Earth, 2023, in the country Bumbergue.
Inside a small white room. A nine-month pregnant woman is laid on a comfortable stretcher, while another woman dressed in doctor's clothes is around her.
The pregnant woman looked to be in a lot of pain, while the doctor was waiting for the baby to come out, in front of the woman.
As the pregnant woman pushed, the baby started to come out.
The process was going normally until the baby got the head fully out.
Once the baby's head came out, the doctor laid her hands on the baby's head gently and pulled him slowly.
However, when it happened, the pregnant woman started to scream in pain much more than normal.
Moreover, her skin was getting more and more pale slowly.
When the baby was halfway out, the woman's skin started to crack for unknown reasons.
The doctor started to worry and screamed for other doctors' help.
But, before the others appeared, the baby was already out.
The doctor cleaned the baby and wrapped the baby in a blanket.
Just after that, the doctor looked at the woman lying down, and her cracked skin was starting to shatter.
However, she was still conscious and expressed her last words.
While shattering, the woman's last words were:
"Ethan... Ethan Bollado. That's his full name."
The doctor got shocked by those words because 'Bollado' wasn't the woman's surname.
This woman didn't have any familiar left and she never revealed who was the child's father.
Therefore, Ethan Bollado had to go to the orphanage.
At this point, the woman had already turned into dust.
This strange death after childbirth may look uncommon. But, in reality, since the woman giving birth possessed the cursed blood, it was kind of expected.
The doctor then signs deeply and continued with the procedure for this kind of event.
...
Five years later...
I, Ethan Bollado, woke up in my small gray room, with one bed and a few clothes on a shelf near the bed.
I've been living in this orphanage since I can remember. But today is a special day.
Today is the day my mutation will definitely happen.
I learned in the orphanage that two hundred years ago 1% of the world's population had their blood cursed by gods, as punishment for their lineage's sins.
As a consequence, their bodies suffered different mutations. Moreover, the changes in their body instruction brought supernatural abilities along.
Scientists named them as 'Cursed Blood' since those humans were cursed by the gods.
But, the rest of the population was merciful and allowed those who were cursed to continue to live in society, for the small price of they helping the country when it needed it.
And as my mother, I am one of those cursed decedents, and their blood runs in my veins.
I hope to awaken a strong curse power, so I can help the country better.
I am cursed by goods, I was born inferior to normal humans, so I need to contribute more to society in order to make up for my sin from birth.
According to the educators from the orphanage, my mother was turned to ashes when I was born, which means that my cursed power will have something to do with it.
The orphanage told me that since my mother was a cursed blood, it was her fault for giving birth to me, that made me have to hold the sin of being cursed from birth.
If it wasn't for her, I might have been born as a normal human as the officers of the city. So, I don't pity her death from when I was born.
Louise Heptifose...
That's what they told me was her name.
My surname is Bollado.
Is she really my mother?
Anyway...
I will go to the educators to ask about my awakening.
I, then, went to the educators' room, even before breakfast.
"Hello, little Bollado, what brings you here so early?" my teacher, sir. Peterson said surprised by my sudden appearance in the teachers' room.
Sir. Peterson was writing something on a piece of paper on his desk while sitting on his chair.
He was a tall blond hair human, with brown eyes and small muscles. However, he had an additional tail wrapped around the waist.
"Good morning, sir. Peterson. May I question when will I awake today?" I asked him with curiosity.
"When the time comes, you will surely feel it," sir. Peterson answered.
I was impatient, I could not wait to discover my cursed power.
Even though it is cursed, if I can use it to make up for my sin, I may be forgiven by the gods.
"Little Bollado, are you still thinking about being forgiven by the gods? Forget it, that's impossible. We hold the sins of all our descendants."
Not only sir. Peterson, all adults told me the same thing every time I asked about it before, It kind of make me feel sad.
But I know there was no way for us to be cursed forever without a way out from this hell reality.
