The city of Veyros gleamed like a finely polished sword under the haze of the two moons that looked down upon the world. Skyscrapers and floating structures rose high above the streets. Cheerful men and women, on their way to or coming back from drinking too much alcohol, filled the bustling city center despite it being around midnight. Various people among them could be seen lighting their cigarettes by producing a flame with their fingers, some even camouflaged into the surroundings in order to sneak past the imposing bouncers that were manning the doors of the several clubs that resided in the city center. These individuals were evolvers.
In the year 2025, the planet known as Terran was unexpectedly hit by a meteor. Even the greatest scientists in the world at the time had no idea what the meteor was, where it came from, and even why they didn't see it coming. However one thing was certain, the meteor had drastically altered Terran. The once peaceful society that existed in Terran completely changed as different demographics started to undergo changes, not only to their appearance but also through the way they acted, the emotions they felt, and most of all, the powers they gained.
These beings were the evolvers. Each of the few original evolvers fell into 7 different categories, which were decided most based on appearance and later on, the type of ability they had. These 7 categories of evolvers became what is known as the 7 races of Terran.
Over time, each race split away from the other and spread across the world, and slowly but surely, tensions between races rose due to political arguments, trading disputes, assassinations, etc.
All of the races grew incredibly powerful over time, and thanks to the abilities of some evolvers, various technological advancements were made. The evolvers also became more powerful as time went on, however, one race was still behind them, humans.
Human evolvers were the weakest of all races as they not only were the most similar to the original, non-evolved humans but also because the majority decided to stay and protect the humans, some evolvers even had children with non-evolved, causing their powers to grow weaker from generation to generation. This caused Humans, for a long time, to be at the bottom of the food chain of Terran.
Veyros was one of these human cities. It also housed the headquarters of humanity's protectors - The Coalition of the Evolved, also known as COE. They were the heroes of humanity and they were the humans' only chance against the other races and the evolved monsters that lived outside the walls of the cities. They funded academies to help the next generation of evolvers grow, they protected humans against the monsters, they stopped the other races from conquering the human civilisation and they crushed the human evolvers who wished to take control of the humans themselves.
They were the protectors, the enforcers, the elite. And one day, I would be among them.
The year was 2250.
I pulled the strings of my torn hood tighter against the cold as I wove through the dirty alleyways of downtown Veyros, my boots splashing through puddles of rain and grime. I glanced up at the graffiti art that had been left in the alleyway in honor of COE and their achievements. The desire and drive buried deep within my heart flickered and as I gazed down at the puddle in front of me, i saw my reflection and thought to myself.
'I can do it.'
Strays like me weren't meant to dream big, but I had to. My father had been one of them, a COE officer before he died in the line of duty, that is why COE officers are my heroes as they stand for everything my father stood for. I clung to his legacy and his the lessons he left me like a lifeline, it was my only hope. I am just going to survive in this city. I am going to rise.
Usually, evolvers awaken when they are born, however there is a very rare chance that a person will awaken late in life. Despite this only being rumors, this belief kept me going.
After my father died it was just me and my sister, Ava. She was 2 years older than me and she has been taking care of me for 7 years. Without her, I would have most likely joined a street gang to survive or lost my way in one way or another. She is a large reason for why I want to join the COE, as the role not only gives me the ability to carry on my father's legacy and lessons, but it also allows me to repay my sister for all those years and sacrifices she made for me, as I can start taking care of her for once.
I reached the cracked metal door of my sister's 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom ground-floor apartment. The area around it was rough, very rough. Gangs of evolvers who did not possess good abilities and therefore, could not get into the COE, roamed the streets at all hours of the day. Various fragile-looking women sold their bodies on street corners and at every turn you took a vagabond would be begging for credits.
As I looked into the reflection of my metal front door I sighed at the sorry state of the boy present. The grainy reflection showed a boy no older than 13 with striking silver eyes, like liquid metal. But more than just their color, they hold an eerie quality, which is that anyone who looks closely enough and for long enough into his eyes, can see their own reflection staring back at them. Most find it unsettling, yet the boy's sister says his eyes are mesmerizing.
The boy's skin was pale due to the lack of sun that downtown Veyros got, though dirt and dust clung to him more often than not. His hands are rough from years of surviving and struggle, callouses from climbing, running, and fighting were especially visible. Various small, almost unnoticeable scars were also present from usually losing said fights.
He was around 169cm and despite the tattered and baggy clothes he wore, a lean and wiry build could be seen, most likely due to to hunger he experienced daily. His hair was raven black, though faint streaks of white trace through it like echoes of something forgotten. It's tangled and unkempt, streaked with mud and city grime, a testament to the area he lives in. When clean, the white strands catch the light like slivers of fractured glass. This boy is me.
Returning from my state of self-pity surrounding my appearance, with a little effort and strength I did not have, I opened the stiff door of my apartment, a smile was on my face knowing Ava was waiting for me.
"Ava… I am back!" I shouted, trying to get my sister's attention.
"Ava you here?"
There was no answer.
"Huh. Strange. Where the hell is she?"
A sudden crash echoed down the apartment, followed by a pained grunt. My head snapped toward the door at the end of the corridor, only to see the horrific sight of my sister lying unconscious after being thrown through the bedroom door into the corridor. Three erratic shadows danced in front of her, illuminated by the flickering neon street signs that were outside the window. The three individuals present were still inside the room.
My legs were shaking uncontrollably, my hands trembled at my side.
I screamed, "AVA!".
As I watched, with teary eyes, my beloved sister, the girl who had cared for me since is was 6, despite her only being 8 years old herself at the time, struggle to breathe, with bruises all over her petite body and blood dripping from her raven black hair, staining it red, the reality of the situation kicked in.
While still prevalent, the overwhelming sense of fear was replaced by a desire to protect the only person alive that I love.
I clenched my fists, bent my knees, and smashed my slim thighs with my fists to snap myself out of this trance of fear. With a grunt, I dashed across the small kitchen, which was a very short distance away from the front door, and grabbed the only sharp kitchen knife in sight.
I gathered all the strength present in my weak body and ran with all my might in the direction of my sister. I arrived in front of her feet in no time. The time that has passed from when i called out her name to now has only been 5 seconds.
"Ava, if you can still move get the fuck out of here now! I'll do my best to buy you time, just run!" I said to her hoping that she could find even a slight bit of strength left in her beaten body to get out of here and call the COE or the police force.
"Tilo… No. Y-you don't understand, you have to run now. P-please." She said with an extremely hoarse voice while struggling to breathe.
I stopped facing her, ignoring her barely audible comments, and turned towards the intruders. The ones who had hurt my sister.
I raised my kitchen knife in anticipation of a sudden attack. Adrenaline was pumping through my body uncontrollably, my pupils were dilated and my silver eyes flashed with determination.
As the three individuals came out of the shadows of my bedroom, I dropped the kitchen knife. My eyes widened in shock and my I almost crumbled out of fear.
The flickering neon street lights outside of the bedroom window, paired with the moonlight illuminated three figures, dressed in all-white trench coats with a light blue insignia of a sword and shield printed on the back and on the right breast pocket of each coat.
They were evolvers. They were COE officers, the very people I admired with every fiber of my being.
"W-what?"