Chapter 2: *The Price of Progress*
Even after their greatest victory, humanity didn't rest.
The hunger for power, for evolution, burned hotter than ever. The fusion of bloodlines had created mutated humans—each unique in form, ability, and origin. No two looked the same anymore. Some bore horns, some had crystalline skin, others radiated heat or floated above the ground. Humanity had become a race of many faces.
But the world would change again… because one man dared to take it further.
A rogue scientist—long dismissed as a lunatic—proposed something insane.
"If fusing bloodlines works, why not mix genes directly?"
Not through rituals or serums. No. Through essence. Reproduction.
The idea was met with disgust.
And yet… it was tested.
Thousands of failed births. Stillborns. Mutated corpses. A generation marred by death. But then—one child survived.
A boy. Human in body, superhuman in nature. No bloodline fusion. No beast DNA.
Just born this way.
And that changed everything.
Soon, people began attempting it across all colonies. It wasn't just about being strong—it was about heritability. These superhuman traits could be passed down. No more dangerous fusions or surgeries—just bloodlines engineered from birth.
But it wasn't that simple.
Most attempts still ended in death. A few resulted in minor boosts—heightened speed, strength, maybe increased reflexes—but nothing extraordinary.
And then something strange happened.
People who had never been experimented on… started changing. Developing powers.
No one knew why.
Some blamed pollution. Others believed in genetic radiation from being around these superhuman children. Whatever the reason, it spread. Mutation was no longer just science—it was contagion.
Naturally, those in power tried to suppress it. Control it. Deny it.
But when the changes became too widespread to hide, they shifted strategy. Instead of elimination, they rebranded the hierarchy:
The Originals – Superhumans born from experiments, refined and controlled.
The Mutated – Unpredictable evolutions, untamed and unstable.
Life moved on. Civilization adapted. Powers became normalized. Until…
It happened.
The first breakdown.
A mutated child—barely a teen—lost control. His ability went berserk, leveling an entire city in seconds. A few survivors. Nothing else.
It was contained. Explained as an anomaly.
Then another breakdown. And another.
Each time, the pattern repeated. Ages 15–20. Abilities spiraling out of control. And one day… it wasn't a mutated.
It was an Original.
The destruction was apocalyptic. Not just one city—an entire small planet reduced to stardust.
Humanity snapped.
They launched a purge.
No more hesitation. Any child or adult showing signs of unstable powers was hunted, captured, or killed on sight.
New classifications were born:
The Pure – Stable, trusted.
The Dark – Flawed. Dangerous. To be exterminated.
And so began a new age.
One of paranoia. Control. And secrets.