The War.

Chapter 4: How it all started (pt. 3.)

(guys i just realized ive made an inconsistent thing in the story 😭 char hurt her leg in the beginning too let's imagine cuz im dumb also before anyone tells me i should've assigned autumn fire cuz of aunt muk i have a reason why i gave it to mia)

As they arrived home, Charlotte spotted Mia coming through the door and felt an overwhelming urge to go and hug her. However, the pain in her leg flared up, and she realized she was too weak to move. The lingering injury from days before still ached deeply, making even the thought of standing unbearable. She watched Mia from where she sat, her heart heavy with frustration and helplessness.

"Hey sweetheart, you doing okay?" Mia asked as she walked into the living room.

"Yeah, it's just my leg..." Charlotte replied, touching the part of her leg that hurt. Suddenly, a soft yellow glow emanated from the spot, surprising Charlotte. But along with the glow came a warmth that spread through her, easing the pain and making her feel stronger.

"Whoa," she whispered in amazement.

"Think we found your power, baby," Mia whispered back, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Healing," Charlotte said, looking up at her.

"Mhm," Mia hummed in agreement. "Guess what," she continued, her voice filled with playful excitement.

"What?" Charlotte asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I found an abandoned bookstore. I know you love to read, so I got you some books."

Charlotte's eyes lit up with joy. "I love you so much," she whispered, her voice full of emotion.

"Me too, sweetheart. I also got some for your daughters, and I got them something else as well..." Mia trailed off, teasingly.

"What did you get them?" Charlotte asked eagerly.

"A princess costume," Mia whispered.

Overcome with happiness, Charlotte wrapped her arms around Mia, almost knocking her over. Mia giggled, holding her close, savoring the warmth of the embrace.

As Carly walked by and caught a glimpse of Mia and Charlotte's tender moment, she couldn't help but feel a pang of longing. She whispered to herself, "I want what they've got," her voice tinged with a mix of envy and hope.

"I also got something very useful," Mia whispered, her voice low and conspiratorial.

"What?" Charlotte asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I found a book about the powers," Mia revealed with a hint of excitement.

"That's great!" Charlotte exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with hope.

"Yep," Mia said, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

-

It was now around midnight, and none of the adults—except for Jodie, who was already fast asleep—had managed to find rest. The weight of their situation kept them awake, minds racing with thoughts of survival and the strange new world they were now living in.

They all gathered in the living room, a dim light illuminating the pages of the book Mia had found. The room was quiet, the only sound being the occasional rustle of paper as they passed the book around, each person trying to absorb as much information as possible.

Mia, seated in the middle of the group, began, "This book might be our key to understanding everything that's happening to us. We need to figure out what these powers mean and how we can use them—if we can."

Everyone nodded in agreement, the gravity of the situation clear in their eyes. This was more than just survival now; it was about mastering something new, something that could either save them—or doom them all.

"Let's see," Mia began to read aloud. "If the chemicals Xenium, Luciminium, and Ecliptum are mixed with water and Negative X, they cause people to mutate and gain special abilities or 'powers.' The possible powers include pyrokinesis, telekinesis, electrokinesis, elemental manipulation, telepathy, mind control, super speed, super strength, healing, intuition, energy manipulation, illusion, destruction, creation, weather control, teleportation, and invisibility."

"Wow. That's a lot," Reece said.

"Mhm. So, I have pyrokinesis, and Char has healing. Let's see what powers the others get," Mia replied, scanning the book. "The strongest ones on this list are definitely mind control and telekinesis. Let's hope someone gets those."

Marjorie interjected, "But how will we know if we've got a power? If someone gets, say, telepathy, how will they know? You and Char discovered your powers through physical changes."

"I'm not sure," Mia said, turning the pages. "Let me keep reading and find out."

Mia continued to read aloud, "These abilities can be discovered through physical instances if the power is physical. For example, if you have healing, you'll find out by accidentally touching something that needs healing, just like Char did." She paused, then went on, "But if the ability is more psychological, like mind control or intuition, you'll discover it mentally. You'll likely feel a change or energy indicating you've received a new ability, though you might not immediately know which one it is. That's why it's important to test out different possibilities."

"Interesting." Marjorie said intrigued.

Mia continued, "Each ability has its own strength and limit, meaning you cannot use your power excessively. You can use it, but doing so too much will impact your physical and mental health."

"Every other page is about each power," she continued, "maybe you all should wait until you know which powers you've gotten before we continue reading."

"Sure, I'm tired anyway. I need to sleep. Come on, gorgeous," Reece said, putting an arm around Marjorie. As everyone left the room, Mia and Charlotte stayed behind.

"Do you want to know more about your power, sweetheart?" Mia asked.

"Yeah," Charlotte nodded.

Mia flipped through the pages until she found the section titled "HEALING." She began to read aloud: "Healing, or Regeneratogenesis, is the ability to heal and restore physical health. When this power is activated, the affected area will glow a soft yellow." Mia rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, yeah, we already know that part," she joked, before continuing, "This power is often assigned to those with the kindest hearts—people who care about others and sometimes put them first." She raised her eyebrows. "So, the powers are linked to our personalities?"

Charlotte nodded, intrigued. "That's interesting."

Mia went on reading: "Healing is one of the most taxing powers if overused. Healing someone who is severely injured can deplete your own physical well-being. Each power can have reverse effects if used excessively or for negative purposes."

Charlotte looked thoughtful. "So, I need to be careful not to overuse my power, or it could harm me."

Mia nodded. "Exactly. It's important to understand both the strengths and limitations of your power so you can use it wisely."

Charlotte asked, "So, what about your power?"

Mia flipped through the pages until she found the section titled "PYROKINESIS." She began reading aloud: "Pyrokinesis is the ability to manipulate and create fire. When this power is activated intentionally, your palm will glow with fiery colors before the fire begins. Pyrokinesis is one of the hardest powers to control properly, and those who have it will need to train intensively to master it." Mia paused and joked, "Well, that's amazing, isn't it?"

Charlotte smiled at her. Mia continued reading: "The power can be managed by wearing fire-protective gloves." Charlotte smiled at this. "That's amazing, Mia!" she said. "But where will we find the gloves?" she asked.

"I don't know," Mia responded, then continued reading: "Pyrokinesis is one of the most dangerous and powerful abilities. Those who possess it must be very careful in how they use it, as overuse could cause an unintended fire in places you don't want."

Mia's eyes widened.

"So it could start a fire here?" Charlotte asked.

"Probably, so I need to be cautious," Mia said, before finishing, "This power is often assigned to people who are strong-willed, fierce, and powerful."

Charlotte giggled. "It matches you perfectly."

Mia smiled. "It does."