It was just like every other day, 100yrs ago ,The sun was high above Republic City,Streets buzzed with life people laughing, talking, walking to shops or hurrying to work. Cars moved in clean lines, horns barely needed. Vendors called out from food stands,Children chased each other near the fountains. It was an ordinary, peaceful afternoon.
Then something flickered in the sky,At first it looked like heat lightning quick flashes, harmless and distant. But it didn't stop,The flashes grew brighter, louder, like thunder crashing against itself. People stopped what they were doing and looked up.
Then they saw it.
A blazing meteor burst through the clouds, trailing smoke and fire behind it. It screamed through the sky, heading straight for the city's edge. In mere seconds, it slammed into the ground with a force that shattered the earth. The shockwave tore through buildings, turning glass into flying knives,Towers collapsed. Fires broke out People screamed.
And then the silence came after everything had settled down.
At the center of the crater, the ground shifted,A single green leaf rose, floating upward. It twisted gently in the air And from the cracked earth, something began to grow.
It was A tree.
But not just a tree a colossal one at that,towering thing that stretched far into the sky, higher than any skyscraper. Its bark was dark and smooth. Its roots pushed deep and fast into the earth. And not long after, the tree began to bear fruit Strange glowing fruit.
One by one, the fruits burst open. Red mist hissed into the air, spreading fast, too fast for anyone to out run. The mist rolled through the streets, across the fields, over oceans It didn't smell like smoke. It smelled… sweet and delicious that every human would love to have a taste.
But this wasn't salvation.
It was the beginning of the end.
All over the world, the roots of the great tree spread underground like lightning. In mere seconds, they circled the planet. The red mist entered lungs, soaked into skin, mixed with blood.
People got sick instantly But this wasn't a normal sickness,This was something else.
Bodies changed, Cells twisted? Bones cracked, healed, and cracked again,Organs shifted. Brains sparked like wires crossed in the dark,Some people screamed until they died.
But others survived, And those who survived… changed.
They woke up with something new inside them. A strange power. A force that couldn't be explained as at then,It was known as Shen an energy that allowed humans to do the impossible,To bend fire, freeze air, shape metal, or walk without touching the ground. Each power was different,Each person transformed in their own way unique to there talent.
But the cost was high.
The world was no longer the same,And it all started on that sunny afternoon.
When the sky fell.
120YEARS LATER IN REPUBLIC CITY...
The Sun was just beginning to dip behind the horizon, casting its rays over the bustling streets of the city. A wiry, 18 year old boy named Killian wandered into the local grocery supermarket known as Glamour Supermarket , his thin frame swaying under the weight of his oversized hoodie. His clumsiness was his most defining feature,his gangly arms seemed to have a mind of their own as he accidentally bumped into a display of canned beans, sending them clattering onto the floor.
"Oh, come on!"
Killian muttered under his breath, crouching down to restack the cans. A passing toddler laughed at him, pointing as if mocking his misery. Killian shot the kid a glare.
"You think this is funny, huh? Wait till you grow up and have to pay for groceries."
Grumbling, he moved toward the produce aisle. His hand hovered over some fresh tomatoes, hesitating as if picking the perfect one required the precision of a brain surgeon. Finally, he grabbed a few, tossing them into his basket like a basketball player making a slam dunk. Next came vegetables, meat, and some carrots all essentials, though the carrots were an indulgence he would later regret.
As Killian reached the meat section, his eyes locked on the price tag.
"What the—?!" he yelped, earning a few curious stares from other shoppers.
"Why are these prices so high?! Do they sprinkle gold on these cows or what? At this rate, I'm gonna die out of hunger!"
He placed both hands on his head and dramatically dragged them down his face, groaning.
"But Grandma needs to eat well, anyway," he muttered with a resigned sigh, tossing the meat into his basket and made his way forward.At the checkout counter, a cheerful voice called out.
"Killian? Is that really you? Long time no see!"
It was a girl around his age, her name tag reading Mika. She was practically beaming as she scanned the items.
"Oh, hey, Mika," Killian replied, giving her an awkward wave and a crooked smile, Mika has always been Killian crush but he had no balls to approach her to let her know how feeling, he crushed and loved her from miles away in his heart,He shifted on his feet, nearly tripping over his own shoelaces.
Mika giggled.
"Still as clumsy as ever, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah,"
he muttered, watching the price climb on the screen. His heart sank as the total hit 400 dollars . In his mind, an imaginary bank vault door creaked open, revealing a moth fluttering out of the empty chamber.
He scratched the back of his head. "Uh… you know what? Take the carrots off."
Mika raised an eyebrow. "Just the carrots?"
"Yeah, just the carrots," Killian said, handing over 250 dollars . He wasn't about to explain to her that carrots were his mortal enemy now. Mika packed the groceries into a bag, handed it over with a smile, and waved him off.
As he stepped outside, the sun was still shining brightly, almost mockingly. Killian squinted up at the sky and sighed.
"I've gotta work harder… or I'm gonna starve to death someday."
He trudged home, his mind a swirling mix of frustration and determination. When he reached the house, he clicked open the door and shouted,
"Grandma! I'm home!"
An elderly woman's voice called back weakly from the living room.
"Welcome back, dear."
Killian headed to the kitchen, unpacking the groceries onto the counter. Turning on the gas stove, he placed a pot of water on to boil. Just as he started to chop the vegetables, the flame flickered and died.
"No… NO!" he yelled, staring at the empty gas cylinder. He banged the counter in frustration, then gave up and reached for a cup of instant noodles. Minutes later, he served it to his grandmother with a forced smile.
"Have you eaten?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Yep!" he lied through his teeth, ignoring the loud growl from his stomach.
Killian stepped outside for some air, only to accidentally punch the brick wall next to the door in frustration. A crack spread across it, and he froze. "Oops… Hope I didn't break anything," he muttered, quickly walking away.
A few blocks down, the sound of a reporter's voice boomed through a loudspeaker.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The Great Tournament of Republic city begins tonight! Win a grand prize of 5 million dollars and get the chance to join one of the great hunter Defense Forces!"
Killian stopped in his tracks, his head whipping toward the reporter.
"Five million dollars?!"
His eyes lit up like fireworks. "Is that real?"
"Of course, it's real!" the reporter said, puffing out his chest.
"How much for a ticket?" Killian asked, his heart racing.
"150 dollars," the reporter replied.
Killian rummaged through his pocket, pulling out 100 dollars. "Will you take 100?"
The reporter's smug expression turned sour. "Get your broke ass out of here!"
As Killian turned to leave, the reporter rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, give me the 100 dollars. But you owe me the rest!"
"Deal! Even if I'm unable to win the 5 Million if I get selected into one of the Defense force I can do Hunter business and make more money," Killian said, grabbing the ticket and grinning like he'd just hit the jackpot.
With ticket in hand, he walked off into the sunset, the promise of 5 million dollars fueling his steps. Little did he know, the Great Tournament was about to change his life forever.