Powerless in a New World

Chapter 5

Inside the library looked even more like a library Mychal would see at home, if that's even possible. There was a green carpet, desks with chairs for studying in, computers for searching for books, and bookshelves filled with books. After all, what else would be in them.

By the entrance itself was the checkout desk where a lone librarian stood, reading a book. "Hello, Ms Cecile," Flaaron whispered. She looked up from the book and gave him a little wave shortly before returning to her book.

"Ms. Cecile is the head librarian here. She traveled half the continent to reach Haven after the Ostensus tribe banished her for not sharing their power to clear an area of fog... Or any power at all," Flaaron further whispered.

"I can't imagine how hard that must've been," Mychal whispered back. "But really, do you need everybody to be able to remove fog. Like, what kind of power is that, you only need one person to do it."

"I believe the early humans that harnessed the power to defog an area lived in an area full of fog."

"...Makes sense."

"Yeah, and around the time magic started fusing with genetic code, they gained a heightened eyesight, which isn't that much of a buff. They're just desperate to find something that makes them superior to powerless humans."

"Someone who can walk half a continent to safety isn't powerless."

"Exactly. Yet she's still forced out and called a nihil."

Mychal shuddered at the word. "A nihil?" she asked.

"You haven't heard it before? It's a derogatory term used against humans that don't have powers.... Anyway, the historical section is over here." Mychal followed him down an aisle of books. "Here."

Mychal looked around and aimlessly chose a book at random. She pulled out a blue textbook with the words 'Human History' on it. She flipped to a random page of the first chapter and began reading to herself.

...It is speculated that the first magic to be channeled by humans was the branch that allowed humans to control and manipulate fire, presumably used by ancient humans during the Ice Age. These ancient humans, who struggled to keep warm in the harsh, frigid climate, had no choice but to find a way to channel the force of magic through a code that is no longer understood today. Upon breaking this barrier, these early humans gained the ability to create and manipulate fire. Those who were able to access this power often came together into groups and became what is now known today as the 'Pyronites.'

By doing this, these early Pyronites opened a gateway to the magic realm that other early humans sought to access. After the Ice Age, different groups of humans began to gain control over different branches of magic that ranged from florakinesis, aquakinesis, cryokinesis, arachnidkinesis, and much more, all depending on where they lived.

Over the course of thousands of years, however, humanity's magical potential began to interfere with their evolution. People slowly started to change their appearance based on their power. For example, the Pyronites gained a crimson skin color along with string-like black hair that ignited upon activation of the fight or flight response.

Not only did appearance become affected by humanity's use of magic, but their actual power also became genetic. The code to connect to the magic realm has vanished as humans were born with the powers of their parents and no longer needed to be taught how to channel the magic realm. Humans being naturally born with powers, however, led to the creation of anomalies.

Anomalies are humans that have yet to become understood. On very rare occasions, when two people within a tribe have a baby, that baby will not have a known power. It will instead take on a unique appearance and have a unique power that has not been seen before. The cause of this is still unknown today.