Washington D.C., Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA Director addressed nation in press conference.
"—in addition to ongoing health crisis—reporting secondary phenomenon—individuals displaying anomalous abilities—confirmed cases nationwide—electromagnetic manipulation—telekinesis—pyrogenesis—hydrokinesis—other manifestations—"
Pause.
"—officially designating these individuals as 'Magicians'—term adopted for clarity—public safety—tracking purposes—not implying supernatural—scientific explanation pending—terminology pragmatic not literal—"
Reporter shouted. "Are they dangerous?"
Director's hesitation came. "Some. Not all. Variable. Like any population—majority law-abiding—minority exploiting crisis—advising public caution—report sightings to authorities—do not engage—especially if demonstrating hostile intent—"
Another reporter. "How many?"
"Unknown. Estimated thousands nationwide. Tens of thousands globally. Numbers increasing daily."
"Magician" term viral within hours.
Media adopting.
Public using.
Official designation.
News montage.
CNN: "—so-called 'Magicians' now documented in 47 states—video evidence irrefutable—"
BBC: "—British authorities confirming hundreds of Magician sightings—abilities ranging from elemental manipulation to enhanced physical capabilities—"
Al Jazeera: "—debate emerging—are Magicians blessing or curse—heroes or threats—humanity evolving or society collapsing—"
Social media exploded.
#Magicians trending, 500 million tweets.
#RealMagic, 400 million.
#PoweredHumans, 350 million.
Videos everywhere.
Proof undeniable.
Magicians real.
Powers real.
Magic real.
Despite "not supernatural" claims.
Reality obvious.
Physics violated.
Openly.
Publicly.
Undeniably.
Public divided.
Fear: "Zombies weren't enough? Now superhumans? We're doomed."
Fascination: "Maybe Magicians can save us. Powers could fight infected."
Hatred: "Magicians probably caused outbreak. Unnatural. Abominations."
Hope: "Evolution. Humanity adapting. Survival."
Confusion: "What are they? How? Why now?"
Every emotion.
Simultaneously.
Seven billion people.
Processing impossible reality.
Zombies.
Magicians.
Apocalypse.
Magic.
All at once.
Overwhelming.
Incomprehensible.
Real.
***
Manhattan, Fifth Avenue.
Luxury stores shattered.
Not by zombies.
By Magicians.
Tiffany & Co.
Young man, mid-20s, hands glowing faintly blue as electromagnetic manipulation came.
Security systems disabled via EM pulse as alarms stayed silent while cameras fried, locks opened without keys.
Walking calmly through shattered windows, looting jewelry, diamonds, watches while filling backpack casually.
NYPD cannot respond as overwhelmed by zombies meant ignoring property crimes while survival was prioritized.
Magician knowing this.
Exploiting chaos.
Consequence-free.
Passing another Magician.
Woman, 30s, hands generating wind as telekinetic gusts shattered remaining windows, blew doors open while clearing path for looting.
Not survival looting.
Not food.
Not medicine.
Luxury goods.
Greed.
Opportunism.
Societal collapse revealing character.
Some helping.
Some hoarding.
Powers amplifying natural tendencies.
Good people, better.
Bad people, worse.
Magicians not uniform.
Humanity variable.
Always.
London, Piccadilly Circus.
Magician attacking civilians.
Not infected.
Not zombie.
Human.
Powered.
Violent.
Male, late 20s, hands wreathed in flame as pyrogenesis showed.
Crowd fled.
One person too slow.
Fire stream engulfed victim as screaming, burning came before collapsing.
Magician laughed.
"God-like power! Finally! No more rules! No more laws! Society collapsed! I'm free!"
Another victim.
Fireball struck elderly man, fatal.
Bystanders recorded.
Uploading.
Video viral instantly.
But police not coming.
Military not responding.
Magician continuing.
Unchecked.
Unleashed.
Power corrupting.
Absolute power.
Absolutely.
Some humans, given power, became monsters.
Not zombie infection.
Human nature.
Revealed.
Amplified.
Terrifying.
São Paulo.
Magician kidnapping family.
Female, mid-30s with telekinesis as objects floated, weapons hovered while victims were restrained by invisible force.
Demanding.
"Food. Water. Supplies. Medicine. Everything from your home. Or I crush your child. Telekinetically. Slowly."
Family complied, handing over supplies while desperate, terrified.
Magician took everything.
Leaving family defenseless.
Societal collapse enabling cruelty.
Military Police aware as reports flooded in with dozens of powered criminals, hundreds of incidents while cannot respond to all.
Prioritizing.
Triage.
Magicians lower priority than zombies.
Both threats.
Both dangerous.
Resources insufficient.
Public alone.
Against both.
Rogue Magicians exploiting.
Survival of strongest.
Powered.
Not fittest.
Most ruthless.
Mumbai.
Not individual rogues.
Organized gang.
Five Magicians coordinating.
Leader with pyrogenesis, fire manipulation.
Member two, hydrokinesis, water control.
Member three, electrokinesis, electricity generation.
Member four, enhanced strength, physical power.
Member five, telekinesis, object manipulation.
Raiding hospital.
Not for treatment.
For drugs.
Opioids.
Sedatives.
Valuable medications.
Attacking staff as fire threatened, electricity stunned, strength overpowered while telekinesis restrained.
Looting systematically.
Organized crime meeting powered humans.
Deadly combination.
Police arrived.
Officers outmatched as bullets proved ineffective against telekinetic shields while fire forced retreat, electricity incapacitated.
Gang escaping.
Unpunished.
Unopposed.
Mumbai already overwhelmed by zombies.
Now Magician gangs forming.
Organized powered crime.
New threat.
Additional chaos.
Authorities helpless.
Magicians learning coordination.
Powers multiplying effectiveness.
