly untouched by the madness. He sat on a bench, his bag beside him, and closed his eyes. In his mind, he reached for the strange new power he could feel in his body.
What else can I do? he wondered. What's my place in this new world?
As if answering his thoughts, a new message appeared:
[SKILL LEVEL UP: Matter Shift is now Level 2]
[You can now alter the properties of materials more easily]
Adrian's eyes snapped open. He held out his hand, focusing on the air around him. To his surprise, he could feel the molecules, the very atoms that made up the atmosphere. With intense concentration, he managed to solidify a small patch of air, creating a transparent, glass-like substance floating in front of him.
A cold smile touched his lips. Interesting, he thought. Very interesting.
He spent the next hour trying out his new ability, learning to control matter in new ways. He could make things harder, softer, more or less flexible. It wasn't as immediately powerful as some of the abilities he'd seen others have, but Adrian sensed its potential. In a world gone crazy with power, being subtle could be the key to survival.
As the sun started to rise, painting the sky in reds and oranges, Adrian stood up. He had rested, gathered information, and started to understand his new abilities. Now it was time to move, to find his place in this changed world.
But not as a hero, he thought, his eyes hard as he looked at the smoking ruins of the city. Not as a villain, either. Something in between. Something... necessary.
With that thought, Adrian moved through the early morning shadows, his newfound ability allowing him to blend in with his surroundings by subtly altering the light-reflecting properties of his clothes and skin. The first chapter of his new life had begun, written in what was left of the old world. What was coming next wasn't clear, but one thing was certain - Adrian would do whatever he had to do to survive, to understand, and maybe, in time, to do well in this new reality.
As he moved through the city, unseen and unnoticed, his mental game screen updated one last time:
ADRIAN
Level: 1
HP: 100/100
MP: 50/50
STATS:
STR: 7 (+2 from Enhanced Hunting Knife)
DEX: 7
CON: 6
INT: 8
WIS: 9
CHA: 4
SKILLS:
Matter Shift (Level 2)
EXP: 50/100