Anyway, better change the topic, I know sir. Peterson won't understand my determination.
"Anyway, what do you think my cursed power would be, sir. Peterson?" I asked politely.
"I don't know, maybe fire..." sir. Peterson answered with little conviction.
"Would this power allow me to contribute greatly to the country?" I asked him with curiosity.
Sir. Peterson looked at me with pitiful eyes. I can't understand why, but he always looks at me like this when I talk about helping the country.
"Kid, it is better to not think too much about this, your cursed power is the reason you are hated by society, it shouldn't be something to be looking forward to.
Moreover, this power comes with a price. I, for example, received this tail. If you are lucky, you might receive only a small mutation that doesn't differentiate you too much from normal humans."
Those words achieved me as a fatal strike.
All my excitement faded away.
I feel horrible right now.
A sea of tears fell from my eyes.
Sir. Peterson looked regretful about his action.
"Hey, kid. Don't be like this, I am just telling you this for your own good."
Sir. Peterson then took a lollipop from his pocket.
"Here, take this. Might help you feel better."
I looked at the lollipop and that surge of sadness faded a bit.
I took the lollipop from his hands and opened the plastic.
However, the moment I was about to put it in my mouth, the lollipop started to change color and a few cracks appeared.
Sir. Peterson's eyes grew bigger while telling me.
"Kid, your cursed power is awakening."
The lollipops continues to crack until it was filled.
Not only was the candy, the plastic I was holding was cracking too.
After a few seconds, the lollipop started to shatter in my hands. It wasn't much different from dust when it fell from my hands to the floor.
When the candy fell from my hands, I felt an agonizing pain in my chest. I couldn't breathe anymore, either.
When I tried to touch my chest as a reflex, my t-shirt started to crack and quickly shattered into ashes too.
Sir. Peterson realized what my cursed power was and didn't dare to get close to me. But, he still wanted to help, so he told me.
"Ethan calm down, it is only your mutation. It might be painful, but there isn't any risk to your life."
I already knew that all, but my chess is still hurting so much, and I can't even breathe to calm down.
After resisting for a few more seconds, I fell to the floor unconscious.
...
I woke up in my bedroom with tight gloves on my hands.
I looked around and found sir. Peterson and the orphanage's chief, the bad guy who only orders everyone around.
Moreover, beside them, was a woman dressed in expensive clothes.
She had long black hair, dark eyes, a tall stature, and a slim body.
While sir. Peterson and the orphanage's chief looked at me worryingly, the stranger was looking with interest and announced.
"Ethan Bollado, you awakened the cursed power of deteriorating. Your mutation was all internal, your skin gained the ability to absorb the oxygen from the air and distribute the blood all over your body.
As a result, you now can breathe from your skin and your nose is just a decoration on your body. Moreover, your heart and lungs are nowhere to be found."
I didn't really understand what she was talking about, but I understood that my appearance didn't change externally, and that was great news.
However, I didn't understand why I was wearing those tight gloves. I think I will take them off, it is too tight.
When I was about to take them off, the stranger's voice sounded again.
"You better not take it off, kid." that woman said with a playful tone.
"Why?" I questioned.
"Your power is deterioration. So, everything you touch will deteriorate until it turns into ashes.
However, luck for you, the orphanage just spent a good amount of money to buy you those gloves.
They are made to adjust automatically to your hand size and since its materials are reinforced by another cursed blood, your cursed power cannot deteriorate it.
Therefore, while you wear it, you can touch everything normally" She answered calmly.
"It was very expensive, so if you lose it, you won't receive another one. I hope you actually never take it off by now, at least until you have grown enough." The orphanage's chief said with a serious expression.
So, It seems I will have to get used to these gloves...
I then moved my hand to touch my bed and my blank around me and noticed that nothing happened, it was similar to when I touched it without gloves in the past.
I looked back at my gloves.
They are so thin and tight that allowed me to almost feel the things as there were no gloves in my hands
I guess it won't be that bad.