Wayward Wind

Years ago, the world changed. People began developing abilities-quirks-that defied explanation. At first, they were rare curiosities, but soon toddlers everywhere displayed them, from harmless tricks to dangerous powers. Heroes and villains leapt from fiction into reality. Power became currency, reshaping society. Heroes rose to fame like movie stars, while quirks were ranked, coveted, and even engineered. Parents designed their children for strength, beauty, and advantage.

But not everyone was blessed. Twenty percent of humanity remained Quirkless, left behind in a world obsessed with power. They became society's forgotten-the reminder of its ruthless progress. Beneath the shining image of heroes, shadows grew. Greed, corruption, and desperation thrived in the alleys and backrooms the cameras never showed.

Kaizen was born into that darkness. Quick as the wind, she would never remember her mother, who died shortly after giving birth-grief over a lost love consuming her. That left Kaizen with a father who could provide shelter, food, and clothes, but never affection. His love was absent, his patience short, his anger quick to ignite.

When sober, he ignored her; when drunk, she became the outlet for his frustrations. At eleven, with her wild white hair in messy braids, Kaizen suffered the worst of it-a shattered bottle to the head in a drunken rage. She didn't wake for hours. Faced with the weight of what he'd done, her father called the police. The court case came and went, and the next day, he vanished, leaving Kaizen alone in a world she had no idea how to survive.

A variety of dark topics, any chapter with severely concerning topics will have a TW at the beginning of the chapter. Book is in its first stages and changes to chapters/key details are likely.:)