[ᵀʰᵉ ᴰᵃʳᵏᵉˢᵗ ᴹⁱⁿᵈˢ]
Greens, Blues, Yellows, Reds, Oranges, Purples.
Each possessed unique and extraordinary abilities, yet they were deemed a threat. Thanks to the breakout, they are granted temporary freedom from the hell the government had sent t...
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ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴢᴇʀᴏ
The new day brought a whirling energy and excitement. The sun rose over towering skyscrapers in Richmond Hill, springing it to life with the hustle and bustle of its inhabitants. Parents had rushed off to work, dropping their kids at school for another day of learning and soaking up new knowledge.
As the clock ticked closer to midday, the anticipation builded. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the highly anticipated recess. The schoolyard transformed into a playground of laughter and games. Children dashed across the asphalt, their energy contagious as they engaged in spirited races and friendly competitions.
Their contagious laughter echoed through the air as the students eagerly played on the swings, climbed the jungle gym, and raced around the open field. Swinging down from the monkey bars, a young blonde girl with a purple shirt, blue shorts, and black sneakers lands gracefully on the ground, earning claps and cheers from her friends behind her.
The girl walked toward the yard entrance where her backpack lay on the floor before pulling her water bottle from the side zipper and taking a sip. After placing the bottle where it belonged, she turned back to the bars when she froze, staring straight ahead.
Noting her absence, her friends ran to where she stood. "Hey, are you okay?" One of them asked, voice laced with concern.
Hayden remained silent. Her eyes glowed a bright blue and her hands hung like pendulums, swinging rapidly with uncertainty by her body, causing the other students to back up cautiously, and catching a teacher's attention.
The girl's body dropped to the ground like a stone, crashing with an unyielding thud.
"Oh, my God!"
"Do you know her?"
Chaos ensued as a crowd gathered around the fallen child, staring in shock, fear, and worry before the teachers redirected the students away from the playground and back to the classrooms.
Every war begins quietly.
Mine started with Hayden Lucio.
She was the first to die. The first in my class, at least.
Four weeks later, half of my class was dead.
I didn't know why I wasn't.
In the wake of the outbreak, scientists had meticulously unraveled the complex nature of this mysterious and alarmingly contagious disease. With utmost urgency, they had bestowed upon it the moniker "Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration," abbreviated as I.A.A.N.
The enigmatic ailment sent shockwaves across the globe, with news reports inundating media outlets from every corner of the world. The gravity of the situation had become all too evident, as an unfathomable catastrophe unfolded, claiming the lives of nearly 90 percent of the world's children.