Societal collapse accelerating.
Not just zombies.
Not just rogue individuals.
Organized powered violence.
Unstoppable.
Currently.
***
Tokyo, Shibuya.
Zombie attacking family.
Magician intervening.
Young woman, early 20s, hands glowing ice-blue as cryokinesis showed.
Ice formed.
Freezing zombie solid as movement stopped while threat was neutralized without killing, frozen not dead, humane even against infected.
Family safe.
Magician bowed quickly as Japanese courtesy maintained even during apocalypse before fleeing before thanks possible.
Not seeking recognition.
Not exploiting power.
Helping.
Then leaving.
Heroic.
Selfless.
Minority.
But present.
Not all Magicians rogue.
Not all selfish.
Some good.
Some heroic.
Humanity's best.
Revealed.
Like humanity's worst.
Both present.
Powers amplifying.
Both.
Manhattan.
Makeshift clinic in church basement as volunteers treated wounded while medical supplies were scarce.
Magician appeared.
Male, 40s, hands glowing soft gold as healing ability came, rare, valuable.
Touching wounded.
Injuries closing.
Bleeding stopping.
Broken bones mending slowly, partially, not miraculous instant healing but helping.
Working tirelessly.
Hours.
Exhaustion evident.
Still continuing.
Volunteers grateful.
Asking name.
"Don't need name. Need help. That's enough."
Anonymous heroism.
Healing.
Not harming.
Magicians capable of good.
London, collapsing school.
Fire spreading as zombies were inside while children trapped upper floor.
Magician arrived.
Male, late 20s with enhanced strength and durability as carrying children out individually, running through flames while ignoring burns, ignoring zombie attacks as focused on rescue.
Twelve children saved.
Magician collapsed afterward.
Burns severe.
Bites present as infected unknown, time would tell.
Paramedics treating.
"You're a hero."
Magician's weak response. "Just had power. Had to use it. Right way."
Moral choice.
Power given.
How used?
Character determining.
Some rogue.
Some heroic.
Same power.
Different choices.
Humanity revealed.
***
Pentagon, Emergency Command Center.
Military officials analyzed Magician threat.
"—estimated 50,000-plus Magicians globally—U.S. potentially 10,000-plus—powers variable—some negligible, some catastrophic—tracking impossible—no physical markers—appear normal until powers manifest—"
Intelligence officer spoke. "—approximately 15% engaging in criminal activity—looting, assault, murder, extortion—85% law-abiding or neutral—but 15% of 10,000 equals 1,500 powered criminals nationwide—law enforcement cannot contain—"
General responded. "Military deployment against Magicians problematic—constitutional concerns—targeting civilians—powers unpredictable—conventional weapons ineffective against some—telekinetic shields, intangibility, others—lethality required for containment—politically impossible currently—"
Another general added. "—zombies priority—Magicians secondary threat—unless organized violence emerges—then reassess—currently monitoring—containment unfeasible—"
Decision: monitoring.
Not containment.
Cannot.
Resources insufficient.
Threats overwhelming.
Magicians uncontained.
For now.
NYPD Headquarters.
Task force attempting Magician tracking.
Detective frustrated. "—120 reported Magician incidents today alone—looting, assault, arson, murder—zero arrests—powers allow escape—teleportation, flight, intangibility, speed—conventional pursuit impossible—"
Commissioner responded. "—prioritize violent incidents—ignore property crimes for now—survival focus—if Magician not actively harming people, ignore—we cannot address everything—triage—"
But triage meaning rogue Magicians free.
Looting unpunished.
Minor assaults ignored.
Only murders investigated.
And even those rarely solved.
Magicians disappearing.
Traceless.
Uncatchable.
Currently.
Justice collapsing.
Like everything else.
Social media sentiment analysis showed patterns.
"Zombies plus rogue Magicians equals we're finished"
"Government cannot protect us from EITHER"
"Blessed AND cursed—both killing us"
"Trust nobody—zombie or human—anyone dangerous now"
Public fragmenting.
Neighborhoods barricading.
Self-defense militias forming.
Vigilante justice emerging as suspected Magicians were attacked preemptively while innocent people were killed because someone claimed "they had powers."
Witch hunt mentality.
Fear overwhelming reason.
Society's bonds dissolving.
Trust gone.
Paranoia universal.
Neighbor against neighbor.
Zombies threat.
Magicians threat.
Humans threat.
Everyone dangerous.
Everyone alone.
Civilization collapsing.
Not from zombies alone.
Not from Magicians alone.
From fear.
From distrust.
From humanity's worst instincts.
Amplified.
***
Seven days since NYC first zombie case.
Five days since "Magician" term introduced.
Zombies: two million-plus infected globally, exponential continuing.
Magicians: 50,000-plus awakened globally, increasing daily.
Rogue Magicians: approximately 7,500 worldwide, 15% criminal rate.
Heroic Magicians: approximately 5,000 actively helping, 10% heroic, minority.
Neutral Magicians: approximately 37,500, 75% avoiding conflict, hiding powers, surviving.
Cities in chaos: 100-plus globally.
Governments retreating.
Military deploying, insufficient.
Police overwhelmed, helpless.
Hospitals collapsed, death toll rising.
Infrastructure failing as power, water, supply chains broke.
Order crumbling.
Chaos amplified.
Not zombies alone.
Rogue Magicians adding violence, looting, murder, extortion, organized crime.
Dual threats.
Blessed misusing power.
Cursed losing humanity.
Both dangerous.
Both spreading.
Public terrified of zombies, of rogue Magicians, of each other.
Trust gone.
Civilization fragmenting.
Survival individual.
World collapsing.
Seven days.
From first case.
To dual apocalypse.
Zombie outbreak.
Magician emergence.
Humanity's end.
Possibly.
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