Twin Birds

This world is a very old one... The enormous planet only had two three continents. Aethlia and Cholon, the final one stayed isolated. Which there were two united governments in Aethlia and Cholon's continents. Before the great war, ongoing investigations of a claim that Cholon had broken the peace treaty and began to work on weapons, meant of destruction of mankind. The peace treaty signed 80 years before the investigation banned the creation of the weapons Cholon and Aethlia were creating, for the protection of life. They were allowed to keep the weapons, but to destroy them as soon as research found a way.
February 5th, 2057, The original launch of the weaponry. Cholon fired upon Aethlia with almost their entire arsenal. Aethlia, shot back with all the weaponry from before the treaty. Both continents were almost completely wiped of life within 24 hours. Extinction of most cold-blooded animals was inevitable as the planet was nearly covered in ash and smoke.
Soon, civilization began trying to rebuild from the debris of the old ones. But the chemical weaponry of the old ones, has left its final mark on the world. The substances from each missile began to force mutate the remaining people. A gene being created from the compounds of the past civilizations' war. This gene would only be activated if a traumatic event or pure terror is in a person within their childhood. The gene would then mutate, creating a sort of power based on the trauma.
So, if a person has the phobia of fire from a traumatic event, they get the ability to create or manipulate flames. The person not only gets the power of their worse fear but will have to overcome their fear to use the power. This can cause interesting results of powers. All of the otherworldly possibilities. This gene can be considered a gift or a curse, based on the person using their ability, and if they've gotten full control over the ability.