In the year 2045, a blinding white light flashed across the entire Earth. For a while, no one thought much of it since nothing happened—until people began to develop strange abilities.
They all had one thing in common: they were under extreme stress when their powers awakened.
Twelve years later, more and more individuals had awakened. The internet dubbed it "Forced Evolution"—a name inspired by how these abilities appeared in survival-like moments, almost like a supernatural version of an adrenaline spike. Society quickly realized that not everyone could awaken this evolution. As a result, schools were separated: one system for those with powers, and another for those without. These specialized schools helped students understand their abilities, while the other schools focused on teaching people how to counter those with powers.
⸻
Year 2072
In a dark room sat a slightly overweight boy, surrounded by a cluttered mess of cups, snack wrappers, and bowls.
"Alright! Finally got the sword!" he shouted, excitement leaking into his voice.
This was Riven Harlow, a 16-year-old gamer who spent most of his life in front of a screen. He leaned back in his creaking chair, eyes locked on the glowing display: a digital black-and-gold sword with red energy lines pulsing faintly down its middle. Above it, the words flashed: "The End Game Sword."
He sighed, satisfied.
Suddenly, the door slammed open. His eyes squinted as the harsh hallway light flooded the room. Standing in the doorway was a woman with sharp brown hair and an even sharper expression.
"You lost the job," she said slowly, her tone heavy.
Sweat slid down Riven's cheek.
An older man with jet-black hair—like Riven's—stormed in and dragged him by the arm into the living room.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Riven shouted as he stumbled.
Seated on the couch was a tall, athletic young man who shared the woman's brown hair. He looked about 6'4", while Riven stood at 5'7". This was Jordan Harlow, Riven's twin brother.
"How could you lose your job and not tell anyone?" the woman scolded, disbelief edging her voice. "We had to hear it from your brother."
"She's right," their father added sharply. "In a month, you and your brother will be going your separate ways. Why couldn't you just be more like him?"
Riven felt the words sink deep.
Unlike Riven, Jordan had awakened his abilities—not through trauma or stress, but naturally. Natural Evolution. A phenomenon where people awaken powers with no trigger. It's theorized to be even more powerful than Forced Evolution because it seems to be random… otherworldly… almost divine.
Jordan was one of those rare individuals. His ability allowed him to control ink. It first appeared when he dropped a painting and the character on the canvas began to move, looking unnervingly three-dimensional.
Riven, however, had no powers. Still, he had always been proud of his brother.
Evolved people were in high demand. Jobs, schools, even military services chased after them.
"Anything to say for yourself?" their mother, Candice, asked, disappointment clear.
After a pause that felt longer than it should've, Riven shrugged and replied, "It was distracting me from my game. I was close to finishing."
Everyone froze. Even Jordan, who had stayed silent, raised an eyebrow.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" their father roared, fury snapping loose. "You quit your job over some dumb game?!"
Riven nodded.
"But I completed it," he added defensively. "I can get the job back if I want."
Candice, calm but clearly strained, cut in. "You will… right?"
Riven nodded again.
His father ordered him to leave immediately and get his job back. Riven slipped on a black shirt and pants, then headed toward the door. As it clicked shut behind him, Jordan descended the stairs, a bag filled with paper in hand.
"I'm going to the park," he said.
"Okay, see you later. Good luck!" Candice called out.
"You know…" she added quietly, turning to her husband. "We didn't have to be so hard on him."
"You're right," Kaden sighed. "But he needs something to ground him. Especially when his brother's a natural and he's not. Still… I believe, no matter what, they'll stick together."
Candice smiled and hugged him. "Yeah. You're right."
⸻
Riven walked down the street, frustration weighing on every step. He then saw his brother in the park with what looked like a dog, but darker in color. It looked like Jordan was training the dog to learn tricks. When the boy spotted his twin, Jordan waved at him, and Riven responded by flipping him off and mouthing the word:
"Snitch."
Jordan just laughed as Riven kept walking.
Around him, powered individuals filled the streets—some flying, some moving too fast to track. One person had animal features. Another hovered mid-air while casually eating a sandwich.
Riven entered the convenience store.
"Um, hello," he called out.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" the woman behind the counter asked flatly.
"Hey, I was wondering if I could get my job back." Riven forced a nervous smile.
"Do you really think you can quit out of the blue and then come back like nothing happened?"
Riven nodded.
"The answer is no. Now thanks to you, my shifts have been doubled."
"Okay, but wouldn't it make more sense if you hired me back so your shifts would go back to normal?"
"Yes," she replied coldly, "but I'd rather have the person who caused it in the first place have no money at all."
"Geez, who pissed in your cereal?"
"You did, Riven. You pissed in my cereal."
Riven walked out, jaw tight.
"Why do I even need a job anyway?" he thought bitterly. "I'm gonna have to go to the academy soon. By the time I get one, I'll only make a few units."
Even so, disappointment gnawed at him.
After repeated rejection, he finally turned toward home, head lowered. That's when he passed an alleyway.
Suddenly, something gripped him.
His feet were ripped off the ground.
He screamed—but no one turned.
When it stopped, he faced two strangers—one with pink hair, the other with black.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Riven demanded, panic rising.
"Who we are doesn't matter," the pink-haired one sneered. "What we want is your life."
Fear clenched his chest.
"Why? What did I ever do to you?"
"You're weak. Unevolved."
"You make me sick," the other snapped. "Now shut up!"
Riven screamed for help—but no one heard.
"One of our abilities blocks sound," the pink-haired man laughed.
Suddenly, he kicked Riven hard in the chest. The air blasted from his lungs. The other man pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the shoulder.
"AHHHHH!"
Another stab—his leg.
"AHHHHHHH!!"
Pain burned through him.
"You people are insane!"
"Or we're just using the power God gifted us."
When Riven tried to crawl away, the black-haired man dragged him back.
Just as everything felt lost, a dog leapt out of nowhere, biting one attacker.
The black-haired man screamed and blasted the dog. It fell—splattering into ink.
"What the hell was that?!" one yelled.
Riven's eyes widened. "Jordan!!!"
His brother rushed in, ink dogs surrounding him.
"I knew something was wrong," Jordan said, fury burning in his eyes.
He pressed a medic symbol onto Riven's wounds. Warmth spread as the pain dulled.
But the black-haired attacker stood, furious.
Jordan frowned. "This one's strong…"
A lion formed from ink and roared, stunning the man.
The pink-haired attacker rushed Jordan.
Riven lunged, but pain slowed him.
He was slammed down.
Fists rained.
Pain blurred everything.
As darkness closed in, his eyes glowed gray.
A prompt appeared:
[System: User has gone through a Forced Evolution.]
[Welcome, user, to the Forced Evolution System.]